There’s a ton of great blogs out there, but I just discovered these two and they seem well worth a visit:
Cannonball!
Here’s the completed Flash animation. A simple cannonball, no sound.
Client: BI, the business improvement company.
Illustration Friday: Fat
This week’s topic at Illustration Friday is “Fat”. Here’s a piece of concept art for a Flash-animated game I’m working on. 
Thor
This week’s theme over at DrawerGeeks.com is “Thor” (of Marvel Comics fame). I did this sketch at about 1 AM, so I hope I still like it in the morning.
MicroCon Photos
I had a great time this weekend at MicroCon, Minnesota’s second-largest comic book convention. I had to work on some freelance stuff while I was there, but I also got to chat with some very talented local artists including Sherwin Schwartzrock (ArmorQuest), Chris Jones (Batman Strikes!) and the talented gang at Big Time Attic. My Dad and sister also stopped by and I did a couple of sketches for some of the guests. 
And of course, what’s a comic book convention without at least one guy in spandex?
Brushing Up On Business Skills
There’s no getting around it: making living doing art requires business and networking skills. It’s something they never taught us in art school so I’ve had to teach myself (and I’m still learning). Its an extra challenge for me because I work alone at home. As much as I enjoy it, it’s easy to feel “out of the loop” as a creative professional.
Lately I’ve been looking for resources to help me feel inspired and educated about the business side of being creative. Here’s some of the best that I’ve found so far:
The Media Artist Secrets Podcast
This short little podcast (hosted by Franklin MacMahon) is incredible. MacMahon fills each episode with inspirational bits of wisdom for the creative person who wants to make their business thrive. You can subscribe for free either on his website or on iTunes. Highly recommended!
Magazines (HOW, Communication Arts, CMYK)
In the past I avoided these magazines for two reasons: (1) The subscriptions aren’t exactly cheap; and (2) They are mostly aimed at designers not illustrators. But about six months ago I ponied up the dough for a few subscriptions, and boy has it been worth it! Even though the articles are written mainly for designers, I was surprised at how much overlaps into my world. They also go a long way towards helping me feel “connected” to the larger creative community, and reading about other creatives who are succeeding in business inspires me to keep growing. (Click on the titles above to go to their websites).
Books
There’s a ton of great books out there, enough to warrant a separate post. Fortunately, I did just that a few months back. Click HERE for a list of “Books Every Freelancer Should Own”.
There ya go. Business and Art need not be enemies. Rather, like two wings on an airplane they can work together to fly you to greater heights.