About Wayne

Wayne is one of the manager dudes at FolioAcademy.com, a site where anyone can learn to improve their artistic abilities with a growing compilation of video lessons from professional artists helping you with your craft by teaching you their secrets and techniques.

Great American Solar Eclipse 2017 Camp Center Totality Path

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Wayne

This is the Real Deal, A Total Eclipse of the Sun! IT WILL GET DARK and YOU CAN SEE the stars STARS!

Camp almost directly under dead center Path of Totality

Get you Solar Eclipse Tickets HERE

The blue line, Right by us, is the Center Path of Totality.

OK, this is a shameless ad, BUT, Will and I have been planning on seeing this eclipse now for two years, and Hey, we have found the perfect spot and we want to offer the same deal to our friends and fans. My aunt Lillian is renting up to 200 spaces out for people to camp with their tents, RVs, in their car or on the ground. I have asked her about a FRIENDS and Family rate and she is letting me and my direct family camp for free and is renting the other spots for as high as $160. But my friends, that’s you, can camp for $50 per night.

Solar Eclipse camp as low s $50 per night.

This could be you

In a nutshell you can camp for just $50 per night as our guest. These spots are going for $150. So if you can get to Rexburg Idaho, and you know you can if you put your mind to it, then you should come out and see the Great American Eclipse in the second best place to view it.

Where? 5803 S 3100 W Thornton Idaho. just south of Rexburg, easy to get to and closer to the center of the path of totality.

Center path of totality Eclipse camp

When? The Partial eclipse will start happening August 21, 2017 at 10:15:42 AM, the Total Eclipse begins at 11:34:24 and goes til 11:34:25, (2 min 18 seconds) and the rest of the partial eclipse ends at 12:58:22 PM. Here is a cool site to look at.

TOTAL Solar Eclipse has been on my bucket list for 48 years.

on Bucket List , Total Eclipse

When I was a boy about 7 years old a leaned about the Total Solar Eclipse from a cartoon and it has been on my bucket list ever since. About five years ago there was an Annular Eclipse in southern Utan, so I packed up my wife and kids and a bunch of neighbor kids and drove a few hundred miles south to see it. It was cool but not cool enough. The moon was too far from the earth so the sun shone around it just a little and it ruined the effect. It was not completely dark, this time it will be. And you should beable to see stars.

Meet Will and Wayne

Will And Wayne

Yes we will be there but we’ll be with our families etc. so Will and Wayne will try to be at the concession stand on Sunday evening from 6 PM. (Will doesn’t know about this yet, but I will try to get him there on time) So if you want, bring a Will Terry book or print and a pen, he can sign something for you

Solar Eclipse Camping Available up to four nights.

Idaho eclipse camp

Camping available up to four nights, Friday until Tuesday The eclipse will be Monday morning but here will be a LOT of traffic and I recamend you come at least one day early and go the day after, don’t want to fight that kind of traffic coming or going home.

Best spot ever to view The Great American Eclipse.

View Solar Eclipse without glasses

You can look at it with the naked eye, but bring special glasses for viewing pre and post totality.
Partial phase start: 10:15:42AM (MDT) you need the glasses for that.
Totality (COMPLETELY DARK) Start: 11:33:14AM (MDT) and lasts 2 min 18 seconds. You don’t need your glasses for that.

You Don’t want to miss this once in a lifetime event.

Put Total Eclipse on your bucket list and then check it off this Aug. 21. Get the kids out of school, and be their unless you are dead, or in jail, and if you’re in jail, break out.

Here we will see 2 minutes 18 seconds of totality SOLAR ECLIPSE.

Plenty of space to observe it right from your campsite. Come for the whole weekend and enjoy. Campfires welcome. Bring your own toilet if possible, we’ll have a few full size portable out houses.

Leashed Pets Allowed $25

pets allowed

The Price is per Carload of peeps, up to 6 per site. Bring your camper, RV, tent, sleep in your car or on the ground under the stars. Bring your own food and water, and your own eclipse glasses.
Pets allowed for $25 per night, per pet. Just brint cash and pay for pets when you get here.

