Erin McGuire

Dragon Abbey

2012-01-23T18:51:00.002-05:00


Year of the Dragon Abbey

I wanted to do a little sketch for the Year of the Dragon, but I think I've just been watching too much Downton Abbey. It's odd the way things come on my radar, and then I see them everywhere. About two weeks ago my mom told me to check out Downton Abbey, and now I see everyone talking about it. But, that's because it's awesome and everything looks like a moving Sargent painting.

Also this dragon may or may not just be a creature version of our goblin-cat, Loki.

I hope all are well.

ALA Midwinter Dallas Guide

2012-01-18T11:14:00.002-05:00

ALA Midwinter

The American Library Association's Midwinter Conference is being held in Dallas this year, and I am very excited. The children's book world rarely ventures into my backyard, and though I'm not attending, I wanted to lend a local perspective to all our literary minded visitors.

To preface- Dallas gets a bad rap. We're not quite as cool as Austin, but I have grown to appreciate Dallas as a city with lots to do, full of kind, intelligent people. The main downside is that you'll need a car to get around most places. Some areas are more pedestrian friendly than others, but I've yet to do much without a car in this city. So provided you've rented a car for the conference and have some extra time, I hope these spots help you enjoy the city during your visit.

Downtown
ALA is being held downtown, which isn't known for having the most character. It's an area more geared towards businesses and can be a bit spartan, but here are a few places close to the convention center to have on your radar:

The Iron Cactus- Close by, pretty good Mexican food (not my favorite in the city by far, but you probably don't want to drive all the way up to Chuy's)
Dallas Farmer's Market- A set of permanent buildings, open all week, year round. Building 2 has a number of permanent vendors set up selling lunch fare. A favorite of mine.
City Tavern- After being on your feet for 8 hours carrying around tons of ARCs, you will have earned a post conference beer. Plus they're open late.
(A handful of others, gleaned from friends- Roma Express- Quick, pretty good Italian food. Sol Irlandes- more Mexican! The Bistro at the Adolphus- a hotel restaurant, but reportedly a good one)

Stuff to do downtown-
If ALA is anything like conferences I've been to, I'm going to guess that you have very little free time, and even less free energy. So if you have time for ONE fun activity downtown, might I suggest visiting the Dallas Museum of Art? The current exhibit there is Jean Paul Gaultier's body of couture fashion designs, it's really phenomenal (I've been twice already!). The DMA is a good size museum, in that you can see a lot and not feel exhausted in the end. This Friday is Late Night at the DMA, so it's open 'til midnight. The DMA's restaurants are surprisingly good as well.

Nearby
Venturing slightly away from Downtown, to my stomping grounds, Deep Ellum-
I have worked in Deep Ellum for about three years, and am grateful to have a treasure trove of good restaurants at my disposal. It's a very easy 5 minute drive out of downtown, there's no getting on highways. So, if you want a good place to eat and aren't pressed for time by the convention, I recommend giving it a visit, if for no reason other than our 50-foot robot statues!

Twisted Root- Famous for burgers. Closest to downtown, it's right on Commerce Street. They make everything from scratch, down to the ketchup and mustard. Try the root beer, they make that too. Lines are a little crazy if you arrive at 12 on the dot, but they have it down to a system, so it's not that bad.
Cane Rosso- If the line at Twisted Root IS too long (or you don't want a burger), Il Cane Rosso across the street is a fast and delicious wood-fired pizza place.
Uncle Uber's Sammich Shop- Down the street from both of those, Uncle Uber's opened within the past few months, and has become a favorite at our studio. Veggie Banh mi, heck yes. Also, a perfect to-go spot if you just want to drive into Deep Ellum, get your food, and get back to the convention.
BuzzBrews- Across from Uncle Uber's, BuzzBrews is a great lunch spot. Good coffee, good if you could eat breakfast all day like I could. This place is just cozy.
Angry Dog, St. Pete's Dancing Marlin, and Baker's Ribs are also on Commerce, and are also all good options.
Also in the Deep Ellum area and worth a mention- Pepe's and Mito's for very tasty Mexican food, Serious Pizza for fast to-go slices, All Good and Cafe Brazil for more brunchy fare and good coffee.

And, if you rented a car and can't stand the radio station, our NPR station is 90.1 (I know you well, librarian brethren ;) ).

I hope everyone coming to Dallas has a splendid time, and that some of these suggestions prove useful. Best of luck and have a great conference!

The Book Thief

2012-01-16T19:02:00.008-05:00

The Book Thief
(First, I should note that this was an illustration I did for pleasure, not a professional job. Thanks!)

Last year we started a book club with some women from my work. Last week marked one year that we've kept it all going, despite our busy schedules and changing lives. We haven't picked The Book Thief (yet?!) but we've often brought it up as a possible book choice. This got me thinking about the first time I read it a few years ago, and in turn, the cover.

The American cover for The Book Thief has never really sat well with me. If you're unfamiliar with the book, it's a Holocaust story, narrated by Death, about a young girl named Liesel growing up in Nazi Germany, who steals books. From graves, from book burnings, from houses. It's one of my favorite books in recent memory.

I understand the marketing challenge of a book like The Book Thief.
For starters, you have:
Female main character.
Young main character.
Heavy material.
Is it for kids or adults?
Did I mention it's narrated by Death?

And though it is a Holocaust story, it is far more than that. It's a coming of age story, a slice of humanity in the face of adversity, and far less depressing than it sounds. But still, how do you sell a book like that? In this, the American cover succeeds. It's enigmatic and gritty, and sidesteps the heavy stuff in favor of just "mysterious" and "dark." But it still got me a little restless.

Above you can see my stab at it all, albeit an obvious and imperfect solution. One that probably wouldn't fly with publishers for the reasons I mentioned earlier. But I wanted to give a nod to a good book the way I did back when I did my book covers while I was in school. In this, I'm not trying to sell the book, I'm just trying it on for size, and paying homage to a story I love.

Thanks for taking a look. And take care.

Hero Academy & Numberlys

2012-01-13T19:47:00.005-05:00

So, it seems my previous blog post was premature, since I ended up also getting sick, and being out of commission most of this week. But, in taking a break from art for a moment, I want to draw your attention to two iPhone apps out this week, from talented friends of mine.

First, my new obsession, Hero Academy from Robot Entertainment

My better half Drew Olson did the art and characters, so I am probably biased, but it's tons of fun. Hero Academy is a turn based strategy game, and for someone who knows nothing about strategy games, I'm still finding it a really fun and exciting experience. (Plus it's free in the App Store!)

And second, Numberlys a beautiful new app from my friends at Moonbot Studios

Numberlys seems to be an alphabet/story/game/short film/whatelse?! app done in the style of old timey movies like Metropolis. A beautiful follow up to their Morris Lessmore app, I'm glad so much good art and creativity is coming out of the south these days.

Hope everyone enjoys both of these, and I hope to be back in gear soon to show some new work. Thanks!

2012

2012-01-08T20:45:00.007-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! Hope no one else is sick now, since everyone else around me is. I got away with only a case o' the sniffles, but I've been making soup and tea all week for Drew who is battling an all-out plague. Being sick is no fun except for the fact that cats get 2x cuddlier. I swear they can tell when you're sick.

We're already a week into the new year, so I'll save you my pontificating and reflecting. I just know 2011 was a really great year for me, and I am hoping to keep the ball rolling for 2012. We ended the year with a trip to San Francisco to visit art school buddies Matt, Megan, and Mclean, to go hiking and such.

Everything in California looks like this and nothing in Texas does.

And let's round out this post with some sketchbook stuff:

Keeping a mini-watercolor palette around while I watch movies

Gossipy girls

Drew told me to draw a mage and I clearly know nothing about fantasy archetypes. But here's a kid with her daemon probably.

Thanks as always for reading.

Feliz Navidad

2011-12-20T02:10:00.005-05:00

Few things feel as Christmasy to me as the Little Women soundtrack. When we were little my mom used to put that movie on to keep us quiet while she got everything ready for guests coming over. Then when I got older she just made me peel potatoes instead.

Also, thanks for all of the response to French Ducks in Venice and to the trailer. Slowly posting up the illustrations here, but they're on my portfolio site as well. Thanks for listening me talk about books nonstop.

Looking forward to a new year, as I do every year. Looking forward to making new art and new friends and cooking more vegetables.

I hope everyone has a safe, cozy, and peaceful holiday.

