The title of this webpage is something
of a lie (sorry), as I don't get asked questions
all that often, much less frequently. But those questions that DO
come tend to be asked over and over by different people, so I thought
it was time to finally save myself the trouble of having to repeat
my answers in multiple emails.
Q:
Are you the comic book artist? Why don't you have any of your comics
stuff featured here?
A:
That's a question I get asked all the time. It turns out there
is another artist by the name of Adam McDaniel, a talented fellow
who works in the comic book industry. I don't know which of us was
born first -- and, by gentlemen's tradition, would therefore hold
favored standing for the commercial use of our name -- but I do know
that I was the first one to register adammcdaniel.com
as a domain name. Ha Ha.
I
did contribute some artwork for an independent comic book some years
ago (long since defunct), and I have recently interviewed with two
comic book publishers about the possibility of working as a cover
artist. But should you see the name appear under a prominent comic
book title, alas it is almost certainly the product of my namesake
and not me.
Q: Where did you learn to
draw? Did you study it at school?
A: No -- I largely taught myself,
and had no formal art education. A part of me regrets this, as every
now and then I fancy the idea of going back to get a MFA in illustration
or graphic design. I think I might have been more successful by now,
artistically at least, had I gone through such a program. I also feel
that I still have much to learn, and am trying to improve day by day.
But then again, the best learning has always been by doing -- art
school or no.
Q: Do you actually paint
all your pictures, or are they made using Photoshop?
A: Unless I state otherwise,
everything is done by hand, either on paper or canvas. I list the
given medium in captions under the pictures. There are times when
I might use Photoshop to adjust or enhance an image, but that's rare.
Q: Are any original pieces
on your site for sale?
A: Yes! You can see what's
available on the ART FOR SALE page.
Q: An original is out of
my price range. Can I buy a print instead?
A: I've had high resolution
scans made from some of my better paintings, and from them glicee
prints can be made. I use Imagekind
for all my prints -- they offer a wide selection of sizes, papers,
mattes and frames at a very reasonable price. They can even print
artwork on canvas!
Q: How much do prints cost?
A: It varies according to the
size you want, and the type and quality of the paper or canvas used.
Basic matte surface papers are very affordable, though prints made
with them tend to look a bit dark and muddy, and some colors (especially
reds and oranges) become oversaturated. Higher quality, acid-free
papers and canvases of a heavier stock are more expensive, but they
offer much more faithful color reproduction and durability over time.
Email me for more information.
Q: Why don't you advertise
the sale of prints on your site?
A: Much of my artwork features
trademarked or copyrighted characters, and as I'm not a licensee I
can't advertise or commercially promote the sale of prints in which
such characters are featured. It's a sensitive issue, and I look to
err on the side of caution.
Q: Can I hire you to do
a painting for me? How much do you charge?
A: I do accept commissions,
and am happy to say that in recent months I've been receiving more
of them! You can find out more on my COMMISSIONS
page.
Q: Can you create digital
artwork?
A: Yes, though I prefer using
"old school" pen and paper. I'm still trying to get used
to my drawing tablet, even though I've owned it for years.
Q: I have some old photos
that are in bad condition. Do you do photo restoration? How much would
it cost?
A: Yes! I've actually had a
lot of practice with it, too, as I've been working on restoring hundreds
of personal family photos this past year, and recently have been hired
to help restore others' photos. Some
samples:
For rates, the work is the
same as it would be for commissioned artwork; you can find out more
on my COMMISSIONS page.
Q: You do
web design, too? What applications do you use? How
much would it cost?
A: Yes -- and
I currently use Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects.
For pricing info, go to my WEB DESIGN
page.
Q: So do you consider yourself
an artist or illustrator?
A: I actually prefer doing
illustration work because I enjoy the creative process behind it,
and illustration better suits my drawing and painting style. I've
never been much a fan of abstract or landscape painting, and "The
Art World" holds little interest to me.
Q: Can you give me any advice
on starting an art career?
A: I'm looking for advice
myself!
Q: Which artists inspired
you?
A: Of "artists" proper:
Klimt, Da Vinci, Rodin, Duhrer, Dali, Monet, Manet, Michaelangelo,
and many, many others!
Of "classic" illustrators:
J.C. Leyendecker, Richard Amsel, Norman Rockwell, Maxfield Parrish,
N.C. Wyeth, Edward Gorey, Bob Peak, James Gurney, David Edward Byrd,
Bernie Fuchs, Drew Struzan, M.C. Escher, and the Hildebrandt brothers.
Of comic book/graphic novel
artists and illustrators: William Stout, Dave Dorman, and Frank Miller,
among many others -- including Matt Busch and Alex Ross, who prove
that even bald illustrators can be sexy.
Of animators: Walt Disney &
company, Don Bluth, Max Fleischer, and anyone and everyone at a little
place called Pixar.
Q: Why do you paint so many
movie characters?
A: You paint what inspires
you, and what you love.
Q: Dude...you're like, totally
obsessed with Indiana Jones! What is it, a mancrush? Don't you
think that's a little weird? Didn't
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull completely suck?
A:
1.) Yes, I'm obsessed.
2.) No, it's purely platonic. Indy's super-cool and all, but my fascination
with him is a case of cinematic hero worship and not a mancrush. Not
that there's anything wrong with mancrushes; I myself have a little
one on actor James McAvoy.
3.) Yes, it's a little weird. But then again, so am I.
4.) Not completely.
