Can the Past Give Way to the Future?

I had an art teacher who told me to throw away all of my old drawings (or give them away), even the ones I thought were my best. He preached this to his students because he firmly believed that if we kept our drawings we risk repeating the past. It makes a lot of sense and it'd be sound advice for any creative. But check this out...

Almost 4 years ago I drew up this sketch. If you've followed my stuff for any amount of time, you've surely noticed the Cyclopees and the Izzis. They're the witnesses in the world(s) I've created. Anyway, I remember I really liked this sketch, especially because I had just started drawing both of these characters at the time. It got lost within one of sketch books never to be found until just a few weeks ago when it falls out and lands on the ground in my studio. Suddenly, I looked at it with different eyes and a detailed image came to me. This illustration that I named "The Meeting Place" is the result of that moment of inspiration. I do agree that holding onto old work can cause you to stick to the past, but I also believe there are exceptions when a great idea can be revisited and turned into something new. 4 years ago I would have never created the image you see now, so I'm happy to share this illustration with you guys. What do you think about past work giving way to future work? 

Dennis (aka tanoshiboy)

This illustration is now available as a print for pre-order between 4/15 - 4/22. It's the first time I've ever attempted this so you're support would mean a lot. Just go to my store and place your order. Your purchase includes a wallpaper version for your phone as well (which will be emailed to you). Feel free to tweet this article and thanks for reading!

What If My Dreams Don't Come True?

There's a lot of commotion and influx going on in the animation industry and the entertainment industry as a whole. Many animators and visual effects artists have been given a pink slip as of late and jobs are becoming more and more scarce. This leads to a lot of speculation as to where the industry is going and how long things will stay this way. 

Those who have had the joy stripped away from them are no doubt dealing with the loss, and my heart goes out to you and your families, but there are also those who are still working to earn their degrees and watching all of this in horror.

What if I never get to work at Disney/Pixar again?

What if I never get to work at Digital Domain? 

What if...

What if...

What if...

What if my dream never comes true?

I read an excellent article by Chris Oatley that finally inspired me to write after a long hiatus. He addressed the issue and asked, "How should you respond to the troubling news about the animation industry?". Please read his article and take his awesome advice, but I want to offer you a different gift. Perspective. I know this won't mean much to you right now as you stare at your dwindling bank account or are staring at graduation day, but I hope it resonates with you nonetheless.

“Your dreams don’t define you”

That phrase by Chris Oatley sums it up for me. As artists we believe a paycheck from a major employer makes us artists. We use the phrase Aspiring Artist because we've yet to gain employment with a major studio, but the truth is we became artists the first time we picked up a crayon and didn't want to put it down. 

There is no such thing as an aspiring artist. You already are an artist. You create. You dream about color and form. A paycheck with a corporate logo in the corner does not an artist make. And more importantly, your dream of working at Dreamworks does not define your self worth because you're not sitting there anymore or feel like you'll never get there.

The truth is layoffs and other setbacks are moments we question “why me?”, when the truth is the universe has selected you for a special journey that you must embark on and the outcome completely depends on your actions. Will you sit around emailing resumes and playing video games to pass the time while hoping for a call back or will you get to drawing and creating things you love and sharing them (via social media, cons, galleries) as well as emailing your resume? An artist's work is never done, he or she can only choose to abandon it, and he or she can choose to do nothing special or something extraordinary in their search of their dream. But one thing we must realize and accept when having any dream, is that dreams change. That's a hard fact. You may not be an animator for Disney for awhile or getting that gig at Rhythm and Hues, but there is good news. 

You are still an artist, you always have been. No one can take that away from you. Pick up that "crayon" and be persistent and adaptable. The right people will find you in the most unexpected places and a new chapter in your life will be revealed. 

Happy Creating,

D

Post any comments or thoughts you may have and share this post with someone who is down in the dumps or in need of some perspective. They could really use it. Thanks for reading and sharing!

A Love Letter To Your Creativity

This year is remarkably coming to a close. It's been an incredible year, but it seems the older we get the shorter the years get and the less time we're afforded to do the things we love to do. As creatives we juggle so much of our lives, not just work but the many thoughts that swim around in our heads. Some of those thoughts become ideas some drown in the abyss of those thoughts. I'm set to embark on a new journey as this year comes to a close and although my time with this blog (my chronicles) will lessen, it doesn't mean I'll be completely gone from it. I'm going to be more picky and choosey about the things I'll share here, but I do want to leave this post by sticking to the subject of creativity.

It's been tough these past 3 years to be an independent designer running a small business. There were days I didn't think that this would work. I felt like my insecurities were going to get in the way of my progress. That's when I realized I needed to be a better version of myself, not a different person, just better than I was at the moment. I remembered a promise I made to myself to do things that would scare me so I could grow. It quickly became a self-imposed challenge to grow my business, not by selling but by being friendlier, more approachable and more encouraging to others. Things began to change for my business and then I realized that my personal life was also improving. Those skills I learned I inadvertently applied to my relationships with friends and family. What I'm getting at is this... were asked to leave our personal lives at the door when we work, but the truth is we can't and we shouldn't, but we need to balance. Our professional lives and our personal lives are one in the same. Make time for both. Whether you clock in at a job or a home office, you're doing work for others, but don't forget to do things for yourself. Pick up personal projects to do and share it with people.