French Ducks Book Trailer

2011-12-14T11:59:00.003-05:00

French Ducks in Venice is now released! Check out the book trailer we worked on here:

In addition, we've posted more information about the book at http://frenchducks.com/

Thank you to everyone for your interest and support. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed illustrating it.

French Ducks in Venice, Tomorrow!

2011-12-12T14:44:00.001-05:00

French Ducks in Venice is released this week!

More soon :)

-Erin

NPR Backseat Book Club

2011-12-02T17:17:00.013-05:00

First off, good news!

Breadcrumbs is National Public Radio's December pick for their new Backseat Book Club! To sum up the new book club for kids:

"Each month we choose a book and ask young people and their parents to read along with us. And by young people, we mean all those 9- to 14-year-olds who listen to NPR programs while riding in the car or working on homework at the kitchen table."

So awesome! I love NPR, I was one of those backseat listeners for most of my life, and it's great to see Anne's book be part of a new great tradition.

Apart from that, just gearing up for French Ducks to be released in two weeks (!!!) and getting ready for the holidays in general. I designed a little invite at work for our company holiday party. Always an excuse to draw a classy lady.

Til next time, take care!

Site Redesign

2011-11-07T16:31:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone!
Just letting you know that my portfolio website EMCGUIRE.NET has been updated with a whole new layout and new work.

So check out WWW.EMCGUIRE.NET and enjoy.

In other happy news, Breadcrumbs was picked as one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2011!

October

2011-10-14T18:40:00.002-04:00

A quick Friday sketch. Trying to stay loose. I love really a graphic quality to illustration, but I find it hard to reign myself in sometimes. Rendering is just therapeutic, but sometimes gets me nowhere.

Fall is always a busy time for me, and this year is no exception. I'm going to my ol' alma mater- Ringling College of Art and Design, to give a talk about my career, doing children's books, and how to get hired at a studio. If you're in Sarasota on October 25th say hi.

I hope all are well.

Orcs Must Die!

2011-10-05T15:30:00.004-04:00

And now, for a break from our usually scheduled illustrations for this special announcement:

My boyfriend Drew works at Robot Entertainment, and their first original game called Orcs Must Die! comes out today on X-Box, and next week on Steam.

I've always thought it's funny that while I draw mostly innocent stuff, Drew gets to paint monsters and orcs. So to bridge the gap, I drew a lil' baby orc to say Happy Release Day, and congrats to the whole studio for a really fun and original game!

Breadcrumbs comes out TODAY!

2011-09-27T09:10:00.001-04:00

Breadcrumbs comes out TODAY!

If you are interested, you may procure a copy via your local friendly bookstore, or there's always Amazon :)

I want to take this chance to show a few more of the interior illustrations I completed for this project. In total, there are 10 of my illustrations throughout the book, and I am excited that they're finally released into the world.

Much has been said already about Breadcrumbs throughout the blogosphere, and indeed, a blog tour starting this week will continue reveal more, all more eloquently than I could. But as the illustrator, I want to throw in my $0.o2 and say that Anne Ursu's writing was a pleasure to illustrate. Already this book is getting all kinds of buzz (starred reviews in Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus) and it's all completely warranted. Her writing is the star of the show, I feel like I just got to do the icing on an already tasty cake. So go try this bookcake. Thank you.

I hope all are well.

Goodbye Summer

2011-09-23T17:45:00.002-04:00

A little summery piece. Goodbye summer.

Fall means I start to get really busy again, but I don't mind. Currently packing up everything and moving next week across town. I look forward to setting up my studio area with Drew and cranking away on some new work.

Rosie

2011-08-16T19:31:00.003-04:00

This may or may not be pretty much exactly what I wore today. Once I moved to Texas, so many people asked me if I had cowboy boots that I finally bought some so I could wear them with pride. They may or may not have rhinestones on them.

I hope all are well.

Lucky For Good

2011-08-10T13:03:00.005-04:00

Written by Susan Patron, Illustrated by Erin McGuire
Published by Atheneum/Simon&Schuster

At Last! Lucky for Good is released! The last in the Higher Power of Lucky trilogy comes out this week, I hope fans of the first two enjoy the last chapter in the series.

A look at the full wrap around jacket, designed by the wonderful Sonia Chaghatzbanian :)

I also thought it'd be cool to show a few of the early cover sketches. The final ended up as a variation on the right sketch, adding some other characters, a happier Lucky, and a more appropriate setting. (Someone clearly hearts her!)

I illustrated all of the black and white interiors in the book, mostly in pencil with some digital touch ups. I got to draw kids, hot dogs, donkeys, cats, and who knows what else.

They are happy the book is released as well.

This is a busy fall for me, as Breadcrumbs is released next month, and French Ducks in Venice in December. Working on some other secret-but-exciting things currently.

I hope all are well, and surviving the summer heat.

RFXU Poster and more Breadcrumbs

2011-07-19T12:47:00.003-04:00

Recruiting poster I created at work for our Apprentice Program. I started at Reel FX as a concept art apprentice in 2008, and it was quite the learning experience. Three years later, and I'm still happily working in Texas.

And, a bit of a Breadcrumbs round up-
I posted the cover to Breadcrumbs (written by Anne Ursu) previously, but since some interiors have been showing up in reviews around the internet, I'm excited to share a few of those as well.

But she was not alone. There was a palace just ahead, sitting in the middle of the plain like a gift. It was simple— a small square with a dome framed by four minarets. It looked like it had been sculpted out of snow.
Review and illustration posted at Laurel Snyder's Blog

For the snow was not snow anymore, but a woman—tall and lithe like a sketch, in a white fur cape and a white shimmering gown that looked so thin it would melt if you touched it. Hair like spun crystal framed cream-colored skin.
Review and illustration posted at Book Rat

And now, back to work. Hope all are well.

10 o clock art p2

2011-07-05T11:00:00.001-04:00

Using twitter's 10 o'Clock art meme to warm up for the day. Here's a quick one. Enjoy!

Breadcrumbs

2011-07-01T12:03:00.004-04:00

Breadcrumbs is a middle grade novel by Anne Ursu, published by HarperCollins and Walden Pond Press, and illustrated by Yours Truly. The writing in this book is just beautiful, and I know 10 year old me would have absolutely loved it. Really, the illustrations for this one were a complete pleasure to work on, and I was lucky to work with Jordan Brown and Carla Weise at Harper who just pushed me to up the emotional ante on every piece. This book comes out in September.

Breadcrumbs is already getting some buzz round the internets, so here's just a few posts if you're inclined to see more illustrations and hear more about the story-

School Library Journal

There's a Book

Novel Novice

Mundie Kids

Close up from the cover, of our heroine, Hazel

Thanks for checking it out!

10 o clock art

2011-06-24T11:03:00.002-04:00

For twitter's "10 o'clock art" meme

Odds and Ends

2011-06-16T22:29:00.005-04:00

A few odds and ends and quicker studies-

Creepy Hallway

Summer Field

These are all a little different in approach. Having to constantly wear different styles in the commercial world results in a bit of an identity crisis in my own work. It's hard to "see" your own style, even if it's so apparent to other people. Now that things have lightened up a bit, I'm aiming to turn back to just creating some work for myself and figure out what kind of images I really want to make.

Circle of Secrets Cover

2011-05-27T12:00:00.006-04:00

detail

I'm happy to share the final cover art for Circle of Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Little and published by Scholastic Inc. The book will be available this October for your reading enjoyment. Here's the blurb from Amazon- Critically acclaimed author Kimberley Griffiths Little weaves a haunting story of friendship and family and the power of faith, once again set against the lush backdrop of the Lousiana bayou.

Also, since blue bottle trees play a vital role in the story, I did a spot to include on the back cover.

And here's a shot of the wraparound.

All in all this was a fast and fun project. Not including this cover, I'll have 3 books out this fall with my illustrations in them- French Ducks in Venice, Breadcrumbs, and Lucky for Good. No doubt I'll post more about them as their publication dates grow closer.

Hope all are well.

French Ducks in Venice

2011-05-03T00:59:00.004-04:00

FRENCH DUCKS IN VENICE
Text copyright © 2011 by Garret Freymann-Weyr
Illustrations copyright © 2011 by Erin McGuire
Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.

I'm proud to show the cover for French Ducks in Venice, published by Candlewick Press, and written by Garret Freymann-Weyr. The book is up on Amazon already, though it won't be out until December. Lesson #1 from the publishing industry has been patience. I have 2 other books coming out this year, and a bunch next year, so hopefully blog readers won't mind being inundated with news.

