Meanwhile, we are pleased to announce several new products that will be showcased at CHA:

High Tack Tape by X-Press Graph-X Supplies
This High Tack Tape is perfect for your artistic adhesive needs. It has an extremely strong hold, is double sided, and works well on many surfaces. This tape is great for use on metals, wood, paper, glass, plastic, and fabric. Other applications include heat embossing, and use with photos. This tape from X-Press Graph-X Supplies is available in three widths: 1/8″, 1/4″, 1/2″.

Mask It Film from X-Press Graph-X Supplies
Mask It Film is perfect for detailed projects that require layers of color. The clear matte finish is great for tracing, and works well with a light box. With eight sheets to a pack, this Mask It Film is available in 15″x10″ sheets. By X-press Graph-X Supplies.

Blending Card by X-Press Graph-X Supplies
This new high quality paper from X-Press It is a perfect match with the Copic product line. The super smooth, silky cardstock leaves crisp special effects and bright colors. Its dense 92 lb cover weight keeps colors sharp while blending, and prevents feathering. Acid free & archival. This is the paper to use for all of your stamping and card making needs.

Color Swatch Book
Keep track of your marker colors with this handy swatch book! The color swatch book arranges all 334 Copic colors by family, and lists the marker styles for each color, making it easy to choose the next colors you need. This 7” x 3 1/2” booklet is a convenient size to accompany you wherever you need to make your next color consultation.

Anime Expo 2010!
Come visit us at booth #800! Copic Markers, in partnership with Dick Blick will be at the booth featuring all of your Manga and Anime needs.

Don’t forget to join us in Room LP3 for Copic classes taught by Marianne Walker:
July 1st 5:30pm: Copic Beginner Workshop
July 2nd 9:00am: Manga Inking and Papers
July 3rd 9:00am: Copic Beginner Workshop

Anime Expo will be at the Los Angeles Convention Center July 1st-4th. Check out their website at www.anime-expo.org for more details.

Click here for images from AX09.

German Manga illustrator Marika Herzog sent me this link via Twitter this week. Here she’s inking a page from her ongoing series entitled Grimoire. You can preview it here. The second volume is due out this summer.

FYI, she’s using Copic Multiliner SP’s  (0.1 and 0.3).

First give us a bit of background information- Where are you from? Where did you go to school and what are you artistic interests?

I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. I have a Bachelors of Science in Fine Arts from Towson University and studied Photography and Art History in Florence, Italy where I studied Renaissance art and black and white photography techniques. As for my artistic interests, I am drawn to the simple beauty in everyday things. From the strength of a concrete overpass to the decay of an old house, the shapes, colors, textures and sharp contrasts are my eye candy.

Tell us a little bit more about what you do. How do you describe “Interaction Designer”?  Who do you do work for? Are you freelance or with a firm?

To me, an Interaction Designer is someone who makes the complicated problems simple by designing intuitive, thoughtful solutions regardless whether its online, offline, environmental or service inspired. As an Interaction Designer for Pinpoint Logic, a user experience design company, my background in visual communication gives me a unique edge when it comes to understanding business problems and crafting an informed design.  My thought process is very visual and I spend a lot of time doing sketch notes and whiteboard exercises to help navigate through the problems and define solutions.

It’s cool to see Copic Markers used in such simple and functional application. You are actually blending and adding tonal elements in your prototypes. Will you describe your process with the markers?

I use grid paper, nothing fancy, and pencil in the outer frames of the prototype. Then with the Copic Multiliner SP 0.7 pen, I start outlining. I often switch to a smaller gauge pen to do any type treatments. I have various line styles to denote headings, copy, links, etc. Once the outlines are inked, I then use Sketch Markers to add depth and dimension to the modules. I use c1, c3, n1, n3, w1 and w3 of the grays to indicate static, active and inactive states of the windows. Through the use of the markers I have created a set that works quite well in most paper prototyping situations.

Sketching out the windows and user interface elements help me visualize the interactions and decide whether my initial design thoughts were correct. Paper prototyping takes less time than trying to create the screens on the computer and allows me to get the answers faster; whether its from myself, from a team member or a user. Its amazing how quickly you can determine if a user interface will be too visually cluttered just by layering a few sheets of grid paper.

When you linked me to these images of your work I was surprised because in my experience with web design/planning it’s usually done on a white board and/or wire-framed using software. Is your approach typical?  Why take so much care with the initial phase? Is it aesthetic for you? Are you just an artist/craftsperson at heart?