Surround yourself with "why not" people, because the "why" people will keep you from doing more than their comfort zone would allow . Sometimes they're your friends and family. Take chances and stick your neck out for your creativity by doing showcases and cons where people can see your work. Don't be afraid to fail, because you probably will, the key is to capitalize from those failures and try again and again. And encourage others to do the same. A great creative is one who admires the work of others, learns from it and the person who made it and tries to connect. A bad creative is one who holds himself above others and looks at other creatives as competition instead of a chance to make new connections. You were given a gift and it's a gift not everyone receives, so it's your responsibility to use it, honor it and explore yourself through it. We get one life, use it to fill the world with your creative voice. And get some sleep, will ya? ;)

Dennis

I leave you with this video by the people at Behance, a great portfolio website and network that encourages creativity and connections.

An Ode to Creative Work by Behance from Behance on Vimeo.

If It Aint Broke Don't Fix It

At some point in your life you were probably told that looks aren't everything and that personality goes a long way. It's true in life and it's very true when it comes to branding. 2012 has been a huge year for rebranding and not every attempt has been successful. As I've stated before, a logo identifies a business in it's simplest form with the use of a mark or icon; think of Nike's swoosh. Now you may not believe me but that swoosh has personality. Back in 1971, Carolyn Davidson had no idea what she had designed was going to be a world renowned brand, but she designed it nevertheless. Many times logos have personality injected through their design and that personality is a huge reason of why it becomes a successful brand.The following are some of this year's rebrands and some commentary to boot.

Example 1

Gone is the fun and playfullness of the original logo to be replaced by a sans serif font. Business will go on for ebay, but what once worked is now dull and boring.Still, the agency that did this got paid handsomely.


Example 2

I don't know about you, but if I went to the store and picked up a Microsoft product off the shelf, I would probably do a double take after taking a look at the packaging wondering if I'm holding a knock-off. This looks terrible. Stripping down a logo is fine, but they went down to the soul and did an reverse exorcism.


Example 3

Arby's restaurants may not be all over the world. but I always enjoyed their market fresh sandwiches and their logo's quirkiness. The 'westerny' logotype worked well, and although I feel a design facelift may have been in order, this is not what I had in mind. Again, a sans serif font, but this time coupled with a 3D hat. What?


Example 4

Wendy's is the most recent company to rebrand and they're the only ones on this list that tried to keep the personality in their logo, but I think they still fell short. In comparison I would take their old fashioned logo over their more corporate replacement. Dave Thomas is rolling in his grave.



Conclusion
So as you can see sometimes you leave well enough alone. This might sound counter productive coming from a designer who specializes in logo design and brand identity design, but I've talked people out of redesigning their logos in the past and suggested instead a minor facelift to inject a little excitement. Design is successful when it's effective, not just attractive. People establish emotional ties with brands after all, and if they don't see the personality in your logo, they may not want to see what's behind it.

What do you think of these examples? Do you like some of them or do you agree that they fell short? Got any exampled of other let downs or perhaps you can present some successful candidates? Whatever it is, tell us about it in the comments section and please share this post in a tweet using @salvatier. Thanks for reading!

Who is Tanoshiboy?

In the last month a lot has gone on and I'm proud to say a lot is still going on. On August 10th, I participated in my first large showcase, RAWartist's Radiate showcase in Hollywood. I was one of about 40 artists (all from different artistic backgrounds) there that night. It being in Hollywood (a place I only came to party at when I was in my very early 20s) it made me very nervous. Even though I've been doing this for 13 years and have been considered an accomplished designer, I still find it hard to believe that people enjoy looking at my personal work. And for the first time I offered prints of some of my work and people actually bought it and took it home to put on their walls! That's amazing to me!

Part of the show was doing a short interview about who we are and what brought us to the show. It's a short clip, but it'll give you a little background on me. It's a bit embarrassing but I'm going to share it anyway. I was a pretty damn nervous, so forgive my mistakes. 

A little more after the jump

It was a great time and a great show and I have to thank Kaila and everyone else at RAWartists for inviting me to be a part of that night. And also, a huge thank you to friends and family who came long distances to support my crazy antics. See you at the next one!

Tanoshiboy (AKA Dennis Salvatier)

5 Steps To My Illustration Process

Howdy! I've been getting lots of emails and questions on dribbble and deviantArt about the illustration process I've been experimenting with lately. I'm going to use my latest illustration, Where the Amazing Things Are, as an example.By the way, this illustration is for sale (Link located in the Conclusion)

STEP 1 SKETCH: So first things first, I always start with a sketch. Now, I'm no expert by any means. I'm still learning, but then again, we should never stop learning, but I think the sketch is the most important stage. Just draw and have fun fleshing out the idea. 

STEP 2 VECTORIZE: Once you're happy with your layout, you can scan in your beautiful sketch and start building the illustration out in Adobe Illustrator. Every body part and clothing article has to be a separate vector. Check out the Rhino's head as an example below. Some people prefer to build out everything directly in Photoshop, but right now I feel more control in Illustrator. Once that's done you can move over to Photoshop for the real work.