Get your Solar Eclipse Tickets HERE!

Clear skies to you and have a blessed summer,

Your Best Friend, Wayne and your second best friend, Will. you can tell Wayne wrote this blog post.

See video below as it is way informative. “How to view the Eclipse”

Fequently asked questions about our solar eclipse camp at Rexburg

Where do I get tickets? Go here and click on the green button that says Tickets

What is the address again? 5803 S. 3100 W. Thornton Idaho

How hot and cold does it get there in August? from 50-83 degrees. The 50 is a night time low and the 83 is a daytime high. So it shouldn’t be too hot for you.

Do we need to bring our own toilet? I hope most of you do, but we will have several portable outhouses. And most of you will be in RVs with bathrooms so we will be fine. You can bring a jar too if you want, dump your wiz on the ground.

Will there be fresh water? Bring your own water. If you cannot, or don’t bring enough, We have water at the house and you are welcome to use it if you really need to.

Will there be concessions? My Nephew says he will be selling cold bottled water, soda and maybe some other things. Like a little store, but come prepared.

Can we bring Pets? Yes, $25 per night per animal, but, be responsible for your pet. And bring a leash and or rope or chain. If your animal is well mannered and STAYS in your camp sipte, you may not need a leash, I am an animal lover. But for the record, all pets must be leashed.

How do we pay that $ for our pet? Just bring cash and pay us there.

Can we have a fire? Yes but be responsible. Small is better, don’t go putting rocks in a circle as we plow and plant here.

Are there assigned spots? Yes we will assign you a spot when you get here. RVs will be grouped so that tent and under the stars campers, can be away from the generators. You will get to choose from available spots.

Can we get a spot right next to our friends? Yes, be sure to let me know and we will get you next to your friends.

Will it rain? In the whole month of August we only get about 0.71 inches of rain in the Rexburg area. So. I hope not! Part of the reason Rexburg area is ranked 2nd best place in the country to view the great American eclipse.

Can we take pictures? Yes, and I would like you to send your best pictures to me. wayneandreason@gmail.com

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event? Yes

Is my registration fee or ticket transferrable? Yes, have them bring your/their ticket

Is it ok if the name on my ticket or registration doesn’t match the person who attends? Yes

IS it ok to smoke or drink on the property? Yes, If you smoke and or drink, smoke and or drink responsibly.

What if we want to spend another night once we get there & didn’t book for Monday night? Just pay us for another night while you are there.

Is this an established campsite with all sorts of amenities? No, This is not a normal campsite, pack it in pack it out. You will want to bring your own food water and shelter.

This is a very informative video on How to View the Eclipse, check it out.

10:15:42	38	11:33:15	11:34:24	49	11:35:32	12:58:22

10:15:42

11:33:15

11:34:24

11:35:32

12:58:22

Follow your dream to be an Artist/Illustrator

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Wayne

Should You Follow Your Dream?

When I grow up, I’m gonna be an artist.

What kind of question is that? Of course you should follow your dream… I mean, of course you shouldn’t follow your dream. I guess it depends on who you ask. Or what your dreams are. I’m often asked questions like this by my students, and others. They often want to know if it’s possible to follow their dreams of becoming a professional artist/illustrator and can they make enough money to support themselves.

Yes, it is possible to succeed.

This is an impossible question to answer in a few short sentences. It’s also probably impossible to answer with a simple yes or no. But Yes, it is possible, is it likely? Or will it be easy? Is it right for you? That is the real question. So I can’t answer Yes, or No. What I can do is offer my insights and, I would also council students, beginners and wanna be professional artists/illustrators to get opinions from other sources (until someone tells them what they want to hear. lol Or rather), until they hear enough of the answer that resonates with them.

How bad do you want it?

First, I believe that most successful artists have an internal drive to create. A need. A burning from within to draw, paint, sculpt, write, play, or whatever. I also see that this desire is stronger in some than others – think of it like “the force”. And then there’s that need to make money for survival. These two needs are often at odds with one another. Parents send their kids to school to prepare them for careers and everybody knows you can’t make a living as an artist…or that the odds of making a living as an artist are pretty slim.

