PreRelease leftovers

Here are some leftover artist proof sketches from the Innistrad prerelease. Many thanks goes to the Mana Core for hosting the event and the players for stopping by my table. They were giving away my promo card for entering the event, and I was a little surprised how few people wanted a free signature on their card! So ultimately, I had some time to sketch.

IlluXcon leftovers

As requested, some of the Artist Proof sketches leftover from IlluXcon. It's a shame I don't have a portable scanner because I really enjoy some of these sketches. But the good ones usually sell on the spot and I never see them again. All that's left are the ones that I do toward the end of these events. I really like the green goblin on the top row. I'm glad I got a chance to make a record of him.

Finally!

I made it into the Society of Illustrators Annual!

At the Queen's Command will appear in SI53, book category. A dream that I have had since high school is finally realized!

IlluXcon!

The new Ryan Pancoast Illustration site is now up and running. I'm still ironing out the kinks on both the main site and the blog. In the meantime, let me recount some highlights from IIuXcon.



For the past 3 years, Pat and Jeannie Wilshire get together the best artists in the fantasy field for one weekend in November. The annual convention in Altoona, PA draws collectors, students and fans from all over the country. This year, after Matt Stewart and Lars Grant-West put in a good word, I was granted a spot in the show! My table was right next to Bob Eggleton. Across from me was Steve Belledin, who up until Thursday was just my facebook friend. I was in good company in my cozy corner of the hall.

I could go on and on about how great the experience was. The other artists were incredibly welcoming and kind. The students were appreciative. The collectors were passionate and knowledgeable. But I think the weekend can be summed up by all my firsts:

• I did my first portfolio reviews. Strange to finally be on the other end of a review, but I did my best. (below photo by Cynthia Sheppard)


• It was the first time I saw one of my covers in the book store.


• I sold my first painting: At the Queen's Command. It found a good home in Ohio, and it was one less painting to pack up at the end of the weekend.

But the best part of the event was the opportunity to talk shop and hang out with my colleagues. Working in my studio can sometimes feel like a vacuum. Going to Chili's or the Ramada bar with Steve Belledin, Doug Cowan, Scott Brundage, Randy Gallegos, Lars Grant-West, Steve Prescott , Jeremy Jarvis and others was a lot of fun.

Now, it's back to work. I have sketches to do and a website to clean up. Of course, I'm also brainstorming about next year if I get another opportunity to show my stuff!

IlluXcon prep

My parents are great. I'm 27, and I spent most of my mid-twenties living with them. They didn't kick me out and they never complained. They believed in my ability to make it as an illustrator and gave me the rent-free opportunity to do nothing but try to make that happen. And now, living in Boston, I'm making this illustration thing work.

But they are still helping me out. My dad, for instance, has been making frames for IlluXcon. He bought a Morso chopper and set up a joiner in the garage. He's been buying leftover or cheap moulding from local dealers and making frames in his spare time.

Buying unwanted moulding can be a gamble. Occasionally they are pretty ugly. When paired with the right painting, however, they usually work. I'm excited to show off an ugly green frame that is absolutely perfect for Plague Stinger.

Scars of Mirrodin Pre-Release Boston

The Scars of Mirrodin Pre-Release was held yesterday in Charlestown. It was a good turnout. I sold a few prints here and there. But mostly, people wanted the tokens I was drawing on the back of the artist proof cards:



About the cheapest original art you'll find anywhere!

Big-time reproduction for a big-time occasion

The piece I call Wind Spirits is the work that was accepted into Spectrum 17. I submitted it in the "Unpublished" category. None of my published work made it in this year.

The artists now need to submit high-res files. The files I create with my camera and lights are suitable for internet use and small prints, but for this occasion, I decided to get it right. Don Sigovich in Westport, Conn. does a phenomenal job of scanning and reproducing artwork. He does his best to match color and give his clients great prints. He's also a RIT grad. Here is the result of his process:

You can see that the resolution is pretty impressive. You can even see the canvas texture ...