 

STEP 3 TEXTURE: This is the moment you're going to paint in the texture that makes the illustration what it is. First, your vector shapes can now be pasted onto your Photoshop artboard (keep a copy of your sketch on the bottom layer and you'll notice your layers lock into place pretty decently with little fuss). You will have multiple layers, so for example, I kept all the Spidey shapes in one group and all the Lizard shapes in another group and so on. Make sure not to have any shapes overlapping on the same layer either. This might seem like a lot of work, but hey you asked. Since each shape is on its own layer, I can lock the transparent pixels (in the Photoshop layers palette, click on the little checker board beside the word Lock). Now you can paint only where there are already objects. I can now use my brushes on the individual shapes and not have to worry about keeping inside the lines. It's the best!

STEP 4 DETAILS: Add in all the details you like using your homemade brushes, but keep it to 3 brushes so your stuff doesn't look inconsistent. But then again, experiment all you like. That's what it's all about.

STEP 5 TOUCH UP: Now you have your illustration pretty much done, but you might notice some of your color choices seem off. No problem! Since all your layers are separate you can tweak the colors using SELECTIVE COLOR found under OBJECT then ADJUSTMENTS. Or you can use HUE/SATURATION also found under ADJUSTMENTS. Whatever works for you. Below is the before and after. The changes may be subtle to you, but it made a big difference to me.

Conclusion: So that's my process. I hope this helps you out, but if I skipped over anything that's still got you scratching your noodle, ask away in the comments section. And if you'd like to buy this limited edition print, click right here. I hope you enjoyed my first official tutorial!

Happy Illustrating,

Dennis (aka tanoshiboy)

Why Does Your Creative Career Feel Stagnant? 4 Things You Can Do To Change That

Whether you're a graphic designer, web designer, illustrator, writer or any kind of working creative, there's no doubt that at some point you've felt that your career is less than creative and down right stagnant. You work day to day on client work, and get the job done, but something inside you is just not right. The excitement you used to have about your job is now almost completely gone and you seriously feel like you might want to do something else. The good news is this happens to all of us and there are a few things we can do to change how we feel and get some of that lost passion back. Here are 4 ways to fight off the dullness.

Mentor /Mentee
 If you're just starting off in your creative career and you're already feeling like the work can be boring, you could benefit greatly from a mentor. A mentor's purpose is to challenge and encourage a younger generation with their years of experience. This can really ignite a fire in a newbie and start something special. In reverse, being a mentor allows you to see things you've seen a million times through new eyes. It's like when you blow bubbles with little kids and it becomes fun and exciting again. Send an email out or a tweet, and see what you get.

Do Some Reading
Reading may not be your cup of tea, but all it takes is the right book. For example, I've been reading Caffeine for the Creative Mind. It focuses on creative, daily exercises that help you boost your creative powers. As the book says "the only thing keeping you from reaching a new level of creative thought is inaction". There are plenty of other books out there that can help, this is the one I recommend, but please share any other great books later in the comments section.

Record a Podcast
This one might be a little strange but I've done it a handful of times and I've always gone home with the desire to create. It's as simple as getting a friend, using the voice memo tool on your iPhone, putting it in the middle of the table, and letting the conversation fly. It forces you to talk about the things you care about and the things that inspire you. It's a lot of fun (especially if you have a few drinks!) and you can listen back to it and get ideas.

Reinvent Yourself
Easier said than done, I know. If you're feeling like your career is not doing it for you anymore, you might want to consider trying something else. I know a few graphic designers who decided to be web designers and a freelance writer who decided to publish her own eChildren's books and their much happier now. Sometimes you don't have to reinvent yourself per se, but go back to your roots. I decided it was time for me to do more drawing and it's lead me to doing a line of illustrations that I'll be putting up for sale on a Tanoshiboy store. The point is to stay creative no matter what and get that passion back. Do some thinking and hopefully you'll find a new found spark or a new passion.

Do you have any ideas you'd add to this list or other recommendations? Please share them in the comments section. Are you feeling burned out at work? Thinking about abandoning the design ship? Changed your career? Tell us what you did. And please share this post with your creative pals in a tweet and use @salvatier. Thanks for reading!

How Batman Kept Me From Going Nuts

I just finished watching Apocalypse Now and it made me feel a little crazy. It's not a bad movie, but being around people on the edge of insanity and those that are full blown nuttier than a squirrel poop (for 2.5 hours) can get to you. So I mustered the strength to do a little sketching (starring Batman) and the more I looked at it, the more I felt I needed to chronicle it and do a little how-to post for fun. At least my how-to, because Batman can be drawn many different ways by many different people. Anyway, I thought I'd share my process.

Step 1: Sketch
This is where I got down the basic gesture through a loose sketch. I used a 2H pencil on recycled rough sketch paper. The key here was to keep my wrist loose. Sometimes I strive for a perfect drawing when I should really focus on the sketch.By the way, the artists whose styles inspired this sketch was Jim Aparo, Jim Lee and Norm Breyfogle.

