Tuesday, May 22, 2007

News Flash



It's time to put some excitement into this blog! It seems like lately, my posts have followed the same "vanilla" format.... Here is my latest artwork... Here is the story behind the artwork... Snore! Time to put some sprinkles on the vanilla.... and some hot fudge!

AKC Museum Of The Dog Registry

Did you know that there is a museum in the US, dedicated to dog art? The AKC Museum of the Dog holds juried exhibitions that showcase canine art and has an Artist Registry. Recently, I became an official member of the Museum of the Dog Artist Registry. Exhibitions are changed fairly regularly and the museum also has a permanent collection of classic canine paintings. The museum is located in St. Louis, Missouri in a historic estate. For more information, check out http://www.museumofthedog.org/.

Launching Into The World Of Illustration

I finally feel ready to start sending promotional packets to publishers. I've been working hard over the past year to build a strong portfolio of realistic animal drawings in color. A big part of the submission process is research. An illustrator needs to find their niche and pursue publishers that will support their subject matter and style. A big emphasis was placed on market research in my college studies. A lot of money and time can be wasted in sending samples to random publishers.

So, I began researching publishers through the Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market and through Google. The process is very complicated. I've found maybe a hand-full of publishers that are interested in realistic animal drawings. With computer technology, many illustrators are drawing on their computers in a whimsical style. Some publishers list a need for realistic animal drawings, but I am finding that the need is for colorful, digital work. Photo-realism is often substituted with photographs in books and magazines.

How do I work through this challenge? I will continue to research and discover magazines and books that feature animal subject matter and see if they buy realistic illustrations. I also am marketing my work to the poster and licensing markets. For this reason, I am trying to perfect a "style" and work on drawings in "series". My goal is to develop a soft, impressionistic style with a hint of realism (with a pinch of neurosis and attention to detail).

1 comments:

Jane said...

Your artistic license is thought provoking. I actually looked beyond the 'cat' and viewed a 'borg-like' image. A very interesting viewpoint.

Good luck with your submissions of acknowledgemnt
JANE