Pretty Good for a girl? Wha? WHo? WHy?

"Pretty good for,... a girl." I heard this a lot growing up, in high school, in college, and even in the work world. Hence the name for the blog. Sometimes it was said differently, "I've never seen a girl draw like you before." or " You draw like a guy" or "How do you know about Heavy Metal or Tex Avery or the Brothers Quay or whatever..." I remember being the only if maybe one of very few girls in the comic book shop. (This was the 70's and 80's- when I saved my change to buy Archie comics) Or being picked to be vice president of the Art Honor Society in High School behind a guy who had no intention of pursuing art as a career(he's a lawyer). I worked in an all guy animation studio during school and took film classes that were filled with all guys. Out in L.A. I was asked out during a job interview. Because I was a girl who could draw. Working professionally there were 2 women in the art department to a dozen men. During an animation workshop ...oh there's just too many tales to tell! The worst experience I ever had: College: Ralph Bakshi- big rotoscoping god in animation (Lord of the Rings, American Pop, Fire and Ice, yadda yadda..) ...comes to campus-to speak to film students. I go...hungry for any info about how to break into animation. I'm the only girl in a hundred seat auditorium. I listen as he talks about his career, he's funny, he's arrogant..I muster up the courage to ask a question during Q&A: "Mr. Bakshi, historically, animation has been predominantly a field filled with men animators? Is that changing? Are you seeing more women animators, are more doors opening for women?" His reply: " (Laughter-not a good start) Women don't have the stamina it takes to do animation. Honey, stay home and make babies. "(laughter fills the room) NO LIE!! He actually said that! In 1991-no less! Can you believe that???
Things seem different today, I hope I am right. I see so many websites and blogs by such talented young women. Doing exactly what I wanted to do years ago. Way to go! I admit I am envious but I feel much more awe at what they are doing. I will talk about them more later...
This sketch was done today at my life Drawing session. Every Tuesday 10-12:30. Chris is the model, he's 25. Makes me feel old. - Kel

In a Past Life

So, Kermit up there? He's from my past life. I was a licensed character artist for cartoon merchandisers for many years. First working at a T-shirt company for 5 years and then freelancing for lots of other people. I was mostly a concept artist. I rarely did the finish work. Which was great for my brain, bad for my portfolio. I have boxes and boxes of sketches and comps. All hand done. The computer only played a part the last few years of my doing merchandising artwork. I have mixed feelings about this period of my life. I got to draw my favorite characters from Mickey to Peanuts.... I pumped out a lot of ideas every day... I learned a lot , BUT I ran screaming from that world. By 1997, the cartoon characters that I was really passionate about were just products people were schilling and no one seemed to care about them but me. At least not the folks in charge. It was all dollars and sales figures and how can we dress up Bugs Bunny as a rapper again... Also, the companies like Warner Bros. and Disney stopped letting artists like me draw their characters. The model sheets became style guides..the style guides became the artwork. I was far too talented to cut and paste and draw clothes on their artwork. So, getting pregnant was an out. And I don't want back in. Fellow artists are always saying to me how I could easily get work in Licensing. Even licensed childrens' books. No Thank you. I spent too much time drawing other people's characters, I'm ready to create my own.