Step 2: Ink
I continued by throwing some quick ink on to start defining where I want to go. Again, I was trying to stay as loose as possible and not worrying to much about perfection. Here's where I decided where I was going to set the light source and place the shadows later.





 
Step 3: Rendering
I took my big fat black prismacolor marker and started flooding the dark parts of the drawing. I used to do this with my pentel pocket brush, but you can go through a lot of india ink that way, so I go for the marker instead. I also went back to my ink pen and added in a few more hatches here and there to make the drawing a little more interesting.




 
Step 4: Tones and Highlights
Here's where the drawing really takes a turn by adding some tones and highlights. I used a cool grey 20% prismacolor marker and then a 50% marker to add in some tones to make Batman more defined. Then I finish the whole thing off by going over the edges on Batman with a white pencil. It really makes the drawing pop and adds some intensity to the ready-for-ass-kicking Batman.


And that's it! I had fun washing Marlon Brando's crazy away with this sketch and I got something off my to-do list (this piece may be appearing in a Batman themed show this month). Let me know what you think and comment away. And if you'd like to purchase this sketch at a future time, keep an eye on my store at tanoshiboyart.bigcartel.com. Thanks for reading!

Happy sketching,

Dennis (aka tanoshiboy)

Tools Used
2H Pencil
Kneaded Eraser
Fine Faber-Castell pen
Pentel Pocket Brush
Prismacolor Markers
Bogus Recycled Rough Sketch Pad

3 Reasons You Need "Why Not" People In Your Life

Since I was a little kid, I've dreamed big. Along the way I've met those that have strengthened my creative resolve and those who have put me down for one reason or another, including a teacher. To some degree that level of negativity exists till this day as aspire to reach my dreams and goals. What I've learned is that life is made of two kinds of people in a creative person's life; those who say "why" to your dreams and those that say "why not".

Why-nots are unfortunately comprised of your close friends and family sometimes, not just the passerbys of life. It shouldn't dissuade you from pursuing your dreams. And these dreams I speak of can be anything. Perhaps, you're thinking about venturing off on your own and starting your own design or illustration business. Or you're possibly thinking of selling prints of your original artworks, starting a band or shooting a movie. Maybe you love the idea of writing novels and selling them through amazon or designing an app game. Many people I have encountered recently are working non-creative jobs and wanting to quit and pursue their creative dreams. Whatever it may be, don't let anyone's negativity affect your journey. Find the why-nots. Here's are 3 reasons why you need "why not" people in your life.

1. Why-Not-People Get Infected
When you dream and you share it with someone, sometimes they get infected by your passion. with that passion you might find yourself a partner that you can collaborate with. No one can do it alone and finding the right partner is difficult, but when it feels right and all your ducks are in a row, it's magic and your own passion get's multiplied.

2. Why-Not-People Hang Out With Others
That old saying "misery loves company" is true. People who are constantly in a state of flux with self-imposed drama and negativity love to have you along for the ride. You may not feel it as first, but it's totally affecting you and your mindset. When you surround yourself with positive and all around nice people, your thinking begins to change and suddenly anything is possible and then you get introduced to more people like them. Seek out those people who are beacons of positivity and watch your mood and thinking change for the better. 

3. Why-Not-People Tell You It's Possible
Simply put, why-not-people encourage you to dream. They may be a little scared for you, but they want you to be happy and will be there no matter. And we all need people like that in our lives. People who just plain believe in us and have that special something to say when discouragement tries to set in. They remind you it's possible and that you shouldn't give into fears of failure, because failure is just a step to the final goal.

You might be thinking this post is a little rudimentary and saying a lot of well meaning things that don't always work out. You're right, life doesn't care how hard we work or how much we dream, but that shouldn't stop you from trying. I wrote this post because almost two years ago I went on a river trip that almost killed me. What started as a fun time with the guys, progressed with me in the grips of class-4 rapids. I was then sucked into a whirpool that would not let me go. As I slowly drowned, I didn't reflect on my life. Instead I thought about those I would leave behind and I thought about all the things I would never get to do and be, including being a Father and getting some of my ideas off the ground. I decided to keep fighting, and miraculously I was spat out by the whirlpool and was swam to safety by my friend. Since then I've decided that I'm going to try every crazy idea that comes to mind and not over-think things. Along the way I've lost some life-long friends, but I found their absence has resulted in a surplus of new creative people with why-not attitudes. That has helped me in my new found pseudo-philosophy.

Our lives are not guaranteed and that's why you need to take every moment you have to do what you love no matter how crazy it may seem to others. Wherever you may be right this very moment as you read this, I ask why not? 

Happy Living,

Dennis (aka tanoshiboy)


Got something to say or have a question? Leave a comment. They're very much appreciated. Have you encountered why-people? Or perhaps you finally found why-nots that have ignited your passion, tell us about it. And please share this post using the social media buttons below. Make sure to use @salvatier when tweeting. Spread this message to those who need some encouragement and start doing something awesome! 

What Mad Men Taught Me About The Design Biz

Often times when a designer or illustrator tires of the nine-to-five world and sets off on their own, they make the mistake of thinking all they'll ever have to do is put their creative thinking cap on. That's why people hire us, because we have the creative mind that they lack, right.? Well, it's not that simple. Truth is you'll be wearing a few hats. Here's a quick breakdown using the cast of AMC's Mad Men to help illustrate.

