Blocking My Time

This whole week I have been trying out something my sister pitched to me. It is a productivity method which I know I have used before but for some reason, I've stopped. I get overwhelmed easily and the last time I did that I was able to do so much within the time I gave myself. So, I decided to give it another try, cause hell, I got so much stuff I need to work on and I feel I have so little time for it. Then again, isn't that the same old song most of us sing; "I have no time for that!".

Block this!

I did a little googling (Yup, that's a thing now, in case you didn't know.) and found this awesome Youtuber (yup, that's also a thing) that mirrored the way MY MIND works when it comes to organizing stuff. I'll plug the video down below for those of you interested in watching it. In essence, the video talks about calendar blocking, which is just you putting down all the things you have to do within a week, into your calendar. This way you are able to see your week at a glance and can see if you have any holes that you can fill with things you need to get done. I just realized my days are so full, it kind of gave me anxiety just looking at the calendar. I need a drink now. 

It's my time

Why the hell am I talking about calendar blocking? Your guess is as good as mine, but it could be that I used the tool to help me organize this project that the Turlock Toon Skwad created. If you are still unfamiliar with who is part of this Skwad, then check out this post right here. I used the calendar schedule to make sure we got this commission done in time and it worked.  I must've developed temporary amnesia and completely forgot about the technique. So now, in the midst of me working on Ghosts comic and some Upperdeck Sketchcards, I am reorganizing myself so I can get the most out of my time. 

Until next time, #drawwatuwant.

-Haro

How do you manage YOUR time? Let me know down in the comments.

A Turlock Toon Skwad Production

This is the 5th time that we do a collaborative project with the Turlock Toon Skwad team and I feel I've grown with each one. The hardest thing for me to do is making the time to work on them since it always seems I have no time. The easiest part for me is to merge text with the layout. I think because I work as a graphic designer, those things come easy for me. When I am creating, provided, I am assigned to create something, my favorite thing to do is draw. If each project allowed me to draw, then that's what I would do. It just so happens, I only did one drawing in this one, Black Widow. The rest was done by Adam and Omar. I had to ink their work. This tended to be a little difficult because they both have such different styles, so I hope I did their artwork justice. I can honestly say, that I am happy with the final product.

Omar, what about you?

Omar Salinas

Art teacher. Art maker.

When collaborating on projects where your art is mixed with other artists, what is the hardest thing to do for you?

"I’ve only collaborated on comic style projects so the hardest thing for me is working in comic style while still trying to create and incorporate hints of my own ‘style’ into it."

What is the easiest?

"The portrait and caricature style is easiest."

What is your favorite thing to work on when you do these projects?

"I like drawing faces. Especially in the caricature style."

Are you always happy with the final product?

"Not always. The cool thing about a collaboration is that when it gets passed on to the next artist/step fixes can be made to help with composition or layout. So if you aren’t feeling something about your part in the artwork you have a few more sets of eyes to help fix issues. As long as the corrections and adjustments don’t take on too much of the look or style of the artist making those adjustments."

What about you, Adam?

---

Adam Harris

Upper Deck and Topps SketchCard Artist - Storyboard Artist - member of the #TurlockToonSkwad

"The hardest thing is understanding how to best interact with the other artists. If your style is normally cartoony, how will it fit with someone who is doing a more realistic area of the piece. You almost need someone to oversee the project;  someone who has a vision in mind and can be dynamic enough to make those edits (change subject matter / direction) to ensure a seamless piece.

As an artist it’s easy to just do your thing. The toughest thing going back to the first question, is getting the layout right. Meaning making sure everyone is in the spotlight (talents utilized / character represented).

Working on these types of projects, the collaborative aspect is the best. A lot of ideas get thrown around and you get to focus on putting your best efforts forward.

As Jake Parker says, finished is better than perfect. You’ll always have issues with something you’ve worked on. The trick is to focus on not running into those same issues again. That’s how you grow."

Hopefully, this sheds some light on some of the work we do when we team up. Until next time, thanks for reading.

-Haro