I also took a screen grab from the Candlewick catalog to show all the nice things they've said about me. (I'm actually a concept artist, rather than a fine artist, but now I have something to aspire to :) )

I hope to have more news soon, but for now I'm just happy to put up some finished work! Between Reel FX and book work, I am as busy as ever, but hopefully this summer I can take some adventures and recharge a bit.

Hope all are well.

tantrums and braids

2011-04-28T12:30:00.003-04:00

A fast entry, just a few things I've been sketching between projects.

yarr

2011-04-11T15:16:00.003-04:00

My mornings start much like this. I will never be a morning person, but hungry kitties make efficient alarm clocks.

I also like drawing bored, ornery kids.

Did I tell you, dear blog, that I have a book club now? Coworkers Alison, Sarah, Elise, and the other ladies at Reel FX decided we should organize our reading efforts around snacks and fun times. It's a good way for me to read some new stuff and force myself to schedule in some reading time.

In between book club books, I'm trying to read or re-read as much YA and MG stuff as I can. If I'm going to draw pictures for that audience, it's nice to keep up on the industry. We all forget how hard it is to be a kid.

Working hard, enjoying spring in Dallas, and finishing some exciting stuff. Hope all are well.

Ides

2011-03-31T14:25:00.003-04:00

I've been painting a lot of snow lately, and this sketch was almost another winter landscape. Then I realized I'd just finished a similar illustration for this book with HarperCollins, which will be out later this year. So I decided I'd save my snowy efforts for that book, and make this one thawing. It is spring, after all.

I have a lot of things coming out later this year, and the patience is killing me! I can't wait to share stuff with everyone, so this fall should be exciting for a few reasons. You can follow book releases on my Goodreads page, if you're so inclined.

Friday Sketch- Springtime

2011-03-04T18:08:00.003-05:00

Friday Sketch at work was springtime. Us Florida girls are no strangers to rain like this. ;)

Yeah I am

2011-02-23T15:41:00.004-05:00

This doesn't particularly look like me, but I felt like doing something self-portrait-esque. I included Ginny, my lil' buddy. She's a lil pudgy and has a crooked tail but she's still the best. I'm not a crazy cat lady :|

Real Drawrins!

2011-02-16T00:00:00.004-05:00

Dr. Sketchy February Session. You can actually see this pose on the Dr. Sketchy Blog. As you can see, I didn't get her cane in there, but I thought it looked fine without it. (Though, it might just look like she's doing The Creep)

The model, Hollis Wakefield, was probably one of my favorite models we've had at Dr. Sketchy. She reminded me of old 50's and 60's fashion illustrations, so I had a lot of fun hanging out with Sarah and Elise and getting some drawrins done.

I think I have a different outlook on figure drawing compared to most. To me, it's like jogging to get ready for a race. The training is important, but the race is the point. Though, that being said, I sorely miss having time to sketch for fun. I guess that's the equivalent of skipping, in my running metaphor ;)

Hope all are well, I think Spring's just around the corner.

Signs of life

2011-02-06T23:11:00.004-05:00

Bored girl and a scottie for good measure.

After a week of crazy weather for Dallas (before we hosted the Super Bowl, no less), I'm finally feeling back in the zone of making more art.

Drew and I had a great (but cold) time in New York City for the big SCBWI conference. I feel focused and inspired, and excited to tackle the projects on my plate. It's good to remember that you can't let the well run dry, and time spent getting inspired can be more worthwhile than hours drawing in circles and getting nowhere.

Me at the Met, checkin out Joan of Arc

We also got to spend time with our friend Chase, a former Reel FX'er who showed us the ropes a bit. And, I finally got to meet my agent Susan Cohen, which was really cool considering how much we've worked together without having met. Seeing the Writers House offices was one of the highlights of the trip.

As for the conference, it wasn't so much of a "networking" opportunity, as it was a chance to get a pulse on the publishing industry, and where it's heading next. Also, keynote addresses from RL Stine and Lois Lowry can't hurt.

I wrapped up my first picture book with Candlewick, and am hard at work on two projects with HarperCollins. In addition, I should have a book out this year from Simon & Schuster (the newest in the Lucky Trilogy), and a cover with Scholastic. In the midst of all of this, I hope that 2011 is the year I focus on some personal projects as well. Trying to pick a new travel destination as well. Maybe Ireland to visit my people. ;)

Hope all are well and staying warm!

2011

2011-01-09T22:55:00.002-05:00

A belated Happy New Year to you, blogosphere. Here's a sketch playing with some new brushes in Photoshop. This came from a combination of seeing True Grit, and driving through the bleak Texas landscapes on my way to Austin last month to see Michael Pollan give a talk.

I'd say the only thing that comes close to my dedication to illustration is my interest in food, and the science, politics, and preparation of it. I think I must drive my friends and coworkers crazy when I get going about something, but it really is fascinating to me.

I'm happy it is 2011, 2010 was an insanely busy year for me. In addition to working full time at Reel FX/Radium, I worked on 7 book projects across 5 publishers. If nothing else, I got a crash course in time management, so hopefully 2011 is the year of balance, improvement, and developing my own projects as well.

Heading to New York City for SCBWI at the end of the month with Drew. So much to do before then!

Friday Sketch - Fort

2010-11-12T17:58:00.002-05:00

For those who don't follow the Reel FX blog, thought I'd throw this up here also. We did "dream forts" for our sketch topic. Cats are good buddies.

Fun Size

2010-10-28T17:31:00.002-04:00

Click to enlarge

In lieu of a Halloween illustration, here are some creepy buildings concepts that got cut from a music video project at work, being lead by Nader Husseini. They ended up using no backgrounds at all, but they were still fun to come up with.

This year is flying by for me, hopefully I will soon have a lot to show for it. Stay Tuned!

Higher Power Cover

2010-10-21T18:46:00.009-04:00

Higher Power of Lucky

Simon & Schuster

After completing the Lucky Breaks cover last spring, Simon and Schuster approached me again to do a matching paperback cover edition for the Newbery Award winning Higher Power of Lucky, also by Susan Patron. Quite an honor to do covers for such a beautifully written series!

I'm currently working on interiors for the third book in the Lucky series, which will be out in the spring next year. Oh and still finishing final details on French Ducks in Venice. And maybe some other things.

And, a sketch-

I saw this adorable girl on Sartorialist today and wanted to do a drawn version of her. She had a lot of character.

Even though I get busy, I try to find time to sketch for myself. Sometimes if I can grab enough time through out the day waiting for emails or feedback or whatnot, I can usually fit in a little sketch. I also made my Photoshop history take snapshots every time I saved, so it occurred to me I could make a little gif of this sketch coming together

My process is THRILLING I know ;)

Til next time!

Autumn Sketches

2010-10-09T17:47:00.004-04:00

Friday Sketch topic at work was Autumn. You can keep up with other sketches and such from the art department on the Reel FX Art Department blog.

I also drew this gal.

I really enjoy autumn in Dallas. Everyone is in a nice mood, there are all sorts of pumpkin flavored things, and I can have my windows open.

This has been a busy few months for me. I'm wrapping up on French Ducks in Venice, as well as the illustrations for the next Lucky book with Simon and Schuster. Books are a lot of work. I'm still deciding whether or not to go to the SCBWI conference this winter. We'll see I guess! :)

In the bits of free time I can find, I'm also taking a baking class this week, the guys from Baked NYC are on tour for their new book, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity. I have their first book, and everything I've made from there was really tasty. Baking is what I do instead of video games, I find it relaxing and delicious.

Nothing new besides that. Just wanted the blogosphere to know I'm still around. I hope to have a lot to show soon. Until then, I hope all are well.

I can tell that we are gonna be friends

2010-09-02T10:31:00.003-04:00

I'm not in school anymore, but I still get nostalgic at the beginning of the school year. How easily we forget how hard it was to be a kid.

My mom and sister are both teachers and I have a great deal of respect for the profession. It was always eerie being at my mom's school after hours or during the summer; seeing the school empty and the teachers relaxed and speaking freely about their lives. Teachers were always real people to me, I never doubted the existence of their personal life, because they were also family friends.

But enough sentiment.

I'm finally done(!!!) with all of the interiors on my children's book, just needs a cover and I'm finished. The next book, another in the Lucky series, is already next in line, and I'll be switching gears from ducks to desert children forthwith. Reel FX is keeping me busy also.

