Finding a Community Online and Crafting a Signature Style with Illustrator, Designer & Artist Alice Coles — The Busy Creator Podcast 76
The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
Release Date: 02/08/2016
The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
That went quickly! Listen in to our live event where we commemorate 100 episodes of The Busy Creator Podcast and remark on the journey. This event was a crossover with the New York City Podcast Meetup, recorded at Small City Co-working space in Brooklyn.
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Craig Ward (@MrCraigWard) is a designer, art director, typographic artist, and author currently living in Brooklyn, NY. A UK native, he came to New York in 2009 shortly after being selected as an ADC Young Gun.
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Brittany Cormack is a costume designer for film and television. Following her training in fashion and dance, Brittany arrived in Los Angeles without a clue how to work in the movie business, but has since found her groove. She works primarily on independent films, commercials, and music videos, but every day is an adventure.
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Michael Stinson (@MWStinson) is a veteran designer, educator, and business owner. In addition to his work as a professor of graphic design, he also runs Ramp Creative, a branding studio in Los Angeles, as well as Type Ed, a dedicated typographic education business which helps creative pros return to form in the fields of typesetting and layout.
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David Power is a multi-purpose creative pro based in Brooklyn, NY. Since moving to New York, he’s worked in music recording & production, written several business books, penned screenplays, and helped write and perform in comedy films. His latest project is a podcast documentary of how a feature film is made.
info_outline Business Lessons for Creative Entrepreneurs & How to Launch an Online Community with Designer, Writer, and Podcaster Kathleen ShannonThe Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
Kathleen Shannon (@AndKathleen) is a graphic designer, brand strategist, and co-founder of Being Boss, a podcast and community for creative entrepreneurs. Kathleen began as a staff art director, but learned entrepreneurial habits working on her side projects and blogging. She's now seeking to become a media mogul and serve the creative community.
info_outline B-SIDE: Planning A Modern WordPress Website, with guest Avery SwartzThe Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
Avery Swartz (@AverySwartz) joins Prescott to discuss the possibilities for the next version of BusyCreator.com. Together, the two discuss the capabilities of WordPress, best practices which Prescott is adopting (and should start), and the shortcomings of WordPress themes and plugins.
info_outline Methods and Mindsets for Successful Web Design Projects with Agency Boss Ben SeigelThe Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
Ben Seigel (@versastudiollc) is a web designer and developer, and head of Versa Studio. In addition to managing projects and writing the necessary code for client sites, Ben has examined and written about the underlaying value of design, how small businesses and design agencies can work together toward successful ends.
info_outline Exploring Business Issues Faced by Creative Pros with Author & Professor Douglas DavisThe Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
Douglas Davis (@DouglasQDavis) is a graphic designer, professor, consultant, and author of the new book Creative Strategy and the Business of Design. The book, which follows his recent talks and workshops, explores business issues that face creative professionals, especially those which may not even seem apparent.
info_outline Balancing a Design Practice and Co-Working Space in New York City, with Jessi Arrington & Creighton MershonThe Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
Jessi Arrington (@JessiArrington) and Creighton Mershon (@Cr8tonMershon) are the founders of Workshop, a Brooklyn-based creative agency, as well as the proprietors of Small City, a new co-working space and home to dozens of independent creative pros.
info_outlineAlice Coles (@HulloAlice) is an illustrator, artist, designer, and video producer based in Colorado. She has honed her skills and created a signature style thanks largely to her own video production schedule. Alice publishes tutorial videos and showcases her experiments on her YouTube channel, HulloAlice.
In this conversation, we discuss Alice's origins as an illustrator, how she found supporters in the YouTube community, what art supplies she relies on, and what sort of desk setup she uses to film her own work as it happens.
See more of Alice's work and get in touch on her website, AliceRColes.com.
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- Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 76 (OGG, 38:55, 20.2 MB)
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Show Notes & Links
- Prescott and Alice met at a design conference in Phoenix
- Alice describes her work as "an exploration of herself, her memories, and her place and role in the world."
- Alice uses storytelling in her art, calling herself an illustrator
- Monument Valley
- Loish, artist and inspiration of Alice
- Kaizen, the Japanese idea of continual self-improvement
- Alice admits she doesn't quite have the time/focus for too many commissions
- Sycra on YouTube
- Baylee Jae on YouTube
"YouTube can be toxic at times, I've seen, but the art community is so supportive of each other."
—Alice Coles
- Alice started making videos "every couple of months" but found consistency through audience momentum
- Alice is primarily a watercolour artist
- Faffing, a definiton
- Matt Cremona, woodworker/furniture maker on The Busy Creator Podcast
- Matt Cremona on YouTube
- Doctor Who
- Papasan Chair
"Watercolour is the worst medium to scan."
—Alice Coles
"I tend to barrel through life like a rolling stone."
—Alice Coles
- Tsundoku, the Japanese word for "the constant act of buying books, but never reading them"
- Alice hails from Desborough, Northamptonshire, UK
- Alice Coles on Twitter
- Alice Coles Illustration on Facebook
- Alice Coles on Facebook
- Alice Coles on Instagram
- Alice Coles on YouTube
Tools
- Windows Movie Maker
- Lightbox
- Winsor & Newton India Ink
- Dip Nib
- White Guash
- Gel Pens
- Prismacolor pencils
- Watercolor colored pencils
- Desk from Target with a hutch
- Custom lights
- Bookcases
- Wacom Intuos 5 tablet
- Wacom Cintiq monitor/tablet
- Adobe Photoshop
- Basecamp
Techniques
- Start with inspiration — colour combo, landscape, etc.
- Use figure references for anatomy
- Paint in layers — block in shadows first, then skin tone — keep it thin
- Underpaint (paint an entire paper with a single colour to instill a tone or feeling)
- Use a hairdryer to dry your layers
- Use a hairdryer to cure swimmer's ear
- Complete a painting in a single sitting (2–6 hours)
- Batch videos, especially when lighting/hair/make-up is required
- Watch a speed version of your video first, then record it again in real-time
- Increase contrast and colour-depth in Photoshop — with the aim to match real-life colours
- Use planners and lists — "bullet journal"
Habits
- Keep supplies organized in clear cases — jars, boxes, etc.
- Create an inspiring workspace, use personal items and motifs
- Aim for a consistent wake-up time (maybe 8 am)
- Reply to comments and emails first thing in the morning
- Read while you eat, and before you go to bed
- Don't be so hard on yourself (regarding time management or inconsistency)
- List out your tasks for the next day