The Role of the Artist in the Age of AI – Panel Discussion at the Alliance for the Arts →

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping creative industries and redefining artistic boundaries. As this shift continues, the Alliance for the Arts, in partnership with Florida SouthWestern State College’s Institute of Emerging and Innovative Technologies, is hosting a panel discussion exploring these changes and their impact on artistic expression.

Event Details:
Date: Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Time: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Alliance for the Arts, Fort Myers

Artists have always been at the forefront of cultural and technological shifts, responding to moments of transformation with vision, critique, and reinvention. This discussion moves beyond the surface-level debate of whether artists should embrace or resist AI. Instead, it will focus on how creatives navigate these shifts, challenge assumptions, and reshape cultural narratives in response to new technologies.

Panelists Include:
William Askew
Zan Lombardo
Damon Hall
Nathan Harper
Berry van Boekel

This is an opportunity for artists, designers, and creatives to engage in a conversation about the future of their craft in an AI-driven world. We’ll be discussing the intersection of art and technology, the role of the artist in a rapidly changing landscape, and what it means to create in an era where machine-generated work is becoming more prevalent.

For more details, visit artinlee.org. Looking forward to seeing you there.

The Designs That Didn’t Go Anywhere — But Still Deserve a Spotlight

As a creative professional, it’s part of the process: you pitch ideas, respond to proposals, and sometimes pour hours (or days) into mockups, edits, or prototypes to prove your skills. But every so often—more often than we’d like—these projects don’t move forward.

Whether it’s interviews that stall, bids that don’t get the contract, or designs that remain “concept-only,” the work doesn’t stop being valuable. I’ve built motion graphics, 3D models, video edits, emails, and more—most of which I’ve never shared because they were tucked away in the “throwaway” pile.

But this year, I’m flipping the script. If 2024 gave me hours of work that went unused, I can at least give it a platform.

Mock Designs That Deserve the Light of Day

Here are some of the projects I created this past year that didn’t go anywhere but showcase skills I’m proud of. Maybe they didn’t win the bid or land the deal, but they serve as proof of the effort, creativity, and technical expertise I bring to the table.

1. Graphic/Video Sample: Concept for a fashion company along with logo design and flyers.

2. 3D Model Mockup: Project intended for [describe briefly—e.g., product visualization, animation demo]

“Thank You, But No Thank You”

To the employers, collaborators, and clients who requested these mock designs: I appreciate the opportunity to flex my skills. However, I’m choosing to be more mindful of how my time and work are valued moving forward.

To future collaborators: let’s build together with clear intention. My portfolio speaks for itself, and I’m always ready to bring ideas to life.

For now, these “throwaways” get their moment to shine. Here’s to 2024’s effort, lessons learned, and better opportunities ahead.

If you’re looking for a creative partner with proven results (and a lot of experience making things happen, mock or real), feel free to contact me here! Let’s create work that does go somewhere.

The True Penny Penguin: A Story of Forgiveness and Acceptance

Once upon a time, there was an Author who wanted to release a children’s book. I was just a Illustrator…

Bernice Pollock a Carribean American spoke with an old friend and colleague of mine, an English Teacher and Poet by the name of Claudia Marcurio; who suggested Bernice to reach out to me.

After a delightful conversation we set off to create this children’s story The True Penny Penguin: A Story of Acceptance and Forgiveness…

The beauty of making a children’s book is simple:

1. Have a manuscript

2. Identify the most impactful imagery-based moments

3. conceptualize, those moments into illustrations

4. refine character designs, and the “world” with in the story

5. finalize each page illustration with the size of the book and composition, printing colors in mind.

6. don’t forget to edit the script!

That’s it for Illustrating!

as far as book design goes that’s where it gets to be a bit more technical.

7. design the cover for the size of the book, the spine is relative to the size of the book.

8. decide on the printing budget

9. find the right printer (I prefer local printers for a good standing relationship and avoid shipping costs)

10. choose print type, paper type and binding style.

11. submit the book and prepare for changes (have an active and open line of communication once printing starts you cant make changes)

12. enjoy your book!

from there it’s time to bring it to market.

there’s a-lot of ways to market a product, children’s book is no different. Any way to bring awareness to the product in a positive light is a good way to go. Even how a book is sold changes the how a book is sold.

for more tips and tricks reach out directly here!

