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I’m in the process of moving this week, and in my quest for empty boxes I’ve come to realize that they sure don’t label fruit like they used to. This site has a great gallery of labels from another era. Those were the kinds of boxes a guy would be proud to stuff his earthy possessions into.

Here’s a fun group on flickr: Weird Advertising Characters. Check out the assortment of odd, funny, and um, this.

Inquiring minds will want to bookmark this page at illoz.com for this new feature:

“illoz interviews” is a new feature at the illoz project which asks the question: What happens when one illustrator interviews another illustrator? As with everything else around here, this is an experiment that may work and then again, may be dashed to bits on the rocks below. We shall see. At any rate, you can’t fault us for trying!

Up first is this interview with Marc Burckhardt (previously blogged), as interviewed by Cathleen Toelke.

Upcoming interviews include David Goldin as quizzed by Bob Staake, and John Hersey in a tête-à-tête with Rob Dunlavey. Oh yeah, I’m puling out my fancy French accents for this post kids.

Here’s a trippy dose of Monday inspiration: Primiti Too Taa, an animated short produced on a typewriter and based on an excerpt from the poem “Ursonate” (Sonata in primitive sounds) by Kurt Schwitters. Produced and Directed by Ed Ackerman and Colin Morton in 1988, the youtube compression and problematic sound make me want to dig up my old Spike and Mike videotape where I first saw this.

A few months ago I wanted to bring my part in the 700 hoboes project to a fitting conclusion, so I invited the citizens of the internets to submit hobo names via my blog, drawings of which I would then send to them for a borderline crazy low price (as previously blogged here and elsewhere). 200 or so hoboes later I realized something: it was a lot of work, but I was having fun. Since then, I’ve kept the gates of commerce open and invited visitors to submit monkey names (and other things) for me to draw. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, the names have been really funny, and I have to wonder why I didn’t start doing this years ago.

Not a week goes by where I don’t get an email from an artist asking if they can do a similar project, to which I always reply: of course! It’s not like I invented selling illustrations, nor am I the first to do so online. In fact, I’d encourage anyone with a little extra time, a penchant for drawing, a blog, and a paypal account (all free, btw) to give it a try. What’s stopping you?

Here’s a cross section of some similar projects currently blossoming online:

For the past couple of years, Duane Keiser (previously) has created a postcard sized painting every few days and then posted it for auction on ebay. Check out the prices his beautiful creations are fetching.

Len Peralta wanted to help defray the cost of an upcoming bundle o’ joy, so he started selling custom named monster art. Thanks to a lot of hard work, blog mentions (including here previously), and youtubing, he’s drawn nearly 500 monstrosities and has announced a new theme for the summer: Zombies. Eek!

Ben Rollman will draw you (yes, you!) as a robot!

Since January, Joe Mathlete (Marmaduke’s arch-enemy) has been supplementing his income as a musician and blogger by drawing anything you want him to for under five bucks. Okay, so his art is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum of Keisers, what with the crayons and all, but the results are pretty darn funny.

And I’m sure there are many, many more. With hard work and the help of electronic word of mouth, an artist can stave off starvation and build a fan base while doing what they love.

As a bonus, here are a few ideas for artists wanting to start similar projects: drawings of World of Warcraft (or any other MMORPG) avatars! Life drawings! Drawings of peoples childhood homes from old photos! Pictures of fluffy little kittens! Anything you like to draw, chances are someone else is into it and would love your handiwork.

Get drawing! You have my permission. ;)

Every couple of months I like to check in on the Illustration House site to see what’s been on the auction block recently. There’s always a wonderful cross section of some of the most important illustrators and cartoonists of the past 100+ years.

The most recent event was the 35th Premier Auction, in which the gem above, by Charles S. Chapman, didn’t sell. Start saving now for the next time it comes up for auction.

For the past few months, McSweeney’s has been running a contest in conjunction with the release of Everything That Rises: A Book of Convergences by Lawrence Weschler. What’s a convergence? From the site: “an unlikely, striking pair of images, along with a paragraph or three exploring the deeper resonances. The best contributions will be posted on the site, along with responding commentary from Weschler.”

