SFC, 72 Hour Weeks & A Move

[caption id="attachment_178" align="aligncenter" width="512" caption="The Only Facial Hair I Can Grow..."][/caption]

Updates, updates, updates. This is the part I failed terribly at with my last site, so in an attempt at repentance, here's the latest art news in my life.

For the past month I've been working at a graphic design firm in downtown Toledo called SFC. It's a company with a fortune 500 client list, and I'd consider it the Swiss Army Knife of the graphics community. The things they can do, print on, and are pioneering are amazing, and send a boy with a never-ending imagination like me into a tizzy just thinking about the possibilities of what I could do if I had free reign of their equipment. Fortunately for them, they've kept me very well guarded during my month stint,  keeping me in a very dimly lit room that's nearly sound proof, which I like to call the "Bat Cave." (Yes, I'm a geek in case you hadn't noticed) Their printers are too big to fit in my car anyway, so there's no sneaking them home either. (Actually, there are better odds of fitting my car through one of their printers than vise-versa. I could strap wheels on one of their ink cartridges and drive it home.)

I was brought in to do some basic InDesign work, and have been blessed with opportunity after opportunity to display lots of the talents, training, and experiences God has given me over the years, helping me make a case for why I would fit nicely in a place where versatility is a must. It's a been a lot of fun, and I'm hoping it doesn't end any time soon. (So far I'm on week 6 of a projected 2, so that's a good start)

The one downside is that I'm still working my other two jobs, I moved, and the usual responsibilities haven't lessoned, so my project with St. James has been postponed (big thanks to their patience), as have my next iPhone App and my children's book. But, if I can land this job full-time, the day for those projects and many others to see the light of day will be here before we know it. That is, if I survive this current sleep schedule of nearly nothing. (What do pillows feel like again?)

And there you go. A full update, complete with at least two jokes and hopefully at least one sentence of relevance. That should keep you satisfied for a while. And if not, send me a donation of 25k and I'll write you hourly updates. Otherwise, tough cookies.

Brett "Worn out, really happy, fighting the urge to itch my arm, and a tad bit thirsty" Hibbler

Custom Sketch-Board Survey

CALLING ALL ARTISTS:
Ever had a sketch board? (Also known as an art board, portable art pad, or White Slab on the street) Ever wondered what it would be like if you could put your own artwork right on it? Regardless of whether the idea has ever crossed your mind, some obvious complications probably dissuaded you from ever attempting it. First, it would take some serious time to paint it yourself, and there would be little room for error. Then there's the smear factor of the final piece, and the fact the paint would ruin the smoothness of the board, making it difficult to use for drawing once it's been painted. The solution to all of these issues has arrived.

BACKSTORY:
Currently I'm working at a national Graphics company (Clients like Division 1 colleges, American Eagle, Home Depo, Lowes, Owens Corning - The Pink Panther inventors-, Rubbermaid, etc.) and have been granted access to their ridiculously amazing technology and ability to print on nearly anything flat. Seriously, the stuff they can print on, scan, and use baffles the mind.  Glass? No problem. Wood? Yep. Metal? Check. Plastic? Double Check. Cork board? Indeed. Laminate, vinyl, and paper? Since before you were born. Rock, stone, and shingles? Believe it or not, it's true. The catch is that I have to prove there is an interest in the product I want printed, thus making it available to the masses. (I.E., you and me at a low cost, not just for corporations.) That's where you come in.

THE DEAL:
Recently they've perfected the art of printing full color images on the front, back, or both sides, full bleed or positioned however desired, on portable sketch boards. (Ones like in the image above  with the handle cut out of a side and a clamp to hold your art).  The ink lays flat, keeping the surface clean and smooth, and the boards can be coated with any number of finishes, one even allowing it to be used like a Dry Erase board if needed.

The idea of having my art on a board that I could still sketch on, use like normal, or just have on display seemed cool. But having the ablity to print a bunch and take them to Cons, put my portfolio on one side and a splash on the other, or whatever else I wanted on it (even a giant picture of my face to scare small children) to use for general promotional purposes seemed like the perfect next step in marketing myself. It's like a business card, but usable, durable, and way too big for the recipient to lose in a drawer.

Now imagine this, you're at a comic con and you win a sketch board with some original pencil art by your favorite artist, signed by him and the writer of your favorite book. How cool would it be to have some pro work on your board to inspire you as you drew? (or shame you if the piece you're doing really stunk) Or if nothing else, just to have it on display around the house?