Also, after running out of reasons not to, I joined twitter. Better late than never, I suppose. Follow me and I promise I won't retweet too many 50 cent posts.

Hope all are well :)

Pool Party

2010-08-27T17:57:00.002-04:00

Friday Sketch at work - Topic was Pool Party.

Trapeze Swinger

2010-08-20T18:21:00.002-04:00

Our Friday Sketch at work was circus themed. I must admit, I had never cared much for the circus, until I read Water for Elephants a few years ago. I guess years of explaining that Ringling College had nothing to do with the circus made me a little jaded also.

Quick sketches like these are really enjoyable, and I feel like it helps me to make aesthetic decisions a lot more quickly. Back at school, we used to get together in the computer labs and do one hour thunder-domes to practice finishing work quickly. I feel like that was a pretty beneficial exercise, especially given the deadlines in the real world.

Kind of crazy that students thought ONLY A WEEK for an illustration was an insanely short amount of time. I don't remember the last time I had a whole week to finish something ;) Actually, for this piece, I asked for 3 days of time to work on it and was laughed at. So there. Kids, learn to work quickly and you will be happy you did.

Finishing up some big projects while some other big ones loom on the horizon. Hope all are well :)

Countdown

2010-07-20T12:40:00.004-04:00

Some quick studies at work. I purposely kept my canvas small so I wouldn't zoom in and noodle the thing to death. The top one still got a little overworked maybe, but they were fun.

Once Texas stops with this triple digit weather business, I may need to go to the Arboretum to get my landscape painting fix.

Also, a bunch of us just went to the most recent Dr. Sketchy in Dallas. For those who don't know, it's a life drawing session with dancers and burlesque models, and it's really laid back and fun. They have groups in most major cities, if there's one by you, check it out! This was our third time going, and it's a lot of fun. Breaking out the watercolors for these 20 minute poses was refreshing as well. I could tell I was a bit rusty though :]

In other news, it is mega-children's-book-crunch-time, as I work to finish up French Ducks in Venice. It's been a great experience working with Candlewick, and I'm excited to see how the whole thing comes together. This is probably the biggest project I've done, so I can't wait to show the finished product as well. All in time.

Hope all are well and surviving the heat :]

epilogue

2010-06-17T13:51:00.004-04:00

I think I'll call this one done. Drew called this creature a Goat Ball, but I'll have to think of a better name.

Until August, I probably won't be posting much. Deadlines aplenty and only so many hours in the day. I have a children's book to finish and commercials to make. Art is hard work and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise (if the fight consists of a scrabble match).

I'm busy but I don't think I'd like it any other way.

Take care, folks.

Zydeco

2010-06-01T13:43:00.000-04:00

Work In Progress

As for the day job- Here's a Shrek commercial I worked on, doing matte painting. I painted grass and fence posts for about a month. Painting grass is just as fun as it sounds.

As for the book stuff- Working on a few projects, and enjoying the ride. Half the battle with large projects is staying organized, but I think I've found a system that works for me. It's cool seeing a large body of work develop over time, I feel like I'm making progress. I'll be excited to show what I'm working on, once things are released.

As for everything else- Enjoying the start of summer in Texas, and eager to go on a few little adventures this summer. After visiting Adam and co. for Memorial Day, I'm excited to get to see Kyler and McLean this summer as well. Old college friends are a great comfort in these crazy stressful times, so it's good to keep in touch while we can.

I hope all are well and making lots of art.

Lucky Breaks

2010-05-09T21:26:00.004-04:00

Lucky Breaks by Susan Patron

Interior Illustrations by Matt Phelan

Paperback edition cover Erin McGuire

A few months ago the kind folks at Simon & Schuster asked me to do a cover redesign for the paperback edition for Lucky Breaks, the sequel to the Newberry Award winning Higher Power of Lucky. I had a great time reworking Lucky, the main character, and her drawing her adventures in the Mojave desert. Book covers are an interesting challenge, and the many rounds of thumbnails taught me a lot about what makes a good cover.

Many possibilities! At one point there was a donkey.

It's funny seeing your book cover on Amazon, and I got a bit more of a cheap thrill today when I saw it on the shelf at Barnes and Noble (and texted a picture to my mom, after all it is Mother's Day ;] ) in the YA section.

Still hard at work at French Ducks, as well as some other projects coming down the pipeline. Being this immersed in the book world is like running a marathon, but I think I'll make it through just fine. Oddly enough, the more time I spend on books, the less time I have to read, though I am almost done with Jhumpa Lahiri's Unaccustomed Earth, because I will always make time for her short stories.

In my free time, Drew and I are trying to grow many varieties of hot peppers, as well as herbs and tomatoes. I've never really had a garden before, so I'm having a good time learning as I go. Hopefully I can have some personal work to post soon. I hope all are well and enjoying the warming weather.

For Boston, for Boston

2010-04-19T12:24:00.003-04:00

Click to see full size :]

Recently I was commissioned by the North of Boston Library exchange to create some promotional materials for their library system. I was excited for the opportunity because 1. I like libraries, and 2. My entire family is from Boston. It was a fun challenge fitting 7 figures in a composition, I've always thought that people interacting (or crowd scenes) are a good exercise.

I'm just getting everything back to normal after a fun week in San Francisco/Bay Area with Drew, Matt, and Megan. California really is beautiful and inspiring, and I welcome any opportunity to run around some mountains and eat some cioppino.

Enjoying my last remaining months of temperate weather before the Dallas summers go into full swing. There's a lot to be done.

Dallas Film Festival

2010-04-12T11:43:00.002-04:00

Film Festival time again!

Just like the materials I did last year, I was asked to complete some theater screens and promo materials for this year's Dallas Film Festival. I'm always pleased when I'm asked to draw fantastic contraptions. The stuff on the screens are shots from our reel, of various projects we've worked on.

that we must change, or pay more for remaining the same

2010-04-04T15:45:00.007-04:00

This time of year seems so busy and restless. I've been working pretty nonstop to finish up a few projects, and it's crazy that another year of students is already graduating. Time really speeds up after you leave college, and it's a strange life change, learning to live and work on your own for the first time.

In seeing a lot of buzz about recruiting and job hunting, a few of us were thinking about how we got started, and were reminiscing about this anxious time of year. I graduated before the recession, so I'm sure graduating into an almost 10% unemployment rate is even more nerve wracking. However, I don't think it's all doom and gloom. This generation has a lot of technical advantages on their side, and the industry isn't as dead or dying as we think. It is changing, but regardless, people will never stop needing art, and that's just that.

That being said, I had the idea to post about a few of the things I think graduating students should consider, or things I found helpful in getting started:

First off, Ringling students who are graduating this year, if you have a blog or website, don't put "Senior Year Illustration Major!" on your site. Go and edit your information right now, and just say that you're an Illustrator, because you are. How you present yourself to the world (or internet world) is how you will be received, and if you go out of your way to tell me you're a student, you'll be treated like a student. It tells art directors and employers that you still need training and that it's fine to pay you less. After all, you're telling me you're just a student.

Between graduating and moving for work, I bought and read How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing your Soul and I highly recommend it, even if you aren't a graphic designer. The advice is just about the client/artist relationship, and how to really act like a professional and understand the business. I thought this was straightforward and helpful. Ringling's portfolio class (basically a business of art class) was not really helpful to me in any way, so this book made up for all the things I should have learned.

One of the best concepts from that book, was that nothing gets you work like work. It feels like such an impossible Catch-22, that you need to have work experience to get your first job, but that's how it is. Previous work reassures a client that you've worked before and aren't going to leave them hanging. Look for an opportunity to do some work that will show clients just that. For me it was the Hallmark contest I entered all those years ago. After that, having some work with the Ringling Design Center was just another way to show I knew how to actually finish work.

Be smart about the opportunities that come along, but when you see them, take them. We joke about the job postings on craigslist, because it's ridiculous that someone would design a logo for $50, but those jobs exist because people take them, on the false premise that the "exposure" will make up for your low pay. On the other hand, there are companies that freelance out cool work at a lower rate, and the work probably REALLY WILL get you more work in the field, a client on your client list, and a cool portfolio piece. If you're smart about which work you take, you'll work your way up eventually. If getting that first job is too hard, try selling prints on Etsy, entering designs on sites like Threadless.com, or submitting work to competitions. You're trying to show how legit and un-studentlike you are, and when you're starting out, how you spin what experience you have makes a difference.

I have a few more points, but I'm thinking of splitting those into my next post. For now, I wish everyone the best of luck. I'm taking a much needed vacation.

