Designing Film Titles: Netfins & Chill

Watch Madelyn Farris and Joe Carabeo's newest film collaboration "Netfins & Chill" at www.astrayproductions.com/netfinsandchill for a limited time. The story of two young DC lobbyists and their fishy secret! I designed the film titles -- here is my initial sketch above the film title still with the vector graphic.

To view more film titles that I started designing last year, check out this post: Designing Film Titles: Process, Rough, Daisy

Recap: Baltimore Comic-Con 2019

Add another Baltimore Comic-Con to the books (and hopefully another curly W in the books tonight in game one of the Word Series)! Not just any Baltimore Comic-Con -- we celebrated the 20th birthday of this wonderful show that Curls Studio has been exhibiting at since 2007! It does truly get better each and every year.

I got to participate in the Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook, celebrating creators appearing at this year’s show. This year’s book of art featured interpretations of characters from Blacksad, one of my all-time favorite comics about a black cat private eye. This is BCC Yearbook number eight (my third -- I got to contribute to the Archie Yearbook in 2016 and Strangers In Paradise in 2018).

The highlight of the show for me was meeting Blacksad artist Juanjo Guarnido and having him sign my Blacksad books (I have them all in English). I had met him once before years ago at NYCC, but I didn't know he was going to be there and didn't have my books for him to sign, so I was prepared to meet him again more formally this past weekend.

Thanks to the Kids Love Comics section, Baltimore Comic-Con staff, volunteers, exhibitors, and attendees for making this event so memorable. We hope to be back next year with new comics!

Recap: Baltimore Comic-Con 2018

Curls Studio continued to make memories at Baltimore Comic-Con 2018 this past weekend. I got to participate in the Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook, celebrating creators appearing at this year’s show. This year’s book of art featured interpretations of characters from Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise, as well as his other creations, sometimes in conjunction with the contributing guest’s own creations, and celebrating creator-owned properties. This is the seventh BCC Yearbook (my second -- I got to contribute to the Archie Yearbook in 2016).

Saturday was Zachary Levi's birthday. He was one of the media guests at the show and we got the opportunity to sing "Happy Birthday" to him and Katrina Law (her birthday was on Sunday). The show had cakes for both of them and Zachary Levi's cake was inspired by his character in Tangled. The cake was delicious!

During the show I got to meet many cool fans, including a former burlesque dancer who purchased her first comic, our book The Legettes. I also got to draw some commissions and sell original art from my Sad Fish project.

Another cool thing that happened Saturday evening was that the Mine! Anthology I was a part of with ComicMix won for Best Anthology at the Ringo Awards.

On Sunday we had a panel discussion about Cartoonists Draw Blood: the history of the event, our anthologies, and upcoming blood drive. We even had a Red Cross representative at the show! I hope to have the audio available soon to release online.

We got to connect with and meet new creators in the Kids Love Comics section. Great vibes and love of creating at Baltimore Comic-Con this year. We hope to be back in the future -- next year the show is moving into October -- it will certainly be a busy month.

Thanks to the Baltimore Comic-Con staff, volunteers, exhibitors, and attendees for making this event so enjoyable. Our next tour date is this coming Thursday-Sunday for the big one: New York Comic Con! Join us at Booth 1162 in Small Press. I'll be posting a map and more details soon. Very little recovery time this time of year -- there's a convention almost every weekend if you could do it all!

Recap: Baltimore Comic-Con 2016

A photo posted by Carolyn Belefski (@carolynbelefski) on Sep 3, 2016 at 7:29am PDT

Curls Studio had a great time at Baltimore Comic-Con this past weekend.

On Saturday morning I led the first workshop of the day in the Kids Love Comics section. "Create Your Own Superhero Symbol" is the seminar where we combine design and comics to create our own visual identity. The children were all very smart and I enjoyed interviewing them on the mic where they got to present their personal logos.

The exclusive Archie Yearbook was available for purchase and many people came by our table for autograph collecting. Happy accident that my piece had a pretty cool space on Dean's car for a signature to go.

