Hopping on a Prayer

I can't say I have matured as an Illustrator just yet but I can say that the many prayers regarding my direction were starting to be answered.  Never in my wildest dream did I believe I could sell my drawings or my art for that matter even though my Father told me this very fact a million and one times since childhood.  With the now tag team reminders from my Wife and Mother included I think the good Lord's voice is finally being heard.  Is it an easy trek?  By no means, but every time I take a step one foot in front of the other, the more the Lord illuminates the path a bit further.

As a kid I always depicted animals in some fashion typically with tiny armor wearing figures riding them or really mangy with their eyes bugging out.  Never in color, so this needed to change.  My Kangaroo was more of a doodle than anything.  A cast aside Adobe Illustrator outline created from a sketch that was meant for a logo design became the next color character on the glass canvas.  Well done?  Not in my eyes so I walk on.  This was drawn using some actual reference images of Kangaroos which is a first for me as most of my earlier sketches and drawings were via my imagination.  Perhaps I can share some of my earlier sketches in my next few posts so you can see how it all began way back when.  Ever evolving, I press on.

Thanks for stopping in and talk to you soon.

A Long Road Ahead?

Man when something begins to churn inside one's self it certainly isn't worth keeping it in.  When this old passion began to burn again my imagination got so overloaded that I found myself thinking too long on what I was going to draw first.  I found this to be a problem.

With a strong draw to fantasy art and character creation this Frogman warrior came to life and ended up sketched on my pad.  I was so eager to paint digitally.  I knew I needed a tablet of some sort and zoned in on the WACOM Intuos 5, which was their latest version.  I also new that this would be a learning curve in and of itself.  Can I draw and paint with this thing like I could with a pad of paper and a pencil or brush?  How quickly could I get to a place where I could produce quality art and be OK with it?  Would I be able to learn the in's and out's of this tablet soon enough to be happy about it?  I don't know about you but I just wanted to be proficient as soon as possible.

The tablet was awesome in many ways and getting the hang of it didn't take me too long and the Frogman was my first of many attempts at putting color on the screen.  I had no idea what I was in for.  I still followed Will Terry, his blog and his online class room and had such a hunger for learning more so than I had in years and years.  I ended up taking my first SVS class which was the "Painting in Photoshop" all day live class.  Affordable and like trying to take a drink from a fire hose!!  Soooo Much awesome information and so well worth the money I spent.  Not only did I get to watch and learn from Will, but he had 3 other crazy good artists all at various points in their careers.  Zac Retz and Kevin Keele, who currently works with Disney were 2 of the other 3 artists involved in this all day Draw fest.  What an impacting 8 hours spent watching published artists offer insight into their crafts.  I took notes and soaked it all like a sponge.  It was hard to pay attention because I was so inspired to doodle on the very notebook I was hoping would be filled with notes.

This major step in this new direction was another heart changer for me.  I just thought about illustration all the time.  My wife was loving it as she always knew it was in me.  Frogman was certainly a test for me but after seeing my first finished painting using digital tools I knew this was right up my alley.  I know this was like finding my first love.  Thank you Lord for the open door.

more to come...

OOP's I did it again...

I am excited to get my blog underway and certainly want to form a solid foundation to which I can demonstrate my talents as an artist so that I can get my career moving in the right direction.

Pen and Ink was my fallback because I did not have the confidence in using color nor did I have the education.  There was a vast universe of tools and teachers out there that i never felt the urge to tap into.  I wasn't schooled or educated and I would have to say that my skills were raw and needed a wealth or correction.  Thinking back on these early drawings I can see the lack of using references and inspirations.  Not that I am being hard on myself but I think I am being hard on myself.

"OOPS" was created from my former love of everything Dungeons and Dragons.  The unfortunate demise of a skilled fighter who mistakenly drank the wrong potion.  Another 90's piece I did while living a life that was not centered on anything good nor was my art in the forefront of what I considered priority.  I am amazed at where my life has taken me, how my choices have shaped me and how a loving God found me and placed my feet upon the rock all to bring Glory to Himself.

I love to draw and love the new passion I am finding.  My Dad always said the Tatulli's were late bloomers and now I can see that there was some truth in that statement.

You gotta start somewhere

Passion stirs from the oddest places and for me Facebook was the catalyst that took my passion for illustrating to a new level.  Stumbling across the Facebook page for Children's Book illustrator Will Terry was a unique cog in how my Illustration career became a reality.  At first I was mesmerized by his ability to create such eye catching illustrations for kids and the innate ability to paint color and light.  I liked his page and began to follow his many posts about drawing, education, the industry and so many other interesting topics.  I began to watch his Youtube videos that captured him drawing and painting to glean the tools and wisdom he possessed.

After a month or so I noticed a post of his offering an online LIVE class called "Painting in Photoshop".  I talked about it with my wife with a new kindled enthusiasm that was childlike and familiar.  Why familiar? Because I had been drawing since I was 5 years old and as I grew into a teenager I would sit for hours drawing and creating in my own unique way.  Most of my earlier work was pencil drawings with Pen and Ink using the Rapidiograph pen.  My inspiration was often twisted in nature and my final artwork would represent where I found myself in life.  Trapped in a life I would never have chose today though I know that these darker times were shaping me into the man I am today.  Above was an original piece of artwork I did back in the early 90's appropriately named "Trapped".

I am thoroughly enjoying developing my skills and talents and will continue to post my artwork from the very early on illustrations. I think the journey will unfold on its own.

Yes this is my first of many more blog posts to come so I welcome anyone who see's and follows this blog.  Take this journey with me as I meander down this old familiar pathway I was once on and find myself on again.  Illustration is my passion, I love to learn and hone my craft and my faith has led me back to a place I once was and am overjoyed to be again.