Houston Grand Prix

The Houston Grand Prix was a great event. At the Boston GP last summer, I only had two cards in print. So this time, it was great to have a collection of cards behind me, even if, as I heard many times, my cards are "only good in limited." This refers to the kind of gameplay in which my cards would see action. As the cards I illustrated are fairly weak common cards, no one uses them in their premier play decks.


But not a big deal. I was there as an artist, not a gamer, so I set up my display and got to work. I signed stacks and stacks of cards, but I spent most of the weekend sketching on playmats. These are protective surfaces on which one can put cards without fear of them getting dirty on the table. Many have a blank face, so some fans of the game like to have signatures and original drawings inscribed on them.




I was also selling sketches on the back of my white-backed artist proof cards, which have the playable side printed, but no logo on the back. I created some sketches that a player could potentially use in the game: placeholder cards called "tokens."



I sold a few art prints, but no one took the jump and bought one of my original canvases (yet!).

The other artist in attendance was Steve Argyle, who seemed to have the opposite experience I had. His cards are mostly pretty powerful; some of the better cards in the game. He had a line of fans any time he was at the table. Some wanted signatures, some wanted sketches and others wanted to buy prints. He had to take breaks during the day to catch up on commissioned work. He looked swamped, but managed to stay in a good mood the entire weekend. He's a great guy, so check out his website.

When I go to these events, I'm usually not one of the big-name artists (Not yet, anyway). So I'm trying to make a name for myself as a good sketch artist until I have some powerful cards commissioned to me. I try to make sure everyone who purchases a sketch has something great in their hands when they leave. Doesn't always happen, but I try. So spread the word. I like drawing dragons.

Spectrum!

!!! ... I think it deserved a few more exclamation points.

I got into Spectrum 17! Spectrum is the leading annual of fantasy/sci-fi art, and apparently they got about 6,000 entries this year. I was pretty bummed the past few years when I didn't get in, but this makes up for it. I was so used to not seeing my name after John Jude Palencar, Anthony Palumbo and Dave Palumbo, that when I actually saw my name, I nearly did a double take.

Other than the great honor, its good advertising to get into the book. Plus, I might have an opportunity to display my work at the Society of Illustrators in NYC.

I don't know which piece(s) got in, but I'll find out soon enough.

How cool is this?

Look at the list of guest artists for IlluXcon 2010! I'm excited for the show ...

Houston Prerelease Recap

I got back from Houston on Sunday. I spent all day Saturday at the Worldwake Prerelease event, from 8 am to 8 pm. I learned a lot from the experience.

The first thing I learned is that I probably got an unfair impression of downtown Houston. I didn't have a whole lot of time to explore, especially on foot. But when I got into town on Friday, I had two choices for dinner: McDonald's or a fast food place called James Coney Island. I opted for the latter. This means I took a three hour flight from New York to Texas only to eat at a place named after a New York City location. Worse, I ordered the New York Combo: a hotdog with sauerkraut. But don't worry, I had McDonald's for breakfast the following morning just for a little variety. Does anyone from Houston want to suggest a good place to eat for my return trip in April? Perhaps even a diner for breakfast?

Another thing I learned is that no one in Houston jaywalks. Everyone follows the law and waits for the little man to light up. Strange!

I learned that I can't anticipate which pieces of my art will be most popular. I also can't anticipate which prints will sell. For example, I printed 3 Khalni Gardens, 7 Nemesis Trap and 2 Crusher Zendikon, all Worldwake cards. I made prints based on my impression of the usefulness of the card, the rarity, and the quality of the art. I sold out of Crusher Zendikon in two hours and didn't sell any of the others. Almost the opposite of what I expected.

I learned that my new art case is fantastic.

