The science of this post: GOOD PLANNING PUTS YOU IN CONTROL OF YOUR TIME.
The difficulties of strategizing then executing plans and time management has always been one of the largest challenges for me. I've constantly struggled to correct the notions of being more timely than prompt, spending too much time on one thing and not enough time on another thing, allowing myself to get sidetracked by interruptions...
I won't downplay myself, I am super disciplined and admittedly a sucker of spending almost all of my free time on my artwork, whether personal or professional, but I have never quite been on a set schedule, which makes planning near to impossible.
So on my research to find the BEST way to begin to organize my time and life, I came across a great bulletlist of statistical studies and interesting facts that were recorded and documented by Dr. Donald E. Wetmore over years of attending seminars. The link to this list is here.
Of the list, it states that "The average person uses 13 different methods to control and manage their time." There is a said to be hundreds of different options for the time-seeking individual to attempt and yet only 24 hours available in a day. So which ways are the best ways and the ones worthy of practice? Who knows. I decided to hone in (a lot) on this subject:
SO HERE'S MY QUICK ANALOGY:
-I define the value of my time in a day by setting goals vs. requirements with the key being able to balance the time for both.
GOALS need at least these 2 things to be effective:
-Be practical/measurable so it is known when these goals are achieved.
-Lead to some sense of Self-Improvement
REQUIREMENTS need to be determined:
-Viewed and handled with higher priority than goals.
-Considered in advance to avoid delay of goals.
RELAXING needs to be in there too:
-Adding slots to do this will allow ample time to shave when
running behind schedule. This area can be the FIRST area to
be adjusted when goals / requirements on the list are not yet
achieved.
It is said that "1 hour of planning will save 10 hours of doing." And lately I've found myself taking a half hour out of my night to plot out a strict time schedule for my next day by following a military method called: "Backwards Planning".
The first step of Backward Planning is to list your tasks and then prioritize them. I try to give myself a small bit of leeway inbetween each task, because I've read now that it almost always takes twice as long to complete a task as what is originally assumed a task would take. Perhaps this is because deep down inside we want to be (or are) over-achievers by nature or perhaps this is where good planning becomes 'piss poor planning'? I don't know, but I'm sure it's fixable when finetuning planning as into skillset...
In any event, the advantage of planning a day backward is that each preceding action has a deadline set ahead of time and can be adjusted to coincide with the starting point of the first task.
I'll go into scheduling another time, because it all goes hand in hand.
Today, I experimented with Brush Settings in Photoshop while keeping an eye on some renders of 3D work that I am trying to finalize. Bobby Chui's class provoked me to play around with the brush settings-- something that is a MUST that I've never done before. I believe I've discovered my digital sketching brush, which I'm very excited about.
Tomorrow I will start to apply some of the technical tips that Bobby offered to my digital painting, as well as looking into finding my digital stroke -- to mimic the organic look of real pencil shading, whether this be through brush settings or creating a custom brush. It is something that has been bothering me about digital painting for a while, as well.
I also took Bobby's advice. I found an artist whose style and journey I would like to observe and I figured I would dedicate my next post to her. My artist of the day will be Carol Kieffer Police.
Keep checking back because I am a faithful to this capsule as a special requirement, if not as reoccuring requirement. ;)
And, again, thank you all so much for reading.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
THOUGHT REORGANIZATION.
So I have no work to post, yet again. But I had the chance to experience an incredible masterclass out in the Los Angeles area on Monday hosted by artist Bobby Chui at a gallery called Nucleus.
I left feeling overly-eager to outside eyes with my compulsion to feed out masses of business cards through the "skill" of networking. But I also left feeling rejuvenated and with a newfound vengeance to approach my digital painting.
His seminar was not purely on his technique, but moreso therapeutic reinforcement, which is very similar to the podcast in my post-- What I expected from him and his seminar to the tee. Sort of what I needed. The portion of his class that was based on his techniques were, through and through, simple but genius workarounds covering all of the photoshop and digital painting basics: lighting, tonality, composition, design, color, textures, brushwork. All awesome tips, which I will hold close while forging to become a better photoshop artist.
The class even came along with a bag of swag. Gotta love that swag, right?
I built up a list of questions beforehand for Bobby, but once the Q+A began I sort of froze because it seemed most people were asking more advice on excelling as a successful artist over photoshop techniques. I felt a bit embarrassed.
I asked if he ever felt stagnated by the "rules" of artistic guidelines and if he would advise throwing the rules to the wind. Rules like the rule of thirds, the golden ratio, gesture to clean-up, positive/negative space. I always felt my best rendered drawings were the ones that started from drawing an eye and worked outward without visualizing the rest of what I was even going to be drawing... And they just became blind creations. Then, as I learned art, I've started followed the rules, and had decent work result with them. It was definitely tough to get over that hurdle of how I did my drawings in the past and how I should technically being do them now.
