Introduction

Hello world!

OK, let's start with this:

That' s me, Jari Paananen from www.birdfolio.tk about six years younger and prettier. The one in the middle, that is. I am painted in oil while studying Visual Design in Tampere School of Art and Media, Finland. I'm fairly happy about the image and it was very much fun to do. (the original has a crazy blue background, this one is a bit Photoshopped, my apologies) The cherubs on the sides are separate 10x10 cm paintings slammed together with my portrait, also done around the same time - heavily inspired by Phil Hale's GOAD. Fun as well. The text is just something random, I know who put it there but I have no clue why.

So I painted while studying, and enjoyed it... I started to get jobs as an illustrator already as a student, finished school, got a full-time job as a game artist, still did illustrations on the side, set up our own game studio and while being busy doing all this, forgot the fun part about illustrating. I was doing what was asked of me, but somehow I never came around to create something for myself. That's no fun. So here I go, this is my redemption.

The purpose of this blog is to start that new chapter in my illustrational life, to find a new path and my own voice as an illustrator. I have just arrived from Illustration Master Class with my head bursting of inspiration, energy, love, passion and drive - so I am fairly confident I will make this happen. I'm thinking of creating a solid portfolio of MY stuff within the next year and will be posting the progress right here.



I don't expect too many people would start following since this whole ordeal is MOSTLY for my own purposes. I need to force myself to keep my standards high. I will try to post all the work, and since I wouldn't want to show bad stuff to anyone, that ought to keep me from creating crap.

I will leave you for now with my IMC 2012 assignment piece, one I worked with for a week and should still at least another. Parts of it I am happy with, but mostly this assignment was about finding the fun of painting again. And that credit goes to IMC faculty & students for showing me the way again, I will bury those god awful water solubles and start doing some good stuff. Thank you IMC'ers, thank you all, thank me, thank you and bye bye for now!
 

Next: Name of the blog  + something extra.