FS...well, me I guess

Tyr Palenske · Post by **Tyr Palenske** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 11:02 pm

Little odd to sell yourself but you do what you gotta do.

In reality I'm selling my artistic services. In an attempt to get away from the customer service world I've decided to start doing freelance artwork again. I've been drawing since I was three years old and have actually had many art jobs over the years.

The remains of my current portfolio can currently be found here.

Sorry it isn't super extensive but we have been rebuilding from losses to a tornado and life in general.

I like to think my rates are exceptionally reasonable. I work mainly in quarter sheet increments generally doing concept work. But I can do greater detail or large if necessary. Most work is done in pencil\pen and ink.

Full sheet is $20 (8 1/2 x 11)
Half Sheet is $15 (5 1/2 x 8 1/2)
Quarter Sheet is $10 (5 1/2 x 4 1/4)

Larger or more detailed items we can easily haggle over.

Things I can readily do would be help with things like Coats of Arms, concepts for armor, jewelry, something recreated off a historical reference etc. (If it is a historical item just make sure it isn't copyrighted or trademarked please.)

I also have experience with laser engraving, sublimation, ceramics and a host of other mediums so if need help with something specific I can at least give you help.

I have also given thought to doing caricatures of folks in their persona similar to the late and great Blackfox. (Just cartooned not animal.)

If I can help anybody out please let me know. Also comments on my work are welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks ahead of time,
Tyr

(Justus this is all your fault, you said do something with this stuff again and I can't get it off my mind.)

Halberds · Post by **Halberds** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 1:43 am

You have some fine sketches on your site.
I like the Indian with flames.

Years ago I drew the political cartoons for the local conservative paper.
It was fun until the city council came down on us.
It is a tough gig.

The coat of arms is a good idea.
Best of luck.

Hal

Tyr Palenske · Post by **Tyr Palenske** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 8:11 am

Thanks Hal, I figured here would be a good place to start.

justus · Post by **justus** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 11:47 am

Yes well, when I saw what you can do naturally, vs what I've been studying and striving to do... it's only fair.

Something I thought about as we were driving home was that perhaps you could learn to Tattoo, or even just sell some of your work to Tattoo artists. I think "Mother Nature" would look very nice on someone's back.

I would like to commission a design for Jill's armor, (I have the ability to execute a design, just no idea how to create one) I'll PM you with detail's and we can post the results.

-Justus

Tyr Palenske · Post by **Tyr Palenske** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 2:47 pm

Well I'd love to do something for Jill, you guys are family after all. I have done the occasional tattoo but I tend to let those go to the people that want them and don't hold on to them.

Now as for example of quickie concept work I've done, here is a rough bit I did in a few minutes at work for one of the girls in our shire.

Breastplate Concept

Now this was very much a quick sketch, she was wanting to do a molded leather breastplate, closest I could come up with was a roman style curaiss (sp?) I still have more art to finish and upload around here.

Cian of Storvik · Post by **Cian of Storvik** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 3:10 pm

Just a thought here, but this board has a lot of artistic folks on it and probably not the best venue to offer sketch services to. Not say that everyone can draw, but a good percentage have that ability. Many that can have sort of notched themselves out a speciality within the drawing realm to do things like leather tooling (kilkenny), or silk banners (isabella e), or shields/coats of arms (Sir vitus) and so on. And of course there are multiples of people with similar skills, especially leather tooling.
You might get more interest if you get a speciality like those mentioned above. Sketches are nice but you might want to do some complete compositions as people might be interested in full artwork.
-Cian

Mel · Post by **Mel** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 4:00 pm

Cian of Storvik wrote:Just a thought here, but this board has a lot of artistic folks on it and probably not the best venue to offer sketch services to. Not say that everyone can draw, but a good percentage have that ability. Many that can have sort of notched themselves out a speciality within the drawing realm to do things like leather tooling (kilkenny), or silk banners (isabella e), or shields/coats of arms (Sir vitus) and so on. And of course there are multiples of people with similar skills, especially leather tooling.
You might get more interest if you get a specialty like those mentioned above. Sketches are nice but you might want to do some complete compositions as people might be interested in full artwork.
-Terry

I totally agree Cian, unfortunately for me my whole portfolio has to be redone due to losses to it over the years so a lot of the finished pieces are gone.

