Mindset

Books That Will Change Your Creative Process (Best Of 2017) :: ArtCast #106

The term “Concept Art,” brings to mind a specific kind of imagery. …but isn’t that a problem…?

What if the struggle of learning Perspective Drawing simply isn’t worth it…?

How can an animated TV show be deeply autobiographical for it’s creator and still have huge, mainstream appeal?

Maybe what other people think of your art matters less than you think…

Today, in celebration of a New Year, The Oatley Academy Team shares their favorite books of 2017. …books that will almost certainly change your creative process.

Click through to listen…

Creative Bravery: Why Animation Pros Sarah Marino and Jenn Ely Thrive In A Challenging Industry :: ArtCast #102

By Chris Oatley

This month, Sarah Marino (Color Supervisor at Nickelodeon), Jenn Ely (Production Designer for House Special, Visual Development Artist for Dreamworks) and I are teaching a new online workshop called First Flight: How To Create Your New Career In Visual Development.

I invited them both to join me here on The ArtCast to promote First Flight and talk about how they achieved such significant success in their animation careers…

Episode Highlights include:

Turning fear into faith.
Becoming more professional by de-emotionalizing your creative process.
Why we stopped caring about job titles.
How fear cost Jenn a a big opportunity (and why she’ll never make that mistake again).
Why Sarah had to climb through a human hamster wheel. (That’s not a metaphor.)
Inspiring gumball machines and the healing power of ice cream.
Is a successful animation career worth the cost?

Launching Your Kidlit Career (Part 2): Critique Groups :: Stories Unbound #13

By Chris Oatley

Creative community is vital for kidlit illustrators and authors. In this episode, guest co-host Manelle Oliphant and I talk about:

How to get the most helpful feedback from your Critique Group.
Keeping criticism positive with the “Critique Sandwich” technique.
Digital vs. physical meetups.
How Critique Groups deepened our understanding of the children’s publishing industry.
How your Critique Group can help you stay focused on your goals.

Launching Your Kidlit Career (Part 1): Conferences :: Stories Unbound #12

By Chris Oatley

If you’re a children’s book creator feeling daunted by the industry and disconnected from your community, conferences could be your solution!

Join me (Shawna) and our guest co-host Manelle Oliphant for a conversation about:

Why Conferences are crucial for newbies and offer new opportunities for seasoned pros.
How Conferences can help you find your niche in publishing.
What not to expect from Conferences.
Specific guidelines for kidlit portfolios.
Why school librarians should be your new best friends.
When your postcards and mailers aren’t being ignored (even if it seems that way).
How we started our own Conference! (You can DO THAT?!?!)

Claire Keane, Jenn Ely & Brian McDonald on Art, Fear & Finding Your Calling (Part 2) :: ArtCast #93

By Chris Oatley

In part one, Claire Keane (Disney, Penguin Random House), Jenn Ely (Laika, Google, Dreamworks), Brian McDonald (Pixar, Disney, Industrial Light & Magic) and I announced that we will be teaching at The Story Design Conference from September 28th – October 2nd, 2016* in the awe-inspiring city of Rome, Italy!

(*Note: The conference was moved from May to September.)

In celebration of our announcement, we decided to record a conversation about some of the big ideas we’ll be discussing during the conference.

What followed was a riveting discussion about art, fear and finding your calling…

In this second part you’ll hear us talk about:

How to convey emotion through your work.
What makes student work stand out.
How to keep going when you feel defeated.
What we’re looking forward to at The Story Design Conference!

Mindset

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