Session 4 and Free Tips!

Session 4 is now available!! plus you can get my PDF tips on “Value to Color” for FREE!!! I put together some thoughts on taking bw sketches to color while still retaining vivid color. I hope it is helpful! You can download the PDF for FREE here: https://gumroad.com/tycarter

Thanks for your support! Have a great week!

Horseman timelapse

Here’s a condensed time lapse of my horseman tutorial from patreon.com/tycarter session 3. I love the music from Otis MacDonald. You can see the full 2 hour+ commentary at gumroad.com/tycarter along with full res image, PSD, and more!

Patreon Tiers

Hey Guys! Here are the rewards offered on patreon.com/tycarter!

Patreon Session 3!!

Here's a sneak peak of another tutorial I'm doing for patreon.com/tycarter. Session 3 is focused on local colors and retaining them throughout the process. I go through a full process from thumbnail to color key to final color while explaining common pitfalls to avoid. Skyrocket your color skills! Thanks again for your support!

Wasatch Now Available in DIgital

Happy 2016 everybody!
My new book, Wasatch, is now available as a digital PDF. I still have some physical copies too! You can browse the gallery for more details at my online shop here: http://tycarter.bigcartel.com/

I've also started a gumroad page where I will be selling (and giving away for FREE) tutorials, brushes, tips, reviews and more! Check it out here: https://gumroad.com/tycarter I recently added my last self published book, Musings and Wanderings. If you weren't able to get a physical copy, you can now purchase a digital PDF.

Thanks for your support and have a great week!
Ty

Pre-Order my New Book Wasatch

Hey Everybody, Sorry for the lack of posting! 

Im running a SPECIAL PROMOTION happening only for the next 6 DAYS! Guarantee your copy of my new book Wasatch, by Pre-Ordering today at: http://tycarter.bigcartel.com/ Your Pre-Order greatly helps with overhead self-publishing costs. In return, I’d like to say thanks to everyone here for sharing and supporting my creation of this book over the last couple years. It wouldn’t be possible without your support! THANK YOU! In return, here is a special promotion just for you:Are you attending CTN Expo? Make your purchase today and I’ll have everything ready for pickup at Table T-38 during the Expo. You can avoid shipping costs and walk away with a free print at no extra charge! These prices will not be the same at the convention so order your copy of Wasatch today!

More paintings from Wasatch

A painting from my new book, Wasatch

Here's a piece from my new book premiering at CTNx2015! #wasatch

Jurassic World Fan Art

CTN Animation Expo 2014

Hi everybody, I'll be at CTN Animation Expo at Table T-10. Come by and say hi. I'll have new prints and my book Musings and Wanderings.

Harry Anderson Study

Harry Anderson Study using the lasso tool and sponge brush

The Art of Color and Light - Class Preview

Hey guys!

My new Color of Art and Light Class is opening soon! It’s packed with lots of goodies including demos, tips, and tricks for painting/designing. Here is a short preview of the first class and an overview of topics in the eight weeks we will be working together. If you are interested in Illustration, Games, Film or Animation, this class is designed to take your work to the next level. Class sign-ups can be found at http://2d.cgmasteracademy.com/


I look forward to working with you!



Ty

The Sketchbook

Here's a poster I did for my friend Chris William's kickstarter, The Sketchbook. Check it out here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1623839531/the-sketchbook-an-animated-short-film

Making A Successful Portfolio

Thanks for all the great questions about putting a portfolio together recently. I decided it would be a better use of my time to write it all out since so many artists have the same questions. 

These are the first five pages in a series of posts about how to layout a portfolio, including content, images, size, material and everything in between. Part 1 is for the artist still deciding what to do for a discipline. I've catered the last three pages to a visual development portfolio for animation but the principles can be applied to any artistic presentation (illustration, design, even interior design).

These are my opinions and I realize there are many ideas out there which are also fantastic. What I have written are simple truths and tips I've learned along the way. This doesn't represent a studio I work for or will work for. I hope it is helpful and can provide some perspective into a competitive portfolio and help you land your next job!   

Upcoming stuff!

There's a lot of new things happening in the next few months. I'm humbled and excited to be helping Ryan Lang with his amazing CGMA class, "The Art of Color and Light. Ryan and I were roommates while interning at Disney in 2008. He is an incredible artist and great teacher. I'm looking forward to working with him again and hope I can pull my own weight! And...The super talented Tyson Murphy will be teaching too. Tyson and I went to BYU together!

http://2d.cgmasteracademy.com/art-of-color-and-light.html

I'll also be exhibiting at the Salt Lake Comic Con April 17-19, 2014 at Tables H7 & H6. 

Peanuts Tease

Sooo excited to finally share the fun things we're working on here at Blue Sky. I can't say too much but you can see the extreme attention we are paying to the work of Schulz in order to stay true to his line. It is deceivingly tricky!