My plan is actually to focus on caricatures for folks while at events, such as Blackfox did, and then also not recreating artwork done in period plaques but create new art that would be unique to the individual. I'll post up some concepts I haven't gotten scanned yet soon.

Tyr Palenske · Post by **Tyr Palenske** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 4:05 pm

oops, was accidentally logged in under the wife. :oops:

Tyr Palenske · Post by **Tyr Palenske** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 5:39 pm

Here are some concepts i did while I was bored at work. They are based off the Vendel Plaque art but I changed them to be more unique to myself so that I'm not just replicating something already done.

The head and the fish would need a little tweaking but I am have a difficult time finding period imagery.

A smaller plate similar to the border plates on the Vendel 12 helm.

Soon I will work on some wax reliefs to make molds.

justus · Post by **justus** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:06 pm

Cian of Storvik wrote:Just a thought here, but this board has a lot of artistic folks on it and probably not the best venue to offer sketch services to. Not say that everyone can draw, but a good percentage have that ability. Many that can have sort of notched themselves out a speciality within the drawing realm to do things like leather tooling (kilkenny), or silk banners (isabella e), or shields/coats of arms (Sir vitus) and so on. And of course there are multiples of people with similar skills, especially leather tooling.
You might get more interest if you get a speciality like those mentioned above. Sketches are nice but you might want to do some complete compositions as people might be interested in full artwork.
-Cian

Do you know how often I've stared at a piece and thought "I really wish I could decorate this with some sort of horse, hound, hawk design ect but since I'm a craftsman and not an artist I guess I'll stick with something simple and geometric." Val's sword and scabbard come to mind. It would have been cool +10 if I could have tooled something along the scabbord, but I just don't have that design ability, many do, but I don't doubt there are others like me.

Cian of Storvik · Post by **Cian of Storvik** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:12 pm

This is some valuable advice I'm imparting upon you. I just think it would behoove you to show some completed pieces. You could possibly get commissions doing illuminations (award scrolls) and patents of arms in the least. Pencil drawings are not compositions. They are the first step to making a composition.

[img]http://www.geocities.com/firespiter/rollofarms/smallroll5.jpg[/img]

I can tell you, I worked for awhile doing role playing game illustrations and portrait oil painting, but I didn't start there. I wore a groove in the road trodding the path of the starving artist. The money I made was pitiful, and the sometimes you're bleeding blood to get the right color of red, but it will get you published and recognized. But first you need to show them that you can do more then pencil drawings. So take some of your favorite pieces that you've already done, and finish them. Do it with colored pencils, charcoal, inks, watercolors, markers, crayons, fingerpaints, pb&j... It doesn't matter what. Just finish them. Get a portfolio together. Save it digitally and things will start moving for you, I can almost gaurentee it.
Clubs will commission you for T-shirt designs (something they can take to a silk screen place), or team logos for hats. I had bands commission albumn cover art and logos. I've had people want their family dogs painted on 3' x 5' stretched canvas in oils. But none of that would ever have taken place if I didn't have a portfolio of completed works showing that I could go from concept to finished work, in a range of genre's and mediums. Some art directors will even suggest you don't have any sketches a all.

I am telling you, it is the most important thing you can do if you want to be an artist. GET A PORTFOLIO TEGETHER. A couple of sketches tossed in is okay. But they are not what people are really looking for from an artist.
-Cian

Tyr Palenske · Post by **Tyr Palenske** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 8:40 pm

Well Cian, although I won't argue the point of whether pencil drawing are true compositions (we can agree to disagree) I do understand your point about finished pieces. I did have others but they weren't in any medium commonly used for the SCA or reenactment purposes. I was actually first published in grade school and have pieces from here to Iraq. Everything from T-shirts to 3 dimensional acrylic pieces.