I am not sure if my approach is typical although I have seen a spike in sketch notes which lead me to believe that there may be others like me out there. Working this way allows me to be creative and hold on to my fine arts experience but yet move forward in a technical problem solving kind of way. Creating the paper prototypes confirm design decisions and when I share them with the users, they become more engaged. Its amazing to see how they interact and quickly see what designs work and what will not. Its a lot cheaper for me to draw, test and redraw on paper than it is to spend weeks crafting just the right wireframe in Omnigraffle.

Interaction Design has everything to do with how humans engage information. To me it seems like hand-drawing your browser frame and content layouts is a much more tangible and direct way to think about the human side of information. Do you see it that way? Does slowing down the layout process help you think about content better/differently?

Yes, I do see it that way. We spend so much time looking at, and working in, a box that we miss out on opportunities to really digest how humans interact with the tangible world. Taking the interfaces and drawing them out, gives me the opportunity to see each element as an object that has a purpose and needs to help the user, not get in their way. Overall, I enjoy what I do because I’m an advocate for the user… but some days I enjoy it just because I get to draw with markers all day.

Drawing all day is always a bonus. Tell me more about your photography? When did you start taking pictures?

My photographic journey started when I was a kid and its been a start and stop trip ever since. In the fall of 2008, I bought my first digital camera and vowed to get back into taking photos and rediscover my eye. So the 365 day challenge began. In 2009 I took photos almost every day. It had been so long since I had taken photos on a regular basis that I was unsure what my “style” was. So I left it open and focused on taking photos and not get too hung up on the technical aspect.

Who are some of your favorite photographers?

Some of my favorite these days are those who I know personally. I hope to learn more about well known photographers and study their techniques. This is actually part of my project this year. I’m working on mastering the Manual mode:)

Most of my photos do not have a human element in them and that is something I hope to change in time. I’m always intrigued when someone can capture the pure essence of a human in their raw environment. My friend Dave has a knack for this. I find photos, whether famous or a simple snapshot, incredibly beautiful. It’s the story that the image communicates and how we interpret them that always leaves me in awe. <

I always find a lot of inspiration in the creative output of my friends. Absorbing work that is different from what I do professionally or in my own studio has always been helpful for me as well. Do you feel there are direct connections between the practice of shooting pictures and your design work?

Yes. I found that just the sheer act of taking photos every day really helped me strengthen my understanding of basic design elements (balance, composition, etc) and in turn started to affect my interaction design. I approach my designs differently now, especially in breaking down complicated tasks into the simplest of measures. Whether it’s zooming in on particular user flow, or approaching a system from a 30,000 foot view, my sketches/prototypes hone in on the true task at hand without the clutter of any system noise. I don’t think I would have noticed if it wasn’t for my co-workers who started to pick up on the shift in my work. After a few months of tracking my photo project and my interaction designs, they linked the two and confirmed it for me.

I have a BA in Art History and find that my ability (as a graphic designer) to look at and talk about images to others has been greatly helped by this experience. While there is no obvious, direct connection between the Renaissance and interactive design, what about your understanding of fine arts in general informs your commercial work?

Since I have a BS in Fine Arts (I’m serious, a BS! I started out as a Bio Chem major) having the basic understanding of the elements of design really helps me design the GUI (graphic user interface) as well as the overall balance of interaction on the screen. I never thought all those terrible and rough college critiques would come in handy in the real world. Might sound funny but being an art student really did help prepare me in handling clients and gathering requirements. I feel like I’ve perfected the art of asking all the right questions.

Thanks Michelle! Check out more of her photography on Flickr. Find @michellechilds on Twitter and check out her blog Complicated is Easy.

Copic will have a booth at Sakura Con, April 2nd-4th in Seattle, Washington! Sakura con is the Northwest’s premier anime show. There will be games, concerts, contests, and many great exhibitors.
The event is held at the downtown convention center. Copic’s booth number is 510.
Come visit us!

Image courtesy Sakuracon.org

Copic will be in attendance this year at CAMEX in Orlando Florida. Produced by the National Association of College Stores, CAMEX is the higher education retailing industry’s largest trade show and educational event. Each year, CAMEX attracts more than 7,000 exhibitors and attendees, representing more than 1,100 college stores, 700 companies, and more than 90 product categories.

CAMEX 2010 takes place March 13-15 and we are booth number 1974. Please come by and say hello if you are a buyer or store owner. This show is not open to the public.

The 2010 catalog will soon be available. We just got these in today from the printer and they should be shipping out soon. This version sports a new cover but has much of the same content. New products and updates have been added.