Salesman Hat
You're in sales now, believe it or not. Your talent will get them in the door, but if they don't buy what you're selling, you're not going to close. I often look up to Don Draper as an example of how to close. He's an idea man, but he also knows how to talk to the client. You want to be knowledgeable of course, but you also want to charm your client and make them feel comfortable. So put on your sales fedora and get your Drape on.

Project Manager Hat
One thing most creatives suffer from is time management. They get up late, check their inbox too often and when 5 O'clock rolls around they feel like they've done nothing all day. That's why I look at Joan Harris as a great example. Not only does she look great, but she gets things done. Everything is properly scheduled and gets done on time. Try working in time blocks and schedule your entire day; this includes getting up on time everyday and sticking to business hours.

Creative Hat
Hey, it's time to do what you do best! This shouldn't be too hard right? Well, you'd be surprised. It's hard to be creative sometimes when you second guess yourself and think you're not good enough. Peggy Olson started off as a secretary and had the desire to be a creative and went for it! She's a hard worker and puts in the extra time to make sure the work is great. So stop doubting and start doing. Remember... "Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration."

Friendly Hat
Many designers have trouble socializing. If they don't know anyone at an event, they don't want to be there. Well, if you want to be successful you're going to have to start doing things you're not comfortable with. Roger Sterling is the guy who walks into a room and immediately knows how to have fun with the crowd and do the one-on-one. He doesn't sell, he just wants to show you a great time and get you feeling warm and fuzzy inside. Remember, people do business with people they like. 


Customer Service Hat
This is the hat many creatives have trouble wearing, because when a client starts acting up and becomes difficult, all you really want to do is tell them to hit the bricks. Obviously, you can't do that. In this business you'll have to be able to deal with your clients ideas, moods and concerns. You'll need to know how to put out a fire by making the client feel you're taking care of them while maintaining your dignity and professionalism. Ken Cosgrove does an excellent job of knowing how to deal with the client's concerns and always has a solution to a problem and does it by always being honest.

Happy Designing,

Dennis (aka tanoshiboy)


So what do you think? Have you noticed this business is more than just designing? Are you still having trouble with clients and juggling the many responsibilities? Let us know in the comments section and share any new ideas you can add to this post. And share this post with people who will benefit from it. Use "via @salvatier" when tweeting and thanks for reading!

What Do You Do When Your Design Gig Won't Let You Be Creative?

It's been a few weeks since I last blogged. Luckily, it's due to being incredibly busy. The last two years have been a lot hard work that consisted of countless meetings, mixers, coffee dates and dinners. It involved a lot of acts of putting myself in social situations I normally would never want to be in, but when you want to succeed rarely is your comfort going to be kept intact. Sometimes it even prevents me from being creative, which is what this job is all about. Lately, I've been asked by many designers why they don't get satisfaction out of their day jobs. They believed that after the long hours and hard work of design school was over that they would finally be able to be creative on a daily basis. They're finding that their jobs aren't perfect and want to know why this is.

What To Expect

Whether you're an independent designer or you're working for an agency or studio, you're no doubt going to run into projects that aren't creatively satisfying. In fact, some of the work might be down right boring. On top of that you'll have to deal with lots of other people who will want to put in their two cents. Then there's all the revisions and changes that are sure to come up. In the end, you'll start to question if this is what you really want, but don't worry, that's perfectly normal. You're looking to your job for happiness and it's not your job's responsibility to keep you happy. Your job is for you to carry out according to the needs of the project. Think about it like a relationship. Would you ask your partner to make you happy in every which way? No, I don't think anyone would in-their-right-mind want to take on that responsibility. You should be happy with or without your partner and they should only enhance your happiness.

Where Do You Find Creativity?

Well, just like I explained in the analogy above, its up to you to find your own happiness and in this case it's your creativity. And all you'll have to do is look for it outside of your job. Somethings you can do are keep a moleskine journal with you to jot down any and all ideas. Start a daily sketch blog. Visit some museums or attend gallery shows. Better yet, participate in shows. Or challenge yourself and design something special for yourself or someone else every month. The point is you need to look for other creative outlets other than your job. It's rare that we 100% enjoy what were being paid to do. Haven't you noticed it's always the things you do out of sheer love and fun that are the most satisfying?

Conclusion

So now you know that what you're currently going through at work is totally normal. As a matter of fact, it's only temporary. And in time your ideas and suggestions will be taken into account and you'll have more power in the outcome of projects. For now, seek creative satisfaction somewhere else and make it a part of your life. You'll see your whole life become a lot more fun when you do.

Happy Designing,

Dennis (aka tanoshiboy)

Have you been feeling burned out at work? Is the work killing your creativity? What ideas have you put into effect to remedy the problem? Let us know in the comments section and share this post using the social media buttons. Thanks for reading!

Michael Bay Did What?

I couldn't wait till next month. I've been on a roll and I'm really getting into this new aesthetic.

