Aspiring artists mingled with seasoned professionals during the creative weekend known as Artistacon 2019, held at Moore College of Art & Design March 22 - 24.
Around 300 Moore students, faculty, staff and many creative professionals came together in the second Artistacon to inspire one another, collaborate, network and learn about the creative process and visual storytelling.
"I've gotten great feedback from the Moore students," said Artistacon founder Chris Kotsakis. "They love the organic quality. It's not like a comic book convention. It's an educational conference."
On Friday night, about 100 "Artistattendees" enjoyed drawing models in costume during a meet-and-greet at the Philadelphia Sketch Club. An "Artistasalon" was held Saturday night among the dinosaur bones at Moore's neighbor, the Academy of Natural Sciences, where representatives from Marvel and Disney had tables of their artwork alongside Moore alumni and faculty members.
Sessions on Saturday and Sunday at Moore included painting demonstrations with oils, acrylic and digital; reference photography; visual storytelling; self-publishing; cartooning; children's books; starting a creative business; and contracts for creatives.
ADVICE FROM ALUMNI
One of the more popular sessions was called "What Now?" and featured a panel of three Moore valedictorians -- Michelle Lockamy '15, Skye Bolluyt '15 and Kit Kazmier '16 -- and two other artists discussing the steps they took after graduating from art school.
"As soon as college ends, you have to be working like you're working at Marvel," said Lauren Walsh, an artist from Lansdale. "You have to be working like you are the best illustrator that ever existed, because if you don't believe that you are the best, then no one else will believe you're the best."
Kazmier told the audience to take chances.
"In 2018, there was a graphic design publishing opportunity in California that I was not qualified for whatsoever," said Kazmier. "I got rejected, but they saw my work, which they would not have had I not applied, and I got my first official freelance job designing a children's puzzle that's going to be printed next season."
Bolluyt said the path to paid work isn't a straight line. She told the story of how she got a commission for a film poster after the director saw a piece of art that she had donated to a fundraising event.
"I would not have known about that event had I not tabled at a small market, and that person led me to that person, and I wouldn't have gone to the market had I not gone to brunch with friends," she said.
Panelist Lauren Nelson, who teaches art and makes comics, told the aspiring artists that they won't always have to work at a job they hate.
"If you get your foot in the door, that will lead to the job you will enjoy," she said.
Other points of advice the panel offered:
- Talk to people. You may find that that random person is an art director.
- Be persistent and follow up.
- Think about yourself as a business.
- Form an LLC (limited liability company) for your business, and make sure all of your social channels have your name with LLC attached to it.
- Keep your personal opinions off of your social channels.
- Get addresses and ship out your work.
- Keep your portfolio updated on Instagram.
- Always have business cards on you.
- Have the confidence to advocate for yourself.
- Be proud of your work!