I was able to have some fun on Instagram (follow me @CarolynBelefski) and play with their new "stories" feature to take snapshots of my convention experience. I did not get out to collect signatures for my Archie book or see the show as a "fan" because I wanted to spend time at the table and be a "pro," but I was able to arrive early to look thru some old comics and discover a comic from the early 1980s called Fish Police. That was my big discovery of the convention! I also caught a very brief glimpse of Mickie James, a former WWE wrestler. Joe got to meet Hope Larson and got a few hand sketches in his sketchbook.

Curls Studio premiered a "first taste" of our new comic book series, French Fry Club. We also gave away free Curls coloring sheets and the latest issue of Magic Bullet #13.

Saturday evening ended with a fire alarm about two hours before the convention ended. Everyone was instructed to leave the Convention Center and fire trucks came. It was not a prank. Something happened with ozone leaking. I'm glad the authorities were able to handle it pretty quickly, but once we were invited back in many exhibitors and the majority of attendees did not fill the halls. Needless, to say the last hour was light because of this incident. Sunday's flow was better and Baltimore was back!

Our next convention is Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Maryland on September 17 and 18, 2016. Look for our table location and map on this blog soon. Hope to see you there.

Curls as Enzo Amore

Over the weekend I drew Curls as wrestler, Enzo Amore. It's all fun... because why not? Enzo currently holds most of my interest with wrestling because he's funny and a wacky character. He's also a Certified G and a Bonafide Stud... and you can't teach that! WWE has a lot of great tag teams right now. I'm a fan of Enzo & Big Cass, The Vaudevillians, The New Day, Fandango with Tyler Breeze, and The Golden Truth.

If you aren't familiar with Enzo, check his main roster debut here. Follow me on Instagram (@CarolynBelefski) for the latest behind-the-scenes Curls Studio images or if you are so inclined to pledge $1 or more per month, please check out my Patreon. Thanks!

Brand Identity for Stable Hands

Before the year ends, I wanted to display a project I completed earlier this year – identity design for Stable Hands Pet Care and Services. This project included designing and arranging printing for business cards and letterhead, as well as their services chart.

Stable Hands provides mid-day dog walks, pet sitting, and overnight stay services. Lara is an expert on the farm and specializes in horses and horse show grooming (she even has a Bachelors of Animal Science to prove it).

The logo design incorporates hands in an uplift horseshoe for luck and protection with the profiles of a cat and dog inside. The colors are friendly, approachable, and professional.

Thank you Lara and David for the opportunity to work with you to create your brand and congratulations on becoming a new independent business. If you are looking for pet care in the Virginia Beach area, please consider http://www.stablehandspcs.com.

Available for Freelance Work
If you are interested in my illustration and/or design skills, please email Carolyn Belefski at info@curls-studio.com. View my portfolio: http://www.CarolynBelefski.com.

Recap: Baltimore Comic-Con 2015

This past weekend Curls Studio exhibited at Baltimore Comic-Con. This was our first time exhibiting in the Kids Love Comics section and we loved being a part of their stable of fantastic creators.

On Saturday I led a "Create Your Own Superhero Symbol" workshop and many kids and their parents showed up to design. The place was packed and there were no empty seats!

The Curls book was delivered to many Kickstarter backers who made the book become a reality and I also had fun doing many custom sketches and commissions as well. Order your very own Curls book here.

Our next tour appearance is a big one -- New York Comic Con on October 8-11, 2015 at Booth 1162 in Small Press area. I will be there with Teresa Roberts Logan and Joe Carabeo.

After that, we'll have a spooky Halloween on October 31, 2015 with our "Cartoonists Draw Blood" event with the American Red Cross in Washington, DC.

You can view more photos from Baltimore Comic-Con 2015 on the Curls Studio Facebook page here.

Recap: Stone Branch School of Art

Since today is International Women's Day (and to celebrate Women's History Month), Curls Studio was asked by Stone Branch School of Art to present our work and hold a workshop today. It was excellent to be able to showcase the work Joe and I have done to a younger audience and their parents. 

In addition to comics, I also showed and discussed design and freelance illustration projects from my portfolio as well. Then Joe projected his film reel and showed the latest Awesome Con commercial. 

