Dramatic Ramblings of a Madman

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Dallion

You’ve heard of cabin fever. It’s when a man, from lack of outside stimulus or companionship, begins exhibiting unusual behavior. Symptoms could include restlessness, irritability, paranoia, irrational thinking, laughter. There could be compulsive pacing of one’s yurt, making faces at the dark. Did you know Cabin Fever also includes sustained bouts of increased creativity? Well let me tell you: it does!

No I haven’t axe murdered nobody. This picture is reference for a pose I’m drawing for my new graphic novel. That’s right. SCREW KIDS BOOKS, I’M DOING A GRAPHIC NOVEL!! You can blame Mr. Craig Thompson and his excellent book, Blankets, for this sudden change in direction. Yes, his hefty tome and certain personal events inspired this story in this format, and when inspiration like this lands in your lap, it’s not like you can turn it down! Maybe you can smack the muses in the face, but not me, no sir!!

So I work. If I don’t put in at least 4 hours a day, I’m unhappy. But the work requires it, and it’s good. Finally… FINALLY… I have something real… something substantial that excites me to creation. And in the dark I realize… loneliness is my fuel.

Posted in Creative Writing, Personal, Rants | 1 Comment

Recent Drawings

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Dallion

Here are some drawings I culled from a recent sketchbook. As you can see, I like to draw in many different styles and sometimes get frustrated not knowing which one to pursue and develop further. Some say that not keeping with a single style is a liability, while others say it’s an asset. Somedays I feel like I’m having an identity crisis, other days, glad to have such diversity. I don’t know what to believe, but I enjoy exploring different styles and hope that each will somehow lend itself to the whole, or perhaps one day meld into a single super-style. Is there one or the other you prefer?

My go-to cartoony characters.

Was developing a one-eyed creature until I realized it looks too much like the Simpson's aliens.

Exaggerated proportions.

A basketball player with slightly more realistic features.

More realistic.

Stylistic villian.

Fun Mr. Flying Head

"Hey! Get back here!!!"

Posted in Drawings, Frustration, General, Illustration, Personal | Comments Off

The Saga Continues

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Dallion

It’s been nearly two months since the last blog entry — bad, even by my standards. But I have a really good excuse… really! I now live in Oregon, in a tent, in the wilderness. Well “tent” is a little harsh I suppose. It’s actually a yurt. And actually it’s quite comfortable. It has a nice kitchen, a decent bathroom, and a cozy wood stove that I plan to park my rear near all winter.

What the yurt DOESN’T have is internet access. It was hard at first, not having that constant stream of frothy information on tap. But once the nausea and tremors subsided, I found that it’s actually kinda nice not having internet as an option. Now, instead of turning to the screen with each free moment, I’m more likely to go for a walk, draw, or crack open a book. Of course, not having internet at home has its drawbacks too (being unable to find visual references, or update the blog), but for now it’s working. Time will tell if this is a real lifestyle change. In a moment of weakness I could easily see myself calling up the phone company and begging for a taste of the juice.

So life as been busy finding a home and moving, preparing for winter. It’s also my first time living with a partner, and Allison and I are discovering the joys and challenges of living together. Uncertainty about the future and the fate of my creative quest is often daunting, but I’ve found an encouraging book on that topic and feel good moving forward.

The drawing is coming along, I’m pushing my boundaries and refining my line further. I hope I can share some of it soon.

Posted in General | 2 Comments

You’re invited…

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Dallion

Artwork for a birthday invitation. Braedan’s an awesome little kid in the community and he’s REALLY into dragons right now!!

Posted in Drawings, Illustration, Personal, Random | 2 Comments

Create ePubs on iPads with Book Creator App

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Dallion

In the emerging field of digital picture books, there are two methods of publishing to digital devices. One is to create an App which can feature interactivity, music, games, etc. The other is to create an ePub, which more resembles a traditional book (and can display on more devices… the Nook & Kindle for example). Both paths can lead to success, yet the creation of each can throughly confound the author and illustrator trying to publish digitally. Luckily, a new tool has arrived to help us creative types tackle the technical side. It’s called Book Creator by Red Jumper Studio and it allows anyone with an iPad to easily make ePub books.

Upon opening Book Creator, you’ll be presented with a Getting Started tutorial. While the tutorial is filled with good, easy to understand instruction, you can just as soon skip it. Book creator is so intuitive and simple to use, after 5 minutes of tinkering around you’ll know how it works.

But to say the app is simple, doesn’t mean it’s not powerful. It has a robust text placement system which allows you to select font style, color, size and alignment – and move it around anywhere on your page.

You can insert pictures by selecting them from your iPad photo album, and move and resize them quickly with a swipe of a finger. Inserting and rearranging pages is a breeze, as is opening and testing your project in iBooks.

The only feature I feel Book Creator is missing, is the ability to add audio narration. ePubs have recently become capable of narration and auto-play, and for this format to compete with flashy interactive apps, it’s really a necessity. Right now, I would use Book Creator to build the majority of an ePub file, and then find a programmer to add the audio.