In case you didn't know, recent news about a new Ninja Turtles movie has been circling on the web. Turns out Michael Bay, who's producing the new movie, says that the turtles will no longer be mutants. In order to give them a more "complex" back story, they're going to be aliens. As you can imagine, the fans our outraged and claiming this is continuing the "rape" of their childhoods, which makes no sense. Your childhood's and memories are intact, just don't go see this new movie. Plus, you're all grown ass adults now.

Enjoy my new illustration, "Michael Bay did what?". And here is the process that I went through for this piece.

Happy Illustrating,

Dennis (aka tanoshiboy)

Perfect Strangers

I decided that from now on, at least once a month, I'll be premiering a new illustration here on the blog that won't be seen anywhere else. Like I've mentioned before, I really enjoy working on personal projects. They keep me sane and the stuff that I've been dreaming up have a lot to do with my childhood and growing up in the 80s. That was the best time to grow up as a kid, because of the movies and music that were present. Two of my favorite characters that came out of that era were Indiana Jones and Han Solo.

I have fond memories of playing with my kid sister and pretending that I was Indiana Jones and that we were trying to escape from a cave where the carpet was lava and our pillows were rocks. I didn't have a whip, but my belt made a good substitute. And Han Solo was the coolest, much cooler than the whiny Luke Skywalker. So I wanted to do something fun with this illustration and I think I got it. Let me know what you think of "Perfect Strangers".

Happy Illustrating,

Dennis (aka tanoshiboy)

Bonus Sketch

It's Okay To Design For Free

Yeah, I know what you're thinkin'. "Dennis, have you lost you're $%#&@ mind?". I know that in the past, I've written about the evils of crowdsourcing and their phoney "contests". I stand by everything I've ever said, and you shouldn't participate in crowdsourcing because it's no damn good for anybody.

The real reason for today's title is because I want to talk about using your creative talents to help others. Now, I don't want to get preachy because I created this blog as a place for ideas and fun (and to occasionally complain, so what?). But whether you believe in a divine creator or not, I believe the talent that we as creatives have been given, is a gift; and one that should not be taken lightly. You see, I grew up reading comic books and in those four color pages, I learned that when you have a gift, it's up to you to do the right thing with it. To help other people. I know it probably sounds silly, but I still really believe that. I'm not from Krypton (Lord, I wish I was) or have been bitten by a radioactive spider (that would be so cool too), but I always saw my dad keep his door open to anyone who needed a place to stay or gave of his time and money to help someone in need. That made an impression on me, so every so often I run into a cause that I feel needs my help.

It could be a film, like my buddy Patrick Shen's, about two brothers who are trying to bring water to the village of La Source in the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Or a boys soccer team that is working hard to raise money to make it to the AYSO National Games in Tennessee this Summer. But in this case, it's an organization called You and Who. Their goal is very simple. They sell one-of-a-kind designer t-shirts that help worthy causes in cities all over the country. Every time you buy a shirt, they give the same shirt to someone in need. After meeting Dan Gigante (@dangigante) last year and hearing his story, I knew I had to help. And the following is the result.

The design is titled "Things are Looking Up" and you can see a zoomed in version here. So check out You and Who's cause and keep your eyes and heart open to opportunities where you can help someone with your talent. You don't get paid, but I promise it will make you feel great and you won't have to wear tights and a cape to do it (unless you want to, that's cool). And if you don't have the ability to design, buy some shirts! You can start with mine. :D

Correction
You and Who reminded me that participating artists makes a $1 for every shirt sold. 

Happy Designing,

Dennis (aka tanoshiboy)

Got a story where you gave of your time and talent to help someone or someones? Tell us about it in the comments section and please share this post with your creative buddies or someone it will resonate with. Use my twitter handle @salvatier when sharing a tweet. And thanks for reading!

What Do You Listen To While You Work?

I get asked how my creative process starts. Usually it has nothing to do with the obvious choices. I like to start with what I'm going to listen to as I'm designing or illustrating. Some days I feel like rocking out to some Smashing Pumpkins or some Led Zeppelin and other days I throw on some Phil Collins or even some Roxette. I got made fun just yesterday for listening to Roxette, as a matter of fact. But as a guy that spends a lot of time alone, sometimes I need some conversation, even if I'm not part of it. That's when I listen to podcasts; usually comedy based. I love to laugh, and when I'm working and dealing with clients it's good to get in a good laugh. So let me share some of what I listen to.

Playlist Goodness
I found Spotify last year, a music streaming service you might have heard of. There I get to listen to whatever I want, twice in a row if I want to. Plus, you get to make playlists using their vast music library. What's great is you can share those playlists with your friends on Facebook and vice versa. I made a few playlists I'd like to share with you. (You'll have to have spotify to listen)

Tanoshiboy's Finite Playlist - This is the playlist that has a ton of different music genres mixed in when I want to leave the player going to focus on a design or illustration. In this 27 track playlist you'll find artists like, Bon Jovi, Danny Elfman, Alanis Morristte  and Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock. I set it and forget it. :D
Listen to it here!

