Completely spent

1.Spent after a successful Halloween
2. the kitten spent yo-yo
3. Phelm the dog is spent

IF: Spent

I am away for the weekend, but was able to use a scanner in the house I am staying it. It works well enough, but now I am confident that spending $$ on my scanner was worth it.

Coffee Info Graphic

I have been working on this concept for a really long time. I think this is the final rendition, but I am open to suggestions. The orange lines indicate different hemispheres and the green indicates the growing seasons of coffee in different countries.

We worked on info graphics in grad school and I was never any good at it, so when I decided to organize the growing seasons I really focused on how to make it look readable and accessible. I am hoping to send this to Intelli to see if they will give me money...probably not....to use this for their coffee training materials. If not then I can at least put it up in the store for our customers.

A lesson for emerging illustrators

Here is an email I received from someone who wanted to hire me:


Hi Charrow

Are you currently taking on any freelance work? I am looking for someone to illustrate a children's picture book I am writing. If u could email some sample work and an idea of cost per illustration/for the whole project (about 10-15 pics).
-------


And here is my response:


Hi SoandSo

Thank you for the interest. First off do you have an agent? Also, have you been published in the children's book arena? I ask these questions because, as you may or may not know, it is extremely hard to get a publisher to look at your work without an agent. Additionally, publishers do not take writers with artists unless the writer is already a money maker and they want to keep the writer happy. Publishers have a large pool of illustrators they draw from and they do not like to hire artists outside that pool unless the artist is also the writer.

If you do have an agent and the ear of a publisher the next issue is that I do not give up rights to my work. If you were to pay me to do illustrations I would also want illustration royalties from any sales of said book. A a children's book is 50% about the illustration and no illustrator would give up the rights to their work; royalties are our bread and butter.

Your best bet would be to write a book, find an agent, and shop it around to publishers without illustrations. If you want to self publish and want full rights to the art you might have a better chance with art students or posting an ad on craigslist.

If you have an agent, know someone in publishing, and would be willing to pay for illustrations in addition to artist royalties please feel free to shoot me an email. If not, good luck in your endevours and thank you again for your interest.

cheers

Charrow
-----

When you are looking for work as an artist make sure you have these questioned answered. Lots of people think they can write a book and even more think they can write a children's book, but in this business its all about who you know and what you know. If you do not have an agent publishers will not even look at your work. On many of their websites they even say flat out that they will not look at your work. Its an annoying reality, but its true and if you do not know it you are wasting your time.

Writing a letter like this is also a good way to find serious jobs that will not undervalue your work. I have had people come into the shop where I work and ask if the 25 dollar prints on the wall were originals. I am always very polite when I respond that they are, in fact, high quality prints. In true, it boggles my mind that anyone would ask such a question. I also have had people want to commission work and when I have stated the price they ask, can you do any better? I know they are asking to feel out the situation, but I am not shy when I respond, no the price is firm. It surprises me that people who make three times what I do in a year are haggling, but bargain hunters will not consider the fact that I am in one of the lowest tax brackets. Additionally, when I become famous my work will still be worth more than the person paid for it.

Lesson: you not undersell yourself.

Racing the Clock

Its almost sugar time!!!

IF:Racing

Race for the Cake

IF: Racing

Another card

Should have sent this one to my dad...

Fancy Day!

Its that special time when those people that gave birth to me get a year older! I made them some cards, yay! (that's right, they were born on the same day)

Free Time= Octopus

Winnie Candy Monger Supreme

Winnie's illness can only be cured with large amounts of candy

The Spooky Within

IF: Spooky

(Winnie obviously did not choose her costume)

Potato Pizza

Traveling Coffee Monger Part 1

Copenhagen was our first stop on the coffee train that was our vacation. I did some research before we embarked on this journey so I knew that we had to go visit The Coffee Collective in Copehagen. If you don't know about this amazing shop here is what makes it one of the best shops I have ever been to:

Klaus Thomsen

World Barista Champion, twice national champion and world-wide coffee consultant. Started as a barista in London in 2001.

Peter Dupont

Internationally acclaimed roast master and green coffee buyer. MSc with thesis in water environment at coffee farms. Blended and roasted the WBC winning espresso blend for Klaus Thomsen. Started as a Barista in Bergen, Norway, 1998.