Here, a “histological image of an ovary” alongside Starry Night.

All of the winning entries can be seen here.

Yesterday I attended a free, day long Adobe seminar/sales pitch. They are a really efficient way to get up to speed on the new software, get tips,get tech support, bitch directly at the reps about bugs and features, and maybe win something. I missed CS2 while I was in school, so I have some major catching up to do. Actually, everyone has some major catching up to do, with CS3. You’ve probably already heard all the buzz about it being the biggest upgrade ever, bla bla bla. Well, this time the buzz is true. Now that they’ve added in Dreamweaver and Flash and a billion other things, and made Photoshop the grand central station of them all, the world just ain’t the same. I predict our industry (I mean anything graphically creative) is about to undergo a huge jump in look, feel, efficiency, and impact because of this. I’m not here to plug Adobe, so that’s all I’m going to say, not that opinions matter since we have few alternatives to Adobe any more. Personally, I was just pleased to see Illustrator pen tool capability in Flash.

I will mention though that I get a little big-picture worried about the digital divide, now that the software is getting so expensive and complicated that only full-time users will be able to keep up.

Now for some fun: Adobe began this colour-swatch exchange thing a while ago, called Kuler. For those who love mixing paint and choosing colours, it’s addictive. You can dynamically download colour schemes from the site from within CS and apply them to your work in progress. I only wish they had made the site background colour a neutral grey, to see the colours more accurately.

I ordered this book the other day and I thought it was worth a plug (edited by Robert Klanten and Hendrik Hellige; published 2005/2006).

I only have two complaints. First, I believe the book has been translated from German, and it shows. There are numerous grammatical errors and frequent awkward or vague wording, that unfortunately hamper the serious reader who really is interested in the theoretical stuff. Second, the text is set in 5 and 6pt.

Now, on to the good aspect, which is that there is a theoretical angle, and illustrator interviews, and dozens of good reproductions of stellar illustration from around the world. I am actually quite pleased on a personal level, because the book supports conclusions that I myself have reached in my research: that illo has been on the upswing, that the traditional definition of illustration as “a picture that accompanies text” is needing an update, and that we are returning to some sense of the handmade. The book itself is hardcover and bound in cloth, and it is well bound: it falls open the way a book should and feels good in the hands. Enjoy!

I while back, someone showed me some great little books, made by artists at Islands Fold, a small publisher-slash-artists’-retreat on Pender Island, just off the coast of Vancouver:

Islands Fold is an independant publisher and artist residency created by Angela Conley and Luke Ramsey. It’s about inviting artists into our home, supporting creative identity, collaborating, promoting health and well being and producing unique art. Established on Pender Island B.C, Canada, the residency is offered at no charge to the artists. It is sustained through public support by purchasing the books and zines made by Islands Fold.

Above is a print made by Ryan Thompson while at Islands Fold.

I slipped into the press preview of the Once Upon A Time Walt Disney: Sources of Inspiration for Disney Studios exhibition this morning and took as many photos as possible.

The exhibition was both overwhelming and exhilarating. The depth and range of illustration and concept art could have kept me busy for days.

But here are a couple highlights:

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Shane Glines, that is. He has a spankin’ new book out called S Curves - The Art of Shane Glines. It’s a 400-page, full colour, 8.25″ x 10.75″ hardcover monster, selling for $100, and filled with those deliciously sexy girls that Shane is so well-known for drawing.

(I rather doubt Shane needs any introduction here, but in case you’re among the rare few who don’t know who he is, do go visit his website. Your jaw is guaranteed to drop, either at his astonishing talent or the fact that he draws lots and lots of boobies.)

Monsieur François de Dardel has scanned and cross-referenced with photos all the cars from Tintin.

I grew up reading (and still own) my mom’s old tattered hard-cover copies of Tintin; Hergé’s work has been a big influence on my own. This man could draw anything, but he clearly seemed to love drawing cars and other vehicles. It’s not surprising someone finally clued in and posted these scans. It’s a fun romp down memory lane to see all of them in one spot. I’ll no doubt be pulling a few of my books off the shelf later tonight. Merci François!

Source: Cartiste Stuart Immonen