American Greetings

2010-03-23T11:01:00.008-04:00

American Greetings from Erin McGuire on Vimeo.

Finally! After months of work and waiting, the commercial I art directed for American Greetings is on the air. AG is a sponsor of PBS's The Electric Company, and we were hired to complete their sponsorship ad. This was a really awesome experience for me to learn more about the technical side of the process, and work closely with clients to get the look right. Here's some more of the concept art, we went through a lot of revisions.

Early development work. This was vetoed quickly by our effects artists, I think the billowing hair and sparkly magic stuff made them nervous about the time we had to finish the spot.

Early street scene development

The bottom round was the first set of character designs, and then we decided the characters should be younger, and more like paper dolls, hence the top row.

For the actual animation, I vectored every scene and every key frame poses of the girls, and our very talented animators rigged them to move like paper dolls in our shadowbox world. If you look closely, I make a cameo as the girl at the ticket booth. My creative director, Barrett Lewis, is playing the guitar on the left. Also Drew makes a cameo in the first shot :]

This was a really great experience, hopefully I'll get more projects like this soon.

In further good news, along with friends Adam Volker and McLean Kendree, I'm happy to have gotten into this year's Spectrum! Congrats to everyone!

Spring in Texas means mighty fierce allergies, pepper plants, and savoring the last of my girl scout cookies. I hope this weather holds, and I appreciate the few remaining brisk days (even the occasional weekend snow), for when the 100 degree days of summer roll around. Happy to be busy, working hard, and feeling alive.

Keep it like a secret

2010-03-04T10:52:00.002-05:00

Done for a project that went away.

I just finished moving, and even though the new place was only 500 feet away, it's made all the difference. It's wonderful having a dedicated work area, and I am excited to make it an inspiring space. Organization has been an uphill battle for me when it comes to physical spaces (my computer and brain are fairly organized), but I'm going to do my best. There's work to be done.

When it Rains

2010-02-23T15:56:00.002-05:00

A quick invite for a work event. I am the go-to girl for invitations now, but any opportunity to draw classy ladies (and I can make anything an opportunity to draw classy ladies) is welcome.

In other non illustration news, a Scottie won Westminster this year.

All prides and tithes aside

2010-02-09T01:29:00.004-05:00

For an ongoing project. Trying new things.

Because if I don't, I'll always just do the same things.

Okay, here's one thing I've learned: Starting a project is really hard if it stops being fun.

So many artists say they're going to "do a portrait a day" or update every day and so forth, then as soon as their once-exciting project feels like work, they give it up completely.

For a personal project, I don't give myself deadlines, parameters, quotas, I just tell myself to do what I can, when I can. It becomes my default thing to draw when I'm bored and can't think of anything to draw. It has yet to feel like work, and I've stuck with it longer.

How about you? How have you stuck with your personal projects?

On a separate note...

Are you following the Reel FX Art Department blog? Check out what we do when we aren't doing commercials. That's right, we're drawing tricycles.

WIP it good

2010-01-25T16:54:00.003-05:00

A work in progress.

I don't have the most interesting process. I have a very different attitude for personal work vs. professional work, mostly in that I let my personal work develop organically. With no deadlines or agenda, I forget studies and thumbnails, and just push some pixels for a while. For the book I'm working on now though, I did literally hundreds of thumbnails before I sent in sketches. It all depends on the challenge at hand, and the most efficient way to tackle it.

How about you? Structure and thumbnails and studies? Or the good ol' start-and-see-what-happens method?

And to complete my noncomplete work post, here's a still shot from a commercial I concepted and art directed (ie, why I've been busy lately).
This was my first foray into art direction, and it was a lot of fun to really work closely with the CG artists to get the look right. Not to mention, I got to draw literally every asset in the commercial.
Soon enough I'll be able to post the final, and the concept work I did, but for now, an enigmatic still.

In other news, I put new work up on www.emcguire.net for your viewing pleasure, and all my updated info. 2010 is going to be a fun year, right?

Archival

2010-01-12T11:27:00.003-05:00

Some old work, from a John Woo project we did when I first started. Sometimes you just gotta draw ninja chicks all day. It's a hard life. This was a really great learning experience, for putting more color and mood into my images, and starting to think more cinematically.

It's odd, even looking at student's blogs now, I can see trends going through each class in whatever major, and it's funny because everything starts to look similar sometimes. Once you graduate, and everyone disperses into the world, you'll find that your tastes change, and maybe the type of art you want to make is different from what you (and all your classmates) were doing at school. Everyone is more nervous about getting jobs than they are about satisfying their own aesthetic at that point. It's hard to realize that the world is bigger than art school. The more I work in film and publishing, the more fun I'm having just thinking up stories and worlds, and bouncing ideas off Drew and Adam. It's nice to take your time, and focus on what you care about.

We forget that we're young, and we have plenty of time.

Thatched

2009-12-22T01:07:00.003-05:00

I was a little tired of all of my work having golden hour light. So, a quick night piece, for the longest night of the year.

Christmasgirl

2009-12-17T14:55:00.004-05:00

Did a quick invite for our Christmas party at work.

Speaking of work, I started a Reel FX Art Department blog, where we'll be posting up stuff we're working on, and stuff from around the studio. Add it to your reader and enjoy.

Hope all are well and enjoying the holidays.

bee-eff-effs

2009-12-11T11:19:00.002-05:00

Some Rejects ;]

This was an early round of character designs for a big project that has taken up most of my time lately. Can't say much more until it's done. These girls ended up being too old for the subject matter, and we went with a slightly different style, so they're off the hook. Sometimes it's nice when that happens because I can show something a month after I did it, and not a year after.

Busy times lately. Trying to fit baking, reading, and a variety of wintertime soups into my schedule without going nuts. Hope all are well.

Porter

2009-11-13T18:49:00.003-05:00

Winding down after a long crazy week of work.

together like towers

2009-10-13T23:35:00.004-04:00

I've updated emcguire.net with new work, and new sketchbook work.

A few items of note-

Writers House finished their new site for all the artists they represent, here's my page.

Also, Steve Dilley interviewed me for his blog, about the few pieces of concept work I did on Radium's "Magic Chairs" AMC spot.

It is getting to be good tea weather. Also good baking weather. In general, weather has more impact on me than it should, and I love having lazy autumn evenings to open my windows and not look at photoshop. I look at Photoshop for too many consecutive hours in too many consecutive days. Some people have asked me about my inspiration, and sometimes taking an evening off is just as inspiring as looking at artwork. Times like this I wish I had a bike.

Or at least a treehouse.

Quick

2009-10-03T00:18:00.003-04:00

An exercise in simplicity.

I like October. We get along well.

Stomp

2009-09-21T00:08:00.002-04:00

These illustrations were completed for a project at work, which unfortunately was cancelled. We spent a whirlwind Sunday doing a pitch for a new client, and after the agency saw all the boards we'd done, it seemed like these were what they had in mind.

Alas, after much excitement, our client's client decided to go a safer, established route. I was excited about the possibility of working on a commercial with real moving ErinGirls, but no doubt the possibility will exist in the future. It was pretty cool to do more work that feels like my personal work, and not having to feel like a trained wrist.

Not to give away what the campaign is, but it's about a chain of events, and how little acts have big results.

Other than that, exciting things happening and not enough time in my days. Hope all are well.

Violet and Benny

2009-09-15T00:34:00.003-04:00

Development piece for an old project at work. One of the more memorable ones since I got to stay in my normal illustration style.

Dallas sure is rainy these days. I wonder if this means fall is coming early.

Newsworthy

2009-09-10T00:28:00.008-04:00

My piece for the Traveling Man Robot was used for the printed promotions of the project, and distributed at the unveiling last week. The Traveling man was also featured in Envy Magazine this month, so the project has been getting lots of good press.

Glad Dallas is getting some cool stuff to line its streets.

Also, my piece for Terrible Yellow Eyes got into the upcoming Gallery Nucleus show, along with my buddies Adam Volker and Sarah Caterisano. Gallery Nucleus shows some pretty heavy hitters, so this is super exciting to me :] The show opens September 19th, so if you live in the LA area, you should go and see some great work.

And, finally, I just got back from Colorado, where I ran around and hiked and saw foxes and was completely overwhelmed at how big and beautiful all of the nature was there. I've avoided oil paint for 2 years now but being there made me want to landscape paint again.

A few pictures

Til next time.

