Channel Title: J. Holt the Illustrator Channel Description: I'm an illustrator who draws comics, and talks about art theory and history, illustration and drawing methods until others edge quietly from the room. <video> A Storytelling Principle from Japanese Architecture (Jun'Ichiro Tanizaki) Description: In 1933 a Japanese fiction author wrote an essay on the aesthetics of traditional Japan viewed through the lens of architecture and light called "In Praise of Shadows". In it, Tanizaki gives us a principle grapple with in our own writing, and in our understanding of beauty. Read my comic online: https://theseuscomic.com Or buy it in hardcover: https://carthageproject.com FOLLOW ME ► Instagram: https://instagram.com/jholtillus Twitter: https://twitter.com/jholtillus </video> <video> Speech Bubbles & Text in Comics: Guide for New Artists Description: A broad introduction to using speech bubbles and text within comics. Rather than a specific how-to from a technical perspective, we're delving into theory with some of those technical details filled in as we go. The basic question: what are the mistakes we commonly make with text and how to address them. Read my comic online: https://theseuscomic.com Or buy it in hardcover: https://carthageproject.com Video on Ames Lettering Guide I briefly showed: https://youtu.be/esEtcPaET0A?si=X9sS_Xnxou2gM5wE FOLLOW ME ► Instagram: https://instagram.com/jholtillus Twitter: https://twitter.com/jholtillus </video> <video> The Batsuit, Batmobile, City & Color of Batman '89 Description: My original, illustrated Greek mythology card game is crowdfunding right now. Please give it a look ► https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jholtillus/panomachea-battle-with-gods-heroes-and-monsters FOLLOW ME ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/jholtillus </video> <video> What Can a Comic Artist Learn from Art History? Description: Often graphic designers, illustrators and comic artists don't see themselves as connected to art history. Here's how my thinking on that changed after hitting professional creative burnout, and an analysis of a classical painting that demonstrates how I glean ideas from works from the past even if my work seems nothing like it. 0:00 My Big Professional Burnout 1:36 A Wrong Way of Thinking 2:50 How Art History Changed Me 5:06 But How Do You Study? 8:00 Caravaggio 8:48 I Love Analysis 9:15 Calling of Matthew Analysis 20:50 What Can a Comic Artist Learn? 22:50 This Will Enrich Your Life Read my comic online: https://theseuscomic.com Or buy it in hardcover: https://carthageproject.com FOLLOW ME ► Instagram: https://instagram.com/jholtillus Twitter: https://twitter.com/jholtillus </video> <video> Everything I Wish I'd Known About Drawing, Writing, Creativity & Artists Description: If I got to tell my younger self about art, writing, drawing and creativity, what would I say? Here's 13 things I'd tell myself to change the way I thought about art. ►Theseus Vol. 1 & 2: https://www.carthageproject.com/produ... ►Check it out for free here: https://theseuscomic.com 0:00 I got serious about art at 11 1:38 Change your thinking 3:19 Loosen up 4:50 Draw, then fix 5:53 Draw from life 8:22 Worry less about originality 11:18 Love the process 13:49 Creativity is logical 15:56 Read Old Literature 18:56 Ask questions with story 20:33 Use higher goods 23:00 What you think an artist is, is cultural 25:46 Behind the Scenes is Messy 27:02 An artist is not a brand READ MY COMIC ► Read my webcomic for free: https://theseuscomic.com Buy Theseus Vol. 1 and 2 in hardcover: https://www.carthageproject.com/ Sign up for my weekly BTS email: https://jholtillus.substack.com FOLLOW ME ► Instagram: https://instagram.com/jholtillus Twitter: https://twitter.com/jholtillus </video> <video> Three Things I'd Tell My Younger Self About Drawing Description: I've learned a lot about drawing in the last 15 years, but my younger self continues to still be naive. What's wrong with him? Well here's the three things I'd tell him before mocking his lack of facial hair. Full video on creativity, drawing, writing and being an artist: https://youtu.be/fVxpf_nanqQ?si=evUIIPuvLZp4G4l7 0:00 Overview 0:34 Loosen Up 2:05 Draw Something, Then Fix It 3:07 Draw from Life 5:31 Tearful Farewell READ MY COMIC ► Read my webcomic for free: https://theseuscomic.com Buy Theseus Vol. 1 and 2 in hardcover: https://www.carthageproject.com/ Sign up for my weekly BTS email: https://jholtillus.substack.com FOLLOW ME ► Instagram: https://instagram.com/jholtillus Twitter: https://twitter.com/jholtillus </video> <video> 3 Reasons We're Bad at Criticizing Art & Better Methods to Try Description: What 10 years of teaching art at a university has taught me about criticism. Check out my card game (sign up to be notified when it goes to crowdfunding): http://panomachea.com 0:00 Criticism 3:20 Three Reasons We're Bad at Critique 3:50 Low Self Esteem 8:11 Attaching Goals w/out Realizing 10:55 Lack of Perception 13:12 Testing on Bernini 16:30 Pearls Before Swine 19:06 Solution 1 - Treat Critique Like Exploration 21:36 Solution 2 - Will the Good of Others & Yourself 24:24 Panomachea Card Game 25:35 How to Critique: Observe Form 30:40 How to Critique: Observe Content 34:50 How to Critique: Themes (Ocarina of Time Example) 37:33 How to Critique: Connections </video> <video> The Best Rivalry Story from the Renaissance Description: Artistic geniuses, petty rivals. MY ILLUSTRATION PROJECTS ► Look at my new card game: http://panomachea.com Buy copies of my graphic novel: http://carthageproject.com FOLLOW ME ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/jholtillus A couple of sources I pulled diagrams from: Franklin K. B. Toker. “Florence Cathedral: The Design Stage.” The Art Bulletin 60, no. 2 (1978): 214–31. https://doi.org/10.2307/3049777. Toker, Franklin. “Arnolfo’s S. Maria Del Fiore: A Working Hypothesis.” Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 42, no. 2 (1983): 101–20. https://doi.org/10.2307/989825. Paul Robert Walker's Book: https://a.co/d/05s5meza Vasari's "Lives of the Artists" free to read: http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/metabook?id=livespainters </video> <video> 2 Campaigns, $25k, Everything I've Learned About Crowdfunding Comics Description: Kickstarter and crowdfunding are intimidating. Risks are real and the customers (backers) are real. Here's everything I've gleaned from two successfully funded campaigns for my graphic novel and comic work. Theseus Campaign #1: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jholtillus/theseus-volume-1-a-graphic-novel Theseus Campaign #2: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jholtillus/theseus-volume-2-a-graphic-novel Carthage Website: http://carthageproject.com 0:00 Intro 1:07 Fear of Failure 2:19 How Do I Print Books? 3:09 Print Ninja 4:05 Printing in China 6:58 Printing Cost 7:45 Print Sample Book 8:44 Additional Costs 9:58 When Pay for Shipping? 11:40 Kickstarter Fees 12:05 First Campaign Goal 13:37 Adjusting Expectations 14:30 Tier Strategy 15:23 Reward Mistake 16:31 Working w/out a Following 18:06 How Many Campaign Days? 18:54 Mistake: No Pre-launch 20:18 Kicktraq 20:45 Big Open & Close 21:30 Mistake: Launch Time 22:09 The Middle Drag 23:22 Mistake: Holidays 24:32 Reply to Comments 24:52 'Project We Love' Mystery 26:12 The Kickstarter Audience 27:10 Mistake: Social Ads 28:41 When Money Leaves 30:18 Final Profits 30:58 Sending Off to Printer 32:03 The Real Profit 33:29 Arrival & Damage 34:11 Changes for 2nd Campaign 36:10 Experiments w/ T-Shirts 36:41 Website Sales 37:07 Comic Cons 37:54 2nd Campaign 39:42 Ask Questions </video> <video> How Over the Garden Wall Builds Its World Description: Over the Garden Wall accomplishes the difficult task of building a world we love to revisit. Let's break down how the writers and animators pulled it off. MY ILLUSTRATION PROJECTS ► Look at my new card game: http://panomachea.com Buy copies of my graphic novel: http://carthageproject.com FOLLOW ME ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/jholtillus </video> <video> Everything I've Tried in Marketing Pt. 1 | Social Media, Webcomics, Webtoons and First Print Description: I am not a guru of marketing advice. I don't have all the answers. But finally my comic work is making a profit. Here's a completely honest walkthrough of what I've tried so far to get readers: my successes and failures. 0:00 I'm Not a Marketing Master 1:59 Use Comments to Ask Questions 3:01 The Genesis of My Comic 3:49 The Webcomic Phase 6:40 Webcomic Directories 7:37 Social Media 8:01 Instagram 9:10 Four Panel Comic Strategy 10:26 Reddit 11:57 Facebook 12:25 Webtoon 14:58 First Print Run 18:27 Binding Failure 19:35 Deciding to Do First Kickstarter Read my comic online: https://theseuscomic.com Or buy it in hardcover: https://carthageproject.com FOLLOW ME ► Instagram: https://instagram.com/jholtillus Twitter: https://twitter.com/jholtillus </video> <video> The Difference Between Muscle Cars and Mid-Sized SUVs #design #cars #musclecar #musclecars Description: Believe it or not, this is from a larger video about Batman. </video> <video> The Grand Little World of Aurumek | Illustrator Spotlight #8 Description: Aurumek's links for prints, Patreon, and following: https://linktr.ee/Aurumek Kelly Brack Illustration: https://x.com/NOIRComics Keep up with me over at https://jholtillus.substack.com </video> <video> Setting a Resolution for Art in the New Year? If You're Just Starting, This is for You Description: I was really hesitant to upload this video. It's not my usual fare, but if you're new to art and want to make a go of it, this is something I would tell my students to help them start on the right foot. So take this short video for whatever it's worth to you, and remember that my credibility is nothing and you shouldn't take me seriously at all. New Comicking video on speech bubbles and text landing just after the New Year. Stay tuned. READ MY COMIC ► Read my webcomic for free: https://theseuscomic.com Buy Theseus Vol. 1 and 2 in hardcover: https://www.carthageproject.com/ Sign up for my weekly BTS email: https://jholtillus.substack.com FOLLOW ME ► Instagram: https://instagram.com/jholtillus Twitter: https://twitter.com/jholtillus </video> <video> The Marvelous Inkwork of Elena Kononenko | Illustrator Spotlight #7 Description: I'm continuing the Illustrator Spotlights, intending to alternate between short spotlights and longform videos to keep the content coming. Elena's ink work is among the best around. Check out her work. Follow her: https://x.com/KononenkoElena MY ILLUSTRATION PROJECTS ► Look at my new card game: http://panomachea.com Buy copies of my graphic novel: http://carthageproject.com FOLLOW ME ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/jholtillus </video>

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I'm an illustrator who draws comics, and talks about art theory and history, illustration and drawing methods until others edge quietly from the room.

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