80s Movie Songs - This is probably my favorite playlist. It's the one I spent some time on and got creative with. I grew up in the 80s so I feel blessed to have been able to experience that movies of the time. So I compiled this playlist with songs from only 80s movies. Some are pretty obscure, but I promise you they're from 80s movies. Artists include, Huey Lewis and the News, Kenny Loggins and Prince. You're trying to guess the movies right now aren't you? Listen to it here!

Score! - I love movies as you can imagine, and I love the scores that come with them. It takes my imagination away and usually inspires me and gives me some great ideas based on the emotional tone of the music. It's pretty awesome! This playlist (work in progress) includes composers from your favorite movies, like John Williams, Hans Zimmer and Clint Mansell. Listen to it here!

Podcasts Podcasts Podcasts
As I mentioned before, sometimes I need to laugh, so here are some of the podcasts I listen to when I need to feel like I'm part of a conversation. This is good for when I'm doing paperwork or just got off the phone with a client who needs that extra special attention. ;)

SModcast - Hosted by Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier. Smith is a long time movie director, remembered by his cult and indie hit, Clerks. Mosier is his producer and long time friend. They usually talk about what's going on in their lives and the ridiculous stories they encounter on the web. But what I really love is when they organically come up with stories and ideas that would never work in real life. They act out the parts and usually can't get through the bit without laughing, which only makes it funnier. The bits often include Batman and Star Wars references. WARNING: Can be crude and has potty mouth. Listen to it here!

Pretty Good Podcast - Hosted by Gina Grad and Randy Wang. These two host a show (along with their producer Elijah Black) about nothing. They call it the Seinfeld of podcasts. They discuss their lives and throw in their weekly exploits. Hijinks ensue. For example, Randy decided one day he wanted to only wear fleece pajama bottoms all the time, so he did, out in public no less. Gina once got invited to an orgy and reported back on the culture of it and the things in life that sometimes can't be unseen. Listen to it here!

Did you recognize some of the stuff I listen to? Do you listen to or not listen to anything while you work? Can you make some recommendations of your own? Feel free to share that in the comments section and share this post with someone who'd like it. And please retweet this post using @salvatier in your tweet. Thanks for reading!

How a Cat and Raccoon Made it to Spain

A few months ago I was approached by my friend, and fellow illustrator Javier Jiménez, who I met on the art website deviantART last year. He was currently working on helping the design school and gallery, Estación Diseño, prepare for their March 5th art show called Save&Destroy, in Granada, Spain. The theme of the show was based around Kaiju and Tokusatsu, which are Japanese terms for robots and monsters (think about those crazy Japanese robots you might have seen before, and Godzilla). Japanese manga and anime are very popular in Spain, so it was a natural to go in that direction. Javier liked my work and wanted me to submit an original illustrated poster to the event along with a core group of amazing artists. As you can imagine, I was very excited.

Various sketches that led to the finished piece.

I decided to dust off my original characters Sushi and Gazpacho (a luchador tag team). And for this illustration I created a brand new character named Dr. Cyclope. Sushi is a stoic cat from Japan who meets Gazpacho, a feisty and passionate raccoon from Spain. They have similar passions (for wrestling) and the same thirst for victory in battle, in and out of the ring. Now, Dr. Cyclope is a cyclopee gone bad. He's no longer a regular one-eyed bird after a lab accident that makes him super intelligent and hell-bent on world domination. In the illustrated poster he meets Sushi and Gazpacho and a battle ensues. Naturally. :)

Sushi and Gazpacho vs. Dr. Cyclope

As you can see, I had a lot of fun with this illustration and I was honored to be a part of the show, which went extremely well. So well, in fact, that more themed shows are being planned for the future and I've been asked to participate again.

So far the year has been great and I hope to do more shows abroad and domestically. I'm very thankful for social media and how it can make things like this possible. Let me know what you think of the poster!

Keep Illustrating,

Dennis (aka tanoshiboy)

***Special Announcement***

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In This Case a Picture is Worth More Than a Thousand Words

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Many times we are in need of effective imagery so that we can portray our client’s brands and services in a positive light.  Sometimes we might need a vector element or icon that we don't have time to create from scratch, or maybe a texture that can add subtly to spruce up a layout.  Thankfully, for times like these, we have the wonderful world of stock photography.

A twitter buddy of mine, and colleague Todd Arena has recently launched an easy to search stock image agency, Arena Creative. What's different about his agency is that his artists are receiving a generous compensation of over 50%, unlike many other stock agencies who offer miniscule commissions. Arena Creative is not the biggest stock agency, but they focus on quality over quantity, and personalized customer service. 

Todd is trying to get the word out about their growing image collection, and I wanted to help a fellow entrepreneur. He's generously offered to giveaway a free 1 month subscription, good for up to 25 high resolution photos or vector downloads. Arena Creative’s stock imagery is simple to navigate and loads very fast compared to other stock photo sites.  With thousands of unique, royalty-free, stock images to choose from, you won’t have a problem finding some awesome art elements and lifestyle imagery to use in your upcoming projects. 

All you have to do to win the free 1 month subscription is leave a comment after this post with your email address (you@email dot com). Just check back in next Tuesday for the winner announcement in a new blog post. In the meantime, you can use promo code IGOTTHEHOOKUP for 10% off any total non-subscription stock imagery purchase. See arenacreative.com for details. Enjoy! 