It's a learning curve, like working on the computer. And I still don't feel as if I can capture that same feeling in the eye. Maybe it's just me unable to adjust to the variances in artistic maturity. Maybe it's not in the eye, but in the head.
Here's two examples of what I mean:
Huge and Obvious differences. Across the board.
One of the exercises that is predominant in Bobby's workbook was on visualizing what you want to draw before drawing. So I assume that he realizes how difficult of a skill this for many artists.
He answered my question with a small story. It seemed like a joke at first and I was afraid that I wouldn't get it (which is why I fear jokes), but I did (afterward of course) as I driving back to my accommodations, was relaxed, and had the chance to reflect everything. He mentioned:
"A lighthouse off in the far distance from a massive boat on a dark and foggy night. Both were shining there lights brightly and were blinding each other. The captain of the ship called out to move out of the way or else he was going to crash or run off its path, in which the other responded that they weren't moving and would not budge-- and the argument continued to go back and forth until finally the lighthouse claimed that would not move. He was a lighthouse and could not move."
Yes, it was painfully philosophical. The type of answer that circled globally around the brain until it landed somewhere inside and resonated. The type of answer that one would have to really reach up for and plunk out of the sky of too many thoughts. But there was (again) so obviously a front and face value moral:
IT IS WHAT IT IS. HOWEVER IT GOES, IT GOES. HOWEVER IT WORKS, IT WORKS.
Really, I wanted to find out how he went about selecting and organizing his brush library. If keeps the same library for most projects or if he builds his base and then puts together a library when adding detail. One of the things he did demonstrate during the lecture was that he wasn't ALL hand painting. He did incorporate some usage of photo textures... which settles my dilemma in my last post.
The other notable thing he said was to pick one artist a day and analyze their style of work. He emphasized to find more than one artist to mentor as great assistance in developing a style unique to oneself and separate from others. I seem to do a TON of mentoring.
As far a marketability, he covered that too, speaking on the importance of spreading yourself out near to viral through cyber and social medias, easily stressing that if your work isn't online and/or quick to view it's virtually nonexistent on a global level, because connecting through the Internet is one of the most standard, not to mention most popular forms of communication, in today's society.
He mentioned to be always be honest about yourself and yourself disadvantages to your client, but chase that quickly with your advantages so that you then outweigh those disadvantages-- therefore making you special because you can point out what makes you special-- and also making your client special that you are being both genuine and loyal. And then back that up with proof of evidence. Build up a list of the tight relationships, whether small or large, and stay in constant contact-- even if it's just to email them to let them know that you are available. Connect all of the dots and craft yourself to have more assets than liabilities.
Sounds easy, but.... It's not.
I like his way of thinking, though.
I must try to put this methods and his ways of thinking to practice. What doesn't work after a few attempts, he said, to try a different approach. There is a book that he mentioned: "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". A motivational read, it sounds like, which is always useful to get the brain thinking the right (positive) way. One I will definitely be picking up. He gave an example within that helps to organize a list urgent and non-urgent priorities into shifting quadrants on a scheduled timeline. Speaking of the topic of planning and time management, more on that tomorrow. I've been thinking about that troubling feat for the past week now.
I started this rant by spreading Bobby's advice and throwing it out there to whoever decides to read and I'll finish by dwelling once again on my own unforeseeable future.
One of my small goals is to not to start something else until I finish what I first started. I don't know if it's good or bad, but I do know the process of this last piece of art is TAKING A VERY LONG TIME.
It's OK, because it takes time to find what I do and don't like.... so I have to be fair to myself by giving it a chance. I feel once I get develop my chops for it that I will like enjoy the experience a lot more and I will inevitably get better.
Yesterday, Bobby Chui's class gave me a small boost of faith and a large boost of knowledge.
Presently, I'm eager to plow through the painting and move on to something else.
Today, I found myself just starting to reorganize my entire life and thought processes.
Tomorrow, if I keep on this path, I will be closer than I was before. And it WILL be awesome. ;)
I left feeling overly-eager to outside eyes with my compulsion to feed out masses of business cards through the "skill" of networking. But I also left feeling rejuvenated and with a newfound vengeance to approach my digital painting.
His seminar was not purely on his technique, but moreso therapeutic reinforcement, which is very similar to the podcast in my post-- What I expected from him and his seminar to the tee. Sort of what I needed. The portion of his class that was based on his techniques were, through and through, simple but genius workarounds covering all of the photoshop and digital painting basics: lighting, tonality, composition, design, color, textures, brushwork. All awesome tips, which I will hold close while forging to become a better photoshop artist.
