Illustration Tutorials and Tips for the Traditional and Digital Artist - Monster Cutie » Inspiration http://monstercutie.com/blog Illustration Tutorials and Tips for the Traditional and Digital Artist - Monster Cutie Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:34:37 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Elizabeth Gilbert on Nurturing Creativity http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/11/03/elizabeth-gilbert-on-nurturing-creativity/ http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/11/03/elizabeth-gilbert-on-nurturing-creativity/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:52:27 +0000 Jamie http://monstercutie.com/blog/?p=689 In her twenty minute TED presentation, author of Eat, Pray, Love Elizabeth Gilbert proposes the idea that perhaps creative genius comes from some mystical external source rather than from within.  Instead of a person “being” a genius, perhaps each of us “has” a genius.

It’s a surprisingly old idea.  The Greeks believed that creativity came from muses, magical beings who imparted a fraction of their genius upon mere mortals.

This is a fascinating idea.  In that Naoki Urasawa interview that I posted a while back, he says that when he draws something exactly the way he planned, he feels the “God of Manga is resting in my right hand.”  It sounds like he came to the same conclusions as Gilbert.

I’ve been contemplating a number of projects that I’d like to persue and there’s been a lot of personal pressure built up.  Will it be good?  Will people resonate with my work?  Will it be successful?  Will it express everything I want it to?  Can I keep up?  What the hell am I getting in to?

Gilbert says to just show up and do your part.  Don’t worry about all those pressures, that’s for the amorphous thing to worry about.  My job is to draw pretty things so I will show up and do my part.  And hopefully, if that thing is floating by and wants it to be successful, it’ll rest in my right hand for a time.

]]> http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/11/03/elizabeth-gilbert-on-nurturing-creativity/feed/ 0 Rinpa Eshidan, the Art of Creation http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/11/02/rinpa-eshidan-the-art-of-creation/ http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/11/02/rinpa-eshidan-the-art-of-creation/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:51:09 +0000 Jamie http://monstercutie.com/blog/?p=683 The Rinpa Eshidan performance art crew uses stop-motion video photography to document their work.  This makes the process of creating itself a work of art.

At first, I found it difficult to not wince when they paint over painstakingly detailed work.  But seen as a whole, I really love the transformative nature of their work.  The canvass is transformed from a surface that records marks to a living, breathing, work of evolution.

And here’s a newly released clip off of their new DVD:

For more about their work and details on how you can order their new DVD, visit Rinpa Eshidan.

]]> http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/11/02/rinpa-eshidan-the-art-of-creation/feed/ 0 Behind the Scenes With Naoki Urasawa http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/10/23/behind-the-scenes-with-naoki-urasawa/ http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/10/23/behind-the-scenes-with-naoki-urasawa/#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:33:44 +0000 Jamie http://monstercutie.com/blog/?p=655 Creator of such modern manga classics like Monster, 20th Century Boys, and Pluto, Naoki Urasawa is considered by many to be a modern master of Japanese Comics and the only person worthy to step in footsteps of the legendary Tezuka Osamu.  In this five-part documentary, we get to see how Urasawa brings his creations to life.

I’m absolutely amazed that it takes only seven days to complete a 24-page chapter.  Of course, he has a room full of assistants which is something that I’ve rarely seen.  But still, that kind of fast-paced schedule is insane, especially considering it takes an entire month for American comic artists to produce 22 pages.  His attention to the slightest detail is fascinating.  Truly inspired work.

Sing!  Sing like Bob Dylan!

The woman interviewing Urasawa has the best expressions!  OMG!  I never seen a pen draw different weight lines!

Wow, even his grade school manga looks professional.

With such prolific output, I’m not surprised his body developed major pain.  He’s sacrificing even his body to manga.

Ah, the eternal struggle between fan desires and creator’s vision.

I’m glad he ultimately chose to stick with his vision.  In the end, that’s really what the fans want.

]]> http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/10/23/behind-the-scenes-with-naoki-urasawa/feed/ 1 Artists Help the Homeless With Spare Paint http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/10/20/artists-help-the-homeless-with-spare-paint/ http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/10/20/artists-help-the-homeless-with-spare-paint/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:57:41 +0000 Jamie http://monstercutie.com/blog/?p=635 San Francisco based artists David Choong Lee and Brian Barneclo offer their artistic talents to paint eye-catching cardboard signs for two homeless men in this two-part video series, “Spare Paint.”

I have to admit, I kind of teared up watching this.

]]> http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/10/20/artists-help-the-homeless-with-spare-paint/feed/ 0 Takeshi Murakami Celebrates Six Years of Collaboration With Louis Vuitton http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/10/20/takeshi-murakami-celebrates-six-years-of-collaboration-with-louis-vuitton/ http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/10/20/takeshi-murakami-celebrates-six-years-of-collaboration-with-louis-vuitton/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:34:43 +0000 Jamie http://monstercutie.com/blog/?p=628 Known as the father of the “Superflat” movement in Japanese pop art, Takeshi Murakami has worked with fashion label Louis Vuitton.  We could spend hours upon hours dissecting Super Flat and still not “get it” so instead, let’s look at “Superflat First Love,” and animated short Murakami created to cellebrate his collaboration with Louis Vuitton.

]]> http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/10/20/takeshi-murakami-celebrates-six-years-of-collaboration-with-louis-vuitton/feed/ 0 The Cat Piano http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/09/10/the-cat-piano/ http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/09/10/the-cat-piano/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:05:02 +0000 Jamie http://monstercutie.com/blog/?p=619 This brilliant 8-minute animated short was created entirely in Photoshop. Each frame was drawn using Wacom tablets.  Not only is the animation top notch, but the story is quite good.  Narrated by Nick Cave, The Cat Piano is set in a world of musical cats and told from the perspective of a lonely beat poet.  When singing cats mysteriously disapear one by one, he goes on a quest to find them and rescue the love of his life.  Enjoy!

For more information about the project, visit the website for The Cat Piano.  Thanks to reader Tyler Anderson for the link!

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