Dr. Wizard

2009-08-20T01:41:00.003-04:00

Saltflats

Speedpaintin and trying new things.

And a few sketchbook gals.

I wish I had more time and energy for sketching. Lately I find the same peace and zen like focus through cooking, and that has been a worthwhile and delicious substitute for my evenings. The parallels between cooking and art are obvious to me, and I'm sure if I ever become a teacher my students will have to endure lots of cooking metaphors and call me Crazy Ol' McGuire.

I've been at Reel FX over a year now, it's kind of crazy to realize that amount of time has flown by so quickly. I'm running off to visit folks in Colorado for Labor Day, since no summer is complete without a mountain adventure. Hope all are well.

Travelin' Man

2009-08-04T22:57:00.003-04:00

You know your job is pretty cool when your boss designs giant robots.

I created a few promotional images to go along with the upcoming Traveling Man Robots that my friend Mr. Brandon Oldenburg designed for the city of Dallas. The official site can be found here. I'm excited to have these guys just a few blocks from Reel FX.

You can also be a friend of the traveling man, on Facebook.

all horns and thorns

2009-07-21T01:44:00.003-04:00

A Boy and a Girl.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I assure you I support equal opportunity awkward adolescent portraiture. Awkward boys in suits are just as welcome as librarians, girls sitting by windows, walking through fields, or doing other wistful things with their gangly knees and elbows. I hope I'm not becoming too formulaic. Let's call it personal iconography.

Things on my mind lately include sourdough bread, ducks of the french variety, my much neglected sketchbook, Ireland, harpists, and just how loud I can play this on my morning drive to work without blowing out my speakers.

Coke AMC

2009-07-02T19:45:00.003-04:00

Radium, the commercial group at Reel FX, updated the site with some stuff I worked on. This Coke/AMC job was pretty fun. If you go to an AMC theater this summer, keep an eye out for our work before your feature presentation. I worked on the concept stuff for the pitch, and some matte painting in the final shot.

Click here to see the final piece.

Hope all are well and keeping cool. :)

Palindromes

2009-06-19T11:51:00.003-04:00

Monster friends

I like the few hours after I first get a new sketchbook. There's always a sense of "I should probably draw something cool" and a little bit of pressure with that first page to not be something dumb. Or should be Miyazaki monsters.

Also, emcguire.net is updated with the two new pieces finished recently. I also redesigned and updated Drew's Website with a ton of his new work. Check them out!

If you're like me and have an insatiable need for new stuff on your google reader, here are some of the more interesting blogs I've come across lately.

Journey Round my Skull

This is going to be a busy summer. I hope to fit in some reading though (recommendations?), and trips to the Dallas farmer's market. Hope all are well and busy!

Terrible Yellow Eyes

2009-06-10T11:11:00.005-04:00

I was invited by Cory Godbey to participate in the Terrible Yellow Eyes project. Today is Maurice Sendak's birthday, and this project is a tribute to him and Where the Wild Things Are. Do you remember reading the book when you were little? I remember Max's bedroom transforming and thinking it was the coolest thing ever.

Glad more Ringling crew got in on the fun, check out Sarah's, Eric's, and Adam's pieces as well.

The day you burst

2009-06-04T01:22:00.004-04:00

click to enlarge

Betsy

I miss the banyan tree at school.

So, I guess now that some things are official, I can officially talk about them. I've had some really exciting things happen in the past six months.

Candlewick Press approached me to do children's book, I'll be illustrating French Ducks in Venice by Garret Freymann-Weyr, and I'm psyched. The subject matter is so attuned to my aesthetic that it really feels like it was written for me. Seriously. It mentions cats and tea in the same sentence. It's going to be a fun year working on the book.

Also, in a separate and equally exciting turn of events, I am now being represented by Writers House for all literary related artwork, children's books and book covers. Being that they represent a handful of my heroes, I am really humbled by the whole thing.

I feel like books have always been an important part of my life, and if you'd asked me 3 years ago what I wanted to do after school, I wouldn't have said anything about concept art or working at a big animation studio, but definitely something about children's books or book covers. Maybe the whole teacher's daughter librarian thing is paying off. Thanks to everyone who has helped me on my way, and the folks at Writers House and Candlewick.

Invitation

2009-05-13T01:21:00.012-04:00

Siobahn

This is up on my site now, but I figured I'd give it some blog love too. Trying out new brushes.

My sister (artist rendition) is getting married soon, and my wedding gift to her was designing her invitations. It's on the beach but she didn't want it to be too cliche "beachy" so I focused more on the cool beach houses in Seaside Fl, where her and her fiancee often went on vacation.

It also meant I got to draw cool little houses. She took the lineart from one of these and made it into a stamp that went on the envelope.

Also, wedding invitations these days are too involved. Instead of just letting you know you're invited, the invitation also suggests hotels and includes maps and compasses and probably a foot massage. I drew a map to help all the guests get to the reception and not end up in the Gulf of Mexico.

Also, I've put Heirloom and Ghost Cat prints up for sale in the print shop.

Hope everyone is doing well. Take care!

of having had and lost some infinite thing

2009-04-29T18:06:00.006-04:00

I've updated my website. It is a joyous day indeed! There are new illustrations and even new sketches.

Here's one, for to tempt you...

All can be seen at www.emcguire.net

I'm driving 1000 miles tonight. See you when I see you.

Of fuzzy hats, and also muffs.

2009-04-25T23:04:00.002-04:00

Quick character study. I like to pretend her hat is biting her head.

I head down to Florida next week for a very whirlwind visit. Luckily I'm splitting the drive with Adam and Dustin, so it should be an adventure. I look forward to seeing what this year's illustration seniors at Ringling have been doing. Hope to see you there!

g-g-g-ghost cat

2009-04-18T01:39:00.002-04:00

Little is known about the proper protocol for approaching the ghost cat, though many experts suggest a laser pointer and/or a profound sense of humility. The ghost cat, whence perturbed, has been known to cause thunderstorms, forgetfulness, and the occasional sneezing fit.

Approach with caution.

centenary

2009-04-12T02:22:00.002-04:00

See, here's the thing- I unapologetically mostly draw girls. Here are some new sketchbook ladies.

This one is about half photoshop, half sketchbookins.

A couple of sketches I did while at the workshop, I think I was in a "drawing hoodies" mood.

Sometimes, every so often, I can get Drew to collaborate with me. It usually ends up looking like this though.

Lately I've been splitting my time between Dallas and Shreveport Louisiana, where I eat gumbo and po' boys with a few fine gentlemen while drawing children's books. By strange coincidence, Joe Bluhm has relocated to Shreveport as well, and it is nice to meet new art friends. What if Shreveport is the new artist community?

Being semi-nomadic is oddly inspiring, and I really feel like making some new work. We live in exciting times.

Strange, really

2009-03-31T23:29:00.002-04:00

Life is a little strange.

I think being in the right place at the right time means you get some surreal experiences.

Like helping the head puppet wrangler from Laika frantically assemble original puppets from Coraline to be in one of our gallery shows (as the show was happening) and getting to see these incredible works of art up close and hold them and glue their eyelids on.

The past 4 days or so have been crazy. I'm super jazzed up from the Concept Art workshop, and excited to do some new work.

AFI Film Festival

2009-03-26T11:24:00.007-04:00

I was asked to create a lot of our promotional material for the AFI Dallas Film Festival, which starts today. Limbert Fabian art directed, and simply asked me to make something that "makes the studio look awesome." This illustration is going in the program for the Festival to be seen by real cool people, so it made me real nervous.

I knew that my normal stuff doesn't really scream AWESOME FILM FESTIVAL, so I did a weird Shaun-Tan-esque robot with cowboy boots and cacti and it is probably a friendly robot. I figured Reel FX is a real rag tag crazy contraption. Either way, it's powered by studio love and coffee. Dustin and Yashar helped me think up doodads and gadgets to put on top.

In conjunction with the Festival, Reel FX also hosts the Tex Avery award, so I did another page for the program to advertise the event, and we decided to keep it in the same style as the robot ad.

And then, ALSO in conjunction with the festival is the Animation award, so I did the certificate that the winner will receive, along with whatever supersweet computer system.

Crazy times for me lately. Life is pretty exciting and work is satisfying. I have a lot of projects on my plate right now, and as usual the coolest stuff has to stay secret for a long time. Either way, I'm settling into life in Dallas, and looking forward to things to come. I'll be attending Concept Art's Reverie Workshop this weekend, hope to see some of you there. Take care.

real horrorshow

2009-03-01T17:22:00.005-05:00

I was approached to do a piece for a Kubrick Anthology being put out by a European publisher, and immediately wanted to do something for A Clockwork Orange.