Statistics can be misleading

If you only look at the figures it’s totally impractical to choose art as a career – score one for parents, my aunt Georgia, those negative school teachers and all the other naysayers, but statistics can be misleading.

Lets go off on a tangent…

When I grow up, I’m gonna bite a 16-24 year old moron.

In the United states there are approximately 8,000 poisonous snake bites each year. So if you live here you have a one in 43,000 chance of being bitten by a poisonous snake. However what if you’re a home body – couch potato – a slug who lives in the city and never goes out? Are your chances the same? “yeah but my friend got bit by a rattle snake once.” Also, would your chances go down if you never pick up snakes? Included in the 8,000 statistic are all of the 16-24 year old boys/men who “feel the need” to pick up snakes. In fact more than half of the 8,000 people bitten each year are morons who picked up poisonous snakes. So are your personal chances of being bitten really 1 out of 43,000? You have a much lower chance, taking these additional facts into consideration – Because you, or most of you, don’t pick up poisonous snakes. I may run a little greater risk as I do a lot of hiking in the foot hills around hear with Will Terry. We call it the Board Room. And there are a few rattlesnakes, out here. And we have seen a few. “Yeah and my dad got bit by one once up on Mount Nebo.”

Does this apply to your chances of “making it” as a professional artist?

I think you need to take a hard look at yourself because in the end only you can answer the questions that can get you past the statistics.Are you always creating? Drawing, painting, etc? Is it the most important thing in your life? Or at least, one of the most important things. Are you happy with the idea of yourself doing something other than an art career? Do you give up other activities to pursue art? Do you identify yourself as an artist? Do you treat socializing on weekends as a sacred ritual or can you give it up to perfect your art projects? Do you have artist role models? Are you motivated to pursue entrepreneurial projects? Do you believe you can “make money” if you have a good product and are willing to work hard? Do you feel free to do what you want in life without the blessing of your parents, friends, or Aunt Georgia? Do you like to improvise and experiment or feel the need to follow instructions on projects to a fault? Do you over-estimate your artistic abilities?

Is it something you LOVE? And will you continue to love it eight hours a day?

When I grow up, nah, I’m an artist, I don’t have to grow up.

These are just a few questions I think you need to be able to answer in order to know if your odds are better or worse for being able to “make it” as a professional artist. I believe that some have a much better chance simply because of their life style, habits, and choices, while others have a horrible shot at it because it’s just not that important to them.

In the end one thing’s for sure: There are a lot of people who regret not following their dreams and there are a lot of people who have regrets about following their dreams. Each probably feel they should have taken a different path.

Most people change paths several times in their life any way, so maybe you should give it a shot. You will have a better chance if you really dedicate yourself to it, rather than just give it a shot.

I say, If you want to be an Artist, DO IT. It isn’t skill so much as it’s sticking with it, and doing it, and never giving up. Art is an acquired skill that can be learned and improved upon. So if your willing to learn and improve and keep on doing it, you can succeed.

So, Yes it IS possible

Should you follow your dreams? I don’t know. Can you become a professional artist, YES YOU CAN. Is it likely that YOU will succeed? Will it be stressful? Will it all be fun? Will it be hard? Will it be easy? It will be worth it.

Off the record

When I grow up, I won’t feel the need to pick up snakes. PS this is Not a poisonous snake. I hope.

I was a 16-24 year old boy/men/moron who “felt the need” to pick up snakes and I had a pet rattlesnake for awhile. I did handle him a few times til I took her back to Mount Benlomand where I caught him and let her go. Statistically, that month, I had a lot higher chance of being bitten by a poisonous snake. And oh yeah, I don’t really know if he was a girl or if she was a boy.

E-Book (Indie) VS Physical Books; Writing and Illustrating E-Books

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Wayne

Indie books, E-Book and Physical Books, Which is better?

Since I’m a lover of both the physical and the e-book – I don’t have a favorite, but I think it’s always good to analyze them things for their advantages and disadvantages. So I have compiled a list of pros and cons below.

