You get PAID to do that??

Ha.  If only I had a dollar every time someone asked me that.  Yes, I am paid to draw on floors...and windows and walls and basketballs -- 'tis the glamorous job of a chalk artist.  If it is chalkboard-paint-able, it's fair game.  Windows?  Easy.  Wooden panels?  Please.  Random found objects?  Challenge accepted.  Since chalkboard paint has become all the rage on blogs & sites like Pinterest, the requests have ceased to amaze me...but I digress.  Here's an example of a re-purposing project I've recently completed.

From Peru...With Love : Re-purposed "Dangler"

 Pretty neat way to prepare any surface for chalking.  It does get thick and gunky after multiple coats, but it's nice to be able to reuse things, especially when the budget is running tight.

Hopefully sometime in the future I can experiment with the spray chalk paint.  I'm hoping it comes out more slate-like so it holds the paint without killing the pens!  Nothing hurts more than a brand new pen on a freshly painted chalk :\

Anyway, it's a short one tonight -- more to come soon!  :)

Cheers,

CY

New Store, New Chalks

Over the course of my life, I've found that sometimes I need to take a break to let myself absorb information before I can successfully move up and on.  Oftentimes, one gets so lost and involved in their work that it's difficult to step back and analyze things with a sober eye.  My sister prefers to live by the Hemingway technique: "write drunk; edit sober" and I suppose I am not much different.

2012 brought about many changes -- a new internship, new job, new location, and a new perspective.  Though I do still miss old coworkers and "the way it used to be," this change brought about a renewed sense of life and a much needed change of pace.  I learned from some of the best.  Now it was time to put it to use.

Yokozuna : The Grand Champion
Ah, the first real chalk.  This dude was made by request for a big promo item.  Honestly, it is probably one of the more challenging pieces I've done.  I've only ever drawn a person once (with chalk) and it was kind of nerve wracking.  Nevermind this chalkboard was a 3' x 5' piece of chalkboard painted foam core (which murders pens, by the way).  Not exactly my comfort zone.  But I think it turned out pretty well (as did Regional Leadership :)).

Made a few references to Japanese culture here -- Woodblock printing (Sumi e), the rays of the Rising Sun (Japanese War Flag) and the Mon (Japanese Family Crests/Emblems).  My marketing team and I tried to avoid the obnoxiously stereotypical images -- which is fine by me, as I prefer the more subtle & humorous approach.

Bento Box : This + That
Here's another fairly large chalk with a few experimentations thrown in.  Trying to unite words + image in a fairly fluid and complete look.  Type-wise, there is always room for improvement regarding kerning (darn keming!) and overall text placement.  Image-wise, there is the quinoa.  Grains will be the end of me.  But I think this suffices.

Added a few flourishes to the text to pull everything in and complete the look, and used a new combo of colours!  I think this looks fairly pleasing, if I do say so myself :)

Not a bad start to a new chapter, right?  Things are coming together and I've got plenty more to experiment on.  My sobriety period has officially ended and it's time to get my chalk on.  So look out for more new and awesome chalks!  Yeah!

Cheers,

CZ

An Unexpected Return

After a long hiatus, I have decided to return to the world of blogging.  Much has changed over these past two years and life seems to be passing me by rather quickly.  In an attempt to record my adventures as an artist, I have been drawn (ha!) back into the world wide web with hopes of improving and evolving my work.

Dude, I'd totally love to be a Concept Artist : An Introduction
As mentioned, I am currently a Chalk Artist, Game Artist, & Illustrator.  Many people ask how the heck I got here, and honestly, I'm not quite sure myself.  Everyone says how important networking is, and though I kinda sorta believed it then, I'm truly a believer now.

Much of it really started with casual conversations coworkers.  Someone who knew someone in the industry.  Sweet.  What's there to lose?  Back then, I was a cashier straight out of college -- convinced that I just paid thousands of dollars on a worthless degree.  I mean, who would hire a studio art major with an emphasis on drawing?  I had nothing to lose.

So I went.

Against my lifelong struggle with social anxiety, I went, d*mnit.  And you know what?  Even though 98% of those leads lead to empty promises and a deflated self esteem, 2% followed through.  And those odds were good enough for me.

No Experience, But Willing to Learn : Life After Landing the Job
Life has never really given it to me easy.  I've been thrown into nearly every job I've accepted and expected to sink or swim.  Chalkboard experience?  Yeah, as a 6 year old with giant crayola chalks.  Adobe experience?  Sure, if you call photoshopping spotlights and wings onto a 90s pop star legit.  But honestly, much of my on-the-job experience and knowledge resulted from jumping in half blind and hoping for the best.  And so far, I'd say it's worked pretty well.

Two Jobs & a Freelance : Ramblings & Doodles
Four years post-grad and I'm living the dream of every art student -- to land a job in our field and not live in a cardboard box.  Granted, it sometimes takes 60+ hour, 6-day weeks, but honestly, being able to sit around and draw all day long makes it completely worth it.  And in the end, I wouldn't take anything back.

So, here I am.  Living a life I never thought was possible, in my mid-twenties...and blogging about it.  Phew! That said, here is a compilation of things and such that I've created, I love, or inspire me.

Until next time, here is an early chalk illustration of a rad raven.

Cheers,

CZ