mobygratis
Posted by Heidi Schmidt at 2:35 pm on April 18th
mobygratis
Moby is giving away music to anyone who might need a tune or two. Great idea. Nice guy. Listen to what he has to say about his friend who was sued for copying a copyrighted photograph yet the photo had copyrighted imagery in it that the photographer did not pay for. Hmmmmm.....
Fabric Patterns
Posted by Heidi Schmidt at 1:59 am on June 12th
Random theme patterns
Every once in a while I get asked to create a design for a fabric pattern. Patterns are difficult and fun. The trick is to not let your eye see where the pattern repeats. I have done a few really tough ones. Good luck to the guy who has to screen print it onto the fabric. The best project was to illustrate teeny-tiny floral designs for a set of Fisher Price doll house furniture (see below). Every time I go to Target I admire my work.
Doll House couch pattern. Very teeny and intricate. This was printed on cotton and upholstered onto the tiny couches.
The Politicians
Posted by Heidi Schmidt at 12:59 am on May 4th
Ah, the politicians. You love em, ya hate em. Nancy Pelosi. This is how she looks. I'm not kidding. I bet her face must hurt from looking so appalled all of the time.
On the 20th Century
Posted by Heidi Schmidt at 6:27 pm on April 23rd
Once in a while I get a request to do a theater poster. Most of the time I decline because there are so many restrictions about who's name is bigger than who's and why isn't so and so's name above the title...blah, blah, blah. Not to mention the 300 people who have to okay the mug, t-shirt, poster, postcard and mailer art. And did I mention I also want to be paid? Here's one that I was happy to do just because the subject matter is much fun. The 20th Century Limited train.
Bill Nelson
Posted by Heidi Schmidt at 2:51 pm on April 2nd
Bill Nelson - Dustin Hoffman, Death of a Salesman
When I went to Art School (CCAC) in the 80's there was no illustration department. I took the only illustration class that was offered. It was taught by a very nice instructor who idolized Boris Vallejo and Frank Frazetta. So if you could render buxom women riding fire breathing dragons you were guaranteed an A. If not, them don't let the easel hit you in the ass. There was even less support in the Design Department. There the instructors warned against using illustration in design because was expensive and took away from the structure of the design. I really have no idea why there was this prejudice against illustration but I sneaked it in when ever I could. Interestingly, two of those design instructors now call themselves illustrators. Anyway, I would spend hours in the library pouring over the SI annuals and CA looking for illustration. One of my idols was BIll Nelson. Man, what he could do with a colored pencil! Soft, economical drawings with just enough detail. Wowie! Today I was in the local used book store and found a book about his work. "Finishing the Hat" is a veritable treasure trove of illustrations, stories about how Fed Ex lost a piece of art, sketches, process. Scintillating! Who says illustration isn't fascinating? Okay, so I'm an illustration geek, still.
More Frida
Posted by Heidi Schmidt at 2:33 am on February 8th
Inspired by Randy's wonderful post about Frida Kahlo here is my attempt at her likeness. Portraits are darn hard to do. My hats off to all Drawgers who knock these portraits out of the park every-time. I could fiddle around for days and not get it just right. An eyebrow hair here and a nostril shadow there. Geez! My medium of choice this evening is a stubby Ticonderoga pencil on Office Max printer paper. Practice, practice, practice!