I learned that many people get really confused when they see a painting on canvas. Here's a sample conversation that I had quite a few times.
"What programs do you use?"
"I don't use a program. I paint with a brush."
"Really? I didn't think anyone did that anymore."
"There are quite a few who still do. Dan Dos Santos, Matt Stewart .... umm I'm drawing a blank. But yeah, I make preliminary drawings, then transfer it to the canvas, and then lay down the paint. In fact, over there are some of my original illustrations."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I mail those canvases to Wizards and they photograph it and put it on the card."
"So this is like the only one?"
"Yup, it's the original."
"Wish I could afford it."

Conversations like these really got me thinking. So, I got out my set of Zendikar and made a tally of Digital v. Traditional. Of the artists in Zendikar, 39 work digitally and 20 work traditionally. In case anyone is curious ...

Finally, I continued to learn that Magic players really care about the art and the artists. Art is subjective by nature, so I may never understand what people like and dislike. But regardless of whether they like your work or hate your work, they still appreciate when the artists make it to the event.

So, a big thank-you to Sheila Weissman and Event Horizons for sponsoring the event and flying me in (and also for getting me lunch and dinner!) And thanks to all the players who came and stopped by my table. I look forward to coming back to Houston in a couple months. The Grand Prix should be really fun.

Worldwake 3

In preparation of my trip to the Houston Regional Worldwake Pre-Release, I uploaded the full size images of the three Worldwake images. Click the appropriate link to see the largest size.

Full Size Nemesis Trap
Full Size Crusher Zendikon
Full Size Khalni Garden

...and over at magicthegathering.com, you can put together a puzzle of Nemesis Trap. You can collect the free wallpaper after you're done (Or, just click the link above).

New Year, New Projects

Happy belated new year! So far 2010 has been eventful, even after only 11 days. It looked as if January might be a little slow, so I started on two new portfolio pieces, trying to fill the gaps in my portfolio. I decided to work on two paintings at the same time so I wouldn't waste time letting paint dry. Maybe I can double my productivity this year.

While I was working on these, a new job came in. One that has been on the back burner for nearly a month. It is a commission for a series of book covers. I'm excited about meeting my 2009 goal only a few days into 2010. It's not a big publisher, but it's a paying job, so I'm thankful. Obviously I can't say much, but I'll post the results once it's done and published.

Looking forward, I'm planning my trip to Houston in two weeks. The Magic: The Gathering Worldwake Pre-Release has the potential to be a great event. I just bought a art traveling case, which will be able to fit my 18x24 canvases plus all my prints. Rather expensive, but it's an investment that will pay for itself soon enough.

January has proven to be a month of investments. In addition to the art case and a page in the Directory of Illustration, a full chain mail shirt was delivered to the studio today. It's another necessary addition to the collection of period costumes. Eventually, I might have one of the best collections of historical outfits of all the 26-year-olds in the country.

To understand why I need all this stuff, please read this post over at Tor.com. It follows illustrator Sam Weber as his completes a book cover. His methods are generally the same as mine and you can see how he requires good photo reference and interesting costumes. But while Mr. Weber has access to the costumes of fellow illustrators, I need to rely on my own collection. I haven't been as good as I should be at cultivating relationships with illustrators who may be able to help me out in those areas.

That might change, however, come November. I'll be one of the guest artists at IlluxCon, the premier convention/art show for fantasy illustrators. I was honored to be granted a spot. Perhaps it will be the turning point in my career. We shall see ...

Philly Recap

Got back from Philadelphia last night. I spent most of the day on Sunday at the TCGplayer.com $5K Tournament. I finally had prints to sell and was signing more than just Plains and Convincing Mirage. Plenty of people were bringing their Grazing Gladehart or Sejiri Refuge by the table. I met artist Matt Stewart, and he shared some of his industry advice with me. Fortunately Matt was selling a lot of work, so I think I got some of his leftover traffic at times.