Pros & Cons for the consumer as well as the author/illustrator

I decided to list both pros and cons from the consumer point of view as well as the author and artist/illustrator point of view. As if I were to be working with a traditional publisher vs indie publishing an e-book. So if you like to purchase books, Illustrate or write children’s books, this list is for you. If I miss some points please help me by adding your insights as I know I’ll have a different list than some of you. So here we go…

Physical Books, Pros:

Having a tangible artifact; to hold and curl up with on a rainy day.
Larger format for illustrations; A nice illustration to look at, and more fun to paint.
Better legibility in strong light; Like out in the daylight.
Gift-ability; A tangible, 3-D present to give.
Developing a physical library; Looks good on a shelf.
Guaranteed advance against royalties; Cash is king.
Eligible for Caldecott and other medals; Like that’s going to happen to me.
Inclusion in school & public libraries; More sales and fame.
Can be signed; The fans love this, and it’s a pat on the back.
More prestigious; It’s a real book.
Edited by professionals; Fewer typos
Marketed by professionals; People that know what they are doing

Physical Books, Cons

Expensive to purchase
Expensive to print and to publish
Can get damaged and or lost
Hard to see in dim light
Heavy & unwieldy
Less Eco friendly
Limited to multiples of 4 page counts
Travel to purchase & wait for delivery
Can go out of print

E-Book, Pros:

Inexpensive to purchase
Inexpensive to publish
Disaster Proof; you download from your account
Reading in the dark
Light weight; Easy to carry thousands of titles; Moving day is a lot easier.
Eco friendly
Search-able
Adjustable font size
Interactivity
Unlimited page counts
Publishing freedom & autonomy
Update-able
Instant delivery
Quicker to market & royalties
Never goes out of print

E-Book, Cons;

No physical artifact
Comparatively small viewing area
Hard to view in strong light
Not as gift-able
Less pride of ownership
No guarantee of earnings
Not eligible for most book awards
Can’t be checked out at the library
Can’t be signed
Less prestigious
Self edited
Self programmed
Self marketed

Is the E-Book Better, or the Physical Book?

There you have it, a list of pros and cons but no definite right answer. I can only surmise, that both have their pros and both have their cons. E-Books are better for some occasions or personalities and real books are better for others. Like I said, I love them both. I do think it is cool that anyone can publish now with the invention of the e-book. See the process in a previous blog. You may also want to check out the blog where in my friend Kari Brimhall shares the how to create and publish your own e-book. See 4/22/16.

How to Price My Artwork; Am I being ripped off?

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Wayne

I am often asked how to price my artwork; Am I getting ripped off?

Pic of Wayne Andreason at drawing table.

Wayne Adnreason: Will work for food?

To price my artwork and to get ripped off are 2 different things. Getting ripped off is when one of the parties in the agreement, doesn’t deliver on their end of the bargain. That can does happen. And if that happens to you, then yes, you are being ripped off.

If you agree to paint an illustration for $10 dollars, like for a friend or family member, and you end up spending way too much time on it and it was harder than you thought it would be, and you ran out of pthalo green paint and ruined your moms carpet in the process, you might feel like you were under paid. And you were, but you were not ripped off. Well you were ripped off, but only by your lack of ability to negotiate a fair price. Even then, you gained some education so you may have gotten the better end of that deal too.

How can I avoid being ripped off, I mean, price my artwork for a fair price?

You can’t get ripped off if you have negotiated the price. In this case, you feel ripped off if you are not being compensated for you time and effort. So first of all, set the price where you would agree to do it. You can allow yourself to be under paid, but that is bad negotiation and you are only being ripped off by yourself. You should want to make money as an artist, so it is important to figure this out.

When i price my artwork, I like to identify my motivation.

Is it a service project, like for a family member or a friend?
Is it a job you want to do for the money? Hey, we all need money. Some people will say that that is a sellout, but that is for another discussion.
Or is it for a portfolio piece. Every piece should be considered a potential portfolio piece. Until it just doesn’t turn out, then you can sneak it into the trash like most of my figure drawings.

