Friday, May 11, 2018

Thought I would share a bit of my history here at Hallmark. I have been at Hallmark since 2000, my first 3 years were as a contract worker just filling in where I could. I then became a full-time employee in 2003 working in our Gift Wrap and Party areas designing party plates, cups, tabletops, etc. for licensing characters.

My first work in 3D or sculpture was working on a Hallmark Property called Asteroid Andy, created by the wonderfully talented Hallmark artist Peter Martin–I sculpted the characters and props for a video game CD that was part of a Birthday card. This was my first time being able to show people at Hallmark I had a passion for creating 3D/sculptures. It was my start to getting into the Keepsake department, but it would not happen for a few years after this.

Monday, May 14 2018

Most of my mornings start around 5 AM. I am out the door to work before my wife and kids are even up. Being mostly digital doesn’t mean that I jump right on the computer and work on it all day. If I did this, I would go crazy! I like to start the day by pulling out some pencils and copier paper (nothing fancy or special) and sketch a few quick ideas while I wait for my computer to start up and do it’s updates. Sketching keeps my mind fresh and helps me come up with new ideas.

My process always starts with sketching out pictures. Whether it is concepting new ideas or working out a pose, I do a lot of sketches and research before I even go to my computer and start sculpting. When I am concepting, I end up with a lot of ideas that I don’t even submit or use, but I keep them all so I can go back through and get inspiration from myself the next time I need ideas.

If I don’t think my idea is completely right or I want to work on it some more in 3D, I can quickly make up something in my 3D program, ZBrush, and slap clay on it like someone would in hand sculpting. It helps me see how the character is going to really look in the final sculpt. I can share with others and quickly get their thoughts on how it can be better.

I would describe my style as “Kid Friendly Cartoonish” if that’s a thing. Tongue-in-cheek humor is something I try in my art. I love to try and capture that magic of Saturday Morning Cartoons or the Sunday Funnies in my style.

I’m inspired by that sort of style. I’m also inspired by taking time away from sitting at a desk. For me, it’s a long walk before lunch or taking the kids to the park. I love to daydream still—that’s where I get a lot of my ideas out and go over them in my head. I always carry something to put these ideas down as they come to me.

I decided to play with my piglet sketch in the computer. Tried some different things with his body and added some color. I don’t always do this but it was fun to see where I could take this little guy for Summer fun.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

The next step after the pencil sketch has been approved is to create a 3D rendering. The nice thing about how I do my work digitally is the program is similar to hand sculptors using clay, to do what they call “pinch art”. “Pinch art” is a quickly sculpted piece done in clay just to try and get an idea of how it is going to look.

In Digital I do the same, this little guy took about 30 minutes, of my lunchtime, to sculpt and paint just to give me an idea of what he would look like in 3D. I think I have a ways to go to get him all “cutesy” but it’s a start. I can quickly show an art director or others this and get an idea of where it is going. Or I can look at this and say, it’s not ready yet. Not what I am wanting to do and move on. This is a fun way to develop characters and get new ideas closer to finished.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

HUMP DAY! Started the morning making “renders” on the computer for a 2019 ornament. Renders take time to make so my computer is occupied with that. So, I get a few sketches in. Pirate and a pig again…maybe, not HALLMARKish but sometimes I just need to get some pictures out.

At one time I really did want to be a Comic Book artist. One of my favorites that came out when I was in school was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a black and white comic that to me mixed Disney animals and comic book superheroes! It changed what I had known comics to be, I love drawing anthropomorphic characters like those!

Thursday, May 17, 2018

For Throw Back Thursday here is an ornament I created last year that is one of my personal favorites, Kansas City Royals mascot SLUGGGER!

Growing up in the Kansas City area, we have always been Royals fans. In 2015 when the Royals won the World Series, some friends and I from work went to the parade in downtown KC and  got right in the thick of it! They estimated the crowds to be someplace in the 500,000-800,000 people, what an experience to be there!

So when I got the chance to do SLUGGGER I was excited and overwhelmed. When I got my first sample, I had to take it to the ballpark for a photo shoot. Next on my list is, if I can track SLUGGGER down at one of the games this year, to get  him to take a picture with one of my ornaments.

Friday, May 18, 2018 

I know how collector’s like getting our signatures. I am starting to get a few myself and I really love getting them on ornaments I worked on. How cool is that! It started with Vanessa Fredrikson, a District Manager in Florida getting me a signature on my white elephant gift ornament that plays Cheap Tricks, “I Want You to Want Me”. Then she got the guys in Sugar Ray to sign the box of my “Fly” penguin ornament that plays “I Just Want to Fly.” Each time when she got them to sign one for me, she gave them their own ornament too!! Very cool!

The first signature I tracked down was from Jeremy Shada the voice of Finn on Adventure Time…one of my families favorite cartoons. The following year I got John DiMaggio, the voice of Jake the dog, to sign on the back but didn’t get a picture with him.

 Then last year Kevin Dilmore added to my collection! by getting Sandra Gimpel, the stuntwoman (with a great career in movies and TV) that played the actual salt monster to sign my ornament. So, my collection is growing! I just need to track down Captain Kirk to also sign my Salt Monster ornament.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Here are some more sketches, I did a few while I was sitting and waiting for my computer to think…sometimes it’s a long wait.

I have a ton of Gnome designs I have worked on… I may just sculpt on my own time and do one. The ones fishing always remind me of my dad.

Thursday, May 31, 2018

A last little bit of trivia for you all my official Anniversary is this Saturday, June 2. I will have 15 years! But my total is almost 18 years (if you include spending 3 years as a “temp”) working within the walls of Hallmark. My contract actually ended in December 2002, then for a little over 6 months (between January 2003 and June 2003) I waited for an opening.