Much better questions this morning. Thank you everyone! I’m trying to be more interactive with my followers so my ask box is always open. Any questions you have, any topic, just drop me a message and I’ll get back to you!
Click away!
Q:How about the most personally demanding project you've worked on? Art project, I mean. :P
Anonymous
I’ve had tight deadlines that are always rough but my Star Wars Celebration Japan art stands out as particularly trying. It wasn’t really a problem with the art but at the last minute there was a printing issue that had to be resolved. I was running out of time and literally had to be on a plane to Japan the next day. So at the last minute the prints were re-printed and shipped to Japan after I left the US. It was a pretty stressful time!
Who is this, Anon? :)
Q:what art school did you go to, if any?
Anonymous
Art Center College of Design
Come off anon!
Q:Do you make anything other than fanart?
Anonymous
Not fanart, the majority of my work is official art for the studios or licensed products. I do make a living from that so it represents a large portion of my work but I do other work as well which you can view here on tumblr or my website
Q:Why is Star Wars for your favorite art?
Anonymous
While I do enjoy creating Star Wars art, I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s my favorite. I have a lot of fun doing it and look forward to working on projects as they come my way. Star Wars does seem to dominate my work in recent years mostly because it’s the type of projects I’m involved with. However, I prefer creating work mostly within the entertainment genre and all things involved!
Q:Hello Robert! You are so awesome! I love your shade mapping and how you do your drapery, specially on your Bettie Page piece. That's acrylic? right? The underpainting technique looks so cool, I should try that soon. Thank you, Tokwa.
Thank you, Tokwa! Yes, I primarily work in acrylics, from the underpainting to the final color. Underpainting is great because it keeps your original drawing and values there once you start building up paint. There’s nothing worse than starting to lose your drawing under paint and having to redraw it in. For my work, the underpainting is the most important step. I know if I nail the underpainting I don’t have much to worry about in the later stages of the painting.
Q:Ok I'll ask it.. this isn't necessarily my question alone, but it is for everyone who want to know; how do you get into the sketch card business? Do you send some pictures of your cards to.. say Upper Deck or Topps, or do they find people via art profiles? I knew you made art before doing sketch cards. Another question: is art school really necessary? I find myself asking this question because I'm not ready to spend 70K in a 3-4 year art school.
I would definitely suggest doing some sample cards that you can show to Topps and Upper Deck. There are also some smaller companies around that would be easier to get into and would be a good way to get your feet wet. The best way is to contact the companies and send samples to them. You might not get a response right away but keep on them and send new samples every couple of months. Another good suggestion is that you should be on Scoundrel Art Community. It’s a great sketch card artist forum where you can post your work, talk with other artist, get critiques and creative directors from some of these companies are on the forums looking for artists. Give it a look!
Art schools, it’s tough to say. I know for me and the type of work I do and want to do, it was a good choice. Your abilities and knowledge will grow much more quickly. But is it necessary? I’d just suggest that you make the best decision for you and what direction you want to go in with your work. Thanks!