Family and friends seldom understand the value of your art

If it is for a friend or family member, you will probably be under paid. They don’t understand the time it takes and especially THE TIME AND EFFORT IT TOOK to develop the talent. You are not being paid for the time you spend on your artwork, but for the years of practice and learning and developing your skill, so you could create such beautiful artwork.

How can I price my artwork for family and not be ripped off?

First of all, before I even look at what they want me to do, I say, “you probably won’t be able to afford me.” Even in a joking manner that helps them realize that you probably won’t do it for free. And I like to say that I can do anything that they can afford.

Then I take a look at what they want and tell them I’ll get back with them. Especially if it is something I would like to do.

Then play the price my artwork game

I ask myself these kinds of questions. First, would I do it for free? Probably not. Would I do this piece for free for a stranger? NO! Would I do it for $200? How about $500? $1000, $5000? One million dollars? Find the price where you would gladly do it. If it is a commission you know you are going to hate, the price should be higher. You may hate it but at what price would it be worth it?

Pad the price

Once you have that amount in mind, add 10% or 20% or even double it. This helps if you run into problems like running out of pthalo green or if you have to replace your mom’s carpet. And besides, you can always cut them a deal after you have finished if you feel you were paid too much. No one will be angry if you say “Hey, that was a lot of fun and it went smoother than I thought it would, and besides, I am Just not that valuable as an artist, so here is some of your money back.”

Now you negotiate with them for the final price

This can be the hard part, but it’s a crucial conversation and you need to get good at it.

So you say, “Friend, (or family member) I would do that for X amount of dollars.” Now they will probably think that they are being ripped off. Remember, you are not ripping them off if they agree to it. You may be asking more than they feel it is worth, but you are negotiating, not steeling. Let them know that that is what you do, and you need so much money to survive. Since you would be willing to do it for less, you can how negotiate down a bit. Give them the Friends and Family discount. Remember, you are negotiating here. If you have padded the desired amount you can come down if you choose, on the price. You can say, maybe we can simplify it, or something. Let them know that you want to help them but it needs to be worth it for both of you. Win win. But you need to let them know you can’t afford to spend days working for peanuts.

Don’g Give Away Your Artwork

Only you can know determine what you would do a certain job for, or what it’s worth to you. Some would like the government to do make that decision for them, and mandate certain rules and laws for all of us citizens that should be capable of deciding for ourselves what our time and talent is worth. That too is another discussion.

It is a good rule of thumb for artists, to NEVER give artwork to fam and friends. Because if you do, you will have set a price, you will have demonstrated that your artwork has no value. Let them pay a fair price for it, and they will know it has value and they will value it. It is more likely to be framed and hung up if it cost something too . Did I say never? Well there are times to give it away, so I didn’t mean NEVER, literally. Rule of thumb.

You may be working to learn, or just trying to build you portfolio, get published or maybe you love charity. In fine, you are not being ripped off, but you may be under cutting yourself.

~Wayne of Folio Academy, art lessons online.

Pop Culture Characters when they were Children – “LITTLE”

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Wayne

Little, Pop Culture Characters when they were young

ad & link to the kickstarter page for Little, the book of pop culture characters

Shameless ad we know, but we want Will’s book to work

Little is a collection of little or young, pop culture characters, or re-imagined pop culture characters as children, like when they were Little – printed in a collectible art book

HOW CUTE!

Will Terry has been drawing these little pop culture characters for about eighteen months on and off. At first it was just for fun but then it grew into an obsession. After tabling at a hand full of “Cons” and selling hundreds of them – He realized he just had to put them in this book. You know, for the fans. How cute! they say. Folks love’m.

It’s fun to see if you can tell who they all are

Kickstarter is another way for artists to make money

If you are an artist, and I hope you are, and if you love doing art, and I hope you do, you should be constantly thinking of ways to make money doing what you love. ART. Kickstarter is one more opportunity out there. Will Terry is giving it another try. Another Try? Yes, he didn’t make it last time. So, being the die hard that he is, and the persistent artist that he is, he is doing it again. We will probably write about the success, or failure of this kickstarte in the future, but right now we are hoping to get a lot of support and momentum so that Will will have to spend countless evening mailing books, prints and posters to all his faithful fans that supported him in this endeavor.