A bunch of people still don't know who the heck I am (understandably), which leads to some interesting questions. I brought three 18x24 original illustrations with me. On the corner of each canvas, I taped the card on which the illustration appears. One kid, maybe 12 years old, came by the table and looked at the paintings. He asked something like, "Do they send you the picture on the card so you know how to paint it?" He thought I was painting and selling large reproductions of card illustrations, not that my illustrations appeared on the card. I thought it was funny.

Weekend Events

Here's a new piece. It was kind of a quick piece on a canvas I rescued from the trash. It's been done for a couple weeks, but I've only recently gotten the chance to photograph it. Also photographed and FedEx'd three Magic card illustrations today, and now ...

It's off to Philly for the TCGplayer.com $5K Tournament. I'll be at the Pennsylvania Convention Center all day on Sunday. Please stop by if you're in the area.

Also, new event announcement! I'm going to Houston on January 30th for the Worldwake Regional PreRelease. It's a little out of the way for those on the East Coast, but I'm excited to meet a group of Magic Players in a different area of the country. It looks like I'm the only artist right now, so I'll try not to disappoint.

Reeee-jected!

Another year, another e-mail rejection letter. I didn't get into the 52nd Society of Illustrators Annual. Frustrating.

4,600 entries and 418 accepted pieces, so it's not like I was expecting to get in. But every year, when I see the e-mail in my inbox from the Society, there's a brief moment when I hope for the best. Then I don't see the word "Congratulations," and I realize it's another rejection. It's like you have to be a big name to get in, but you can't become a big name unless you get in.

There's still the American Illustration Show and Spectrum to submit to. So I'll try again, but I could really do without all these entry fees ...

Last day on Broadway

"My" show is closing its Broadway run. It's unfortunate, but I guess that's how the theatre biz operates. But before it closes, here are some shots of the outside of the Nederlander Theatre.

New Event

Attention! Attention! I'll be attending another Magic: The Gathering Event on December 13th: TCGplayer.com $5k Tournament Series - Philadelphia. Along with fellow guest artist Matt Stewart, I'll be signing cards, doing sketches, showing original art and SELLING PRINTS (!!). Yes, a couple of people requested prints and I'll finally have them available. I'll have at least two 13x19 prints of each card that's been released so far.

So if you're in the Philly area on December 13th, stop by the Pennsylvania Convention Center and say hello.

Society of Illustrators Annual #52

I submit to the Society of Illustrators Annual competition every year. And every year, I say, "It's my year."

But every year my rejection letter collection grows. To the left you can see my last four rejections from the past four years. I'm not complaining or whining. It's exceedingly difficult to make the cut: approximately 10% of the 5,000 entries are accepted (and the more "famous" you are, seemingly the easier it is to be accepted, meaning the little guys are often looked over. It's not a bad system, as it keeps the big guys employed and makes us unknowns want to become one of the big guys.)

This year, I've submitted Lion on the Mound (Uncommissioned category), Brighton Beach Memoirs (Advertising), Convincing Mirage (Institutional), and two other Magic cards that are going to be released on Saturday. It's a pretty good sample of my portfolio, and just might catch the jurors' eyes. But to a large extent, getting in relies on luck. Fingers crossed, I'll be adding a letter of acceptance to my door soon.

I also mailed out postcards today to the 50 or so art directors at the major publishing houses. I let them know that my illustration for Brighton Beach Memoirs is hanging on Broadway, and that I would love to work for them, too.

Are any of my illustrator friends submitting anything? John? Jeremy? Kelly? Lars? Cyril?

GP Boston Interview

Three explanations: 1) Magic was not really my debut as a fantasy artist. MML gave me the first shot. www.metalmagicandlore.com 2) This interview was done right after the most hectic part of the day, so I'm surprised I was able to answer any questions at all. 3) The interviewer asked great questions, but he held the camera at about waist height, so I didn't know where to look. So it looks like I'm watching a housefly dart around. But they did a great job of editing so I sound fairly coherent. Thanks Professors!