What is your earliest memory of making art?

When I was younger, I was always doing something artsy or crafty. I remember going to Ben Franklin with my grandparents and buying latch hook kits and art materials to make art. In elementary school, my dad got me a Badge-a-Minute machine, which I loved. I drew pictures and cut out magazine photos of Duran Duran to make buttons that I sold at the holiday craft fairs. I recall that, one of my favorite things to draw were pictures using repeating words. For instance, I wrote the word “butterfly” over and over to fill in the shape of a butterfly. Maybe, that encouraged my affinity for typography.

Growing up, I designed clothes for my Barbies, loved making fashion designs with Fashion Plates, made hair accessories, doodled on my Peechee folders and decorated my Trapper Keepers with collage. My love for papercrafting started at a young age, I started making handmade cards, scrapbooks & journals in 5th grade.  When I was 9, I taught myself calligraphy using a speedball book/pen set.  In high school, I designed and sewed most of my dresses for school formals by revamping my moms old bridesmaid dresses. I loved anything that had to do with art, fashion and design.

Do you have formal training or are you self-taught?

I am formally trained as a graphic designer. I received my Degree in Graphic Design with a minor marketing from Woodbury University in Burbank,CA.  As a designer, I was trained in color theory and conceptual design. But when it comes to collage, painting and book making that was self taught. In college, I took a watercolor and life drawing classes that were good foundation courses but nothing like the artwork I create today.

Can you briefly describe your creative process?

My creative process differs depending on the project…. If I’m doing a theme-based project, I treat it like a graphic design project. I begin by creating an adjective bank, brainstorming and researching ideas relate to my topic. I create idea/inspiration boards to collect swatches of color, photos, magazine pictures, anything related to the project. Then I sketch out thumbnails and/or idea roughs and sometimes alter the artwork on the computer. If I’m designing a garment, I draw 5-10 sketches for the outfit with notations of materials and ideas I’d like to incorporate into the final piece. My mind is always working overtime when it comes to creating art. I like to sketch out my ideas for jewelry, class workshop ideas, lettering and project ideas so I keep a journal/sketch book by my side at all times.

When it comes to painting, I work randomly..free..without a thought of the end result. My paintings are very organic,  I consider myself to be very prolific when it comes to making art or designing journals.  I work fast, intuitively..letting the colors, tools and my imagination to take over. I work on several paintings or pieces at once. I find this helpful to not feel stuck or not know what to do next. It keeps my mind moving.

Here’s a little step-by-step of how my art is created: PAINT.COLLAGE.STITCH.MAKE

Most times I begin by painting abstract backgrounds on paper and fabric pieces ranging from 5×7 to 24×36. Playing with color,

drizzling paint, making marks with stencils, stamping and writing words with various art tools and supplies, pens, markers, oil pastels. Most of my paintings incorporate collage, I use black & white photocopies of my original art on the base layer, then paint and gesso on the top. My journal covers are made of patchwork collage covers using my product Collage Pauge to glue paper to fabric. The collages are randomly pieced together with wild freeform machine stitching to create the journal or art quilts.

Copic Markers are just one part of your art-making toolkit. I would guess you have a tendency to use whatever is accessible in your collage work. Can you describe your approach to art materials? What is the deciding factor on what you’re using?

Nothing is off limit when it comes to materials I use in my artwork. I do have a few favorite product lines I prefer when it comes to paint and markers. I mix a variety of mediums, pens and pencils in my drawings and doodles. As for painting, I use very simple tools when I paint…foam brushes, a few different size cheap paintbrushes and a brayer. I hand cut stencils with an Xacto knife out of discarded postcards and make stamps using self-adhesive fun foam from the craft store.  I have collected so many art materials over the years, now I use whatever is in my studio. I prefer to recycle paper, so I paint on found paper, paper bags, envelopes and paint over unused fabric. One of my favorite substrates are paper towels, I paint and dye them for my collages. I believe that you do not need expensive materials to create great art.

You are a busy entrepreneur and travel a lot. Can you talk a bit about how this came to be and how it facilitates your creativity and art making?

Before I became a full-time artist. I worked in Silicon Valley for eight years and my jobs took me all over the country. I developed a love for travel and told myself that when I had my own business I it would involve a lot of travel. I love to explore new cities, I love hotels, airplanes and meeting people on the road. So I when I started teaching, I set up gigs in cities that I wanted to explore or had family that I could visit. Then in 2006, when my first book Collage Unleashed was published, I set up my own book tour around the country, teaching workshops, offering demos and doing book signings. My book tour took me all over the world including Bali, Australia and Canada. The past few years my hectic travel schedule only allowed being home a few days a month. It’s a fun lifestyle but has many challenges to maintaining a healthy work/life balance. Being on the road, I do find it difficult to find time to be in the studio. I have learned to adapt to my environment and set up a mobile studio in my suitcase, I work in hotel rooms, on the airplane and in coffee shops.

