Plan B Magazine

I'm working on my first editorial piece for the UK! This means after it's done I can say I am an internationally published illustrator. Only takes one, right?

The assignment is for Plan B Magazine, which is a youthful culture magazine (not the emergency birth control like so many people are quick to notice). I get to do their music section which has been a job I've always wanted. In this issue they're covering female vocalists, and I have to admit I haven't heard of ANY of the bands/artists in the article (but they are all pretty cool). Here are the sketches.

Singer Lia Ices as a songbird.

Hilde Marie Kjersern and her "spooky voice".

Andrew, the art director, gave me permission to do whatever I wanted and in the end he liked the songbird one (so did I). It's due Nov 5th. I'll post the final next week!

Mass Art

a quick 30 minute sketch I whipped up tonight for a demo I'm doing at Mass Art (yes, that's me). I've done lectures but not really a demo, so that should be interesting. And by "interesting" I mean "boring". :)

Taurus Girl

I'll have to get a proper scan of this later, but as of right now my new painting is done and I absolutely love it. It's one of the few times I've thought of an idea and have been able to say, "ok brain, get that painting out of your electric noodle-ness and onto paper!" ...and it worked! I really like the colors and some of the new patterns I'm trying out. Also, I got some teeny weeny brushes and they really did some nice things for the face and hair of the girl.

If you're wondering, this is actually a redo of a previous painting from my Senior year at RISD. It was a self portrait inspired by my zodiac sign, Taurus. In the old version she actually just has a bull head- it's not a mask of any sort. For the update I wanted the duality to be there so it could appeal on different conceptual levels. In the end, I also think the image is more interesting having the girl and such a strong vertical presence with her holding the bull head.

Success!

Oh joy oh joy! The RISD sale was a HUGE success! Thanks to everyone who bought something, especially the doctor who made a BIG purchase for his new office. My friend, Ana, who sells beautiful jewelry also did well, especially since there are many jewelry makers around. I was next to her booth for the first time and was simply amazed how crowded and active her area was for the whole day.  I know many people are thinking about art sales right now, and if it's worth it because of the economy, so here is my two cents on why we did well...

* This is "Art & Craft Sale for dummies", but both of us have a very distinct look to our products. Ana and I use very distinctive colors in our lines which helps with branding and making us look professional.

*There are many sales, but do your research and find out what kind of buyers will be there. For instance, the sale Ana and I were in brings in many upper middle class buyers, people who have not been hit as hard economically (or in some cases, at all!). If you are in a smaller area, newer sale (that maybe isn't as on the radar like other seasonal events) or know that the sale attracts a certain audience who doesn't have as much income (college kids, young families, etc) than that's good to know.

*Ana and I make sure our prices cover our overhead and are fair to us, but we also know not to mark up too much just for the sake of marking up. Ana's jewelry is beautiful (and not what I would call cheap) but compared to her competition she was a bargain. Pick a number that feels right for both you AND your customer.

*Don't waste money and you'll rake in more profit! I was tickled to see that Ana's expensive-looking suede displays were actually cardboard structures she had hot glued fabric over. So much cheaper! I have to be cost effective and cheap at this stage of my life. Having something vertical at my table helps to get attention, so I have a table easel holding a large painting of mine. That's all I need, and it's way cheaper than buying display walls. All these things reduce your investment and allow you to enjoy more profit.  

Okkie dokkie. Good luck to everyone doing Art& Craft Sales!

RISD ART SALE 10/11

Whew! All that late night painting has paid off as I get ready for the RISD Art Sale on Benefit Street in Providence! This is just a peek at all my small paintings ready to go (yes, they're originals, not prints). I hear the weather is going to be great, and I hope even though the economy is doing...not-so-peachy, we'll say, that folks will still be looking to score some fun artwork for themselves or others (Christmas shopping HAS started for some, you know).  It's this coming Saturday (10/11) from 10am-4pm if you're in the area!

Mission: Impossible

I am so honored to be featured at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, a blog about books and illustrators! These ladies mean business- check out their awesome blog!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Yes, I'm a little early with the Halloween business, but everyone can enjoy my spunky witch until the 31st!

On another note, when did postage go up again? Not only do I have to get more postcard stamps because I didn't exactly REALIZE how many clients I have (I just sent out a stack that's seriously at least 5 inches thick. REALLY), but now I have to get those one cent stamps, too. Soon I will send out the second half- magazine clients have been mailed, now I'm working on publishers, licensing, ad firms, etc. My neck is killing me typing all those addresses into label sheets. Ugh!

Little Vampirella

Little Vampirella, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

There's this site called Project:Rooftop that has artists and illustrators redesign superheroes' costumes... and I love it!! They actually have real judges (the artists, writers, or other people involved with the comic world) and they give their two cents, plus some people really do bring their A game art-wise. The latest challenge was to "revamp" scantly-clad Vampirella, who I remember from my Wizard-reading days. I missed the deadline but was still inspired to try my own version (obviously it's a far reach from the original with her being five and all). I was in a Halloweeny mood so it kinda came out all on its own.

