The ArtDragon's Den

So as stated before... I am truly attempting to give validation to illustration as the answer to everything.  I have finally started my Masters program at the Academy of Art University and here is the introduction that I presented to my instructor and classmates for my Clothed Figure Drawing class. Hello, everyone, My name is Thomas Allen Beck and I am currently enrolled at the Academy of Art University to pursue a MFA in Illustration.  I am placing a focus on Editorial/Children's Books/Advertising because I feel that it is the broadest and most direct avenue to use Illustration as an answer to any design problem.  I just recently graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle with a BS in Industrial Design, but my graduate project/thesis was designing an illustration consultancy that I branded as I, Story.  Technically, it is what I have already been doing through Insanity-Print and Publish since my honorary discharge from the US Navy after 14 years of enlisted serv...

Although I was not able to finish my Superbowl 50 comic strip because of time constraints with classes, family, and work, I finished the first two pages and they were well received.  In the long run, there will be a page with the playoff breakdown and a page to represent Peyton Manning in all his glory with the Superbowl win.  Yes, a bitter taste in my mouth, since I am and will always bleed Silver and Black. Another "comic strip" that I did in this class has a dramatic twist at the end.  It was definitely to poke fun and provide a little satirical levity in this ridiculous election year.  Enjoy, and remember to never take life too seriously.  Worry exacerbates ulcers along with promoting bad moods.

This was a project that I had to develop for my Concept Art and Visual Development class called, "The Domicile."  Basically the design problem was to create a space/dwelling/habitat that is occupied/used/lived in by a character or famous individual.  The illustration/rendering must tell the story of who/whom uses the space without depicting them.  Hopefully, my concept reads loud and clear.  I embedded a lot of visual nuggets to clue you in to who my true inspiration for illustration is.

So I had the opportunity to take a few classes that were external to my career path of Industrial Design since I am using my VA benefits to pursue my passion to become a professional illustrator.  I am using my BS in Industrial Design curriculum to focus on illustration as a minor effectively. Fortunately, I have been accepted to continue my education in Illustration with the Academy of Art down in San Francisco.  I digress however... while I have been enrolled at the Art Institute, I was able to use one of my electives to take a Conceptual Storytelling class.  In this class, we had some time to do caricatures and I had an extremely great time doing it... Here's a few. There are a few very popular individuals, and a few that you might not recognize... Lyndon, specifically, was designed from a classmate that I had to do a collaboration with in the class.  He had to develop one of my stories into a comic strip or storyboard and vice versa for me with one of his ...

Once again from my Character and Object Design class that I have enrolled in this quarter, I had a chance to develop an illustration in Photoshop.  Using traditional methods initially, I wanted to create the foundation illustration first, then scan it in to use Photoshop for color iterations before I moved forward with the detail.  It was an enjoyable exploration, and I do believe I will use this approach more often... The final goal was to create an object/character from a quick form and further develop it using color variations and finalize one variation with more detail.

In my design field for my curriculum at the Art Institute of Seattle, we, as students, get minimal chance to illustrate.  Less so... do we get a chance to use Fine Arts skills in general since this is more of a design trade school of sorts.  I, however, push the chance to use my illustration skills whenever I get a chance, and fortunately this quarter, I am able to take a few extracurricular animation courses that afford me the opportunity to draw.  Here is my study that I conducted on the human skull.  I used several types of traditional media and titled the piece fittingly, "Using Mediums To Channel The Dead (Heads)"... Enjoy.