The More the Merrier (tmtm) with donna g: Amy Spaulding

Showing posts with label Amy Spaulding. Show all posts

Saturday, 21 March 2015

Toronto ComiCon Artist Profile: Amy Spaulding

In the second of my Toronto ComiCon artist profile, I decided to check out the work of Amy Spaulding, gal pal of my first profile artist, Deena Pagliarello.

donna g: A lot of your work has a retro/pin-up feel. Could you please comment on why this style appeals to you?

created by Amy Spaulding

Amy Spaulding: This developed from a great love of mid-century style. Whether it be pulp fiction covers, pinups, advertising and travel posters etc. I am also a huge fan of rockabilly music which has greatly effected my aesthetic. Even my cats are named Wanda and Jackson. I also really appreciate how kitsch works so effortlessly well with geek culture and allows me to explore some lighter, humorous moments.

donna g: What software do you use to create your pieces?

Amy Spaulding: I actually create a majority of my work in Sketch Book Pro. For me it was the most intuitive software. I originally was an oil painter and stumbled around in Photoshop but really found my technique and work flow beginning in Sketch Book. That being said almost every piece has likely passed through at least two of the programs before going to print. Especially if it is a more design driven piece.

created by Amy Spaulding

As a general rule my more painterly work is done in Sketch Book Pro, type in Illustrator and then finished off in Photoshop where I edit and apply textures.

donna g: I can imagine that it must take passion to go to a con and sit at a booth and sell your work. At what age did you become interested in art, and what spurred you to enter the world of comic conventions?

Amy Spaulding: I have always been interested in art and I have been lucky to have that supported and nurtured my whole life. After high school I went to Queen's University for a Bachelor or Fine Arts where I studied painting. I did not really have a direction I wanted to take it. I went back to school for Illustration at Sheridan and that really started helping things take shape. My good friend Deena Pagliarello asked me to share a table with her at Toronto FanExpo five years ago. Up to that point it had been off my radar. It was overwhelming at first but by the end of the weekend I was hooked and have been adding more conventions every year.

donna g: Many fans attend conventions to meet their idols. Have you ever had a "fangirl" moment where you met an artist that you really admired?

created by Amy Spaulding.
Check out the Zombie eyes in the sword!

Amy Spaulding: Usually my mantra is: "just be cool". The more I do conventions and events the more my idols become my peers which is really an amazing thing to be able to say. One convention though, a few years back, sticks out. I am not an autograph collector by any means but I had my sad dog-eared and well read volume one of Swamp Thing signed by Yanick Paquette. He took the time to make a little watercolour sketch for me even though he was in the middle of a commission. I think I called him dude and I just drifted back to my own table just staring down at it and hoping the crowd parted for me.

donna g: Do you have any other cons coming up?

Amy Spaulding: Yes! Toronto ComiCon kicks off my convention season. In a couple of weeks I am in Anaheim for Wonder Con, which is my first convention in the states. I am at Ottawa Comic Con in May, Montreal in July and I am hoping to be back for FanExpo in September. More will likely get added along the way.

You can find Amy at booth A03 in the Artist Alley, right next to Deena. Stop by and say hello.

More about Amy Spaulding

http://amy-spaulding.tumblr.com/

https://www.facebook.com/amyspauldingillustration

Want to find out more about Amy's "fan girl" artist, Yanick Paquette?

http://yanickpaquette.deviantart.com/

MARCH 20 - 22

METRO TORONTO CONVENTION CENTRE

http://www.comicontoronto.com/

Tuesday, 17 March 2015

Toronto ComicCon Artist Profile: Deena Pagliarello aka Deena Draws

In a previous post, I mentioned my appreciation of Artist Alley at Toronto ComicCon. Illustrator, Deena Pagliarello aka Deena Draws is one of many artists you will encounter in that enclave over the three days of the convention.

donna g: What is it about Toronto ComicCon that keeps you coming back?

Avatar created by Deena Pagliarello

Deena Pagliarello: I started attending Fan Expo in 2009 as a con goer. I always felt that there was a great sense of community among people who enjoy the nerdier things in life. I had a couple of friends who had tables there that year and I thought I should give it a shot. In 2011, I shared a table with my talented friend Amy* and we loved it, so when they introduced Toronto ComicCon in March, I decided to try my hand at that one. And truth be told, it's a lot more manageable size and stress wise but still remains fun.

donna g: Organizing for a Con must be nerve-wracking. How do you know decide what to bring? Do you focus on a theme or go with a variety of subject matters?

Deena Pagliarello: Ha, it definitely can be. Something that a friend of mine told me when I first started doing them was "Never take it personally". At a con, it's so subjective, in terms of what people are looking to shop for. I basically make pieces that I would want to see, and the last couple of years I decided to create some nostalgic prints, Princess bride, Labyrinth, Alien, She-Ra, and Jem. I grew up watching these characters and I figure "I loved these films and shows as a kid and still love them today, maybe someone else loves them too" Over the years, I've made a lot of prints with DC, Marvel and various pop culture characters, and I'm always striving to better myself with my work and reaching a wider audience. At the con I'll be selling various prints of all sizes along with some magnets and necklaces, too.

donna g: I noticed an Ursula postcard on Etsy. Is that something you decided to create especially for Toronto ComicCon?

Disney's Ursula by Deena Pagliarello

Deena Pagliarello: Actually, I created three new prints for this con, Ursula is one, followed by an armoured Wonder Woman and a print of Agent Carter. I like to try to create at least 1 new print per con, it sets a challenge for myself and allows me to create some new product. I did the Ursula because I got on a Disney kick last year, creating Frozen and Tangled prints, but I think a Disney Villain print series would be kinda cool, so expect more Disney Villains!

donna g: When did you decide to make the move to digital art?

Deena Pagliarello: I started working fully digital a couple of years ago. Before, I would draw out a sketch, then I would ink it. I've got these fantastic brush pens that can create some great and unique line art. I then would proceed to scan in my image and colour it in Photoshop, including the line work. In recent years, I've gotten a better handle of Photoshop and my pen and tablet so the majority of the work I produce now is all digital. I still love to sketch and colour traditionally. Who knows, maybe I'll tire of the digital world and return to traditional work sometime.

Wonder Woman by Deena Pagliarello

donna g: Will you be doing any commissions at Toronto ComicCon?
Deena Pagliarello: I only started taking commissions last year. It took me a really long time to gain enough confidence to do them at conventions. It's nerve wracking to create a piece for someone in a matter of an hour or two. And after that, you hope to God that they like it because I've definitely have had both kinds of reactions to commissions...it's much nicer when they're ecstatic with it. But I plan on doing them again this year.

donna g: How do you deal with mental and physical difficulty of sitting at a table for hours a day for three days? Do you ever get bored, tired of talking, or answering the same questions over and over?

Deena Pagliarello: It can be a little taxing being behind a booth all weekend, though when you get out onto the floor to grab a tea or get a bathroom break the hordes of people immediately make you want to get back to your table. It could get boring too, but having a table mate or working on commissions takes the edge off being behind a table for so long. I have to remind myself to drink loads of water and have lots of small things to snack on too, so I'm not so thirsty and hungry by day's end. And as for the questions, I never really tire of them. Most people are genuinely curious about my work and how I create it, I'm only happy to answer them and maybe provide them with some insight into an illustrator's work.

Deena will be at booth AO5 at Toronto ComicCon, March 20 - 22. Metro Toronto Convention Centre. http://www.comicontoronto.com/