Book Creator is a must-have app for anyone wanting to make their own digital picture books. It’s intuitive to use and will save the independent storymaker a ton of time and money in programming costs. While it currently cannot add audio, there’s a rumor that it could be added in a future update. All-in-all Book Creator is a wonderful tool and has effectively eliminated my excuses. Now the only thing keeping me from publishing a children’s book is me!  :)

Posted in Apps, Digital Publishing | 2 Comments

Pure Genius

Posted on September 3, 2011 by Dallion

Maybe you’ve heard this talk before, but I just found it today, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s helped me realize how much pressure I put on myself, and understand how paralyzing it is. Yes, this talk is a remedy for artistic block. Ole, Elizabeth Gilbert, Ole!

Posted in Expert Advice, Frustration, Heros, Tips and Tricks | 1 Comment

Interview with an Illustrator: Ellen Murray

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Dallion

In Austin, I’ve been attending an Illustration critique group with some amazingly talented artists. A while ago we thought it would be fun to conduct interviews with each other. It was my privilege to interview member Ellen Murray.

Dallion: Hi Ellen, thanks for participating in this interview. For my first question I’d like you to describe your earliest memory of being artistic. What made you want to illustrate children’s books?

Ellen: Illustrating children’s book is a combination of my love of good stories and my love of art. My mom has always encouraged me to be creative and to make art from my early childhood to the present day. Art making has been a life-long passion. My love of stories may have come from my dad, who usually would read aloud to me and my siblings before bed. I remember him reading aloud works by C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Who are your favorite children’s authors/illustrators?

Authors: J.M. Barrie, Dr. Seuss, C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, J.R.R. Tolkien
Illustrators: Edmund Dulac, E.H. Shephard, N.C. Wyeth, Peter de Seve
These are certainly not all, but they are definitely noteworthy.

You’ve created many pattens involving plants and posted them to your blog. What’s up with that?

Plants are very inspiring to me. One day I realized that they keep creeping into my artwork, so I decided to be very intentional about it. At the same time, I decided that I would also like to experiment with pattern-making and questioning the perception of different plants. What makes a plant desirable? Why are some plants overlooked and labeled as weeds? My project aimed to bring attention to the interesting and beautiful patterns of common, native Texas plants.

Can you describe your workspace at home? Do you set aside time to create art, or do you wait until you’re in the mood?

Typically, I work digitally in Photoshop with a Wacom tablet at my PC desktop or with a pencil in my sketchbook. I don’t have a set time to make art at the moment, although I have made set times in the past. I like to bring my sketchbook around with me to fill extra time, especially in airports and coffeehouses.

On your website you display a combination of “traditional” and digital work. Which medium do you prefer and why?

I like to experiment with all mediums, so that I can choose the appropriate medium for a specific project. I do lean towards oil, pastel, and charcoal. When I paint digitally in Photoshop, I use a very similar approach and process as I would with oil paint and pastel. My traditional experience informs my digital work.

In ten years, when you’re a famous and wildly successful illustrator, what will you be known for?

I have no idea, but I hope it’s for beautiful, inspiring, and honest work.

If you had to live someone else’s life, who would you choose?

That’s really hard to say; I’m really thankful for the life I’ve been given. If I could just travel the world and paint, that would be pretty fabulous.

What’s next on your artistic horizon?

My next project will be to finish writing and illustrating my children’s book entitled Leopoldo The Frog. Leopoldo is an operatic green tree frog living in a Florida swamp. He is praised as the best singer in the swamp until another talented frog moves in and turns his world upside down. You can find more illustrations of Leopoldo at my website: www.ellenmurray.net.

Thanks Ellen!

The rest of our group’s interviews can be seen here:
Dallion
Audrey Lopata
Marsha Riti
Amy Farrier
Tiffanny Varga

Posted in Expert Advice, Heros, Illustration | 1 Comment

False Starts and Dead Ends

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Dallion

Perhaps I was too eager to board this digital bandwagon. Early experimentation with the iPad and eBook building software led me to make two declarations, which I now wish to retract.

1) “I’m entering the InteractBuilder competition to make an interactive children’s book by September 18th.”

After using their software, I’ve decided to not enter this contest. Though they’ve billed InteractBuilder as version 1.0 and ready for public consumption, I find it buggy, not user friendly, and lacking many features. Learning their software requires a programmer’s mind, and for me, really sucks the fun out of making children’s books. In addition, any eBooks made with InteractBuilder can only be sold through their App, which currently has a rather low user rating, and may prove unpopular.

Competing software, which looks like a dream in comparison, is scheduled to be released shortly. Check out these exciting options, Moglue and Demibooks Composer:

2) “I may start creating my art digitally.”

Okay, so I illustrated the first few pages of a book using my iPad. I thought they were good and sent them to my partner for feedback. After a rather tepid response, I was able to pry the truth out of her. About the iPad art she said, “It lacks a certain kind of Dallion-ness.” And I can see what she means. Compare these two drawings:


I don’t know what it is, but one of these is me, and the other isn’t. Compare the character above with the characters in my online portfolio. It’s like he’s too slick or something. My art isn’t slick. My art is skewed and immediate and full of mistakes. The undo button allows me to get it too “perfect” (whatever that is), and somehow sucks the life, or at least the Dallion-ness out of it. Think I’ll stick with my old friends, pen, paper, and watercolor for now.

Trial and error. The destination hasn’t changed, just the method to get there.

Posted in Digital Publishing, Drawings, Frustration, Illustration, Tips and Tricks | 1 Comment