A class on perspective

Event: Vibe & Paint at Cadeau Cafe - August 23rd, 2024

Exploring the different points of perspective in a landscape can be difficult. and although there is an astute difference between what is caught on camera and what is viewed from the human eye, it is equitable to a 50mm lens. Even this rule of thumb is not one that rules over aesthetic. Keeping this in mind it is important to remember that illustration and paintings based on reference or set contextual relations tell a story and purpose, that is to say there is a time to apply the governed standard and a time break them. in this small slide show we will give examples and references to a few of these perspectives and define the standards as projected.

Share some of you perspective illustrations with us for a shout out and feature!

Emor@artistemor.com

Happy Hunting,
Artist Emor

Im a 3D modeling teacher to young students and it weird.

This is where I can say ye’ol statement…. Back in My day! We didn’t have these opportunities, and its kinda scary, I had a integrated understanding of all of it based on video games growing up but I teach the whole of perspective and scaling of geometry and trigonometry on 3 relative axis along with trick virtual camera techniques. lighting, staging, composition, digital color theory, vector displacement and the use of alpha masks in the illusion of bump sequences. Top that with the animation principles and its a fast track to architectural visualization, game design, product design, Virtual special effects, and a new form digital contemporary art.

Yet my students excitedly take on these challenges and demand to get better faster.in this class of 12 the youngest is 5, this is terrifying to think of what they will be able to produce in their life time.

Heres a fun gift idea!

https://www.artistemor.com/merchandise/portraits

 Sept. 19 2021 - Sept. 29, 2021.

Portraits are $20 dollars

Shipping is included (Free). 

Send in the photo you would like transformed in to a pencil portrait (8.5” x 11”).

Share a post letting people know this Event is happening.

Share the work with friends and family and myself once you receive it.

The Artist Emor Affect: Three business qualities

I work with clients of different needs visually making my projects dynamic. one client may need a 2D visual guide and another a 3D animation or even a visual representation of a product. Project management is extremely important in that regard, through my meetings with professionals in the fields I work in I have insights to their hurdles and obstacles and can develop work arounds. I think community engagement is very important regardless of the industry we find ourselves, it allows for one to define what is what and who is who more importantly what is lacking and needs support and development. Skill development is often shaped by peer, mentor, fellowship review, this allows one to gauge their faults and better direct conduct aiming more for excellence. with the proper skill and know how, with understanding the community, ones resources can be optimized for quality and quantity. I came across a question recently that asked, “what three qualities does your business run on?” and for the first time since the official launch 5 years ago, I was able to summarize it.

-Community Engagement-

-Resource Acquisition-

-Skill Development-

A-bit of Irony: it comes down to my early childhood and love for gaming, Japanese Role Playing Games often are summarized in their game mechanics with those three pillars in mind.

In a recent meeting it was dubbed the ”Artist Emor Affect”

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What are 3 of your business qualities and how were the influenced?

A look at 3D and its place in visual marketing.

I had a great chat with director/illustrator Randy Glance in the evening about the state of 3D design software. Comparing programs like Adobe Dimension, 3DsMax, Adobe Aero, Blender were just a few of we spoke about. Contrasting and gauging user interface vs the learning curve was how we came to judge them respectively.

Randy’s experiences with product visualization, augmented reality and juxtaposed illustration, gives him a great intuitive insight on how to create and manipulate assets. Through a quick demonstration, Randy was able to showcase a whole line of virtual products on to preloaded assets and product packaging via Adobe Dimension. We discussed the efficiency but also the limitations. I was inspired with the nature of this talk. During the conversation we went over the features in Blender that allowed for much more immersive design. The process of forming mesh and creating texture with color and bump and displacement to emulate true texture with out disrupting the form of an object, and even a physics sImulator and light. The learning curve is higher on blender as each section of the program alters the tools and layouts of the interface.

Dragon!!! - Text cloaked with a plane (Cloth Physics) (Glass Texture)

The example above “Dragon!!!” was a 15 minute run through on some of Blender features, during our conversation.

We did discuss augmented reality with the Adobe Aero and both feel the limitations out weigh the benefits, as files can only be viewed through the Aero mobile app from our experience. The upside is that augmented reality programs run through a series image tracking techniques which potentially makes it easy to work around in posterity, for example video editing.

Other programs like 3DsMax, are also pretty good but can be a pricy subscription. But blender is open source and has become wildly efficient, also 3DsMax is not available for the Mac OS and we both use that regularly.

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If you would like to learn more about, or see the work of Randy Glance Check out his website linked here:

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Bonus: Blenders versatility makes it ideal for not only product design, but also sarcastic memes. From a role playing game stand point, what is a “Blue Potion” other than magic Viagra.

