MOVED TO TUMBLR

I am no longer using this blog.
You can now find me over here on tumblr for the time being
http://helloheath-art.tumblr.com/

i might return one day...who knows

2011 A Year in Reflection

2011 was really freaking hard, but towards the end a lot of drama in my life found resolution. I am hoping that 2012 will be a year of stability, so I can move forward :-)

Cons:

• Had to live in tiny ass apartment and since I was home a lot it got quite claustrophobic...
• Unemployment sucks...
• Couldn't afford to go to Jersey ... at all... really?? No, twice... but still not enough
• Stress causing my first panic attacks in years...
• Car was dead for half the year
• Couldn't afford shit for Christmas

So now lets end on a good note :-)

Pros:

• NEW JOB!
• NEW TOWN! - still getting used to it though
• New computer system that makes all my geeky friends drool with red hot jealousy
• Started my freelance company H&H Studios
• Had lots of visits from family and friends this year :-)
• Got to go on a cruise and satisfy my deep seeded casino craving
• Improved on my art more then somewhat :-)
• My brother form England visited!
• Staycation at Disney World, even though we had no money for anything

These were last years goals... lets see how I did

LAST YEARS RESOLUTIONS:

•  Lose 50 pounds FAIL (actually I did lose 15 but then that damn delicious cruise happened >.< now I'm back where I started)
  
• Get amazingly good at character design and animation OK
• Find the time and money to travel at least once to NJ WIN
• Save money to move to CA FAIL
• Get a job actually in my industry, and not settle for something just to pay the bills BIG WIN!
• Keep being awesome OK

Eh not too bad actually all things considered :-) And here are this years Resolutions.

RESOLUTIONS:

•  Lose 50 pounds (FOR REALS!)
• Get EVEN BETTER at character design and animation 
• Find the time and money to travel... somewhere
• Save money to move to CA
• Get some good animation projects done and start making a new reel
• Find my artistic niche, what i want to specialize in

Happy New Year Everybody!!!

AND THE WINNER IS...

nadox!!!!!

 Congratulations my dear!

Thank you all for entering, it was a real bloodbath this time! (Like how i worked in that halloweenish joke there?) I wish you could all win a prize, but alas there can be only one.

You can enter the next competition soon enough, some of your previous entries can carry over to the next giveaway, you just need to come back and comment again.

Thanks for playing and hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!!!

Halloween Pendant Giveaway!

CELEBRATE THE SPOOKIEST HOLIDAY OF THE YEAR!

Skull Pendant Giveaway!

It's been a while since I did a giveaway, so here is your chance to win one of my new Halloween Themed Pendants!

CONTEST DATES: TODAY - October 31

HOW TO ENTER: Contestants enter by using one or more of the entry methods and leaving a comment saying they have done so with their email (so i can contact you if you win!). CONTESTANTS MUST LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY! AND PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL WITH EVERY ENTRY. If you leave all your entry notes in one comment it will only count as one entry. Contestants may not create new entry methods, if it's not on the list of entry methods then the entry is not valid. Winner is chosen randomly from all the entries, the more you enter the greater your chance to win! The winner will be contacted by email on Nov 1st and will have one week to claim their prize. If the winner fails to claim their prize then a new winner will be randomly selected out of the entries. This contest is an international contest.

ENTRY METHODS: (To enter the contest you must do at least one of the following, none in particular are required, the choice is yours!)

• Heart helloheath link
• Purchase from link
• Add helloheath to your circle link
• Follow this blog
• Follow me on twitter link
• Follow helloheath on FB  link
• Blog about this giveaway or my shop in general on your blog
• Tweet about this giveaway or my shop in general on your twitter (@helloheath) *up to 3 times count as entries

• Include my shop in a treasury link (extra entry if it makes it to FP!)

That's it! easy right? Now have fun and good luck! 

