I've Got My Eye on You

Just finished this...oh....um.....8 minutes ago.

Keeping Your Attention

How do I keep my viewers' attention? The average time span looking at art is 3 seconds. I want people spending at least half a minute admiring my work. But, why would they (you) if I don't give them (you) a reason?

My idea is this: Make art that requires the viewer to find the subject. In other words, hide my subject in a mess of "environment." If someone can't figure out what they are looking at right away, they will need to search/contemplate what is actually shown for, hopefully, longer than 3 seconds.

It is important to me that people enjoy my art. My work is NOT just for me, and I don't think any artist paints, sculpts, draws, or builds PURELY for their own enjoyment; they want to share their work with others. So, therefore I want to make work that I and other people can both appreciate.

Sure...there are topics I like to draw that lots of people don't like to look at, and I will continue to do those types of drawings because I can't help but draw them. I need to get it out of my system. BUT I consider those pieces as "practice" for the real work that is universally enjoyed and accepted. That's the work that truly makes me happy.

Call me a sell-out. Call me whatever you want. But it is human nature to want to please others, so dislike me for being human, not for my reasons for drawing.

Hidden Creature (Incomplete)

14 x17

Ink (Micron)

So this is my newest piece that I'm working on. I haven't shown anyone (for the exception of one person) since I've gotten this far. Most everyone at school only saw the eyes. I really like the way this piece is coming along, yet, I'm getting a little bored with it. I still have the whole left side to complete, which could by interesting....maybe I'll add another bird head or something. 

But, it has taken me 17 hours already. I'm expecting at least another 8...... so, 25 hours? On this piece? To be honest, that may sound like a lot, but I went through this pretty quickly. I've spent 5 days consistently working on it. 

I hope it turns out well in the end. Give me another 2 days at least to finish it up. 

Okay....i finished it.

Donation

Homage to Gustav Klimt

8x8 inch

Mixed media

T Shirts? Or shoes?

My dad and I had a long conversation about beginning to put my work on clothes. Would people buy a shirt with, say, my octopus on it for $15? That's a random number; I'd have to research prices on getting shirts printed, but it is an interesting idea.....

Maybe I should get a poll of what work people would like to carry around with them on their backs, or chests, or hats, what have you. what about shoes? What if I put a cool design on vans or keds or converse? I would do special requests: someone buys the shoe (white or a light shade of whatever color they prefer) and I ink them. I like that idea best, but I have NO idea what kind of time that would take me.......what sort of price do you put on that?

meh....i dont know. I guess I'll have to contemplate these ideas more.

Self Portrait with the letter S

Many Academy students may be familiar with this assignment: make a self-portrait using text. I decided to use the letter "S" and the "(" sign for the majority of my face. It was my first experience using Adobe Illustrator, and I really enjoyed it.

For Rich

Jaguar Colored

Jaguar

9x12

Ink (Micron and Sharpie)

This is the final I came up with. I am pleased with it, but not overwhelmingly. I think everything I dislike is within the first drawing stages, which were out of my control due to the limitations of the photograph. It is the best it can be at this point.

New Seahorse

Seahorse

 9x12 in

Ink (Sharpie and Prismacolor)

The Jags

The top is the black and white version, the bottom is what I've started coloring.

Tumblr

http://samanthadecarlo.tumblr.com/

I'm pretty excited about this, guys. It's so cool! You should check it out because it's not much of my own stuff, but the stuff of the most incredible artists. I have been looking for the most interesting art all week just to share with all of you!

There's Always Someone Better

When I sat down to paint this morning, I felt excited! I haven't painted since April. As many of my friends and readers know, I prefer to use ink pens and black and white as media and colors of choice. Painting takes time to learn and achieve, time I did not spend this summer.

So. Since I knew my first painting would be shaky, I chose a simple subject: GRAPES. I love grapes! But perhaps I should have picked an easier subject, like a pear, because my final outcome just reminded me how much I still have to learn.

It's difficult not to compare my work to my classmates. Most are at my level; we are just starting out in the world of watercolor. But some seem to exceed with exceptional skill. For example, my friend Cindy Bernhard. Her work blows my mind. Not to mention Anthony Kosar, the first person I met from AAArt.

Thus, where does this leave me? Someone who cannot surpass these two artists, and assuredly there are more Cindys and Anthonys out there which of whom I've never even met! I will be competing for jobs against them. So how do I make myself stand out? I need to focus on my own "niche," my own style that is completely unique and difficult to emulate. I have my pens, thank god.

Jagaur or Leopard? That is the question.

Big Cat Quick Sketch

Ink on Paper

9'' x 12''

          I consider this a quick sketch drawing since it barely took me 5 hours to complete. I always told my mother that I don't draw hairy animals in response to her nagging and demanding I draw our pets. However, because a friend, Eddy, I was exposed to an opportunity to draw a Big Cat when he commissioned me just a few weeks ago. This is not the image he commissioned me to complete, but I must say it was good practice to do this before I set to work on his image.