Matching Shoes

A client commissioned me to create matching shoes for a wedding gift. On both shoes she wanted to have the couple's initials and wedding date. On the other, the woman's shoe would have the Toronto skyline while the man's would have Montreal. This is such a thoughtful gift and I hope the couple will like it.

If you are interested to get your own custom painted shoes, shoot me an email at: info@heatheragoncillo.com.

If you would like to learn more about ordering your shoes, I wrote a post about it: http://heatheragoncillo.blogspot.ca/2014/07/how-to-order-custom-shoes.html

Cheers!

Porcelain Commission

 

It was really exciting painting on porcelain for the first time. At Art in the Open, a customer saw my custom painted shoes and asked whether I could paint on cups. After much thought, I said yes! It's practically the same thing, how hard can it be? Hence, I took on the task and started researching on how I could get the job done. It took a couple of practices, but thankfully I managed to do it. I bought black and brown Pebeo Porcelain 150 paints from Curry's & practiced on my own cup.

Attempt # 1: As I painted, I noticed the paint was leaving brush strokes. I scratched the paint to test whether the paint was removable. Thankfully it was prior to baking it.
Attempt #2: My brother took crack at it and learned that we can scratch the unwanted edges without damaging the cup.
Attempt #3: I learned that with layers, it's possible to get a solid colour without leaving obvious brush streaks. 

Here's the final product!

Fan Expo 2014

Booth #464 at Fan Expo 2014

I never thought that I would have the opportunity to sell at Fan Expo this year. However a few weeks ago, it was a pleasant surprise when a man named Ian Howlett visited me at Art in the Open and offered me a spot at his table! Not only was I extremely grateful, but I was shocked and maybe a tiny bit skeptical. It's not something you would expect from out of the blue.



Despite the case, I prepared my work and headed out to the convention. It was a little nerve-racking since I wasn't sure if this offer was real or not. Plus it wasn't easy hauling my huge suitcase of merchandise through a busy crowd. Thankfully Ian's booth did exist and it was called the "Brampton Indie Booth" where I got to meet a bunch of cool Brampton artists there.

Fan Expo is my 4th convention of the year and with experience, I managed to improve on transporting my merchandise. However I'm still having troubles with my table display. After looking through the artist alley, I took down some notes on how I can make mine better.

So thank you for those who came by my booth and bought my "EYE LOVE" pins and posters. Look forward to making much more artwork and I hope to see you again soon!

by Ian Yuan - Pixel artist

Fan Expo 2014 - Arthur Darvill, Heather Agoncillo & Matt Smith

Special thanks to:
Ian Howlett, Ian Yuan, Barbara Klypych, Leanne Chan, Joseph Kong, James Jamroz & my supportive parents.

Experience Brampton Downtown

My brother and I would like to thank Herman Custodio for featuring us on his facebook page called: "Experience Brampton Downtown". He made us look super awesome with his mad photography skills!

Concerns for AITO

Galaxy Shoes

Although, I enjoy selling my work and meeting people at Art in the Open. I do have some concerns on why the BAC refuses to let me paint or work at my own booth.

Every Saturday morning, I wake up at 5am to get ready for Art in the Open which starts at 7. By the time my tent is up and my table is set, I'm fully prepared to sell my work until 1pm. Obviously since it's so early in the morning, usually customer traffic only picks up by the time it's 11:30 - 12:45pm. After a month being at AITO, I realized that I should work on my artwork so that I can do something productive than sitting there doing nothing. 

So last week, I decided to do something new and brought a pair of shoes to paint at the market. I set up my mini paint station and before I even began to paint, I was instructed by a BAC member that I wasn't allowed to do any demos at my booth. My intention wasn't to teach people on how I make my shoes, my goal was to create more product to sell at my booth. So... if I'm not allowed to paint, that would mean that the knitters next door should stop knitting right? I've seen them knitting since the beginning of the market.. so honestly I don't get it.

Did you know that before AITO started, the BAC hosted a workshop called "Creating Great Booth Displays" by Barry Siskind. He provided an example that an artist who paints at their booth attracts customers. I'm only doing what I was advised to do.

"Art in the Open is a Program to assist with your entrepreneurship, business efforts toward selling your product. As a result, AITO is not the best time to be practicing/demonstrating your 'product making'. Please use AITO for the intended opportunity that this program provides, the selling of your work."

This is not the only time the BAC has stopped me from doing something creative.   

