Reverie Days 3 and 4

Day 3 photos and Day 4 photos.

By day three, everyone had settled in to their painting and drawing lessons. Lots of demos, as always, even when a guest is presenting, there is always someone painting next to them.

Sadly, I didn't get to hear much of the lectures as I was looking through portfolios and watching everyone work, but what I did catch of them was great. Notably, Marko Djurdjevic's in depth presentation of his Marvel covers and Marshal Vandruff's sequential story telling via Windsor McCay seemed worth the effort of getting to Dallas all on it's own.

Greg painted a follow-up to his "Above the Timberline" video demo painting. He stood for seven hours without a break. He held a good crowd the entire time, even when there was a red tail hawk modeling around the corner.

Day 4 was all business and goodbyes.

Jason Manley and Sherry McKenna gave an in depth talk about contracts and rights. Shawn Barber, Bobby Chiu, Greg Manchess, and I gave a talk on the business side of illustration. This was followed by a few hours of portfolio reviews with various game and movie proefsionals, artists, a toy manufacturer, and myself. Lots of promise out there. I believe I stunned a few by speaking at 30 miles a minute. Must learn to slooow down.

The hole thing wound down with a thunderdome contest. This year the topic was to follow-up a presentation by HOPE (Helping Other People Everywhere). The assignment was to create an im age that brought awareness of illegally and often deadly mining of materials used in laptops and cell phones in the Congo. Andrew Jones won the instructor contest, I didn't catch the name of the attendee winner but he made a great image.

After clean up and a quick round of "polish the turd" (where I got to make various scribbles an dteh artists turned them into drawings) at the bar, we headed up for the instructor's after party. Stephan Martinere made an appearance, it was great to catch up with him a bit. He seems very happy as a Texan. I spent a lot of time talking to Aleksi Briclot, who some day I'll get to work for us! Given his schedule it wont be any time soon.

Sad and heartfelt good-byes. A big thank you to Jason Manley for inviting us. I always feel guilty at these things, it seems like too much fun to be considered working. And thanks to Melissa Lee for getting us there. Most of all, thanks to all the attendees. Art is a solitary thing and tends to attract people that like it that way, it's a brave thing to throw yourself out in public and try to create something.

And now I'm home and tired, looking at a stack of notes and business cards that I'm looking forward to going through....after I get some rest.