Technique: PERFECT YOUR CRAFT

         What's up BSFS members? This is Ricardo Holliman; as you know I am working on an animated series called Kollege Kids with the new addition of Professor Holmes.  This picture is the rough draft stages of the show. I wanted to do this blog for inspiring creatives who are starting out and thinking of giving up because they don't see any major progress or results. When you work on a team oriented project vs a self oriented one; you tend to get criticism you don't want to hear. You want to throw a temper tantrum like a three year old when you don't get your way. 

             

     In reality compared to industry standards; you don't measure up. You get so burned out that you  put your illustrations in the attic for a while. Your team abandons you because they feel you are incompetent for the task.  What do you do when this happens? The answer is in plain sight. Perfect your technique and craft.  Go up in the attic and grab your illustrations. Go and watch the Behind The Scenes of your favorite animation show or movie you grew watching. Approach it from an industry standards so you know what role you play in projects. 

           

        Like me; my strong points are in visuals. My role as a visual/animation coordinator is character & background creation; graphic design; prop master; coordinating frames and key-frames for an animation; video production & editing. I am getting in writing and producing however my strong points are in visuals. When you revisit the attic and you are not facing any pressures working with a team who wants things in a timely manner. Your free time should be in perfecting your craft and learn new way of doing things.

           
     Read blogs, join groups, and get feedback from professionals who are doing what you do. Take  the constructive criticism like a creative professionals; be open to new ideas and programs. Make this an self oriented project and whatever you create. Write a story behind those rough drafts of your illustrations. Following industry standards will help you set up a template how to do things. It will help to show how professionals take constructive criticism vs an ameteur. 

             

     It is two years later; your team calls you up asking you the progress of your work. They see the new revamped version and they are very eager for you to rejoin the team. This is what happened to me for the past two years. You have to perfect your technique when no one is looking. You have to put work in even if you have two jobs. All you need is two hours out of a day to do so. If this is your passion; you will make time when you feel like you have no time. Perfect your technique and windows of opportunities will open for you. Give it time and you see major results. 

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