One Piece Collab

This is a collaboration between my brother and I. He did the linework and I did the colouring. One Piece has been our most favourite anime of all time. We've been following this anime since the very beginning and we feel very attached to Oda's work. We practically grew up with the Straw Hat crew. It was really fun putting this idea together of all our favourite characters interacting in a convention theme. If you like to see more of my brother's work, check out his DeviantArt account called DigitalRipple: Kevin Q Agoncillo

How to Order Custom Shoes?

HOW TO ORDER CUSTOM SHOES?
Email me at info@heatheragoncillo.com and provide me the following information:
1) Shoe size
2) Shoe colour
3) Shoe preference
4) Theme
5) Amount of detail
Slightly detailed: 1 side of shoe
Partially detailed: front and 1 side
Fully detailed: All around the shoes + flaps.

WHAT'S THE PROCESS?
- After you send me that email, I'll send you the quote of the job. If you accept, I'll draw a rough sketch for you so that you'll have an idea of what your shoes will look like.
- After everything is decided and confirmed, it'll take about 1 - 4 weeks to paint depending on my workload and the amount of detail going into your piece.
- If you need these shoes for a certain time, then there will be a "rush" charge.


CAN I PROVIDE THE SHOES?
Yes, you can! If you provide me the shoes, I'll just charge for the painting costs.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Ultimately, the price depends on the type, size and cost of the shoes, and the amount of detail there is.

HOW IS THE ARTWORK PROTECTED?
I use acrylic paint, which dries into plastic. Once I finish a piece of work, I spray the shoes with a protective finish. It offers excellent dirt, dust and moisture resistance. Contains UltraVoilet Light filters and Stabilizers providing archival protection reducing light damage. However, just like all shoes, if worn a lot it will eventually wear out so do treat these shoes with love and care!

Atomic Lollipop 2014

So I worked really hard to create new pins for the Atomic Lollipop convention the past two weeks. In total I had 104 different kinds to sell! I would like to thank my fiancee James and Mimi for helping me make buttons the night before the con.


Since I'm new to the whole vendor experience, I decided to pay for half a table. Next time, I'm not going to do that. It was pretty tough setting up my stuff with such limited space.  Luckily on Friday, the vendor beside me left a little early so I had the opportunity to have a whole table to myself.

By the end of the weekend, I earned my starting costs back and gained a little bit of profit. However, I must admit that I didn't do that well compared to AN which is understandable. Apop is a baby convention compared to AN but, they host better events. So next time, I'll be going to Apop to enjoy it for what it is!


For those who visited my table, thank you for passing by and/or buying my stuff! It's very encouraging and I can't wait to make more for the next con.

Adventure Time

by Heather Q. Agoncillo

Who's your favourite Adventure Time character?

Art in the Open

Hi everyone!


From June to October, every Saturday (7am - 1pm), Kevin and I will be selling artwork at Art in the Open. It takes place at Garden Square in Brampton, so be sure to visit us! 

Every week we have been creating new artwork to sell at the show. We really enjoy and appreciate those who came over to visit our booth. Initially we wanted to host workshops, but unfortunately the BAC didn't approve. However, not to worry. I will be doing live painting demos real soon.

Cheers.

Noah Bradley's Art Camp

Got fantastic news! It has been one of my goals this year to enroll to Noah Bradley's Art Camp 1 & 2, and finally I did. This man (along with Chris Oatley) has changed my life and made me view the life of a freelance artist in a different light. During my darkest days, their inspirational words have pushed me to do things I wouldn't have done before. If you want to improve your art, I highly recommend you join this Art Camp with me!

For the service he offers, the money I spent for this experience is definitely worth it. It's just a week of my pay for 6 months of intense art improvement. You can check out the details of this camp here: Noah's Art Camp

On another hand, this is Chris Oatley! He also offers online education called "The Magic Box" which I really want to join so badly right after I finish with Noah's. You could subscribe to his newsletter. It's something I always look forward to in my email because he discusses a variety of interesting topics that are incredibly helpful. You can check out his stuff here: Chris Oatley

I'm so grateful for what these men do to help artists out such as myself. Here are a few interesting interviews/talks to listen to while you work on your own art. Enjoy!

 

"Hacking Art Education & Building a Body of Work" 

 

"The Death of Freelance Illustration and Why We Quit Our Dream Jobs"

"The Realities of Being a Professional Artist"

Anime North 2014

Kevin and I selling at Anime North 2014

Hi everyone!

How did your AN weekend go? Did you go to panels, bought WAY too much stuff and partied hard at the rave? If so, that's practically what I did too!

After going to AN for 6 years, I actually got to do something completely different this year. For the first time in my life, I gained the opportunity to sell my artwork at the convention. I would like to thank everyone who came by the Cafe Delish 2014 table and supported my artwork. It has inspired me to keep working harder and make much more for the upcoming convention called Atomic Lollipop.