After the talk we drew in the art room and made large buttons with our art on it. I also draw portraits of the children as well as dogs and zombies. I had a fun time drawing and interacting with a new group of folks! Thanks for having us.

Joe says: Had a blast presenting about the importance of art, storytelling and collaboration to the students at Stone Branch School of Art today. Its a great and inspiring art school full of exciting students. Carolyn Belefski and I are super honored and always thankful to be thought of for these speaking opportunities. Now dont waste time, go out there are make something.

The Making of Carolyn Belefski's White House Cartoons

A lot of people have been asking about the work I recently did for The White House, which was released this week on their social media platforms. Since I posted process and the concept sketch of the comic book cover I did for Cartoon Network's Adventure Time comic this past summer, I thought many artists and creative types would get a kick out of this project showcasing the Affordable Care Act. I enjoy seeing behind-the-scenes, but the final product is always what the public will see. Here you will get a glimpse behind the curtain.

The White House Office of Digital Strategy approached me with the concept of creating health care comics. They provided the personas (athletic, hipster, caregiver, etc.) and I developed sketches of the character designs for approval. Above you will see the first and only attempt of the character designs. Stage one complete!

At this time I also provided three layout options on how tell the story best on social media. The White House provided me with dimensions that were possible for the project. As you can see in the top right, we selected the character head in the center and the text surrounding that area so it would not get cropped on certain sites (like Twitter) in preview. 

To clarify, yes, it would get cropped, but the text would not get cut off. The image above shows how we considered how the crop would look like. This was the first one I completed, and once that was approved, I completed the other comics for each character. They provided me with a script and did allow me to contribute to the story. It was a total collaboration!

I must also correct myself, in an interview with Jen Sorensen posted earlier today, I mentioned there were no art edits, but I was mistaken because I remembered (while writing this blog) that there was one change. I originally drew the guy at the gym working out without a shirt and showing his nipples. They asked me not to show the nipples in the preview section (area viewed in social, the non black area above), but I decided to put a shirt on him instead of redrawing the whole image. I only had to erase the nipples, add sleeves, and color in the shirt in Photoshop. This change only took five minutes and was easier to do than redraw the whole panel. Work smarter, not harder! Perhaps I forgot about this change because it didn't take long to alter. I would have liked to include the nipples because it's funny and I like to call them pepperonis, but I don't know if America can take another wardrobe malfunction. But hey, the Super Bowl is this Sunday so maybe Katy Perry is planning to stun us.

Regarding color palette we agreed to have a minimal flat color look and I selected the colors. After the first one was approved, I hit the ground running with the same look and colors to make each comic connect and work together as a system.

Yesterday First Lady posted the athletic cartoon I illustrated for ‪#‎GetCovered‬ on her Instagram and Twitter accounts. Right now it has received 16,041 likes on Instagram. It feels good to have Michelle Obama and the rest of the world see my art. 

I know the health care debate is rough from all angles. Because of these illustrations, I've read people's comments calling me a sell out and telling me how to draw. I've also seen other media sites say this is The White House's attempt to make Obamacare seem cool. I take that as a compliment because my cartoons are cool! Another site called it childish. I have some news for them: Cartoons can be all-ages. Adults can enjoy them too. You can be "grown-up" and contribute to society, read comics, watch animation, or draw. I pay my mortgage, car bill, buy groceries, and commute to work every day. I can enjoy cartoons. Don't call us childish. Call us childlike. There is a difference.

Another point I want to make is that I have worked for conservative and liberal clients. You may have conservative and liberal friends. Or friends who are environmental. Or libertarian. Or friends who like pizza crust or don't (for the record, I'm not friends with those people). I am an equal opportunity artist and I work with people who want to work with me.

Part of why I took this gig on was because I was extremely pleased that The White House was interested in publishing comics and trying something different. Reaching out to new audiences who are visual learners or experimenting with Instagram is not a bad thing. I know how politics work, but please -- attacking art as a medium is an all-time low. Anyone remember prehistoric cave paintings? This is history. Art is history.