Thank you and if you like the project, and I hope you do, please share it, pass it on, contribute support etc

– and check out more of what Will is up to, he teaches art at FolioAcadmy.com too of course.

Illustrator Advice for Picture Book Artists

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Wayne

Illustrator Advice, Pointers and Tips for Children’s book artists from Michelle Bayuk

Picture of Illustrater advice girl Michelle Bayuk of Albert Whitman Michelle Bayuk (Director of Marketing for Albert Whitman & Company) agreed to give us a few insights. Illustrator advice, if you will. Like advice for picture book Artist/illustrators and authors. She is NOT an editor but she publishing and specifically marketing in this crazy world of children’s books. Albert Whitman has been very good to their authors and Illustrators. Will Terry has loved working with them over the years. He has illustrated a lot of children’s picture books with them. They have quite a track record from their early beginnings in 1919 they’ve seen their fair share of successes including the very popular “Box Car Children” series (which my mom read to me as a child and I read to my children as a mom, I mean dad).

Before coming to A.W. she served as the Marketing Director for the Children’s Book Council as well as marketing and publicity positions at several other children’s book publishers, including Millbrook Press and Scholastic.

To make money as an illustrator, Be ready to promote.

Authors and artists forget that it is a business and they are the lead spokesperson. And yes, you are creating art, but in the end, you need people to buy it. So here is some more Free illustrator advice, Do tell people about your picture book, even if it seems awkward. Have your publishers information handy. Have your author visit information handy. Always have a business card with you. Of course, you shouldn’t become that person who can only talk about their book, but there is a happy medium. Most people you meet would love to know. Oh, and don’t get too caught up in reviews and Amazon comments.

You need to spend time on social media…BUT!

With so many social arenas open for self promotion, you have to find the best ways to promote and sell your own brand and identity. First of all, you do have to spend time preaching to the choir – especially when it’s a big choir. If you’re a new author or illustrator, the best place to build a fan base is with people who are already fans of your genre.

Don’t be afraid to use Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and other social media, promotion that artists don’t use as effectively as they could or should. If you’re established, your fan base needs to know when you have a new book. So, yes, you need to spend time on social media…BUT! You don’t have to do all of them and you shouldn’t be spending hours a day. After all, you do need to work on your next book. My suggestion is to start with one and see how it goes. All the various media have their own personalities and so do you. Find the one (or ones) that fits.

Authors and illustrators need to be out there.

You are the best spokesperson for you work…period. No matter how good a publicist is, they will never know your work better than you do. This used to be done through media tours and answering fan mail. Now, you can stay home more…but you still need to accept speaking engagements and go to conferences and other book events. You need to be part of the community, whether it’s online or in person.

The Ability to tell a story with your illustrations is key

If there is a single most marketable aspect of an illustrator’s portfolio, I’d say it is the ability to tell the story with your pictures. I know that character design, style, color and quality all work together, but is there ONE thing that floats to the top?

I know it sounds simple, but the ability to tell a story with your pictures. The best picture books have stories in both the words and the pictures. The illustrations are not necessarily literal interpretations of the text. If you haven’t already, go to the library and/or bookstore (preferably several and often) and take down 20 picture books. Sort them into piles of “doesn’t work” “almost works” “works” and “really works.” You’ll find a very diverse group of styles in each pile. Your job is to emulate the magic that makes the “really works” really work.

As for what I need as a marketer – a great book with eye-catching illustrations. And then, speed. Publishers like illustrators that meet deadlines.

Should you get an Agent?

Maybe, big maybe. Agents make life easier. It’s not always necessary, but it allows you to spend more of your time on the books, less on the paperwork. If you don’t have an agent, definitely have any and all contracts looked at by a lawyer that specializes in entertainment/publishing. You need to understand what you’re agreeing to and what you’ll get in return.

The majic of that Perfect Children’s Book, is hard to capture

My dream picture book, from a marketing perspective, has amazing illustration and text, and kids demand that it be read again and again—not very specific, am I? I think those perfect picture books are few and far between because magic is hard to capture. Artists should concentrate on finding and following a vision.