What/who inspires your work?

There are so many things that inspire my artwork…a walk on the beach, flipping through a fashion magazine, making art with kids, a thought, an idea, a word, a photograph. I carry my digital and video camera everywhere. I take inspiration photos of interesting shapes, signs, art, flowers, etc. These photos make their way in my art through doodles, altered backgrounds and sketchbooks. I love old craft books from the 60’s and 70’s, I revamped techniques based on traditional macramé and latch hooking in the bindings of my journals. Fashion and magazines are a great reference for photography, color and images for the faces that I draw.  Typography is another one of my loves. I study letterforms and ad layouts for interesting ways to incorporate type and freestyle lettering in my art. I used to teach K-12 art and found that working with kids inspires creative freedom when creating artwork. Technology plays a big part in my life, I am always exploring new ways to incorporate it into the way I market my art and brand.
What advice or criticism from a teacher or mentor have you received on your work that really helped you develop?
I can’t recall much criticism about my art since I graduated from college a long time ago. But when I first started my career as full time artist and teacher, one of my mentors offered me great advice about staying true to my style {of artwork}. She said, “If you want to be successful in this career, share your art with the world…write articles, write books and teach people.” She taught me a lot about being a giving artist and teacher. In my workshops and in life I strive to inspire others with my art.

What’s the best part about being a full time artist?

There is so much about being a full-time artist that I love. The freedom of creating my own schedule, I have the flexibility to work anytime of the day or night. So I can go to the gym or do yoga in the morning and then work in the afternoon thru evening. I am blessed to be doing what I love daily. I am an entrepreneur at heart, so I am always looking for new business opportunities and exciting ways to further the exposure of my art and develop creative partnerships with manufacturers and other artists.

What is the worst part about being a full time artist?

There is not much I can complain about when it comes to my job. I have a career that most people would dream and love to do. The worst or hardest part about being a full time artist is probably not having a regular paycheck and no benefits like I had when I was working in the corporate world. Also, I find it difficult to balance creative studio time and business time. Now that I have so many other facets to my business, like licensing, online web properties and developing product, I find that it gets harder to spend time in the studio to just create and play for myself. Everything is driven by deadlines for writing, workshops or product, so I am not able to spend as much time creating as I would like.

Any classes or workshops coming up?

Yes, I teach a variety of mixed media painting, collage and art journaling workshops. I will be teaching throughout the US and in Tuscany in 2010.  It’s a much lighter schedule than in years past, I have decided to cut back on my live events to hopefully get back in the studio to paint and develop more porduct! I have also created a series of online workshops, which include downloadable color PDF lessons, videos, discussions and photo galleries. So for those who can’t travel to a live workshop, they can take a class from home. My 2010 schedule is available on my website www.treicdesigns.com.

I was working on this poster yesterday for our stores and I thought I’d share it here. Surprisingly, many people don’t realize that all of our markers are refillable. This means you can save a ton of money on markers in the long run. If you are using any of our marker types (Copic, Sketch, Ciao, Wide) then the below chart will show you how many refills you can get from one bottle of Various Ink. They are available in all 334 colors. If you are using Ciao, Copic or Wide (which don’t come in all colors) you can buy the empty markers and fill them with any color you like.

Getting a refillable marker that is high quality and has as many color options is tough. If you are switching over to Copic’s, hopefully you already know about the refillability of our products. Don’t forget our Mulitliner SP Ink Pens are refillable too.  Make sure you recycle your old pens when they dry out. If you are looking for something interesting to do with them, I came across this article on diylife.com on “15 Uses for Old Pens“. Also check out the Pen Guy. He is trying to collect 1 million empty pens. He is putting together pen recycle stations and distributing them in the California area. I’d be interested to see more of these around. According to this article, Bic sold it’s 100 billionth ball point pen in 2005. If you laid that many pens end to end it would circle the earth 348 times. That’s nuts.

We finished day 1 of the Art Materials Trade Show at the Savannah College of Art and Design. It’s been pretty fun. We go through Saturday and there is lot’s to see so come by our booth. We are upstairs in the back corner of the River House Building down off Bay Street.