Crisium 2

Playing around with some new brushes. I feel like you can never go wrong experimenting with dinosaurs and space chicks. Happy Friday!

Art of Epic Post 1

I hope you are having a great new year! I am really looking forward to 2014 as a year for growth and new ideas. So many great things happened in 2013 and among them was the opportunity I had to work on Epic. I'm really proud to have been a part of this film.  

When I started at Blue Sky in 2011, I was wrapping up on Ice Age 4 when Mike Knapp (art director of Epic, IA: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, No Time For Nuts), brought me onto the Epic team (at the time it was called Leafman). I have to admit, I was intimidated to be working with such an incredible group consisting of, in my opinion, some of the best artists in the industry. Working with this team really pushed me to step up my game. When you are surrounded by inspiring ideas and an atmosphere of willingness, good things happen. Everyone freely shared their techniques and process which was kinda like a warm welcome for me. I learned so much from everyone. Mike especially had a vision for this film and guided us all to nail the look. It's no surprise he's been nominated for an Annie! I'm so grateful to have been a part of Epic and our great Blue Sky family. I hope you enjoyed it too!

To start 2014 off, here are some color keys from Epic. 

This set of keys was for Bomba's surveillance cameras throughout the forest.

These are two of my favorite sequence keys.

Stay tuned for more Epic artwork!

A baby raptor demo from my class

New Online Shop! + White Friday Sale

My new online shop is finally up and running!

To kick it off, I'm having a White Friday Sale! Valid today only, everything is 20% off including my new limited edition book, Musings and Wanderings, when you use the code: WHITEFRIDAY at checkout. The first 10 buyers (of any items in the store) will receive a signed, limited edition print, for FREE! The White Friday Sale will end at 11:59 PM tonight. Valid only for US and Canada.

http://tycarterart.bigcartel.com/
Discount Code: WHITEFRIDAY

Sneak Peak: Musings and Wanderings

I just found out my book is going to be ready for CTN! I'll have about 100 limited edition copies of Musings and Wanderings  for sale. The entire book is split into either a Musing (a painting study from my head) or a Wandering (a painting study from observation).  It is packed full with work from Puerto Rico, California, New York, Connecticut, Costa Rica, Utah and has lots of dinosaurs (including JP references)! Stop by my table T-10 to pick one up!

Premium Offset Printing, 110 pages, full color, limited edition




sneak preview

TCA Travel Prints

It is hard to believe November is here and moving sooo fast. I'm still trying to catch up to October! Thanks to all of your great comments on the CTN post below. Please feel free to keep putting your thoughts there. It is so great to see so many different questions. Thanks a ton for your help!

Well, I've got some great news that I'll be posting later this week. For now, here is brand-new series of prints I'll be selling at CTN.

I want your Questions! For CTNx 2013

Hey Guys! I need your help!

CTN is coming up quick and I've been preparing for my workshop on transitioning from school to studio , called "Become a Professional Student: Landing your dream job. In it, I'm going to be outlining tips, tricks, suggestions and habits for making the successful jump from your place of education to your dream job. I'll be talking internships, portfolio design, and lots of other key insights for getting into the door. There are so many awesome people who can shed light on this subject and I'm honored to share my humble perspective.

I want to get your feedback and questions so I can better cater it to you! Your thoughts are greatly appreciated and will be the basis of the workshop content. Even if you aren't attending, you can leave a comment below. I will be gathering feedback from here, tumblr, twitter, and facebook. You might see your name and question show up on workshop day! Thanks for your help and I can't wait to see you at CTN!

If you haven't signed up for the workshop, there are still a few spots left. Visit https://ctnx2013workshops.eventbrite.com/ for more information. 

CTNX 2013

CTNx is almost here! It is definitely my favorite time of the year. I've been asked to do a a presentation and a couple workshops which you can sign up for at the CTNx website. If you are attending, definitely stop by my table T-10 and say hello. I'll be in the same spot as last year next to my buddy John Nevarez. I'll be selling new artwork and other goodies! I'll have more on that soon and some paintings from my trip to Italy.

Introducing Kevin Yang! A good example of how to land your dream job

I get asked one question a lot, "What advice do you have for getting into a feature animation studio?"

This is such a big and deep question. As an artist you really need solid perspective and direction to make sure all your work is not spent in vein. You need constant guidance as to what is good and what is bad. I feel like my perspective on this is constantly evolving, especially as I work on projects that really challenge me. You need to put in a TON of time. You need to make mistakes and (1) learn to get feedback. You need to (2) learn to use feedback constructively to grow. You need to figure out what makes you improve when nobody else is around. And among many things, you need to (3) learn to persevere optimistically until you land that dream job you've wanted since you watched Aladdin get his three wishes. Kevin Yang is a good example of how to get into a feature animation studio.