The easiest picture books to market…

– a new picture book by a New York Times bestselling illustrator or author! Other than author or illustrator name recognition, books with good hooks can be easier – back to school, holiday, cancer, bullying, etc. But there’s a big caveat, it still needs to be a good book and just because the topic is hot today, doesn’t mean it will be hot when the book is ready.

Marketing to the art director, the editorial staff or what?

Illustrators often send post cards quarterly or so to clients that they’ve worked with or would like to work with. But should they send them to editors or art directors? Does the editorial staff or the art director choose the illustrator for a project or is it more of a collaboration? It’s definitely more of a collaboration. Our art director here at Albert Whitman did a blog post that might help with this, you can find here —

Thanks and have a great day.

We’ll be at Salt Lake Comic Con FanX

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Wayne

Come see Will and Wayne Tomorrow at Salt Lake ComicCon FanXperience

Little Batman type fan art Bat Dude

We get to go hang out for three days at the Salt Lake Comic-Con FanX for three days. We will have a booth and we’ll be peddling Will’s wonderful little Fan Art prints of young super heroes. Like little Bat Dude here and tons more. Bat Dude? Well I don’t think we are supposed to just come out and reveal their real identity, what with copy right laws and all.

We usually just go for a walk

Will & Wayne at a Comic Con type gig

Every once in awhile you just gotta get out, hang out or take a walk. Will and I go to the boardroom about three times a week to walk, talk and just enjoy nature. The board room you ask? Oh yeah, that’s what we call the great out doors, our board room. We live so close to the mountains that we just go for a short ride and we are out in the wonderful out doors. We call it the boardroom.

FREE Godzilla Stickers

free godzilla sticker comic con give away

That being said, we will be giving away, FREE stickers of Little GoshZila here to any and all of you who spend just $20 or more. So go get your money and dome see Will and Wayne at the Salt Lake ComicCon FanXperience March 24-26. That’s 2016, just in case you are looking at this post some time in the future. Yup too late, if it is past March 26, 2016. But don’t cry, there will be other opportunities.

Make money as an Artist

So there’s a tip, one more way to make money as an artist. Create some art, take risk, spend tons of cash to make a bunch of prints or original pieces. Find a Comic Con type gig, spend tons more to rent a table or two. (But not in San Francisco, the table is cheap but they have a union or something, you can’t carry or cart your own stuff to your table. You have to pay some thug about $400 to put in on his cart, if it all fits, and he’ll take it there, if and when he has time. And if your stuff doesn’t all fit on his little cart, he will decide if it does, then you just pay him another $400 to make another trip. We won’t be seeing you in San Francisco) Spend more on a hotel if necessary, and the drive out there, set up, hang out for three days and HOPE that enough people buy your wares. And have good times. That’s the most important part.

Catwoman type Cat Girl Jumping rope. Fan art

think this is what Michelle Pfeiffer looked like as a child.

Learn how to Art online

Learn how to draw and paint, and other fun art skills at FolioAcademy.com.

Book Signing his Picture Books – LA

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Wayne

Book signings are a lot of fun for authors and illustrators

My good friend Will here is just loving the opportunity to meet his fans and attending a book signing. One of the things you will love most about being a children’s book artist going to the book signings and meeting fans and signing books that they can’t wait to take home and read to their kids. If you look real close at our blog and our website, you will soon see that my good friend, Will Terry is the more talented and more famous artist here. I, Wayne Andreason, the other Folio Academy guy, don’t have hoards of peeps asking me to sign anything yet. But I like road trips and fortunately Will and I get to do a lot of cool stuff together. Bro time, if you will.

