Toronto Fan Expo!!!

I'll be @ the Toronto Fan Expo alongside many of the talent artists in the Animation and Entertainment Industry. If you're in Canada or planing to attend, stop by and say hello.

Best,

MAC

Figure Drawing - Female Nuddies!!!

These are some recent figure drawing sketches . . . I'm on a Pen and Ink kick.

MAC

Recent Sketchbook Sketches

Recent sketches using a new Pentel Brush pen.

Sketches from a Disney session where I was speaking about how to think through the form for shorter poses while still focusing on the character of the pose/person and her action.

More Brush pen samples focusing on character and how to apply line to compliment that stylistic choice.

A few more playful samples with the Pentel Brush pen.

COMIC CON Wrap-Up & SUMMER VACATION

Well this was quite a year that has only just begun it seems. In the last three weeks I became a GodFather, happily showed my book and artwork at a booth at Comic Con and flew out to Sweden the day after the show for a two week vacation.

I have to say I was blown away by how amazing it was to be at Comic Con and how many people showed up to say hello. I want to really say thank you to everyone who came out and stopped by. I was overwhelmed at the amount of books I was lucky enough sign, draw in and hand over to so many of the faces I have been inspired by and blogging with for quite a few years now. THANK YOU to everyone, this was an amazing experience for my first time being on the floor and selling at this year's Comic Con. The talent and comradery was overwhelming.

Some of the amazing talent that I was lucky enough to see again and speak to were:

Peter de Seve
John Nevarez
Patrick Morgan
Jose Lopez
Ed Acosta
Taesoo Kim
Donnachada
Octavio Rodriguez
Dave Johnson
David and Susan Colman
Joe and Jimin Weatherly
Bobby Chiu
Kei Acedera
Hans Ranum
Robh Ruppel
Tina Price
Craig Elliot
Steve Silver
Kelsey Mann
Nathan Fowkes
Stuart Ng @ Stuart Ng Books

and many many more . . . . Thank you to everyone who came out!!!

MAC

COMIC CON EXCLUSIVE - Original Art for Sale @ BOOTH# 5362!!!

In an effort to do something new and for the fans who come out to the Comic Con, I will ONLY be offering my original artwork @ COMIC CON 2009 and at a book signing further on down the road sometime later this year. Many of the pieces are published inside my book, THE ART AND FEEL OF MAKING IT REAL as well as plenty that has not reached print . . . yet! So please come out and stop by, say hello and thumb through copies of my book as well as plenty of artwork at booth # 5362, listed under LAAFA - the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art.

I hope to see everyone there.

All my best,

MAC

COMIC CON 2009 - I'll be @ BOOTH 5362 (Under LAAFA)!!!

I will be exhibiting at Booth 5362 listed under LAAFA (the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Arts) which is one of the schools I am an instructor for.

I will have copies of my new book: The Art and Feel of Making it Real. I will also be offering for the first time, well over 200 original drawings for sale (with images from the book as well as other original pieces that are all bagged/boared for protection and transit).

Please stop by as I will be more than happy to sign books and do sketches inside if desired. Hope to see you there July 23-26th @ the San Diego Convention Center!!! I'm looking forward to it as this is the only convention I will be offering my original artwork for sale at. So come by and say hello as well as thumb through countless drawings. I'll have a copy of my book waiting for you . . .

All my best,

MAC

HAPPY 4th OF JULY . . .

. . . to the Westerns that is.

Don't get the Blues, summer is here!!!

Best,

MAC

Recent Figure Drawing Sketches

Here are some recent sketches using water color during a recent figure drawing session.

Happy 4th to Everyone!!!

Best,

MAC

TEACHING NEW CLASS - Monday 4-7PM!!!

New Class:
MONDAY 4pm-7pm

Starting Monday JULY 6th!!!

Animation Mentor Book Review

http://www.animationmentor.com/newsletter/0609/feature_showcase.html

Recent Gesture Instruction @ The Walt Disney Company

These drawings were done from a recent session I taught at the Walt Disney Company. In this class I was stressing to the employees about thinking about the importance of not only capturing the essence of the pose, but making it personal and taking it to a higher level of completion. The level of completion can vary from artist to artist but one of the important things that I try to get artists to think about is the use of "color linking," (a term which I coined that I talk about in depth in Chapter 9 my book - The Art and Feel of Making It Real). This principle is a great way to link each of the drawings from a particular session into a cohesive set, similar to what is done in Visual Development when working on feature films.

Best,

MAC

Visual Storytellers Studio - INTERVIEW

I was recently asked to do an online PodCast for a really kind and generous artist, Sam Kirkman who heads up the Visual Storytellers Studio for Illustrators and Children's Book Illustrators alike. If you interested please check it out and let me know what you think:

Check out the link to the right: INTERVIEW 03 - - - - - >

MAC

Chinese Playing Cards

These were done just for fun.
Best,

MAC

Chinese Magistrate

Everyone can have a challenging day . . . especially a Chinese Magistrate. It's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it.

(This is a piece that I did while I was discussing to my class at Disney, that subtilty within gesture drawing is just as important as a bold or grand storytelling movement. I was instilling not to forget the same impact can be made by emphasizing a quiet moment within a drawing or design.)

Best,

MAC

Sketchbook Doodles 001

Here's a couple of pages from a new sketchbook I started. The images on the left were from a visit to Sony where the amazing Marcelo Vignali: (http://vignalistudio.blogspot.com/) has founded his Sketchclub: (http://www.sketchclub.blogspot.com/).

Based on the fun I have had visiting and seeing such an amazingly diverse group of talent artists, its spurred me to start my vary own Sketchclub, Sketchclub East: (http://www.sketchclubeast.blogspot.com/) - with a group of amazingly talented friends of mine on our side of the hill. It's been quiet on our side of the hill for a little while, but that's about to change.
The Sketchclub East is back again . . . with lots more to come later.

Best to everyone,

MAC

One Minute Sketches Amongst Pirate's . . .

After finishing teaching my class on Sunday @ LAAFA, I gave one of my favorite models John Tucker my one minute sketches as a gift to his wife for Mother's Day.

MAC

Gesture Sketch - Pirate!!!

Here's a sketch I did recently while discussing the importance of freeing up yourself and not getting bogged down in construction and anatomy while instructing at LAAFA.

I do have 4 more book orders where I would be happy to do a full page sketch. The next one who orders will get this sketch inside their book cover as well. It's about 9" x 5".

Best,

MAC

100 Copies + NEXT 10 ORDERs FULL PAGE SKETCHes

Due to the number of orders that came for The Art and Feel of Making it Real in response from the previous message sent out today - The NEXT TEN (10) people to buy the next book will get a signed edition with a SKETCH THAT FILLS THE ENTIRE PAGE.


Happy Weekend,

MAC

100th Copy & Full Page Sketches!!!

I am happy to say the 100th copy of my book was sold this week which I have everyone to thank. I could not be more happy at the success that The Art and Feel of Making It Real has accomplished.

• -For the next person to order a book I will be happy to SIGN it and happily do a FULL PAGE SKETCH to show my gratitude.- •

Best to everyone,

MAC

The Art And Feel Of Making It Real - DEBUT

This week I had the privilege of debuting my new book - The Art and Feel of Making It Real: Gesture Drawing for the Animation and Entertainment Industry in Calgary this weekend. If you were in Canada and had a chance to attend the Expo, thanks for stopping by and saying hello. I could not have had a better time with the fans, my colleagues and everyone one who came out and asked for autographs, drawings and anything in between.

Best,

MAC

(If anyone has any HiRez pictures, please send them along to: Cre8tivemark@aol.com)