*the necklace the winner receives is not exactly the same as the one pictured, some variations may occur, the chain will be different. helloheath is no liable if the prize is lost or damaged in the mail. Prize will be shipped in standard first class, the winner may add extra insurances and protection to delivery if they choose.

UPDATES AND SUCH

Well, it has been a looong time since I posted here... and the interface has all change don me! This will take some getting used to. I was on vacation and knee deep in getting back on track with everything after my hiatus, so please excuse the mess!

I just wanted to stop by and update you guys on some things...

1) IMAGEINE FX - I dont think I got into the feature I submitted for, which is ok. The important thing is that I tried, I usually talk myself out of putting forth the effort. So I feel accomplished in that at least :-)

2) H&H Studios - Is going well! The busy season is about to hit which will be good for the biz. I am excited to see what happens!

3) Website Overhaul- www.helloheath.com is getting a little makeover soon, stay tuned.

4) HALLOWEEN! -I need suggestions on what kind of art you would like to see, and if I can find the time I will do something!

5) ARTIST SHOUTOUT! - Recently I was contacted by an artist that was commissioned by one of my clients to color some lineart I did. I wanted to share it here because it's so soft and pretty, and this artist could use some love!

Here are the colored versions by luckynesu
I love colabing with other artists! Check out luckynesu's gallery here

Book Review "Making Comics" by Scott McCloud

Making Comics
Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels
by: Scott McCloud 

My Boyfriend Tad Lambert insisted I read this book so I went ahead and took his advise... for once. Some of you may know that Tad is an aspiring comic artist, but I had no idea why this book would be of interest for someone like me. Well I'm glad I listened because this book turned out to be yet another great resource that I will probably use again and again!

This book may look intimidating at first... its BIG with lots of pages. I was frightened. But I was relieved when I opened the cover to find the book is written in a comic book format. Very easy to read and definitely supports the messages and lessons of the book.

"Making Comics" thoroughly peels back the layers of story telling, rhythm, formatting, flow, and style that exposes the heart of what comics are made of. These principles can also easily be applied to numerous other art forms such as story boarding, animation, illustration, and character design.

My favorite section of the book was when Scott explains how important body language is when making comics. He talks about how the use of body language can help bridge the gap of the readers senses, since sound is not available. What I found particularly interesting was the insight about what certain poses and gestures really mean, and how to utilize the correct ones to tell your story. He gives clear, detailed explanations of how these poses, gestures, and expressions send information to the reader and how our brains are preconditioned from birth to understand these "signals". There is even a helpful diagram of facial muscles that shows the anatomy behind basic expressions. This is a great chapter alone for anyone interested in animation or illustration.

Other principles from this book that cross over to other mediums are...

-How to set a scene in motion, what you need and don't need to tell the story effectively
-Character design tips
-Perspective tips
-How to communicate different "sensations" without the use of audible sound / words


Of course there is a ton of other information specific to comic artists such as...

-An overview of popular tools of the trade
-How to successfully construct a comic layout
-Some history about the comic book industry
-Comparison of digital tools versus traditional tools
-How to make text appealing
-How text and images interact within the panels

Overall I'd say this book exceeded my expectations. There were some points that I did not find quite as interesting as others, but I suppose that's because I do not classify myself as a comic artist. Though the book has given me some inspiration to try and start a comic... we will see.

And if you are a comic artist then you should definitely pick this up... You'll be glad you did!

Imagine FX Rising Stars Contest 1/5

ImagineFX Magazine is having a rising stars competition, where up and coming digital artists can submit art for a special feature in the magazine. Problem is, it's only open to participant 25 or younger, so this is the last year I can participate! So I am creating 5 new pieces to submit, and I thought it might be fun to track my progress here. I created these designs to show off my unique esthetic and style. I wanted to show variety and range, but also keep within a theme. I hope they like the work and that you guys enjoy the progress... WISH ME LUCK!

 Flute Faun Sketch

 In the Water Sketch

 Dragon Breeder Sketch

 Still Alive Sketch

 This isn't Real... FINISHED!