Art Department

Look, lots of people are going to be talking about this in a day or two. Irene Gallo, the insanely talented art director for Tor Books (if you like any cover from Tor, it's because Irene put it together; if you don't like a cover from Tor, it's because it doesn't fit your tastes), has a blog now.

One of her first posts is for aspiring artists. If you're thinking of doing art, go read it. Beyond the gems of advice that Irene gives like:

Remember that the day you graduate, artists like Donato Giancola, Todd Lockwood, Jon Foster are your competition.

and:

There are only a few artists who are willing to include more than one or two figures in a painting. If you can handle a crowd scene, it can go a long way to separating you from your competition.

you also need to keep in mind that Tor publishes several hundred books a year. More science fiction and fantasy books than anyone else. Than the next three or four biggest put together. Irene decides who does the artwork for those covers. If you don't listen to her, you've just made your market that much smaller.

She's been at Tor for at least 12 years (I think I met Irene in New Orleans shortly after she started working for Tor) and therefore has a lot of experience. If you think she's all wet with her advice, stop painting.

Tags: Science Fiction, Electric Velocipede, Irene Gallo