Here is some of what survived the tornado, just not an appropriate medium for what I would like to offer.

Cian of Storvik · Post by **Cian of Storvik** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:00 pm

I'm just saying you shouldn't limit yourself to doodles. I see you've got some very nice graphic arts pieces, and that's great! From your first post, it sounded like you only did drawings, and that's the kind of variety you need to show people when you tell them that you do artwork!
But since you know all about the art game, my advice ends here.
-Cian

Tyr Palenske · Post by **Tyr Palenske** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:12 pm

Cian of Storvik wrote:I'm just saying you shouldn't limit yourself to doodles. I see you've got some very nice graphic arts pieces, and that's great! From your first post, it sounded like you only did drawings, and that's the kind of variety you need to show people when you tell them that you do artwork!
But since you know all about the art game, my advice ends here.
-Cian

I do appreciate the advice, getting back into the art game is no easy task. I don't mind being that guy who people go to if they need whats in their brain put to paper before they take it off to be constructed.

Halberds · Post by **Halberds** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 10:11 pm

I visualize my armour and think... how it is to be made.

However... I still have to make a poster board pattern to transfer to the steel with magic markers.
I have never made the same one twice.

I don't do any sketching or painting anymore.
Metal work has consumed my time.

Hal

Tyr Palenske · Post by **Tyr Palenske** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 10:29 pm

Halberds wrote:I visualize my armour and think... how it is to be made.

However... I still have to make a poster board pattern to transfer to the steel with magic markers.
I have never made the same one twice.

I don't do any sketching or painting anymore.
Metal work has consumed my time.

Hal

In a lot a ways I'm the same way. Sometimes I can't draw it until I see it on the paper first.

InsaneIrish · Post by **InsaneIrish** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:09 am

As a graphic artist, your only REAL chance of being successful (other than the occassional comission) is to NOT work within the SCA/Living History world. Break into the actual freelance graphic Arts world and do freelance design.

Most people around here either have or know a friend who has the artistic skills needed to do what you are offering to be payed for. You are limiting your prospective client base for no real good reason.

However, if you wish to continue with this, then I agree with Cian in that you NEED to flesh out your portfolio with appropriate work in this field. Coats of arms, portraits, armour design concepts, etc.

one of the biggest mistakes of new people wanting to break into a field like this (or even armouring for sale) is that they want to be paid for first time work without any (or very little) previous examples of work.

Do some fictional examples, pro bono, or free work to get your portfolio up to snuff, THEN start charging. That way your prospective clients will have a good idea of your capabilities, style, and skills.

Lupus Argenteus · Post by **Lupus Argenteus** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 11:29 am

Tyr Palenske wrote:
Cian of Storvik wrote:I'm just saying you shouldn't limit yourself to doodles. I see you've got some very nice graphic arts pieces, and that's great! From your first post, it sounded like you only did drawings, and that's the kind of variety you need to show people when you tell them that you do artwork!
But since you know all about the art game, my advice ends here.
-Cian

I do appreciate the advice, getting back into the art game is no easy task. I don't mind being that guy who people go to if they need whats in their brain put to paper before they take it off to be constructed.

Have you considered seeing what computer game companies are in your area and seeing if they're in need of concept artists?

Tyr Palenske · Post by **Tyr Palenske** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 12:57 pm

Lupus Argenteus wrote:Have you considered seeing what computer game companies are in your area and seeing if they're in need of concept artists?

Oh yeah, but I'm more of an old school commercial artist than a graphic one. When I was in school we had to learn how to do layout by hand, including our fonts. I'm not looking to do this as a full blown job right now, more for fun and helping people out.