Quote:
Originally Posted by dd316
The birth of first Artist and first critic by means of natural selection - YouTube
You can either choose to ignore the negative comments, or take them to better your work. If you just give up, then your heart's not really in it.
If you choose to slack off and just draw monkeys or whips because others are, then you should probably find another source of income because that ship will sail really fast.
I ended up doing 25 cards in just black paint because I couldn't meet the deadline any other way. It really bothers me that I had to concede a bit on these, but in no way did I half-ass them. I just couldn't spend hours on each. It was really tough for me to have to do that, but I didn't have any other options. Hopefully the additional effort I was able to put into my full color sketches is enough to show that I care.
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Agree with almost all of this, Ted.
Here's my take from a first time sketch card artist and a freelancer for over 8 years:
1) I did the 150 cards for fun and the love of the MA franchise. I joined late in the game after sending Alvin a pic through their Facebook page on a whim. When I emailed the pic, I wasn't expecting the work, but completed the piece for fun because I had a free day from my editorial work. The angle I came from was about the joy of the franchise and never about $$$.
2) I wasn't expecting work, but EVERYTHING I draw has my 100% effort put into it. When I signed up to do the first 100 cards, I knew it was going to be hard to finish all of these in color on top of my usual work load. I finished but made myself physically sick in the process......even after adding 50 additional b/w cards at Alvin's request. This gets some artists in trouble though - DON'T take on the work load if you can't complete the work at your best. If you can't finish 100.....do 50......35.....etc. Make sure the work you show the public is something you're proud to be associated with. What could be more embarrassing than to be associated with half-ass sketch cards?
3) No - it's not worth the $$$ I'll be paid. But if I was worried about money, I probably should've stay w/ the architectural degree on was on track to getting back in school and stayed away from art. This goes for all sketch artists - if you're doing this for money, you're in the wrong profession. This doesn't mean you can't make a living from art because I HAVE for the last 8+ years. Overall, You have to have a passion for art and a pride in your work. This shows....especially to buyers as savvy as people on this board. Money isn't the only thing I've gotten from working with Alvin/Topps. I had the chance to meet new people in a field I was curious about, a chance to sketch for fans at the New York Comic Con and most importantly - get better at my craft. Drawing 150 cards in a few weeks will do that.
4) Negative comments do not effect me. Constructive criticisms DO! I know there's areas I can improve and ways I could make my future sketch card work better. I appreciate anytime someone posts feedback. I just ignore the negative people.
5) I don't have the experience to compare the overall quality of the sketches in MA:I to other sets, but I do know that Alvin put lots of hard work into making this a fun product for everyone. Yes, there are ways the set could be even better so hopefully he and people at Topps take the constructive feedback to heart.
I had a great time working with him over the last few months including my sketch cards for the upcoming Star Wars release. Here's hoping Topps continues the Mars Attacks storyline in 2014.