Talent and Temperament

"The reality of any 'animation' or 'art' industry today is that degrees really are not at all relevant to hiring. Yes, you need computer skills but beyond that there are two criteria that employers look for in the main - what can you do as an artist/animator and what are you like as a person." 

-Tony White Founder: The Animator's Sketchclub

For those of you who have been following me, I have been saying this for the past 10 years when I realized that a degree simply says you took the classes, but not how well you can demonstrate you learned the content. That is what your sketchbook and portfolio are for. So when I came across this quote in the comments of a LinkedIn discussion Drawing on the wisdom of the past... why its important to put the STEAM back into STEM! I felt validated.

ATTENTION YOUNGER VIEWERS: STRONG LANGUAGE IS USED IN THIS VIDEO

The first criteria Tony mentions is your TALENT and ABILITY as an artist. It's gonna take a lot of drawings to get there. You've probably heard of the 10,000 Rule. So how do you resolve to get through all the bad drawings to make a living doing the thing you love? I just watched this video again to remind me of "The Most Important Word Ever" to becoming what you want to be in life. And that word is... (Did you really think I would make it that easy?) WATCH IT.

The second criteria is your TEMPERAMENT. What are you like as a person? And for me, the key is to always remain humble. Throughout all the ups and downs in life, remaining humble will keep things in perspective. To be grateful in the struggles and gracious in the successes.

Talent with Hustle, and Temperament with Humility is a WINNING combination!

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Shape Shifting

Lines. Shapes. Volume.
Every week I review with my art students the "secrets" to drawing anything. You really only need to learn 3 lines, but it's how you combine those lines that creates your masterpiece. We use these 3 lines to draw shapes, and then transform those shapes into volume.

Our recent lesson has been on Character Design, and I have the students begin with shapes to explore the look of the character they are designing. So I thought I would post a little Work-In-Progress (WIP) of my own, for a project currently in development.

Starting in the upper left corner and moving clockwise around the page, I started with basic shapes to work out my design elements. From there, I began posing this character into the 5 poses at the bottom. There is still work to be done but I thought you'd enjoy seeing how I "practice what I teach" with this fun character.

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What Are You In Love With?

"What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, ... and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.” 

-Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ 

This is a beautiful and fitting quote by Fr. Pedro Arrupe that sums up what it's like when you are living with a sense of Passion and Purpose. CLICK THE VIDEO above as I talk about the energy you'll experience during my recent interview with Jared Tullos.

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Overcoming Obstacles

Recently I had the honor of drawing a caricature for my cousin's husband in the Netherlands. I've had requests for Birthdays, Anniversaries, Save-the-Dates, and Employee of the Month Awards, but what made this caricature special is that it is celebrating his recovery to walk again!

So away with the wheelchair, crutches and physical therapy appointments. He's got this!

In life we are all going to face challenges. In the moment, we can get frustrated, depressed and even angry. But making sense of it all typically doesn't reveal itself until much later in life when you can reflect on that difficult time with from a new perspective and say to yourself, "Now I can see why that happened."

Believe me,  I'm not saying it is easy while you are experiencing the "valleys" of life. But as a good friend once told me after I explained my own frustrations, "Fruit grows in the valleys, NOT on the mountain tops."

What does that mean? It simply means that in these moments we are meant to learn something. So use the opportunity like I did to find the "fruit" that is growing during your struggles.

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Everyday is a New Beginning

Life is what happens while we're "busy" making other plans...

I wanted to begin with this famous quote because it's been some time since posting my last blog entry and I apologize to my followers for that. Yes, "life" happens and if we're not careful, it's easy to overwhelm ourselves with obligations, promises and other "stuff" that isn't very important.

It's common knowledge that it can take 21-days to create a habit (or change an undesirable trend in one's life). A former boss once said to me, "You can be busy, but are you being productive?" Recently I caught myself in this situation of overfilling my schedule with "busy-ness" which is not advancing my personal and professional goals. So I created a spreadsheet of how I spent blocks of time throughout my day, then made adjustments to it that would better insure my success of creating my preferred daily habits. The first habit I want to begin is creating drawings and writing blog posts on a daily basis.

I know, I know... You've read this before. Probably from another blogger that is apologizing to their audience just like I am for not not providing you with usable and regular content. So writing and drawing are two activities that I would like to become daily habits for me. Even if they are brief writings like sharing a quote, or a current work-in-progress for one of my projects, it's something that I need to be consistent with to bring you a unique and valuable experience.

