(Part 2) Top products from r/Illustration

Let me answer both of your questions...

1. Just get the tablet and start using it... get an Intuos PRO (or older version of the PRO) if you can afford it, as the pen supports both pressure AND tilt... less expensive tablets usually only support pressure.
   
   
2. While setting a goal of working at a major studio is fine, until you land that dream job, start your own studio and work for yourself. There are any number of successful web series, both animated and unanimated, to show that if you have the drive and discipline, you don't need to rely on a major studio for a successful career.
   
   
3. Software... this gets tricky, depending on your goals and preferred workflow. I recommend looking at the following apps for multiple purposes... Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Toon Boom Harmony, Toon Boom Studio, After Effects, Anime Studio, Clip Studio Paint, Maya, Mari, Xara, Krita, Gimp, Blender. I don't recommend learning all of those... at the very least, look them up and understand what they are, how they work and differ from each other... there are different styles of animation, and some tools lend themselves better to certain styles.
   
   
4. To get started learning, I recommend the Draw with Jazza youtube channel, and getting a copy of the Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams. Jazza works primarily with Flash, which is morphing into more of an animation tool as time goes on. Flash doesn't include a lot of advanced animation-specific features, but it is widely available, there are a ton of tutorials out there, and it is capable of producing quality content, so it's not a bad place to start. The ASK by Williams is considered a must-have... if you can do what is in that book, you will be well on your way to producing quality animations.
   
   Here is a non-affiliate link on Amazon...
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Animators-Survival-Kit-Principles-Classical/dp/086547897X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459295196&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Animator%27s+Survival+Kit
   
   

I feel like how to figure out how to price your work should be the first thing they talk about in art school. But here's some resources to help you determine your own price. Don't undersell yourself! Artwork is valuable!

Get a copy of the Graphic Artist's Guild Pricing and Ethical Guidelines
handbook. It has a large section on going rates for all kinds of work.

and the Childrens Writers and Illustration Market Guide specifically for children's book work.

and also Check out the Freelancers Bible for all kinds of other freelancing resources.

Thanks! These are all done digitally in procreate. I built a custom toned paper texture and I use a combination of the fine point Ink brush and the technical pen brush, as well as the “water” brushes for washes. With the Apple Pencil on the iPad Pro the physical techniques are pretty similar to traditional media... well as similar as they can be without actually being wet.

Edit: if I was going to replicate it with physical media I would use these inks:

Daler-Rowney F.W. Acrylic Ink 1 oz Bottle - White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004O7G1FI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_u1vVBbWSDQB88

And these pens:

Sakura Pigma 30062 Micron Blister Card Ink Pen Set, Black, Ass't Point Sizes 6CT Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0008G8G8Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_B3vVBb1KB9CC4

Hey there. I think the shading could be simplified in its shapes, and also direction. Right now you have the highlights indicating the light is coming from all sorts of places: underneath her (arms) Front right (chest and legs), upper right (face and hair). Make sure you know exactly where your light source is and how it will hit her body.

The shadows also don't seem to make sense- they aren't conforming to the body shape and they don't reach the edge or wrap her form, so they just read as floating shapes.

It's a good start but I think you may want to take it back a step and really plot out/block out where everything is going to be in shadow and light. Also, this book is the best http://www.amazon.com/Color-Light-Guide-Realist-Painter/dp/0740797719/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427037249&sr=8-1&keywords=color+and+light

IMHO one of the greatest artists of our time. Building Stories is a masterpiece.

I've only ever animated one thing, but it was way easier than I thought it would be and fun. It was just that it took a couple hours to make a couple seconds of animation.
here it is. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=437082006340869&l=5956752619278683744

I had read the animators survival kit before I did it. It's by the guy who made who framed roger rabbit.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Animators-Survival-Richard-Williams/dp/0571202284

She illustrated all of the pieces herself, which took a couple of weeks. We had a great initial launch with a pre-sale campaign and now we sell a dozen or so per week via Amazon and her website.

It's called Astrology of Joy

Yes! It already is.


Thank you for your kind comment!

Tikteck A4 Ultra-thin Portable LED Light Box Tracer USB Power Cable Dimmable Brightness LED Artcraft Tracing Light Box Light Pad for Artists Drawing Sketching Animation Stencilling X-rayViewing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M26S3VY/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_t5j7CbVYHR58V

Got something like this for my classroom.

10/10 available for purchase on Amazon! (Am I allowed to share that?) 2 AM Angst

Artistic Anatomy by Dr.Paul Richer is what I learned from :)

I wish it were my work!

Here are a couple books that you might find handy.
Dream Worlds: Production Design for Animation

Creative Perspective for Artists and Illustrators

I found the pen itself with 2 refills for $11.20 on amazon : http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Brush-Pen-1-Pkg-Black/dp/B002LJRKN8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408353644&sr=8-1&keywords=pentel+brush+pen

This is the cartridge I use : http://www.amazon.com/Pentel-FP10-A-Cartridge-Pigment-refills/dp/B008LXJGTE/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1408353849&sr=8-10&keywords=pentel+brush+pen+refill

A set of 4 fo $2. The shipping cost is ridiculous but I'm sure you can find some in your local artstore.

Artist Credit: Cori Doerrfeld

Book this illustration is from: Esther the Wonder Pig

Is this what you mean?

Get this book and do all the assignments in it. Practice like crazy. If you want it you can do it. The idea of magical talent that you just have or don't have is silly. You just need passion and a hell of a lot of working time. It will hurt.

All of tech feels that way for everyone eventually. Before the internet we used to animate stuff in Macromedia Director because every serious business gave out presentation CD's at trade shows. Then the internet came around and prodigy wasn't fast enough for 600 megabyte movie files, which is seriously all the space you are ever going to need my 17-year-old self from the past is trying to remind me.

I don't know what existed before Director. Probably the solitary madness of nothing.