Back from Brazil

It hasn't even been a month since I was in Brazil but it feels like a lifetime ago. I know this is a little late, but I just wanted to do a quick post to reflect upon the experience of being invited to speak at the 2nd Computer Arts Design Show in Sao Paulo.

Above is a photo of me and the hard working crew from Editora Europa. The guy in the middle in the blue shirt is Mario Fittipaldi. He is the editor of Computer Arts and 3d world as well. I cannot imagine the daunting task of organizing a show like this one. Mario contacted me, set the whole thing up, made all the arrangements, and was just generally a really great host. I can't thank him enough for all of the effort he made to ensure that I had an enjoyable experience while in Brazil. It was awesome!

The event itself was really cool. I was told there were almost 200 people in attendance. That's the largest crowd I've ever spoken in front of. First time working with a translator too. Below you can see a shot of the crowd and some shots of the workshop and presentation in progress. Basically, I spoke into a microphone in English, which went through the sound system. But, in addition to that; the microphone fed into a booth where a person translated everything real-time into Portuguese. Then, participants could hear the Portuguese translation by wearing headsets. The whole thing was pretty high-tech and extremely well organized.





The translation worked the other way too, so that I could put on the headphones and hear Portuguese questions in English. Then the translator would translate my English answers back into Portuguese. It was really cool and I can't thank the translator enough for her effort. Especially when I went so fast during the first presentation. If memory serves me correctly, her name was Melana, but I'm certain that I'm spelling it wrong. Sorry.

One thing that completely surprised me was the enthusiasm of the people who attended the event. There were people lining up after each presentation for pictures and autographs. A lot of people brought books and magazines for me to sign. A handful even gave me some of their own artwork as gifts, which was extremely cool. It was a shock to me that anyone in Brazil even knew who I was in the first place. I was not expecting this.





Again, I can't thank Mario and everyone at Editora Europa enough. Mario and his wife Monica took me out for dinners, shows, and on an amazing sight-seeing tour through the mountains to Santos and St.Vincent. Pictures are below. Also, it was really cool to meet Roberto, the owner of Editora Europa and have lunch with him, Mario, and the CO (who's name escapes me). Brazilian's really know about meat. I ate so much amazing food while I was there that coming home to North American cuisine has been a huge let down. And the coffee, don't get me started on the coffee...

I was really impressed by just how massive Sao Paulo is. There are some shots below from the roof of the hotel. It was just endless skyscrapers in every direction. Unfortunately I don't have any photos of the Editora Europa offices but they were beautiful. We could learn a lot from them in terms of atmosphere. They had a beautiful compound of small buildings and landscaped gardens. Again, nothing like the cubicle hell of North America.







Anyway, I just want to thank Mario and everyone at Editora Europa for inviting me to participate and for making the experience so enjoyable. The realist in me knows that the participants in an event like this will want a different international guest next time around. However, the idealist in me secretly hopes that they ask me to come back next year.

2nd Computer Arts Design Show in Brazil

On May 30th I will be speaking at the 2nd Computer Arts Design show in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I'll be discussing my career path, influences, and the evolution of my work. In addition to that I'll be hosting a workshop in which I'll share some of my own Photoshop and Illustrator secrets. I'm really looking forward to the experience of speaking in front of a Portuguese audience and visiting Brazil for the first time. Hope to see some of you there. check it out

Interview in Advanced Photoshop, Issue 52

I was interviewed by Adam Smith recently for Advanced Photoshop magazine. It is one of the finest Photoshop mags out there. What they chose to print was gutsy and surprising. A lot of times when people interview me, I tell it like it is, and freely discuss the stuff in the world of commercial art that pisses me off. Unfortunately no one ever prints that. Advanced Photoshop magazine is the first magazine to ever print everything I said to them. No sugar coating, this is the real deal. Thanks gang.Check it out.

Discover this!

On July 10th I posted the original sketch that was used as the basis for this Illustration. The finished art, with the exception of some flipping and rotating, is true to the original drawing. This piece was commissioned as the cover for the September issue of Discover magazine. Below is a low-res version of the illustration as it was used in the cover layout. I thought it turned out well. Sometimes I get quite attached to an image when I spend countless hours on it, so it is nice to see it land in a nicely designed layout. I especially like the way the lettering is intertwined with the DNA strand at the top.


Illustration is a solitary profession, and in our insular worlds, we illustrators are often guilty of thinking we know everything. Hence our aversion to client requested alterations. Experience has taught me that an objective observer can recommend something that you'd never think of, improving an illustration in ways you would have never considered on your own.

Below is the illustration shown before and after a minor revision. What isn't minor however, is the impact a bit of colour can add to the composition. Originally, it was like the version at the left, very monochromatic with the focus being on the fetus. The client feedback was that although they liked it, the primary focus needed to be on the DNA strand. We decided to add some colour to the DNA strand and I was amazed at how much of a difference it made. A massive improvement, and I wouldn't have considered it on my own.

An illustration special...that's what!

On June 13th I posted a few drawings to whet your appetite and here is the result. This image appears alongside a tutorial on how to create it in the latest Computer Arts Projects Illustration Special. My advice is to go get a copy now before it sells out. My issue arrived today and I've been reading through it voraciously instead of working on commissions that are piling up. That's an occupational hazard of being involved with such great publications. Comp copies can prove quite distracting.

My contribution to the illustration special is designed to get you to produce art in Photoshop that involves real-world drawing techniques. I find that stepping away from the computer mid-project can be very refreshing and after you read the article, you'll hopefully gain an understanding of the benefits to both yourself, and your art.

Another caveat when contributing to something like this is the inevitable insecurity at the end of it all. The printed mag arrives at your door and you see a million artists in there with insurmountable talents and you wonder what you're doing in there at all. I have always been a bit of an insecure artist, sometimes I think that is what drives me so hard. One artist in particular caught my eye and that was Sam Weber. Do yourself a favor and check out his work. I have been an admirer of his work since I first saw it on the cover of the 2007 Communication Arts Illustration Annual. I am honored to be in the same mag as him, but it certainly isn't helping my insecurity.

Something scientific for a change

Here's a preliminary sketch of a magazine cover illustration I completed recently. Lately, I've been exploring two dimensional and/or tactile styles when working. This commission, from a leading US magazine, was a refreshing change and had me heading back into my trusty 3d app to do some hi-tech realism. When the mag comes out, I'll post the finished illustration, as well as tell a little story about how colour changes everything.

Three drawings...so what?

Okay, okay, I know this isn't very impressive at the moment. I did, however, have a blast actually doing some drawings for a change. You're probably wondering why I bothered to post these. Well, pay attention to future issues of Computer Arts Projects and you'll see what can be done with a few basic drawings. Once the mag hits the stands I'll post the finished art. I think it turned out pretty cool in the end.