If this all sounds pretty good to you, then I need your help.

WHERE YOU COME IN:
All I need right now is a proof that artists would be interested in such a product. Written emails of interest would be great, so please send them, and pass this info and my email  (bretthibbler@gmail.com) on to anyone you know who may be interested. There's also a thread on Deviant Art to drum up some interest, so check the boards for that discussion. The green light is there and a similar website portal for direct user ordering and design has been created and will be ready for use, but only if there's a market for the product.

Also, in case you're curious about pricing, it's looking to be low. Like nearly as low as getting a blank one. This company is huge, so they can do things very inexpensively because they have their own shipping company in house and already have the stock of boards for other clients, so they have the bulk rates already. But, again, our access all depends on interest levels.

Thanks in advance for your assistance, and feel free to ask any questions you have. I'll do my best to get back to you.

Brett
www.1lastshot.com

Fully Loaded-er

[caption id="attachment_128" align="aligncenter" width="448" caption="Sweet monkey-cakes, man! There's an entire Twinky in there!"][/caption]

Um... what can I say? I put more stuff on the site, and so now it's more loaded than before. Were the new postings essential? No, but I wanted to put 'em up, I felt they'd be beneficial, I had the space, and so I did it. Then I realized it made my last title a lie, so this is my attempt at correcting it.  Now quit hassling me and get over there and take a look!

Oh, and in case you're wondering what to look for (since I have neglected to mention that), head to the PORTFOLIO section and check out the new MY MAGAZINE sticky. (Formerly known as ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Seriously. That was the name of the old link, if you've forgotten.) Hit me back with your thoughts. And if they happen to be about my site, that's cool too.

Brett "Is it sad that a trained designer loves a canned Photo Booth filter from '08?" Hibbler

Fully Loaded

It's finished.

Temporarily. (You know, since it's a temp site and all.)

The final two pages have been filled to the breaking point with samples and are ready for viewing. And by "breaking point" I mean "barely have anything on them." Nah, that's not entirely true. It's worth checking out and provides quick access to the other sites I have created, as well as a good amount of paintings and sketches I've done that didn't really fit any other categories. Check 'em out. Send feedback. Eat cookies.

I'm out.

Brett "This pic seemed like a good idea at 12:30 AM" Hibbler

Heating Up

I'd say there's a good 93% of what I'm putting up for now, fully viewable on the site as of 4:00 PM. The last two pages will be up soon, so don't get yer skintight jeans in a bunch. (Not that they could, there's not enough material to breath in let alone bunch up.) There are a lot of things on the stove at the moment, and I'm trying not to burn my Mac 'N Cheese, you know? I realize it's a temporary site, but it can't be all haphazard with random links and shoddy visuals. It's still done by me, and so long as my name's on it, I want it to at least have a shred of dignity about it. But I also can't neglect other responsibilities, as much as I'd like to do away with the hassles of power bills, filling up my gas tank, and cleaning the bathroom.

For now, though, take a look around, check things out, and if you have questions, comments, or random statements that will bring me amusement, let 'em fly. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to make sure that smell suddenly drifting past my nostrils isn't the end of another project, incinerating before it ever has a chance to flourish.

Brett "I need a bigger stove" Hibbler

A New Beginning

It is 2:40 am, EST. I'm tired. I should be in bed. In fact, I should have been in bed about 3 hours ago. I'm sure I'll feel it in the morning. Why is it that staying up always seems like the best idea on earth? We all know that as soon as the alarm hits, the only thing we'll think is, "Idiot!  Why didn't I just go to bed! That last 20 games of Freecell could have waited till work..." If only daylight savings time came more often. (Falling back, of course)

Driven by an unending desire to get my new site updated, including a functional blog, I've pressed on, though. The site still has some work ahead of it, but at least I have the blog done, including the back-archive of old posts from my 1st site; not that anyone plans on reading them. I still wanted to put them up, partly to take up space, and partly so I'd have them stored safely on the ever-expanding internet, where posts, no matter how hard you try, always seem to be stored in some giant databases' cache, never to be deleted.

But, since I'm struggling to type without backing up 30 times to fix my spelling mistakes, I think I'll throw in the towel. Maybe I'll throw it in twice. I'm pretty bushed.

At least as I drift off I'll know that as of Jan 13th, 2010, 1 Last Shot is poised for a new era of sporadic postings, odd updates, and bizarre jokes. And because of that, I'll sleep like a dead horse. Except for the whole not waking up thing.

Brett "Still short, still broke and still me" Hibbler