Book Signing for artist and author at the CTA

Will Terry and Helen Ketteman at the CTA Book Signing in LA

A few years ago, Will was invited to attend a big convention and book signing op for the CTA (California Teachers Association) in L.A. Two years in a row they chose one of his picture books as their spot light book I guess. He was chosen to be the CTA illustrator in conjunction with “Read Across America” and the CTA chose Armadilly Chili to be their “RAA” book for the state of California for 2010-2011. It was such a great gig because they print up posters, conference folders, pencils, stickers, and for Armadilly – mugs, T-shirts, a plush Tex, and even an apron. Also, Helen Ketteman the author of Armadilly Chili was there to sign books and she’s a hoot. That woman has more energy than the sun!

Sun shining through the city-scape of LA We were lucky enough to go hang out in LA and eat good food. An awesome road trip on the tax payers dime.

We signed books that evening, well his book signing deal not mine, but I was there helping get books out for people, keeping the line steady, crowd controlling and that. It wasn’t quite like a Justin Bieber concert but it was busy. Then were up at the crack of dawn to sign books all day Saturday. About 1000 teacher reps fly in from all over the state for their council meeting and most of them buy the books to take back to their districts for the upcoming read across America day on March 2nd.

“I was so lucky to get this opportunity!” ~Will Terry

Wayne In font of a cool old vacant diner in or near Vegas

I was so lucky to go too and to share in the fun. We stopped in Vegas to visit family and eat. It’s hard to believe it was so long ago. ~Wayne Andreason

Digital Art work vs Traditional Acrylic Painting

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Wayne

Can you tell which is digital art and which one is Acrylic paint?

Digital Art work of a speeding rat vs a Traditional acrylic painting of the same rat

Digital Art work on the Left vs an Acrylic Illustration on the Right

Pretty cool huh? Check out the texture on the Digital Art (left).

This little mouse, or rat, (depending on what YOU want it to be, (I want it to be a mouse, with teeth) was just a little doodle in my sketchbook that I ended up painting in Photoshop a while back. I posted it just a week or so ago talking about how you may want to make the switch. I also painted it the old fashioned way for an art demonstration for my Media and Techniques class at UVU. I used my dry brush, technique using acrylic paints. I just thought it would be kind of neat to do a side by side comparison.

I paint so dry that I just lightly put some Liquitex heavy gel medium down right in my sketchbook and painted him there. I used to like having a few paintings in my sketchbook – That way I always had a few finished pieces with me wherever I would go. Now of course I carry my i-pad and always doodle, digitally of course, and have a regular portfolio with me all the time. It sucks when you lose it at the airport though. Yes that happened, well almost happened. I went back to where I was sitting and an hour later, it was still there. I am a grateful man.

It is starting to look like I like to paint digitally. I have a secret. I have converted. But don’t get me wrong, I still love a real painting,and if I were to do gallery work, it would be a must. I just really like the switch that I’ve made.

You can learn how to paint digitally at FolioAcademy.com and you can learn my dry brush acrylic technique there too.

How To Illustrate Children’s Books

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Wayne

It is easier to Illustrate Children’s Books when you know how.

This has been one of our best sellers and most watched video courses.

Doing artwork and illustrating in your spare time.

Will Terr worked on this video series while his kids played xbox and his wife caught up on her reading. It was a choice between relaxing doing dishes, cleaning bathrooms, and taking my turn cooking OR…Making a video series. It was a toss up – on one hand he’d get the satisfaction of cleaning and watching his kids mess it up again or creating something that he had been thinking about for quite some time.

We are all glad he let the kitchen go and created this wonderful art lesson.

Video is a much better medium for showing someone exactly what you mean

I’ve put quite a bit of work into my college picture book class but I always thought I could do more with it. In class the images that I show are static and often leave me feeling that I could have done better. Video is a much better medium for showing someone exactly what you mean in many cases. Don’t get me wrong – I demo in my classes but sometimes you just aren’t prepared or equipped to do exactly what you want. I’ve tried to include just about every aspect of the children’s book making process in this series to provide viewers with a basic knowledge of what they need to work on.

It has been nice to help others learn Narrative ILLUSTRATION

0001b It’s definitely not perfect but I’m proud of the work I put into it and hope that it brightens the lives of those who want to learn more about narrative illustration. Perhaps this isn’t your cup of tea but if you know anyone who might appreciate it send them a link.

picture of some character development Thanks and have a beautiful day.