Introductions

I'm a freelance illustrator and a Kendall College of Art and Design graduate currently living in Michigan. My work ranges from rendered paintings in watercolor, to still-lifes in pastel, to film storyboards, to more comic-style illustrations in digital or traditional colors. Needless to say, my work is diverse. My intention for use of this blog is to display my artwork in a professional manner and to bring in commission-based business. Essentially, this is my online portfolio. Many illustrators are using blogs these days, and needing a presence for myself, this will hopefully work for me as well. So I encourage you to watch regularly for postings of artwork and perhaps be compelled to call on my services for a commission. Keep in mind that I work in a variety of mediums and subjects, so do not hesitate to ask for something that you might not see here. Just contact me at andrew.shirey@yahoo.com, my work e-mail and my Paypal account.

Read my illustration commissions post as a starting point to get an idea of the potential price range.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Lumpin' Happy Birthday


For Dara's twentieth birthday, which was last Saturday. This is the interior of her birthday card, and I know what a fan she is of the Cartoon Network series Adventure Time. Lumpy Space Princess especially seems to get a laugh out of her, so I had to put her in it.

Sorry your birthday wasn't what it should have been, hun. But I hope that this cheers you up and makes up for a little of it. :hug:

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Hiatus

Apologies for my absence these past few months. Since starting my job in May, I've had much less time to spend keeping up with Blogspot, as well as my art in general.

Firstly, I would like to thank any of you that came by our table at this year's Detroit FanFare convention. It's great getting the chance to interact with other creators and fans alike. Caught up with a couple of former college classmates and made the acquaintance of a few artists. Even spoke with bibliographer Randall Scott of the Michigan State University Library, who purchased a copy of 'The Uniques Tales' to add in their archives, which is the largest collection of comics in the country. That alone made my year. I shared this with Adam Withers and Comfort Love, the creators of the series, so hopefully the rest of the writers and illustrators have been made aware of the exciting news.

As I mentioned before, I'm afraid that my art has had to take a back seat, between working a full-time job, seeing friends and family, spending time with Dara, and tending to other, everyday matters around the home. And while my actual art output has been severely slashed, I assure you that I haven't stopped working on personal projects. With Adam and Comfort's help, I've been gradually roughing out and refining a concept for a comic series, which actually got its start when I began working at my current place of employment. Oddly enough, I find that having myself occupied with menial tasks frees my mind to wander and put together ideas.

And don't get me wrong, I am rather fond of my job and the people there. The folks are friendly and assembling batteries for the medical field gives me a very real sense of purpose. As it happens, we had ourselves a company Christmas party a few Fridays back with a half-day of work. There was food, presents, and pleasant conversation with some good laughs. It says something when your boss will sit at the same table as you and take the time to talk and ask about you. And while I don't necessarily need another set of tools, the gesture is still appreciated.

Getting to the heart of the matter, I will not be taking on more commissions but with a few exceptions. And if you're curious and want to inquire, please feel free to drop me a note, comment, or write an e-mail. I'm not closing up shop entirely, simply limiting myself as my time has become more limited.

Thanks for following along, which I hope that you will continue to do. I trust that you all had a merry Christmas and happy holidays. I'll also take the opportunity to wish a belated happy New Year. May this one bring many good memories!