by Donato
In my last
post, I shared with you the portfolio I had assembled to tackle the freelance artist market as it was in 1992. I was fresh from graduating college and ready to become a practicing professional artist. The only problem was just how to do that, and to do it quickly for I did not want to end up in my old career of landscaping and selling retail electronics.
Syracuse University has a wonderful program which displays the portfolios of students (now come pro) for the browsing pleasure of editors, art directors and other artists. This review offers a chance for students to gain a foothold in the marketplace through an initial contact with alumni or other professionals who may either hire the artist directly or redirect them as a reference.
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| Raunok 1992 Oil on panel Sample I |
I was lucky to have an artist representative, Sal Barracca, find interest in my work at the portfolio review. I set up an appointment with him immediately, driving to New York City a few days after the portfolio reviews. Not knowing much of anything about Sal (there was no internet to provide research possibilities) I was heading to New York not knowing where this may lead, but willing to pursue any opportunity at this early a stage in my career. Luckily Sal proved to be a wonderful person. He was working with a dozen or so artists in the book cover marketplace and was looking to expand his range of artists in the area of fantasy and science fiction. Sal recognized I was developing some nice painting skills, but could not represent me without a few samples appropriate for the genre. I return to Vermont and began working on my first sample within days.
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| 354 West 110th Street Studio in NYC 1992 |
My relationship with Sal began to grow as I would drive down to see him every month with a new painting finished for his critiques and sketches laid out for ideas on the next sample. I eventually moved to New York City in the Fall of 1992 to immerse myself in the varied and intense world of the arts and to better foster the business relationship with Sal.
Like clock work I arrived at his offices each month with new paintings to take a brow beating of critiques and return home with changes and improvements. I was working on my sixth sample when I received a phone call in late December requesting that I come into Sal's office the next day...he had lined up my first professional commissions! Once in the office Sal handed me a list of 30 titles of classical novels which needed jacket illustrations. He asked me how many I could do in two months time. ALL OF THEM! I wanted to scream, but good business sense won the day. I was already creating one image a month, if I pushed hard I knew I could produce three covers in that two months time. I left the office with three unforgettable commissions,
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain,
The Time Machine by HG Wells and
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. What a trio to illustrate for my first covers and the beginning of my career in the arts.
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A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court 1993 Oil on Panel First book cover illustration
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Over the course of the next months I added a few more covers, samples and clients to my portfolio, replacing nearly every single piece from the graduating portfolio with that from the genre of book illustration. In one year I had over 12 new paintings to start a career with and was on the path to creating the style of art you likely now know from me.
Below are a few other highlights from that first year of change...and thank you Sal for taking a chance and finding the time to nurture young, untested talent.
Enjoy!
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| Sword and the Pen 1992 Sample III |
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| Gwindor at Angband 1992 Sample IV |
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| Two-Edged Sword 1993 First Berkley Books Cover |
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| Voyage 1993 First Tor Hard Cover Illustration |
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| Alien 1992 Sample V |
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| Still Life with Money 1993 Sample cover for Mystery Novels |