Last year, I'd intended to do a book cover for Clockwork Orange as part of my thesis, but I felt like it would be almost impossible to compete with the movie. Also, I've seen some other neat book covers for Clockwork Orange, (here and here) and it was too overwhelming to try and compete with all that. The movie is so engrained in our culture that no other depiction of Alex really felt right (even though he's like 14 in the book and is played by a 28 year old actor).

When I decided to do a piece about the movie, rather than the book, I wanted to do something other than the few famous scenes everyone knows. I didn't want this thing to be a Hot Topic poster, after all. One of the funniest scenes to me is Alex picking up the two oblivious girls in the record shop, and all the ridiculous sexual imagery and sillyness that ensues. Not my usual fare, but I had fun all the same. Enjoy.

err'body matte paint

2009-02-25T23:22:00.005-05:00

Someone asked me what a typical workday is like, so hopefully this is an interesting post. I get to work on a really wide range of stuff so there's no short answer.

I work on whatever they throw at us, and in this case, it was matte painting. I didn't particularly like doing matte painting, but it was a learning experience at least, and it never hurts to have another thing in your skillset. It's more photoshop trickery than illustration, but I sure honed my stamp brush skills.

So, it begins with this commercial for Home Depot and Nascar. Pretty standard feel good whatever.

Get it? FANS.

That last 7 seconds when the two people are looking at the ENDLESS HALL OF FANS really looked something like this though

The people were going to be composited in later, so I just had to make it extend 5 times further back in space, fill the shelves with products, lower the ceiling, fix the lights, repaint the floor, add an endcap, and whatever else would make it believable. So we end up with this.

Now, since the people and "Fans" sign aren't even showing, you can see some of the areas I kinda dismissed (check out the extra row of reflected lights, yeeeah). The hardest part was the shelves, as Home Depot doesn't really have a standard way of shelving anything, and having a really limited amount of product photography to work with didn't help.

Here's everything kinda fake comped together

During this project, we'd have daily meetings where I'd meet with the art director, producers, and inferno artist and we'd nitpick the crap out of this thing until it felt believable. Commercial projects are pretty fast, and it's rare that I spend longer than a week or two on one.

Now that they've figured out that they can use me to do matte painting, I've been painting mountains for a beer ad all week. But, that's been a bit more fun.

Actual art stuffs soon :)

entanglements

2009-02-20T00:03:00.006-05:00

A friend's kitchen

This is how the kids dress these days, those crazy kids. I swear I saw this kid at a Starbucks.

Someone asked me to draw a monster attacking a city and it kinda looks like Thiel.

February has been busy and hectic and exhausting, but exciting.

I've added some more prints to my Etsy shop, mostly book cover work that people had inquired about.

Hope all are well.

girls n guns

2009-01-31T16:22:00.003-05:00

Friday sketch at work this week was "my uzi weighs a ton" and I have little to no interest in drawing guns, so I went to Erin-Default-Awkward-Girls-Without-Pants mode, and voila.

I'm in the middle of reading Then We Came to the End, and being that it takes place at an ad agency during a recession and layoffs, the issues ring true to my own experience here. I liked this passage-

We had a toy client, a car client, a long-distance carrier, and a pet store chain. We did TV, print, direct mail, and internet. We had a business to business division. We drank too much on the weekends. We had the great fortune and shortcomings of character that marked every generation that had never seen war. If we had been recovering from the aftereffects of a significant campaign, we might have been grateful to be where we were. Eager, even.

Mustache

2009-01-17T16:52:00.002-05:00

Friday Sketch at Reel FX this week was "Magnificent Mustache"

Civil war facial hair can't be beat.

Canvas for a cause

2009-01-15T19:19:00.003-05:00

I did a painting for tonight's Canvas for a Cause show at Reel FX. Quilts and girls are default for me, it would seem.

all my wherefores and whys

2009-01-11T21:30:00.005-05:00

Parka Twins

(about half watercolor half photoshop)

This was my first drawing of the new year, and probably the best drawing I've ever done of Drew. I captured his essence.

Bookstore drawrin

A girl in a pleated skirt

I drove about 2500 miles in the past 3 weeks. Dallas to Florida. Port Richey to Orlando, a handful of times. Florida to Dallas. I did not find myself dreading the time spent on the road. I welcomed the chance to clear my mind, put on some music, and do a thing that had to be done. Florida was good to me and I was sad to leave this time. But, I feel recharged, and ready for these next few uncertain months.

either or

2008-12-27T23:17:00.006-05:00

Few little sketchbook watercolor things.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas. I'm looking forward to getting some new work done and enjoying the mild Florida winter for a few weeks.

Merry Christmas Y'all

2008-12-24T18:11:00.001-05:00

This is a long drive for someone with nothing to think about

2008-12-20T23:51:00.005-05:00

Sketchbook page

Have you seen the thumbs commercial? I got to work on our pitch for the thumbs commercial, it was entertaining to say the least. Weird to see it on tv though. It's as creepy as I expected.

These are all from a project I can not talk about but I'm allowed to show some stuff. This is about 1/50th of the amount of work I did for this project, and it was all in illustrator. I learned a lot about illustrator. Anyhow, soon enough you'll probably see more of these, for now, enjoy

Not even an hour after this was posted on a Publisher's Weekly blog, I sold out of Penelope prints. A couple people mentioned that they were librarians, and a few asked me to send the prints to their library. Having been a librarian for 4 years, I was happy to oblige. I've put the shop on vacation though, I'm driving to Florida tomorrow and can't take all my printing/packaging stuff with me. Hope everyone has a great holiday. :)

flamenco

2008-12-11T01:23:00.003-05:00

Reel FX had a flamenco dancer model last night at figure drawing, I like drawing big ol' poofy dresses. I tend to draw quickly and get impatient, so I drew the above pose a few times.

Towards the end of the figure drawing session, it started sleeting, and finally, snowing. They don't warn you about how surreal post-college life is. All of sudden you're in Texas and it's snowing and you're drawing a flamenco dancer. Life is pretty strange.

In other news, if you aren't done Christmas shopping, I'm selling some prints on Etsy :) If there's something of mine that you like but that isn't on there, shoot me an email. Take care!

Thai

2008-11-23T01:17:00.004-05:00

Spring Rolls - I didn't get a picture of the one I made because I ate it :]

So, yesterday I took a Thai cooking class at Central Market in Dallas. I've always loved Thai food, and I've attempted making a few things at home but nothing ever came out great. The class was so much fun, and now I feel like I can make this stuff with more confidence.

Red Curry with duck, eggplant, tomatoes.

This is a shot of the kitchen where we worked, this is only about half of it though. The mirrors up top were cool because we could easily watch everything that was going on.

Clockwise from upper left, two woks of pad thai, panang beef curry with homemade curry paste, tom ka gai, and the red duck curry. We also made spring rolls but like I said, I ate mine before I got a shot of it, so I had to do a watercolor in homage. And to justify posting all of this on an art blog :)

It's starting to really cool off here, and cooking always makes my apartment feel cozy.

How to fix our troubled economy...

2008-11-18T23:21:00.004-05:00

I recommend printing a bunch of these and trying your luck.

To explain... I can finally show you something I did at work because this was cut from a commercial I worked on.

We were doing a series of stop motion animation commercials about recycling, and so logically, me constructing tons of paper props was the best way to be environmentally friendly :) Since I think it's illegal to scan and print money, (even as a prop?), I did a cartoony one to fit the style.

The stack down there is about 1/10 of the amount of tiny fake money I made... printed... glued, bound, and then glued into stacks, and then the client decided against it, so... I know how animators feel when their shots get cut. But, at least I was left with stacks of tiny fake money to leave on co-workers' desks.

And then... cats.

My sister is getting married in June, and I've agreed to do all her wedding stationary, starting with Save the Date cards, which will feature her and her fiancee's three cats (yes seriously). I wanted it to not be crazy cat lady-esque, hopefully I succeeded. This is just what I have done on the kitties.

And, a sketchbook page/lil painting.

specificity

2008-10-13T01:57:00.004-04:00

Emma - digital

I don't think this is quite done yet.

Sketchbookins

Also, this is why I don't get more done at home. I bring my tablet home to do some work and there is always a kitten on it. Dawwww.

