Steamcon - Part Last

And just some miscellany to wrap up -

(am not entirely sure what pink bunny-headed girl reading the Steamcon Gazette was about...)

Connish folk mixing a bit with startled 'mundanes' in the hotel atrium...

This gal did the Most Amazing live, free-hand silhouette cuttings I have ever seen!

Fabulous day. Fabulous convention. Can't wait to go again next year!

The Next Professional Steps -

One of the most valuable pieces of advice that I came away from the IMC with last year was to determine the Next 5 Steps I was going to take to further my professional career. I chose more than five and then blogged them (you can read that post here. I didn't complete them all, but made tremendous headway. It totally changed the way I work).

This year -

1.) *Really* learn Photoshop. I bought a copy of CS3 (so much cheaper online than CS4, and I can still upgrade if I wish to), and have Real Plans to Implement!

2.) Upgrade little wacom graphire tablet. (Done! Just bought a medium Intuos4. Should be here tomorrow).

3.) Learn how to use my spiffy new printer from last year for actually making *prints*. I've used it to great effect all year to print out my sketches to paint on, but now I want to learn how to best utilize its color.

4.) Do more 'personal' work - in between or after this latest batch of commercial work. Right now, my sensibilities are leaning towards the cute-creepy, but pretty much anything that is geared at an age older than 7 would make me happy.

5.) Do follow-up mailings to the various people/professionals who requested more at the IMC (I have a nice list!)

6.) Keep online portfolio places updated.

7.) Keep up with the sketching from life as well as from imagination (outside of commercial work).

8.) Some time in the next 12 months, either take a class or do on my own, on Figure Sculpting! (Charles Vess talked about his sculpting project of the last 3 years and how much easier drawing got afterwards. I have wanted to do something 3 dimensionally like that for some time, so this seems most opportune!)

9.) Watch for the subjects/media/feeling/look that I feel the most *passionate* about, and then follow them!


Ok - that's plenty to keep me busy for the next calendar year I think...