tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21101554.post6136934389761939347..comments2023-11-18T08:53:40.570-08:00Comments on Jed Alexander: Studio Makeover, A New GoalJed Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06833411175703626635noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21101554.post-26811219359558160522009-11-05T06:38:27.182-08:002009-11-05T06:38:27.182-08:00Thanks Tin! I'm lucky to have the space that I...Thanks Tin! I'm lucky to have the space that I have, but keep in mind it's also our laundry room! <br /><br />As for your remarks: I really get insecure with this stuff sometimes and constantly question the quality of the work I do. In the past I've had more confidence in my work than was warranted and so my inclination these days is to second guess myself. Your words are always encouraging and confidence building and I'm grateful for them.<br /><br /> I'm doing the work I want to do and regardless of who my work may or may not have appealed to in the past, I think the work I'm doing now is much stronger. I'm a big fan of the artists you mention--Tamaki and Shimizu--but I don't feel that my past work was anywhere near as accomplished as theres and I don't feel I had quite developed my own voice.<br /><br /> Now I feel like my work is strong enough to compete in that arena--not that I have their level of skill or accomplishment, but that my work is striking enough to catch someones eye in the way that their work caught mine. <br /><br />I'm working slower than even my usual slow pace these days because I'm being a lot more meticulous and taking a lot more care with these recent pieces. I'm doing this because I can and because I'm not on a deadline. The more I develop better work habits the faster I'll get, so hopefully I'll develop a little more speed in the near future.<br /><br />Thanks again for your generous encouragement!Jed Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06833411175703626635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21101554.post-32365113392259812482009-11-05T03:23:51.858-08:002009-11-05T03:23:51.858-08:00Siigh....your studio: I am so jealous. Such nice s...Siigh....your studio: I am so jealous. Such nice space-I LOVE IT! You should see my small crammed piece of shit apartment where I find myself like a hermit pasted in the corner at my computer- It is almost embarrassing :)<br /><br />About your previous statement regarding your work: I would have to disagree respectfully. I think you work is just as good on a commercial level as anyone else's and I don't think that it is geared towards such "specific" crowd. If you looked at Jillian Tamaki, whose work has some stylistic similarities to yours, she has made it really big time....and there is Yuko Shimizu, whose work 'screams' "Asian" culture/influence and style, yet she has found a happy place in the western commercial industry. You need to stop assuming how other people are perceiving your work and simply develop a mindset where you are showing your work non-stop..to everyone, never limiting your audience..and also have to force yourself to be very productive, regardless of your slow way of working. :) <br />Your work is "very" good. Your new pieces always inspire my and I have downloaded every one of you pieces into my "Jed" folder that is found in my inspiration folder on my desktop......Now GO KICK SOME COMMERCIAL ASS!!!!!!! ;DAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02458996725089538642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21101554.post-23057336582320688702009-10-28T11:25:19.375-07:002009-10-28T11:25:19.375-07:00Your post came up as anonymous, and I'm curiou...Your post came up as anonymous, and I'm curious to know who you are, but I appreciate your kind words nonetheless!<br /><br /> I agree about the huge leap. Yesterday I took a look back through my blog and could see how I was searching for a style, and all my struggles with some of the more technical aspects of drawing. Everything that I'm doing now is also based in things I've been experimenting with progressively, and seem to have evolved naturally from that process. <br /><br />It was also a little painful to relive all my struggles with low rent freelance jobs with art directors who had no interest in my personal style. They just wanted someone who could do the job for the cheapest rate. I would get angry and frustrated as I walked into one bad situation after another, dealing with people who had little or no experience with freelancers. <br /><br /> It's not as though I don't still have much room to improve, but I think recent pieces represent a pivotal point in my development as an illustrator. It's really exciting for me, and my confidence is building. My process is more consistent and effective, and I feel more confident that the work that will result will be more satisfying, and that I can have confidence in the quality of that result. <br /><br />There's a joy in the work I'm doing now that I seldom have experienced. Each new piece gives me a new kind of pleasure. Not everything I do is successful, but more often than ever, I feel this.<br /><br />I don't feel on par with the illustrators I admire most, and I may never reach that level. I'm not going to be the great draftsman that some of those illustrators represent, but I feel I do have my own unique voice, and more than ever I'm able to articulate this.Jed Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06833411175703626635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21101554.post-60734208933187246172009-10-27T20:00:41.187-07:002009-10-27T20:00:41.187-07:00It's ironic to hear you talk about freelancing...It's ironic to hear you talk about freelancing just as I read this today feeling exactly the same about the subject. <br /><br />I think that you have taken a huge leap in your work since looking back through your blog. BTW watching how you work and improve is inspiring! <br /><br />Looking forward to seeing more.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com