After a really hectic September, involving a fender bender with an 88 year old man named Ed Butts (pictured here) I am grateful that October has been a little easier to handle. My mom and sister are visiting next weekend, which will be cool because we're going to see King Tut at the DMA. I'm flying to Orlando the following weekend to see Drew, and maybe head to Sarasota for an evening. I wish I'd been at Illest this year, but from what I've seen of pictures and heard from everyone, the show was a success and I'm proud the tradition lives on :)

Hope everyone is well!

eucalyptus

2008-09-25T01:10:00.004-04:00

First off, here's a beetle.

Also, a little close up of a work in progress-

I haven't done much stuff for myself lately, busy with the 9-5. Work has been lots of fun though, I can't wait until the stuff is actually able to be shown to other people, we've been on some really cool projects.

Been cooking lots and playing with the kitten. Feels weird, for the first time in 16 years, having a September where I'm not in school.

engines

2008-09-08T00:29:00.004-04:00

I finally broke down and got a kitten.

I was trying to put off for a few months until I could properly afford it (pet deposits, vet bills etc) but there was an opportunity to save a kitten and I couldn't pass it up. Brandon Oldenburg found two kittens in a grocery store parking lot that had crawled up into a car's engine. When the driver came out he said that he'd pulled out 5 kittens earlier during the day, and was amazed that there were still two kittens in there, they had ridden in his car's engine for a few miles and survived.

Brandon couldn't keep the cats, so I offered to take one, and someone at work took the other. When I picked her up, and she was all grungy from the engine, so I gave her a bath when I got her home. This is what she looked like before her bath, but after Brandon's 5 year old daughter started decorating her. Circus kitty?

Anyhow, I named her Ginny, in part because I liked the name, and because of her love of engines and tight mechanical spaces. She has already climbed behind my dryer one night, and under my dishwasher yesterday, when it took Sarah and me two hours and a screwdriver to find her. Luckily she was fine, and I've since then kitten-proofed my apartment.

Hopefully I will make some new stuff soon. If anyone has good advice about shipping 13x19 prints, I am having trouble finding envelopes big enough. Trying to set up a way to sell prints. If you have used a service of some sort with great success please let me know. Thanks!

Orchidozer

2008-08-28T01:41:00.004-04:00

Small update at www.emcguire.net

Also, I'm in the process of updating my blog so that I can finally have an RSS feed and use/be used by google reader and such. In the process of switching over my links I'm sure some obvious ones were lost along the way. Drop me a line if I've forgotten you.

Two Deities

2008-08-20T23:15:00.002-04:00

Two Deities

I did these for the weekly challenge at the 2012 forum.

These are a bit of a change for me, but I like how they turned out. Trying to incorporate some of the stuff I'm doing at work into my illustration stuff. I really enjoy my job at Reel FX, I feel like I'm learning a lot and trying some different methods, and they seem to treat the artists pretty well. I won't be able to show any of the work I'm doing for a while though, which is probably a good thing, I can brush up my designistrator concept art chops in the mean time.

butternut

2008-08-04T23:25:00.002-04:00

This is actually Caran d'ache pastels on gessoed board. They're water soluble pastels and have some neat effects wet or dry. Pratt introduced us to them, I think. They were the only supplies I didn't leave at work over the weekend, and I felt like doing something to unwind.

I really like my job, and I'm slowly adjusting to the 9-6 routine. I am glad to have some good company as I adjust to Texas life. It's a state of mind, I've heard, but I'm still not sure what that state is. I thought that an entire life lived in Florida would make me heat resistant, but it was 105 today, and unlike Florida, there is no afternoon shower daily to cool things off. There isn't the sauna-like humidity as much here, but just a sense that you are slowly dying with every additional second you spend outside. I look forward to seasons.

As soon as I can afford it, I'm going to get a pet, I need a lil buddy in this echoey apartment.

dallas blues

2008-07-16T21:19:00.004-04:00

Well, I'm moving to Dallas in a few days. I've accepted a position at Reel FX in Dallas, as a graphic design apprentice, so I am packing up and getting ready for the real life stuff. I'm pretty excited, after living in Florida for 18 years, I'm ready for a change.

Wish me luck y'all.

sprouts

2008-06-25T02:17:00.002-04:00

Today is my mom's birthday, this is a card I made for her.

Quick gouache sketch, I'd like to add some design elements and make it more into a book cover or something.

Ha, another country living sketchbook page. There were cool clocks, I had to. I want to add some stuff to this too, the bottom feels empty.

The one redeeming quality of summer in Florida, is that there is always incentive to stay inside in the AC and catch up on reading. Sometimes it is as rewarding and interesting to read young adult books instead of the usual fiction, usually I can finish them in a day, so it's refreshing, and gives me more of an idea of what kids are into these days. Per my mom's suggestion, I just finished reading City of Ember (and the sequel, People of Sparks) which she says her 6th grade students loved. If I had read them sooner I would have included them in my thesis, since they're both a bit dystopian. The first one is being made into a movie, coming out around Christmas (with Bill Murray, yay), and I wish we'd all graduated earlier, just to have had the chance to do the concept art for this movie. Post apocalyptic underground city that's all decked out with steampunk stuff, and pipeworks and funny light fixtures for all.

Also reading Adrian Shaughnessy's How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul, which you can pretty much replace "graphic designer" with "illustrator" and the advice rings true across disciplines. I think the book should have been required reading for our portfolio class, it's a much better overview of the industry than we ever got. It's a bit of an affirmation that all young designers struggle during that first 6 months after graduation, and goes into the mindset needed to be okay in this world.

So, I hope everyone is well. Make yourself a cucumber sandwich, cool off and take care.

something under my bed just sneezed

2008-06-09T01:09:00.003-04:00

Good Golly, emcguire.net has been updated?

Yes, finally. Still needs some tweaking, but I am pretty happy with how this version came out. Let me know if there are any problems I've overlooked.

Other excitement, my sister brought home a three month old kitten that is only slightly bigger than a grapefruit and named him Dexter. Which is better than kitler, which is what his original owners were calling him because of his little white mustache. He is darling.

til next time, adieu.

minty

2008-06-06T17:58:00.002-04:00

This is the next in the sequence of sunrise images. I wanted to do something that would force me to deal with colored light, though this is still pretty subtle.

I'm currently reading this year's Pulitzer prize winner, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and it's kind of written in Spanglish, so I'm trying to conjure up whatever 10th grade spanish I can remember to make sense of the thing. Next on my to-read list is David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, which I had planned to include in my thesis, and will probably want to do a cover for if I end up liking it. The book has a pretty cool cover as it is though. For now, adieu.

belfry

2008-05-28T00:06:00.006-04:00

I got a thing for cozy old buildings. One of the things I miss most about New England is the architecture, nothing in Florida feels like it has quite the same history or charm. If I make it to The Homeland this summer, priority #1 is taking pictures of interesting houses.

Funny how things can end up being major influences on you, not just other artists but really your environment growing up. My mom has subscribed to Country Living for as long as I remember, and though I'm in no position to revamp a seaside cottage, that aesthetic seems to be ingrained in me (teapots!). I've been going through the old issues and drawing whatever buildings catch my eye, so expect more soonish.

NEW?!

2008-05-23T00:18:00.001-04:00

New Layout, hope you like it. :]

heirloom

2008-05-20T01:01:00.005-04:00

Not sure if this one is done yet, though it is fitting mayhaps that my first post-graduation piece should be a sunrise (or sunset, I suppose.) This is part one of a longer series I want to work on, this way of working is relaxing to me.

I went to Oklahoma for a week to visit Drew's family, and on our way back to Florida, our flight out of Oklahoma city took off at about 6 in the morning, so we go to see the sun rise from thousands of feet up in the air, it was pretty crazy, the light was pure pink and the horizon had this odd mist to it. I guess normally I'm not awake in the morning to enjoy these things, but sunrise from an airplane was surprisingly beautiful.

Here's an obligatory airport drawing. :)

Now that I'm done with school, I have a lot I've been meaning to do but got pushed to the back burner during the whirlwind that is senior year/thesis/job hunt/meltdown. Now, it's nice to have the time to make some new work, redesign my website, all while going through the piles of boxes in my storage closet of a room. Not moving out over last summer meant I had a accumulated a lot of stuff, and every time I have to move out, a minimalist lifestyle always seems so appealing, especially right now. If all else doesn't work out, I'll buy a Tumbleweed House and try my luck in the mountains.