Based on advices from experienced art vendors, I was told not to keep my expectations too high. There's nothing wrong to dream big, just try to be more practical and realistic. Since I was only selling for a day, I played it safe by just making enough merchandise for that one day. My ultimate goal was to at least earn enough money to cover my hotel and print expenses. Surprisingly, by the end of it, I earned enough money to even cover my starting costs! That was something I definitely did not expect at all.

It was quite hard for my friends to take a picture of my table due to the back light, but here's my set up! I admit it's not that great like the ones at Comic Market. However, after visiting the artist alley, I learned better ways to use my grid squares and present my work that I will use for next time.

By the way, I wouldn't have been successful if it wasn't for my brother's help. His name is Kevin Agoncillo and goes by the art name called "Digital Ripple". You can check out his amazing work here: Digital Ripple Art

So thanks again for the support. I'm currently working on art for Art in the Open and Atomic Lollipop. I will keep you all posted on what's happening for those two events.

Cheers!

 

Cafe Delish 2014

Anime North is tomorrow!

Are you guys excited? I know I am!

If you're passing by Doubletree on Saturday(May 24th), be sure to visit the Cafe Delish merchandise table just outside the cafe from 11am - 7pm. We are selling a super kawaii limited edition illustration featuring all 13 of this year's maids. Quantities are limited so get it while you can! Perhaps you can get it signed by the maid of your choice.

Check out our facebook page here: Cafe Delish

by Nyamo

Anime North Prep

This year, I will be selling my artwork for the very first time at Anime North on May 24th 2014, along with merchandise made by the maids of Cafe Delish. The proceeds will be donated to charity!

Do note that the table is NOT at the Comic Market in the TCC. It's actually at the hotel, opposite to this location, called the Double Tree. I will be selling outside the Terrace Room next to where Cafe Delish is taking place. Thus, I'll be dressed as a maid using my maid persona "Nyamo".

Nyamo

Meet me at the Double Tree!

Be sure to pass by and say hello. This merchandise table will only sell on Saturday from 11am - 7pm. It would be super awesome if you could support us. We will be selling 50 limited edition "Cafe Delish 2014" maid prints. Get your print as soon as possible so that you can get yours signed by the maid of your choice!

See you at Anime North!

Airsoft

What kind of things do you like to do during your spare time?

As for me, I love to play Airsoft. It's a sport that I got into recently and boy it's awesome! Currently, I'm trying out to be a part of Covert Ops, a Canadian airsoft team. In order to be a full pledged member, I have to show my dedication to the group and become a better airsoft player. Unfortunately most of the practice games happen during the weekend which interferes with my work. But somehow, I'll manage!


John H., the leader of the group, divided the group into little groups. The team I'm a part of is called "Team Bad Intentions" so I designed a patch that would reflect the group.

Angel of Wrath

Here's another MTG custom token card called "The Angel of Wrath" who wields the weapons of Karona the False God. It's what he wanted so there you go! You can see Karona's shadow on the right by the clouds. I don't play MTG that much but apparently that shadow tends to appear in a couple of cards, which I thought was pretty interesting!
 

Illustrator's Survival Kit

Usually I'm not the type of person who buys audio books or ebooks online, but this time I made an exception. I took advantage of Illustration Age's promo code to buy this interesting deal. I took the plunge and bought this kit because I felt it contained a lot of useful information.

What it includes:

• 15 Steps to Freelance Illustration.
• 15 Steps to Freelance Illustration AUDIOBOOK.
• 5 Qualities of a Successful Illustrator.
• EFII Podcast: Year One - Special Edition Episode.
• EFII: Year One - Audiobook.
• EFII: Year One - eBook.
• Inside Illustration Competitions - eBook

Honestly, this was the best $33 I have ever spent. I always love to listen to podcasts and art advice videos while I work. Plus look at how much information you can get for your money. If you’re not completely satisfied that the Illustrator’s Survival Kit is helping you to jumpstart your Illustration business, just let them know and they’ll refund your money in full. No questions asked.
 
You can find detailed descriptions of all this here: Illustrator's Survival Kit

De Code Adventures

For those who don't know, I currently work at De Code Adventures. It's an awesome place that offers real life room escape games and have a huge board game cafe at the back.

WHAT'S REAL LIFE ROOM ESCAPE?
Basically you and your friends will be trapped in a room for 45 minutes where you'll be facing all sorts of challenges and puzzles. The puzzles are pretty sequential so once you solve one, it'll lead to the next and so on until you finally find a key or code to escape. Your team would have to work together, use observational skills and try to make connections with things you find in the room and what's in the room in order to escape.