When I first met Kevin, he came to my table at CTNx 2012; He asked me to look through his portfolio. I don't know how many portfolios I looked at that year but there were many. A few things stood out to me right away with Kevin. 

He was extremely polite and considerate.  He recognized whilst we spoke that I was still selling my own work. I had a business to run. He respected my time and kept the visit short and sweet.  His portfolio looked professional. It was slick. It was filled with interesting images that made me think and my blood move quick. I could see lots of thought behind each page and its layout. He had done his homework to focus it in one direction. When I gave Kevin feedback, he already had a pencil and paper ready to write down notes. I could see that this guy (1) learned how to get feedback. After each critique, I could see him digest the information in his head and write a note to remember. Even things I'm sure he's heard before were still re-digested and written. He was thorough. When we finished, he shook my hand and bought a large print...not a bad idea to end on :) 

Kevin kept in touch with me. He often sent me updates with his artwork, commented on my social media, connected via professional platforms, and asked very direct, specific questions when he had them. Each time I saw an update on a painting or a revised sketch, there was a solid improvement. Principles we had discussed were being applied. Action was taken to create solutions. Kevin (2) learned how to use feedback constructively and grow.  He didn't just get feedback from me either; he gathered a well-rounded opinion from industry professionals to analyze where he was at. After all, many eyes are better than two.   

Soon thereafter, Kevin was graduating. He landed an interview with Blue Sky during a recruiting visit and it went great! Not only did he score brownie points with a rockstar portfolio, he showed credibility mentioning I'd been looking over his work giving feedback. From there Kevin didn't wait around for an answer, he started working on the Dam Keeper short film. Here is a perfect example of (3) persevering optimistically until you land that dream job. Soon after, Kevin got a call from Blue Sky offering him the summer internship. He came, kicked some butt and got offered a full-time position.  

There is so much to learn from Kevin Yang. Among many things, here are three that I believe are key to landing your dream job:

#1 learn to get feedback

#2 learn to use feedback constructively to grow

#3 learn to persevere optimistically until you land that dream job...then keep growing:)

Make sure to check out Kevin's personal blog here: http://kevuart.blogspot.com/

Warming up

Here's a quick sketch from the other night

Some Graphic Design

Here's a stab at a little graphic design for a campout this week. I've got a lot to learn but enjoyed the challenge. I based the style on some vintage images I found in a google search. Thanks for the inspiration mystery emberstock artist .

MoCCAFest 2013!

Hey Guys!
If you are in the New York Area, come by the MoCCAFest tomorrow! I'll have all my prints for sale as well as some other surprises! I'll be at the table signing prints and looking at work, from 11AM -12 PM, 2-4 PM, 6-7 PM. My buddy Dan Seddon will be running the table while I'm away. Hope to see you at the Fest!!

Design, Color and "Value" an Idea

Before going into this, I just wanted to say thanks again for your incredible support over the past few months. You guys rock! Ty Carter Art on Facebook is up to 1,200 fans! You guys have been so generous with my work and I can't tell you enough, thank you so much!

I've been asked this question a few times this past week: What is your process for doing these daily studies? I don't necessarily have a step by step process for each piece but there are things I'm thinking about. There is order and hierarchy to the painting. Everything is centered around an idea before I draw anything. This is why I say, "Value" an idea. You need to meditate on it and absorb yourself in it. You really can't go about making an effective image if you don't know what it's about.  It would be like having a Mormon make a cup of coffee...it would take forever and nobody would want it. Why? Mormon's don't drink coffee! They make casseroles and jello! You can't create something you haven't experienced in some way. Choose ideas that you can relate to. Then use Design, Color and Value to get that feeling you want. Find that emotion you felt during your own life experiences and latch onto everything about it. If you can feel it, so will your audience. 

I tried my best to jot down what is going on in my head when I do a study (apart from my stomach telling me to go eat something). I didn't go into a lot of detail but you get the idea. Remember, this is just my thought process. I'm sure you could find many ways to approach it. Find what works best for you and then master that method. 

I hope this helps you on your own artistic journey. 

TC

Do you have a question you think I might be able to help with? Leave me a comment! I create these tutorials based off of your feedback for the sole purpose of helping YOU. 

If this is helpful to you, share it with your friends online. Thanks for supporting Ty Carter Art!

"365 returned letters and still no word. She'd stand at the window for hours just imagining he returned."

Memories of the West

Here are some quick studies I've been posting to my Facebook page each day. These paintings are anywhere between 30-80 minutes. A large part of my childhood was spent in New Mexico and Utah. They are two places I absolutely love. I wanted to catch some of those good old memories that sparked my imagination from the places my parents took my brother, sisters and I.  I guess what I'm trying to say is that these places and ideas are special to me. 

Red Labyrinth 

Padre Bay, Lake Powell

Red Rockin Cowboy

Riding Cowboy

La Entrada-The Entrance

Train Thief