I also took on this assignment because it is important to take care of yourself and know what your options are. I like how many of the characters in this series are aiming to be the best version of themselves they can be. The images showcase healthy eating and exercising, which are important to me. Taking care of yourself and your body shows self respect and I wish more Americans and humans overall showed that initiative.

Not all the comics have been posted on their social media accounts at this time, but you can view them all by visiting WhiteHouse.gov or by looking below. The caregiver cartoon has been animated and is on The White House Instagram account.

Thank you to The White House for this opportunity and thank you to so many people online who have "liked" and commented and reposted. If you enjoyed these cartoons, please read my comic strip Curls and the other fun things I create to make others smile. I really do enjoy being Cartoonist for America.

Available for Freelance Work
If you are interested in my illustration and/or design skills, please email Carolyn Belefski at info@curls-studio.com. View my portfolio: http://www.carolynbelefski.com

Recap: Design & Doodle Workshop

On Wednesday, October 22, 2014, I led the Design & Doodle Workshop during DC Design Week. The event was hosted by AIGA DC, General Assembly, and DC Fem Tech. Only 25 people could attend and the registration sold out in less than a day. Even the wait list was sold out, so I knew the attendees were paying close attention to the design community and that means people are craving this type of creativity. 

After introductions, I talked about doodling techniques and showed the attendees some warm up hand exercises to get loose. I have two main hand exercises – one I call finger taps and the other is more wrist based I call CM Punk. Oftentimes, I believe designers are stiff and it's an experience I've had to overcome and am constantly working on. Not only are we sitting at desks for ten hours a day staring at a screen, but we sometimes work under rigid guidelines and dun dun dun... the horrible (not so horrible) grid!

Only one of the attendees had decided to draw digitally, but the others brought their own supplies of drawing tools and paper. After our decision about drawing, I learned that there was some interest in drawing apps, but most people felt like drawing with physical objects was the way to go. I mostly do linework on paper, then scan, and color digitally with a tablet. 

A few years ago I did a project called Sketch Before Sleep where I drew each night for 365 days. All of those sketches were done digitally. I showed a film clip of all the Sketch Before Sleep sketches. I had not shown the film since 2011 at the GV Expo, but it's now available online here.

The two prompts I gave at Design & Doodle were selecting two words from my "Inspiration Owl" and showing the vintage novelty doodle pad from David Jablow's Do It Yourself Doodler Project. Free issues of Magic Bullet #9 and postcards promoting my comic strip "Curls" were given out as well.

The rest of the evening was spent doodling and several of the attendees showed me their sketches and had one-on-one talks with me about their drawing skills. It was great to meet some new faces and also recap with Anthony and Mila from the AIGA board. Thanks to everyone who attended the event.

More photos can be found on the Curls Studio Facebook page.

Recap: SPX 2014

Small Press Expo 2014 was a fun time for us! When we drove into the hotel parking lot, I noticed a Farmer's Market at the adjacent parking lot, so after setting up our table we headed over to get our food supply for the day. I purchased a chocolate croissant and and baguette with leaf shapes from Fresh Baguette and at another vendor I got two peaches and a nectarine. Even though our lunch wasn't a full meal, it felt good to not go out during the event or eat fast food. I did notice the hotel got smart and had sandwiches and salads for sale near the event registration, but we figured we'd wait until dinner.

We spent most of the time at our table and were happy to see many people year after year. One of the great additions this year were giant balloons with letters to show each island of tables so attendees can find specific vendors easier. After you go to SPX for about three years you start to see the same faces and then SPX becomes a reunion – not only of comic creators, but also readers. A pal from high school and college who we had not seen in over a decade stopped by with his wife. I also saw friends who I know from AIGA and school. Early on Saturday I was able to cruise the outer parameter of the show floor and say hi to other creators. We distributed Magic Bullet #9 and also had several bundles out on the free table – which we kept refreshing because they went fast!

Animal Chronicles: Book Two was our new product at SPX. It is a series based on the aftermath of a solar flare barely passing by Earth causing animals to fuse with objects in their vicinity during the catastrophic event. Panel Patter did a spotlight on Animal Chronicles the week before SPX to showcase new publications. 