So enough with that, let's get into something useful.

• What do you want your life to look like?
• How would you envision your "perfect" day?
• If money was no object, how would you spend your time?

If we want to discover the ANSWER, we first need to ask the QUESTION. Now we can begin the conversation.

What do you do when you need to think? Do you turn on the television? Blast the radio? Enter a room of crowded people? NO. You seek out a place that is quiet. If you are interested in changing your life, and pursuing your passion, then let's start with finding some quiet time to reflect on where you are now and what you want your life to look like.

I am speaking now from my own personal experience, which I hope helps encourage and guide you. This is what I did.

I was fed up with where I was at professionally. I was working the graveyard shift at a job that wasn't very fulfilling, yet it did serve a purpose. That purpose was providing income and health benefits for me and my family. It also served another purpose... it helped me realize what I DIDN'T want to do, forcing me to ask myself the question, "What DO I want to do with my life?" So I grabbed a composition book (you know, the ones we had in school with the black and white "cow"moulage on the cover) and began to write every idea that came to me about how I could make a living getting back to what I loved... DRAWING!

To determine what that "something" is for you means you may need to reflect back on your childhood and remember what it is you LOVED doing. For my wife, it was riding and working with horses. For me, it was drawing. What is it for you? So let's start the process together of creating the life that you REALLY want to live.

[ACTION STEP] Go to your local store today and purchase a composition book, or some sort of journal. Then TONIGHT, find a quiet place where you can reflect on your life up to this point, remembering all the moments where you were happiest; when you felt alive. (Oh, by the way, quiet means tossing your smart phone in a drawer for awhile. Sorry, but how bad do you want it?)

It's time to begin creating a NEW LIFE which allows you to be the best version of yourself. A life designed to fulfill your passion and purpose. Let's get started TODAY!

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Vicky Voucher

Social Networking is AWESOME!

Recently I was contacted through my Twitter account by a beautiful young lady in the UK. She mentioned that she was a fan of my work and wanted to know if I did commissions. So after exchanging a few emails, she received her custom color caricature today! Meet my new friend Vicky at http://aroundandupsidedown.co.uk/

NOW is the perfect time to take advantage of Vicky's SPECIAL OFFER in November! Purchase this VoogDesigns Voucher by November 30, 2014, and get 1 FULL COLOR custom caricatures at 20% OFF our regular price!

A single full-color caricature would normally cost you $75.00. But by purchasing this voucher below, you will get ONE CUSTOM FULL-COLOR CARICATURE for ONLY $60! You choose who you want us to draw. It can be for a family member, friend, co-worker or even yourself. It's up to you!

After purchasing this voucher by clicking the BUY NOW button below, we will email you to discuss the specifications of your request. This SPECIAL OFFER has been EXTENDED through November 30, 2014 so GRAB IT NOW and redeem it before the end of the month!

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Family Time Book

Time Management. As some of you know, I am a very busy guy. I work a second job Wednesday-Saturday, and on these days I get up at 2:00am to manage the various drawing commissions on my drawing board. Whether it's comic strips, caricatures, or character designs, I'm drawing from 2:00am-5:30am before heading to a second job from 6:00am-6:00pm.

Monday I spend most of the day wrapping up commissions, invoicing and marketing. And on Tuesday I teach animation classes for a homeschooling association. I am also a husband and father. So the question is, where do I make time for them? My evenings are dedicated to time with my wife and daughter over dinner and conversation. But the big "Family Day" is on Sunday, which I call "Faith and Family Day". It's on Sundays that I devote the entire day to "Family Time".

Over the past year I was commissioned by local author, Travis Escalante, to illustration a fun little story about the importance of family. Family Time is a cute little rhyme book to show the true joy and happiness of spending time together as a family!

Now you can purchase your own personalized copy of Family Time here! Below are two options to choose from. You can have Travis and I autograph and personalize your copy with a special dedication, OR you can request that I draw a custom cartoon of you that INCLUDES YOU IN THE STORY!

As a freelance animator, illustrator, caricature and comic strip artist, I'd like to sincerely THANK YOU for supporting our book and helping me fulfill my dream of entertaining entreprenuership through my art.

Simply choose from the drop down menu below and then complete questions to complete the order. If you would like to have a custom cartoon of yourself, friend or family member, please email a photo of them to Michael@VoogDesigns.com

I hope that receiving and reading this book helps you discover the magic of family time!

Personalization:

Autographed $5.99 USD Autographed + Caricature $9.99 USD

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