The class even came along with a bag of swag. Gotta love that swag, right?
I built up a list of questions beforehand for Bobby, but once the Q+A began I sort of froze because it seemed most people were asking more advice on excelling as a successful artist over photoshop techniques. I felt a bit embarrassed.
I asked if he ever felt stagnated by the "rules" of artistic guidelines and if he would advise throwing the rules to the wind. Rules like the rule of thirds, the golden ratio, gesture to clean-up, positive/negative space. I always felt my best rendered drawings were the ones that started from drawing an eye and worked outward without visualizing the rest of what I was even going to be drawing... And they just became blind creations. Then, as I learned art, I've started followed the rules, and had decent work result with them. It was definitely tough to get over that hurdle of how I did my drawings in the past and how I should technically being do them now.
It's a learning curve, like working on the computer. And I still don't feel as if I can capture that same feeling in the eye. Maybe it's just me unable to adjust to the variances in artistic maturity. Maybe it's not in the eye, but in the head.
Here's two examples of what I mean:
Huge and Obvious differences. Across the board.
One of the exercises that is predominant in Bobby's workbook was on visualizing what you want to draw before drawing. So I assume that he realizes how difficult of a skill this for many artists.
He answered my question with a small story. It seemed like a joke at first and I was afraid that I wouldn't get it (which is why I fear jokes), but I did (afterward of course) as I driving back to my accommodations, was relaxed, and had the chance to reflect everything. He mentioned:
"A lighthouse off in the far distance from a massive boat on a dark and foggy night. Both were shining there lights brightly and were blinding each other. The captain of the ship called out to move out of the way or else he was going to crash or run off its path, in which the other responded that they weren't moving and would not budge-- and the argument continued to go back and forth until finally the lighthouse claimed that would not move. He was a lighthouse and could not move."
Yes, it was painfully philosophical. The type of answer that circled globally around the brain until it landed somewhere inside and resonated. The type of answer that one would have to really reach up for and plunk out of the sky of too many thoughts. But there was (again) so obviously a front and face value moral:
IT IS WHAT IT IS. HOWEVER IT GOES, IT GOES. HOWEVER IT WORKS, IT WORKS.
Really, I wanted to find out how he went about selecting and organizing his brush library. If keeps the same library for most projects or if he builds his base and then puts together a library when adding detail. One of the things he did demonstrate during the lecture was that he wasn't ALL hand painting. He did incorporate some usage of photo textures... which settles my dilemma in my last post.
The other notable thing he said was to pick one artist a day and analyze their style of work. He emphasized to find more than one artist to mentor as great assistance in developing a style unique to oneself and separate from others. I seem to do a TON of mentoring.
As far a marketability, he covered that too, speaking on the importance of spreading yourself out near to viral through cyber and social medias, easily stressing that if your work isn't online and/or quick to view it's virtually nonexistent on a global level, because connecting through the Internet is one of the most standard, not to mention most popular forms of communication, in today's society.
He mentioned to be always be honest about yourself and yourself disadvantages to your client, but chase that quickly with your advantages so that you then outweigh those disadvantages-- therefore making you special because you can point out what makes you special-- and also making your client special that you are being both genuine and loyal. And then back that up with proof of evidence. Build up a list of the tight relationships, whether small or large, and stay in constant contact-- even if it's just to email them to let them know that you are available. Connect all of the dots and craft yourself to have more assets than liabilities.
Sounds easy, but.... It's not.
I like his way of thinking, though.
I must try to put this methods and his ways of thinking to practice. What doesn't work after a few attempts, he said, to try a different approach. There is a book that he mentioned: "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". A motivational read, it sounds like, which is always useful to get the brain thinking the right (positive) way. One I will definitely be picking up. He gave an example within that helps to organize a list urgent and non-urgent priorities into shifting quadrants on a scheduled timeline. Speaking of the topic of planning and time management, more on that tomorrow. I've been thinking about that troubling feat for the past week now.
I started this rant by spreading Bobby's advice and throwing it out there to whoever decides to read and I'll finish by dwelling once again on my own unforeseeable future.
One of my small goals is to not to start something else until I finish what I first started. I don't know if it's good or bad, but I do know the process of this last piece of art is TAKING A VERY LONG TIME.
It's OK, because it takes time to find what I do and don't like.... so I have to be fair to myself by giving it a chance. I feel once I get develop my chops for it that I will like enjoy the experience a lot more and I will inevitably get better.
Yesterday, Bobby Chui's class gave me a small boost of faith and a large boost of knowledge.
Presently, I'm eager to plow through the painting and move on to something else.
Today, I found myself just starting to reorganize my entire life and thought processes.
Tomorrow, if I keep on this path, I will be closer than I was before. And it WILL be awesome. ;)
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