Currently, we have four themed rooms finished so far, but we aim to have six in total. The current themes are:

De Scientific Code

De Code the Ancient Mystery

Board Game Adventure

The fourth room is called "De Code the Child's Play" which is actually opening this weekend! So I have still to design the fourth photo frame. Illustrating these frames were really fun to do! Since I know what the rooms are like, it was very easy to design them.

If you never tried out these type of games before, I highly recommend you go to De Code Adventures! We're the biggest #roomescape game facility in the GTA. Take advantage of the limited time offer where you can get up to 40% OFF. You can book your team online here: De Code Adventures 


 

Art in the Open Interview

Studio

Today, the Brampton Arts Council came over to my house to interview me for "Art in the Open". If I do get accepted, it will be a great art opportunity for me to sell artwork every Saturday from June to October. Thus it's very important that I pass this interview! Truthfully my studio is never this neat, but for the sake of great first impressions, I had to clean it! Haha!

The two staff members who came over to my house were Kelly Lewars and Charlene Lavigueur. Since I love presenting my thoughts visually, I prepared documents that would help them visualize what I'll be doing at Art in the Open. If you have to undergo any interview for an art show, preparing these documents prior to your interview can definitely help.

Since it's a key feature that everything I sell must be hand made. I was a little worried that the button maker would be rejected. However, after showing them how to make a button, they said it was totally fine! That's a relief! 

In the end, I believe the interview went by really well. I'm already familiar with Art in the Open because I actually volunteered for the BAC two years ago! I helped out with the event and made sure that the artists were following the right procedures. Although they already know me, I can't tell for sure if I'll get accepted or not. So fingers crossed!

Legendary Elf General

This commission was really fun to do since the client gave me a lot of creative freedom on this project. The characters in the background are based on the other MTG token cards that I drew before for the same client. You may recognize them from "Squirrel Girl", "The Beast Within" and "Green Elf". 

Self Portrait

A loyal client of mine wanted a legendary elf general for his custom MTG card based on my image. I was quite shocked and flattered of his request, and drew a practice sketch of myself as an elf!

Tokyo Fashion

I've always been fascinated with Tokyo Fashion. because they always wear the most outrageous things! They are also good reference to draw from. Click link to view them: TOKYO FASHION

The Family Tree

For my mother's birthday, I wanted to illustrate something personal and meaningful. Hence, I decided to draw her a family tree! How can it not get any meaningful than that! With this piece, I wanted it to be a reminder that my parents created something really beautiful. Despite the hardships and obstacles they faced in life, they successfully managed to bring us up and I hope this illustration shows how happy we are. Whatever I am today, I owe it to them and I'm extremely grateful for everything they did.

Happy Birthday Mum!
  

Attack on Titan: Levi

Here's a birthday present for a friend who is a MAJOR fan of a character, named Levi, from an anime called "Attack on Titan". For those who don't know him, Levi is actually a clean freak in the anime, so I used that to make a sexual joke! My hard work was definitely paid off when I saw her priceless face as she unwrapped her gift.

The Cure for Creative Block

CREATIVE BLOCK

It's annoying right..?

Yes it definitely IS!

Once in a while, artists tend to fall into that horrible phase and sometimes it's difficult to get out of it. At times it takes a few hours, a day or even more than week! For sure this can be very frustrating, but don't worry! Let me share you a few techniques on how to get out of that evil rut!
 
Usually when I lack the inspiration and motivation to draw something, I step back from the drawing board to think! Take an hour or so looking at artists you admire and jot down a few notes of what you like about their work. My sketchbook is filled with little notes, thoughts and ideas. Although it's not a drawing, you are actually making progress. It's cause you're planning!

"Well Heather... I did that and I still have NO idea what to draw?"

Well, another technique that has helped me tremendously is DRAW some sketch studies. Need to practice your anatomy skills? Draw that! Or perhaps you want to learn how to draw character designs? Draw that as well! Basically, draw things you believe you need to improve on. Copy (and not trace) from reference books, photos or even artists, and just learn. With this technique, you don't have to worry about what to draw, but how to draw it.

So here's an example of a digital speed painting I've done based on a photograph I found on the internet. The reason why I chose to do this landscape is because it's simple! It'll be easy for me to practice my digital painting skills on Photoshop and learn how to paint faster. Notice how my work looks quite different from the original reference? You don't have to copy exactly everything. Add your own little twist!

There you have it. I hope this advice helps.  Let me know if you have a technique that works! Perhaps I'll try it.

Be ambitious and keep creating!