Thank you all for great advice! I am going to bow out of this. Illustration is frustrating!

In my case, there is no retainer or contract. I have submitted initial drawings to him. He said "you're getting close." That almost feels like "control." There is no way of knowing where or how he would use ...

Thanks so much, Linda. Great photos of Mike at work. He's amazing and we really appreciate that he shares so much of his knowledge and talent with us. He works awfully hard!!! It sounds like you had a wonderful time.

Love you, Mike! Great advice! Thank you for sharing your insights and experiences.

When I draw an animal, I'm trying to reach for it's soul. It's telling me something with its body and its eyes.( It's the same with people.) It's hard to do that when you're trying to find someone else's connection ...

How did I land this and really, do I want it? Any stories about commission work to share?

The cousin of a friend is writing a poetry book and he was working with an artist who has vanished. I have seen her work. It's lovely. I suggested he continue to interview others beyond me so that he can ...

I thought I would post this. It feels wrong and it is. I found myself erasing and erasing. I took the photo at the Los Angeles Zoo. I think I'm dizzy with all of those feathers. It's definitely not perfect. It's going into the "maybe later pile." I am going to drift back to furry friends! BTW, I use ...

Thanks for all of this great information and conversation surrounding Ron's bird which is very informative! His bird is great! The cakatoo is magnificent. This conversation is beneficial. Birds are harder than fluffy stuff. I am learning a lot, but tucking mine away for now and I will revisit them ...

Thank you so much, Mike. I am also working on a bird -- actually my second one. The first one is hiding in the trash. Your insights and comments for Ron have been very helpful. My biggest issue was achieving a black background which neither a 10B nor a Conte could give me. I must have done something ...

Laura, I am so sorry to hear of your losses and hope that you will heal. Do what is right for you. Give yourself time. I hope we see you soon and to see you develop as a wonderful artist. Hugs to you.

Awesome!. I am working on a bird right now and feathers are a challenge as is a dark background. Great job, Ron. Great critique, Mike! I'm learning a lot from this beautiful bird.

So sorry to hear of your loss. I hope that you're keeping busy. Take things in little steps and it will unfold beautifully. I believe that this is the best place to learn. I have taken other on line courses where the instructor picks and chooses his favorite people to compliment and you might have ...