DEDICATION I hereby dedicate this book to those who have put up with all my crazy artistic habits. You know who you are! It goes without saying that my life has been a culmination of ups and downs, sorrows and joys, frustrations and elations, and throughout the roller coaster that is my life, you have stuck by me, even when I may not have deserved it. If I could, I would write a chapter on how to train an artist, but then it would be the only fictional part of this book. Because as you all know, that is impossible. Even though I’m still not housebroken and I may throw a few tantrums, obsess way too much over vampires and zombies, and paint outside the lines, I know that I have the foundation of your love and strength to tether me to the real world and keep me from scattering to the winds. So this is for you Poe-hulk, Llama, Frosted Flakes, Bean, Mammacia, Pappalino, and Loki. Yes, even the dog gets an acknowledgment, since he’s the only one that will let me dress him up in silly outfits that make me giggle. CONTENTS Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication Foreword by Greg “Craola” Simkins Introduction PART 1 CREATING POP SURREALISM CH 1 Pop Surrealism: What Is It? The Evolution of Pop Surrealism Pop Surrealism—Be Inspired! CH 2 Originality, Inspiration, and Intuition What Inspires Me Finding Inspiration Using Intuition: Go with Your Gut! Choosing Colors Intuitively Choosing Titles Intuitively Becoming a Better Artist CH 3 Tools of the Trade Paint Drawing Tools Brushes Painting Surfaces Easels Other Helpful Tools Selecting Your Tools CH 4 The Artist’s Studio Setup Organization Safety Creative Space: What Is Needed Outside Studio vs. Home Studio CH 5 Sketching, Studying, or Just Doing It? Sketching: Trials and Errors Practice First Do It! CH 6 Composition Juxtaposition What to Do if You Run Out of Room What to Do When Something Is Missing CH 7 Pushing Boundaries Paint with Your Gut, Not Your Head Dealing with Blocks and Dry Spells Don’t Let Failure Get to Your Heart: Move On! CH 8 Evoking Emotions Tapping into Emotions Your Emotions While Painting Getting in the Mood Coloring Emotion Subject Matter and Emotion Expressing Your Emotional Meaning The Power of Emotions CH 9 Blending Blending Basics Blend, Set, Go! Light and Shadows Depth: An In-Depth Look PART 2 PAINTING POP SURREALISM Top Ten Questions Tips and Tricks CH 10Step-by-Step Examples Humans Eyes Lips Hair Skin Depth Animals Fur Wings Baby Animals Rainbow Tigers Melting Effects Pools of Color Melting Rainbow Twisting Reality Combining Cuteness Tentacles Cartoons and Caricatures Butterfly Kisses CH 11 Black and White: Paint Drawing Surface Preparation and Underdrawing The Paint Drawing Process How to Paint Straight Lines How to Paint over the Canvas Edges CH 12 Passion to Profession My Art Evolves How I Learned to Love Painting Finding My Creative Home in Pop Surrealism On Being a Professional Artist Approaching Galleries and Getting Started Presenting Your Portfolio Dealing with Rejection Validate Yourself Afterword About the Author Art Credits Index