Casper Engel Rasmussen

World Cup Tasting Champion. Coffee and sales representative for the last three years. Barista trainer and former member of the Danish national barista team. Barista since 2003.

Linus Törsäter

Master in Architecture, SLU Alnarp Sverige. In charge of design and visual appearance. A very dedicated barista since 2004.

In addition to have a great cast of founders it has an amazing staff of baristas who are happy to talk while they make you your espresso Beverage.

(the roaster which is 15 feet away from the espresso machine.)

(The amazing Muslei bar that made my day)

The cortado that made me happy along with contraband yogurt.

Anna making our coffees.

Before

Very shortly after

Here are selections from my illustrated journal pertaining to Coffee Collective.

Big dog on campus

Here is the logo for JJ's dog training business. I have a type lock in set up, but I cannot post it or process work until she has trademarked the name. So, for now this is the black and white logo mark. All I will say is that the dog and ball are inspired by two of the letters in the name B and O.

Scary Love

Underconsideration

Yay!

Featured on Theispot

http://www.theispot.com/whatsnew/2010/10/charrow-please-tip-the-barista.htm

Wickham Farm Apple Picking 2010

mwah hah hah

Exciting news!

Berlin- Estate Coffee

Halloween postcard...you know you want one

Making a few Halloween postcards for RM&G to send out to friends and what have you...very excited.

Tip Jar Cards

I have been making tip jar cards for all the Joe stores and these are the latest. Its a challenge making something that is supposed to inspire people to tip without saying tip...gratuity...or hey give us that dollar you are putting back in your wallet that is why I gave you five ones and not a five dollar bill....I'm just sayin.

Journal Berlin

For photos of our trip and thing other than food.

BADvertising Installment 1 (when bad ideas happen to good companies)

As many people have already, astutely, pointed out this "new" logo looks like something from a tech company from the 90's. They went from something tall, thin, smooth, and the symbol of all things preppy to fat, bold, with a punch in the face of Helvetica to make it mundane. If the new logo were to have a conversation with the old logo it would go like this:

old Gap logo: Hey do I know you from somewhere?

New logo: I don't think so, but I'm a really big fan of your work.

Old: thanks...Man I could swear you look so familiar. Did I see you in American Apparel the other day?

New: No, that store is too trendy for me and there is something about half naked tweens that makes me feel like a pedophile

Old: I hate to be rude, but you should really go get that thing on your p checked out...it looks infected

New: Oh, actually its part of my style.

Old: Is it a reference to Lady Gaga or something?

New: No, actually its a reference to you

Old: Wow, I'm flattered, but it looks a little Windows 95

New: oh...should I do something different?

Old: I don't know, its your style. I just think if Milton Glazer saw that you left the house wearing that on your head he would have marched you back up to your bedroom and made you change. Its just not that flattering...especially with your build.

New: wow, ok. I guess my board of investors was right you are a stuck up bitch

Old: well at least I'm not trying to be something that I am not. Who said you could wear a sans serif anyway?

New: Whatever, I'm going to go hang out with my real friend.....Pepsi

and scene

I think there are a lot of other designers out there that picked this logo apart beautifully, so why reiterate what they have already said. Basically, this gets a big fail in my book. I bet somewhere in their thumb nails was a real winner and it was probably killed by the board of directors. Hey, but on the bright side, maybe now their clothes will be a cheap as the logo...budum ching!

What lies beneath

The jumprope that lies beneath.

IF:Beneath

Shopping day

Trip illustration cont.

Squirrels the word

According to JJ its squirrel awareness week....or month...but anyway, in honor of this amazing holiday(or whatever) I have squirrel cards! Pointless, squirrel cards! I mean what more could you ask for...except maybe a squirrel in a suit or maybe teeny tiny ray bans.

Halloween

What, are those Halloween cards?

Why yes, yes they are.

Amazing...and you actually made them with ample time to buy some before Halloween.

Its true, I'm amazing.

That is how I felt. But do people buy cards for Halloween...that is a better question. I also put up xmas/hannukah cards on the store and will be making new ones this week to get the holiday ball rolling early. :)