Above is the press art I painted with Freakshow in the background. The painting was done in Photoshop. The design was done by Ben Balistreri.
I was working over at Nickelodeon Animation Studio as a background painter for the show “Danny Phantom.” I can’t say enough about the great people I worked with there. The crew was fun and talented. I think I’ve gained friends that will last a lifetime.
I had become so used to my freelancing life for 19 years, that I thought going into work, commuting every day, would really grind me down, but to my surprise I came to like it, a lot. When I was just freelancing, the deadlines ruled my life, and I ate, slept, and played around it. Having to go into work brings some semblance of normalcy. For most of us artists, its saying a lot.
Also, seeing other artist everyday was great. Its great being able to pop your head into another artist office and see what they’re working on
The kind of comradely I experienced at Nick just doesn’t exist in the freelance illustration world. You’re pretty much on your own in illustration. Of course even in the animation industry you’re still competing for the same position with other artists in the same category, but still, the artists I’ve met in the animation industry came off more likely to help out.