They're in!

  Imagine my surprise on Friday when I came back to find a stack of boxes waiting for me. My postcards! I'm glad to say I'm uber-happy with them (yellow, especially bright yellow, can be a funny color to print, FYI). Today I'm going to Staples, and the premise of buying mailing labels has never been so exciting. 

  However, for some reason I do get a thrill out of office supply stores. When I was a kid I marveled at all those pads in special colors for special jobs with special little boxes in them to check for special reasons (eh, I think you get the point). So, even now I still like to stroll the aisles looking at stuff and marveling at the super-sized jugs filled with red vines and coffee creamers for office spaces (does our office population REALLY eat that many red vines???).

On another note, I was reminded last night how AWESOME the resources are in two books: Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market and Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market (mine are both 2008 editions). They give you tons of advice, but my pay off is the client list! It tells you who the art director is, what they're looking for, what they're NOT looking for, guidelines, tips from the companies... the first one has everything from magazines and publishers to ad firms and galleries. It makes my Borders trip look like child's play. If you're new (or newish) to the freelance scene, these books are worth it.

Promotional Mailers of Fall 2008

They're done!

 Not only are they done, but I updated my contacts, too! It required a Taco Bell and root beer break, but it's FINALLY DONE! Now I just have to wait for the suckers.

 And if anyone is curious, I use GOTPRINT.COM for my printing needs. They are much more affordable than other companies and I have never had a color issue with their products. This post was sponsored by them and the letter G.

From the Vault

Beep Beep!, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Enjoy "Beep Beep!", which once was a print on Etsy as well as the opening image for my website. Thank you for all your help, old friend.

Even though I have quite a few things happening in October, my mind is already thinking about the end of 2008. I am going to make a portfolio book (the nice printed ones like all my friends had for their grad thesis's. SO nice) and these will be sent out to choice clients. One will definitely be Dark Horse Comics. I saw them this past spring at the Surtex convention in NYC, and the rep there was favorable towards my stuff being used for their products such as stationary. I think my chopped up mermaid and smoking little girls can find a rather nice home and following there. I would be lying if I said I was all ready to go with that. Preferably, I'd like to do two more images for them if time allows- maybe another mermaid (pirate mermaid!) or a superhero-inspired character... obviously not a normal superhero... maybe one playing a guitar...

Society of Illustrators West 47

Narrative, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

You may be thinking "Hey! She already posted that. Is this a rerun??".

 No, dear readers. It's only me showing you my entry for the SOI West 47 competition. This one is going into the "gallery" section because "unpublished" is going to be full of entries. This painting was for 1301 Gallery In Nebraska. I'm hoping that maybe...just maybe I might get accepted. In fact, it's the first year as a real illustrator that I've entered, because usually my money is used for groceries rather than entry fees. Also, for the first time I feel like I have a painting that is ME, and not just me trying to do another portfolio piece and such. Wish me luck- I don't find out until November. Oh, the suspense!

Stan Arrives

Stan Arrives, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

It's Saturday, my last Saturday before I begin teaching on the weekend. Thank goodness it's not the morning session because I would be exhausted after teaching at Montserrat on Fridays. Today (drum roll please), I will send the mailers out to get printed! No excuses. There will be 3 different cards, some going to more teen/tween market clients and others to more general clients. In the end I'll have 500 of each! Now I just have to update the client list...


The above piece was inspired by a Coconut Records song, one line saying "I wish you could put yourself in my suitcase", and it put some fun imagery in my head. The actual painting is done on a cardboard backing from a used up wax paper palette. Since I was invited to a group show where the theme is "recycle and reuse", I thought I should just make the piece work for the theme.

Express Yourself

Express Yourself, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Ladies and gentlemen, my website is updated! To celebrate, I'm blogging about a piece that is finally ON the website even though it was made more than a year ago. It didn't get uploaded because the original is 18"x24" and I just never got around to scanning the sucker. Behold it's online debut!

This is based off of an old assignment I had about the phrase "Say Something". To update the concept I simply changed the phrase a little bit to "Express Yourself" (although cue the Madonna song, right?). I really wanted to do the dragon, but for some reason I kept trying to convince myself that it "wasn't meant for my style". At that point I knew it was do or die time. Besides, if I started to doubt myself, I knew I wasn't going to take the necessary risks an artist/ illustrator has to.

Lauren 1, Dragon 0.

Bummer

Bear Hat Girl, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Well, I'm sad to say that I did not win anything in the Etsy Kid Contest. Thanks to all who supported me! As they say in the film industry, "it's an honor just to be nominated"...

I scanned some more work today and am hoping to have the ole website updated by this weekend. The MAILERS, which have been the bane of my existence lately, should be done by Saturday (or heads will roll). Then I will begin the process of updating contacts at the local Borders, with me on the ground hoping no one sees a woman in her mid 20's peeking inside Teen and Seventeen Magazine for art directors' names , let alone Cat Fancy (seriously, I want to have that magazine on my client list. I mean, Cat Fancy just sounds ridiculous. Ridiculously awesome).