If you would like to learn how to model a similar bottle I suggest following @iltean on instagram

How to make a glass bottle

Blue Potion No. 9 - Low Poly Design

Updates this passing month and next. (Feb - March)

As some might have noticed there has been a complete overhaul to the websites layout. I am shifting towards more 3D and digital illustration/animation. I find more interest in the versatility of 3D models and digital work. This year also marks my 3rd, working with 3D modeling programs and animating and I feel comfortable enough to showcase that.

I work in Blender 2.91 making animations and product visualization with voxel concept art. Two on going projects I am involved in are with Verge, the crypto coin currency and Sticks and Stones Gaming, the gaming review company.

Those project entail:

• Verge - Low poly 3D loop animations.
  vergecurrency.com

• Sticks and Stones Gaming - Animated intro for their video review series
  Here is one of there reviews on YouTube

Both Projects are projected to be finished in the next week. I am looking forward to working on a few more project to work in the near future.

Artist Emor's artshop ep: 6 Michele R. Leslie, To paint and To Stream, its not a question?

Michele R. Leslie, painter and streamer from SWFL. Michele has a way around color and subject management. After supporting the art/gaming community around her, is currently finding her voice in the field of the arts. Both bold and heartfelt, Michele follows a classic style of painting mixed in with digital media and streaming the process through and through. It is easy to become entranced at her style and work flow, focused on minuet details, Michele’s painting seem to engross the viewer in hypnosis. even to go as far as to encourage me in to series of landscapes, a challenge I proposed and have been circulating around. This is Micheles first time making prints for a series hosted at artistemor.com/giftshop im very excited to share her with you all on todays episode of Artist Emor’s ArtShop From 10Am- 12Pm EST at Twitch.tv/Artist_emor

Donations and Sponsorship: Artist Emor's ArtShop

“Castel-town” illustrated during the 5th episode of “Artist Emor’s ArtShop”

I am excited to announce I am taking donations to sponsor, “Artist Emor’s ArtShop”, this series focusing on creatives in different industries. Interviewing guests with unique insights to their fields. It’s already been 5 whole episodes! This has already grown much bigger than I anticipated! With such an amazing response from the viewership and the guest, business owners and fans.

It is inspiring me to do so much more, than I have currently. You’re support is amazing, and I thank you greatly!

There are three way to support this show.

Donations are accepted:
artistemor.com/artshop

purchases at the gift shop:
https://www.artistemor.com/giftshop

watching and sharing and participating the show itself:
Twitch.tv/artist_emor

Thanks a-lot!

"Artist Emor's ArtShop" Episode 5: 'The Life After Series' with Author, Amanda Fasciano

Amanda Fasciano, Author of several concurrent books, Waking Up Dead, Dead Vessel, Dead Show
(all links lead to corresponding book on amazon). Will be this Saturdays guest, her series follow a protagonist who’s life was lost, and simply trying to make sense and purpose post-mortum. Amanda her self, is very involved in sci-fi, lore & mythology, and gaming. together with her husband Anthony Fasciano they plays, review, and sells table top games under the banner, Table Top Misfits.

Exploring the concepts of fictional writing, influence and execution, vending at conventions and really focusing to narrowing in on the demographic that enjoys the work she creates will be just a few of the topics we tackle this Saturday Jan. 23rd 2021 from 10Am-12Pm EST on “Artist Emor’s ArtShop”

Amanda Fasciano's website
Twitter: @cymberleigh
Instagram: @AmandaFascianoAuthor
Email: afasciano337@gmail.com

OK! Ep. 4 of the "Artist Emor's ArtShop" Magnificent News!

For Ep. 4 The guest is SAG-AFTRA (The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) Member, Owner of FireCreek Entertainment, LJ Ugarte.

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FireCreek Ent. Llc. is Also, the First Sponsor for this Series. Electing that the portrait done during the stream is in LJ’s Likeness.

Featured in many great Films such as “Attraction man”, “Gornos”, “Shut Up, You!”.

LJ will be blessing us with grand stories on and off the set, how to break into the motion picture industry, how to be come associated with different companies, collecting royalties on licensed and leased work, and importantly filing paperwork, and even more so than that, how to support and uplift the Communities around us so that same community supports our.

Join us on Twitch Saturday Jan. 16th 2021, from 10am-12pm.
For this Very Special Episode!

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Social Media and IMBD sources can be found below.

