Learn to Surf in 2011!

Last semester I developed a series of illustrated "Surf Tips," a step-by-step approach to surfing narrated by Sam and Jade, the mystery-solving junior high surfer girls from my graphic novel "Surfside Girls: the Secret of Danger Point." I have two tips left to illustrate to get a beginner fully up to speed, and then all of the tips will be bound into a little promo book, and also posted on the upcoming Surfsidegirls.com website. Your New Year's resolution could be to learn to surf! Stay tuned... and you too could be riding the wild surf!

Daily Titan Interviews Herakles Artists & Parables is Out!

Hi fellowship of MFAs!

First, a BIG THANK YOU to Cliff for setting this blog! Great idea, and thanks for doing the heavy lifting!

More than a year after having conducted interviews and written the article (yes, I'm not kidding!), the Daily Titan has finally published the article on Herakles, the graphic novel several of you worked on in the Fall '08 Sequential Art class. It's a fun article, with behind the scenes comments from your classmates!

An update on this book and the others created in following Sequential Art classes: once we get the ISBNs, we should be ready to sell them on Lulu.com and Amazon. So stay tuned!

Next, ANOTHER graphic novel involving two Cal State Fullerton MFA Illustration dudes: Parable. Edited by a wonderfully kind, persistent, and talented illustrator from Tampa, FL, Mike Maihack, and long delayed (as one publisher after another expressed interest and then realized the economy was going down the tubes, so decided to pass), it is finally out three years after the contributors turned in their pages. You'll recognize the foreword by Doug TenNapel and a story by yours truly, entitled "Noah's Torment." Go buy it now (available as eBook too)! Just in time for Christmas ... 2011!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!

Christian

Updates for Katy Betz Studio

Hi everyone! It's pouring rain outside so I thought I'd stay in and recap on what's been happening lately. Fall semester was very intense in a fun yet challenging sort of way. Most of my time was dedicated to writing my thesis paper. The topic was postmodern irony vs. sincerity in religious-themed artwork, as seen through an analysis of two exhibitions curated in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks: 100 Artists See God & 100 Artists See Satan. I argued that a cultural shift is taking place in favor of sincerity thanks to Stuckism, Remodernism, and Post-Postmodernism (movements that balance irony with sincerity through methods of originality, nostalgia, and personal conviction). 

My grad show is on April 15, 2011 (Tax Day!) and I've been working on a conceptual fantasy narrative series titled "Guardians of the Heart", based on Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life." It's also inspired by 80's cartoons like Voltron, Rainbow Bright, My Little Pony, and the Carebears...hence the rainbows in almost every painting so far! The good guys in the story are called the Musicorns, they are the guardians of the heart. The bad guys are called the Devourlings, they steal, kill, and destroy the heart. Below are a few images from the series:

 

The charcoal drawings will become paintings pretty soon, I'll post previews as soon as they're finished! More pictures and info can be found on my website www.katybetz.com and my facebook page: Katy Betz Studio. That's all folks! Thanks for checking it out =)

Interview on Plain White T's CD cover

Post by Cliff Cramp
I was recently interviewed by Pop Dose regarding the work I did on the Plain White T's new CD Wonders of the Younger.

Pop Dose
Have you ever wondered what inspired the images on your favorite album covers? With Uncovered, we discuss the stories behind the artwork with the people who made them. This week, we talk with Cliff Cramp, the artist responsible for the cover of the new Plain White T’s album, The Wonders of the Younger.

Read the entire interview here..

Jacob Romeo Year in review

Here's a few of the images I've made over the last year and a half here at CSUF (the last piece is a little older than that). ( These pieces are Mostly Mixed media with digital color overlays.)

GOOOOOOoooooo (what's our mascot again...?) Elephants!!!...er I mean TITANS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love the grad program but, I guess I could put a little more effort into school spirt. I haven't even joined a fraternity yet. Does anyone know if Lambda, Lambda, Lambda, Has a chapter here?

Welcome

Welcome to the new home (blog) of the Illustration Graduate Program at California State University Fullerton.   This is a place for the Community of Illustration Grads at CSUF (Past & Present) to get together and see what each other are up to.  We hope you enjoy the work.