I was able to sign my Adventure Time cover, Curls in the Team Cul de Sac book, The Legettes, and more for fans.

As always, SPX is great to discover comics you won't ordinarily see in your local comic store. I noticed many names in the program guide from people on Twitter or other online outlets – only to confirm the great influence of the internet and webcomics. 

Here is my Vine from SPX: https://vine.co/v/Oavu2BWwdpX

Thanks to everyone who visited our table! The next time you can catch us will be New York Comic Con on October 9-12, 2014 at Comic Pavilion Table 1162 on the show floor.

Recap: Baltimore Comic-Con 2014

This past weekend Curls Studio exhibited at Baltimore Comic-Con. This year the show expanded to three days. I was unable to attend Friday, but Joe was able to set up and bring Karen Michele, a model and SFX makeup artist he works with. Later on Friday evening, Joe and Karen checked up the Drink and Draw at Hooters, organized by Joe Sutliff. I had a sketch in the suction and the proceed go to Team Cul de Sac and the Michael J. Fox Foundation to raise money for Parkinson's research. 

In addition to the third day, the space also switched to a larger part of the Baltimore Convention Center. I thought it looks more updated and the lighting was much more crisp and bright. We always have a great time at Baltimore Comic-Con. For some reason this is a show I always reunite with a lot of former co-workers at as I've seen people from my past three professional jobs there. I even got to teach my co-worker's new baby to create his first high five!

I enjoyed signing these autograph cards a fan made. They got really creative with the clipping path! 

We were interviewed for the podcast Comix Gab, which you can listen to here: http://www.comixgab.com/post/97008787721/comix-gab-episode-13-the-team-goes-down-to

Oh yeah, and I made a Vine! 

Quite a few people picked up the exclusive Adventure Time cover I did for issue #29, which came out a couple months ago.

Many people also picked up Magic Bullet #9, a comic anthology composed of mostly Washington, DC creator. This issue's theme is western and I enjoyed editing it. Here is a photo of Nick Galifianakis and I. Nick created this wonderful cover art for us.

Our hope is to exhibit again at Baltimore next year (save the date for September 25-27, 2015), but in the meantime you can see us this Saturday at Small Press Expo in Bethesda, MD at Table H10.

Brand Identity for Audrey Maiurano Family Dentistry

I recently worked on a freelance design project for my good friend, Audrey Maiurano. Full disclosure: we have known each other for nearly half our lives, so when Audrey started her own dentist business she immediately thought of me to create her logo and branding collateral. A friendship evolves to include a client relationship as we grow up together! 

Here is the initial sketch that sparked the final logo. I did several concepts to provide many options, but this was the one I liked best and that Audrey selected as well. Sometimes the first idea is the best idea. 

Here is the final design. This "Sweet Tooth House" concept encompasses the client's initials AM, which form to create a house and tooth. The house represents family care and trust. The tooth resembles a heart shape as well as helps to create the door. The mark could be duplicated into a repeated pattern, which could be used in other materials.

I was also able to design and arrange printing for Audrey's business cards (which included a custom map on the back) and letterhead, as well as refer her to Joe Carabeo at Astray Productions, who photographed her headshots. 

Thank you Audrey for the opportunity to work with you to create your brand and congratulations on becoming a businesswoman and successful dentist. If you are looking for a dentist in the northern Virginia area, please consider http://www.springfielddentalclinic.com.

Available for Freelance Work
If you are interested in my illustration and/or design skills, please email Carolyn Belefski at info@curls-studio.com. View my portfolio: http://www.behance.net/CarolynBelefski

The Making of Carolyn Belefski's Adventure Time Cover

Check it out! I did an exclusive comic cover for Cartoon Network's Adventure Time #29 published by Boom! Studios. It's a limited edition Cards, Comics, and Collectibles cover. Thank you for the opportunity.

Here is a rare glimpse at my thumbnail concept sketch. I provided five concepts to select from and they went with the underwater cover.

It feels good to say I am one of the talented Adventure Time artists. I'll have the covers at my table for Baltimore Comic-Con, SPX, and New York Comic Con (Curls Studio be at Small Press, booth 1162). See you then!