Dennis (aka tanoshiboy)

Creatives: Don't Lose The Kid

When I was a kid I was the little guy who laughed at Bugs Bunny outsmarting Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam, and jumped off the couch with a baby blanket around my neck as I emulated Superman. I immediately connected with fictional characters and imagined the worlds they were from. As I grew up I doodled and doodled until my parents put me in art classes. Eventually, I went to high school where we had an animation program and animated two short 2D films. I knew I wanted to be creative for the rest of my life and design school was the next natural step.

It's been 13 years since I graduated and it's been interesting to say the least. But with all my success and failures I've learned one very important lesson. The one thing that will kill your creativity and keep you from growing, not as a creative, but as a person, is losing the kid.

That kid who loved to draw, color and dreamed up new ideas, is inside us all. We get so caught up in our work lives, clients and deadlines, that we forget the reason why we do this in the first place. Last year I experienced an extreme burn out. And not the usual burn out that comes from weeks of non-stop work, this was years in the making. I decided then to set time aside to work on projects that were important to me. You've seen a lot of that work here on the blog and there's more to come. It has made such a difference in my life. It's really the meaning of the nickname "tanoshiboy". It's my alter ego, the kid that desperately wants to be creative, not for a paycheck, but for the sake of being creative. I encourage you to do the same.

If you need a little inspiration check out the documentary that inspired this post. It's about Kevin Clash, the puppeteer and voice of Elmo. His story is very inspiring and brings back lots of memories about my own journey. If you have Netflix you can instantly stream it. Take a look at the trailer below and I'll wrap up after the jump.

Have you gotten caught up in work and left behind the kid? Did you recently reconnect with your kid? What are you doing to nurture that side of yourself? Share with us in the comments section and please share this post with your creative friends and colleagues. Use @salvatier when posting on twitter. Who knows who it may help. :)

7 Phrases Graphic Designers Hate to Hear

Being a graphic designer has it's ups and downs, just like any career. You deal with some great people and some not so great people. You get people who respect what you do and others who think you're just pushing buttons. Even after 13 years of experience, I still get the occasional inquiry that makes me shake my head. Like today, I received an email with a logo request which started with the guy setting the price for the project, and ended with me rolling my eyes.

So I compiled a short list of the phrases we designers hate to hear. Below each phrase is what we would love to say in response, but most times bite our tongues. 


Can you make the logo bigger? We need to make it pop so people can see it.
Sure, let's bypass the content on your website and stick a big fat logo up there so people can see how insecure you are.

That's expensive. Can you do it for half of that? 

No problem, I didn't want to pay my mortgage this month anyway. I'll let my Wife know were moving into a cardboard box.

It's an easy one, so it shouldn't take you very long.

You're right, I'll get this done asap since there's no skill in what I do. I'll just call all my other clients and tell them to hit the bricks while I work on your project.

I don't know exactly what we need, but we need something cool.
You're really lucky I just learned to read minds. This won't be a problem at all.

Can I show this to my daughter? She has a great eye for this stuff.

Yeah, of course, because you don't hire a professional graphic designer with a decade of experience and NOT ask your daughter, the nutrition major, for her advice.

We don't have the copy yet, but we can get started on the design. 

That's an amazing idea. I'll just imagine what the copy will look like and lay out the images and graphics in random sizes. If the copy is too much I’ll just remove random sentences and images until it all fits, and if you give me too little I’ll just fill the space with sentences of how awesome you are. 

I can't afford to pay you now, but if we can do it for free this time, I will definitely spread the word. I got lots of connections.
Yes, no problem. My Wife and I got tired of eating so this works out great. It's worth the risk because your vast network will surely elevate me to fame and fortune. It's clear that even though you can't afford to invest in your own business, I should be taking any and all business advice from you. Now, can I wash your car?

Happy Designing,

Dennis (aka tanoshiboy)

What do you think of this list? Did I leave anything out? Are you guilty of some of these? Leave us a comment and let us know what you'd add or which is your most hated phrase. Share on Facebook and Twitter and use @salvatier! Thanks for reading.

What might be right for you, may not be right for some

You might recognize my title if you watched sitcoms in the 80's. It felt appropriate to go with this part of the lyrics when thinking up a title for today's post. You'll see what I mean.

In a previous post about DC Comics' new logo, most people felt the peeling effect was not reminiscent of a comic page turning or successful in symbolizing the concept of revealing duality. But I found a new brand that takes that similar concept and makes it work beautifully.  The UK's Discovery History.

 

As you can see, the peel effect is used in this brand to reveal the past in contrast with the present. I think DC Comics really wanted to create something that worked well in animation first, but Discovery History focused on a strong static brand first, and an animated version second. The brand and all elements for broadcast were created by Pete & Tom, a London based design studio.

Discovery History Ident - BERLIN WALL from Discovery UK Creative on Vimeo.

Discovery History Ident - ST PAULS from Discovery UK Creative on Vimeo.



What do you think? Do you agree the concept that DC Comics tried to convey could have worked if their approach was more like Discovery History? Let us know in the comments section and share this post using the social media icons. If tweeting, please use via @salvatier, so I can properly thank you!