RISD SALE

Wendy, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

I have to start painting for the Fall RISD Art Sale! Above is one of many paintings I've done in preparation.

Unimportant things on my mind:

1) plane tickets are going to be EXPENSIVE this holiday season.

2) Is "Bones" on Monday night or Tuesday night this Fall? Wait...Wednesday? I think it's Wednesday.

3) I truly do paint too many characters with guitars.

Graphic Designers are your friends!

If you ever make a promotional mailer, it's great to have some graphic design-savvy friends look over it. They can help you with typography, use of space, and making sure your postcard doesn't come off as I-have-a-copy-of-photoshop-but-can-you-tell-I'm-an- amateur? For this next batch I was working with square images and wanted the images and text to read comfortably but also effectively. Of course your art is the center piece, but remember that overall presentation is very important.

For instance, The above version is the improved version (but "illustration" will be gone from the final design and obviously I will spell my name correctly in the final!). Below is the old one. Some things my buds mentioned...

1) centered text makes you look very inexperienced. That's GD 101 right there. We went with the right justification with the margins.

2) The font I was using had odd spacing, especially with the "i". The new one has more cohesive use of space between the letters.

3) Like I mentioned before, we're taking out "illustration" mainly because I used it as filler.  You'd be surprised how much empty space you can have in an area and still have a good design. People who don't know how to do effective GD usually want to make type too big or stuff an area with too much info.

That's it for today! I'll show you the final along with the back sometime next week. :) 

Editorial Illustration: What are the Pros and Cons?

Woodland Girl, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Hey troops,

I thought I'd honor my Editorial Class that I teach by blogging about some pros/cons about the market. This was stuff my students and I discussed in class, and for some of you it might be helpful, for others just interesting.

First of all, editorial illustration can be described as any artwork made to be printed in magazines and/or newspapers. It usually accompanies text with the goal of complimenting or enhancing the topic, whether it's a social commentary or a review of the current Harry Potter Movie.

YOU MAY LIKE EDITORIAL ILLUSTRATION IF....

*You are a fast worker.

         Deadlines are quick, usually around 2 weeks.

* You like working on several small projects instead of one big project.

        Some of us are the multi-tasking queens and kings. If you get bored easily, sometimes       longer projects (like a children's book that takes a year) will loose your attention and patience. With editorial assignments you can work on several different pieces all at once.

* You want flexible work

    I take the summer off from editorial work simply because I have a very big teaching schedule at that time. If you decided that you need a break or have other obligations coming up in your schedule, you can turn off the editorial faucet and turn it back on when you're ready. Likewise, if it's a slow month you can take on another job or two without making any serious commitment.


YOU MAY NOT LIKE EDITORIAL ILLUSTRATION IF....

*You don't play well with others

   If you can't handle an Art Director giving you advice or requesting changes, than don't even try. Team players will do well, but artists that are protective of their work will make the process a living hell.

*You prefer one long project to work on.

    Pretty much the opposite of what was stated above. You won't find 6 month long projects in this field of work, nor can you make a reasonable living just doing one at a time. Successful editorial illsutrators can handle 3 or 4 different projects at once.

* You don't want to actively promote yourself

   Many artists and illustrators fall short of their potential because they simply do not advertise their services! Creating a website or making a portfolio on sites like Altpick.com is a good start, but if you sit back and expect people to just find you...well, don't hold your breath! Meetings, mailers, and other forms of advertisement are also needed and deserve your time and attention. Furthermore, once you get hired by an Art Director, don't expect them to hire you constantly. You have to remind them that you exist!

So that's it folks! Soon I'll be discussing basic skills on promotional mailers for all you artists and illsutrators out there. Same bat time, same bat channel.

Weddings, booze, and art

The Masked Guitarist, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

I've just returned from a wedding in Maine (which was very lovely) and some other exciting things happened this weekend!

* I've been invited to participate in a group show in downtown Providence during November.

* people still want to buy paintings from me, hooray...and...

*My show form Omaha is over and the 12 year old daughter of the owner loves my mermaid piece (you can see it below). The lass is a little shy about the exposed breast, however, so I've been asked to make a second version, boob-free of course! I am always very honored when it's the younger crowd that falls in love with my work. I think their appreciation of things is very pure and sincere.

Above is a fun little ink sketch that has a simple colored background. I'm experimenting with some pieces like this in my Etsy store and testing how popular they are.

ETA 4 Nahcotta Postcard

ETA 4 Nahcotta postcard, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

It's pretty cool to see that one of my paintings was used for the Nahcotta Gallery promotional mailer for the upcoming Tiny Art Show. There are some very talented artists that will be displayed in the wonderful space that Nahcotta has in New Hampshire. It's a shame I can't be there for the opening!

Kudos to my college students on Friday. I am happy to say they are a good group and am excited to see what art they produce this semester.

I'm hoping this week to do my mailers (cue soprano-singing angels) as well as do a couple of paintings that are due. One is a commission while the other is just a personal piece that will be on Etsy later. Wish me luck!