LJ Ugarte
FireCreek Entertainment (website)
Facebook: FireCreek Entertainment

Instagram: LJ Ugarte
Twitter: Lj Ugarte

instagram: FireCreek Entertaiment
Twitter: FireCreek Entertainment

Reminder: Its All About The Little things We Consume/ Extrude Along The Way...

This past Weekend has been a blast… But not without it normal rebounds. Doing a live interview where I learned a lot and got to catch up with a friend and colleague, attending my nieces birthday party where I lead them in a painting activity (we painted bird houses), booked halve of the guest list for ARTIST EMOR’S ART SHOP, and did a draft for the Pixar’s Soul contest album cover… and “IT” HIT me like a smothering pillow in the face during a wonderful dream… Imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome - “Imposter syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. 'Imposters' suffer from chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that override any feelings of success or external proof of their competence.” - as defined by a quick google search

-the link describes the best series of steps to overcome it, provided by the Harvard Business Resource, but that's my personal stance-
- ARTIST EMOR

I found that for me personally, it comes down to how I have seen my circumstance and up until just a few years ago, lived in a sense of dread and regret, overthinking, reflecting on what bothers me more than, simply enjoying the act of being… there is a symphony of feelings that happens during those moments… and when the music stops abruptly. all that is left, is the longing for more, like the readjustments walking in from a bright summer day, our eyes crave the light, hence everything goes dark; for a time, and its during that time that we can reflect positively, and take what we have learned and apply those experiences to our futures, changing what seems to be silence… in to a new bases for potentially, hopefully, a symphony of the night.

i’d like to hear how you have over come such thoughts and feelings.
leave a comment below or simply email me.
emor@artistemor.com

Artist Emor's ArtShop: Ep 3. Synopsis

Our guest John D. Contradiction (@JohnDwho). Took the liberty of stopping by as I worked on a Portrait of @motivation_es and her Pup. Dropping wonderful Gems about Breathing emotion in to art and music, developing marketing strategies, staying humble and helpful, yet being confident and taking hold by accepting the situations we cannot change, nearly a tear jerker. birthing several groups like @NotYaManz @SticksandStonesGaming and really carrying this generational curse of cynicism into a much more helpful and positive way.

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Check Out the Full Episode Below:

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artist_emor went live on Twitch. Catch up on their Talk Shows & Podcasts VOD now.

Links provided here:

www.notyamanz.com

Instagram:

@notyamanz

@johndwho

@StickandStonesgaming

2021 - Jan. 7 Reinventing Oneself

As the old saying goes, “don’t put your eggs in one basket” i’ve always felt have been a bit limited. I believe a follow up should had, but i’m not one to force words into metaphors that are unrelatable… But that is the point isn’t it? all skills sets are relative in the core and fundamental design.

For example, I moved in the field of teaching art and illustration, after I was recognized well enough as a illustrator/Artist. I moved in to the realm of project/marketing management after I was recognized well enough to lead campaigns and gain an audience and provide and service and product while working with in cell groups. but all these skills I all developed through my passions studying video games, illustration, animation and the fields that bind them mixed in with on the job training.

as such I gained more than anything else the confidence to do more than what I initially imagined. re Inventing oneself is less about what we can do, and more about having the confidence to acknowledge what we have already done. and how we can apply that confidence in a new direction.

My big secret for deciding that new direction, Is Coffee Watching the SunSet.

After many many many... many videos. I started a youtube channel!

Because of a ton of circumstances I made video after video that I never posted, couldn’t post, couldn’t share, this isn’t even the first one!
but it was the one that I enjoyed, and was a great tester, and had some original design ideas that im still fiddling with today. Initially the project roughly dubbed, RED CAP, I changed the name to Ti Milo, a ode to my oldest brother who passed before I ever truly got to know him. I figured its a good way to honor the ideas my family held of him, and also to explore this grey area of story telling. something rowdy, ruff, but innocent and calming. a story with out words in a way…

Artist Emor's ArtShop

artist_emor went live on Twitch. Catch up on their Art VOD now.

Here on ArtShop, I bring on Guests from different creative industries to speak about their crafts, where they see themselves within that field. Here is ep. 2

This week we have Emuche Nwaigwe.

Illustrator, Director, producer.

https://emuchenwaigwe.com

Hey... Its been a while, lots have happened.

First off: Happy New Years!

this animation was a small lesson I taught to an elementary class.

voiced over by my family.

in short we made home videos!

the illustration was made in Inkscape, and animation done in blender.