Comic Strips are BACK!

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I’m very happy to announce, starting today we’ve launched our new weekly comic strips.  They can be seen on our blogger and Instagram accounts every Sunday.  Each strip features Stanley, Natasha and friends in new adventures.  Coming up in just a couple of weeks, along with the Stanley Squirrel comic strips, we’re also launching our new limited line of our very own Fairytale Land strips.  These strips will feature Alice, Red Riding Hood, Cheshire Cat, the Muffin Man and SO many more.

So every Sunday, sit back, grab your cup of Joe or milk and enjoy a new adventure on either our:

Please also feel free to share, comment and like the strips.

“Out Of Reality” Exhibit

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We’re ringing in Summer with a BLAST of bright colors and art!!  June 22-23, I’m very honored to announce we’re setting up our NEW pop up cartoon art gallery “Out Of Reality” at Avant Cycle Cafe in downtown Lake Geneva WI. (the loft).  We’re taking over the entire floor.

Why does Avant Cycle Cafe sound familiar?  This past February, we hosted or first pop up cartoon art gallery there with great success.  We had a lot of people asking if we’re going to be permanent there, but, because it’s a coffee house, we only rented it out for the weekend.  Just like we did again for this June 22-23.  I’m HONORED to be bringing back our exhibit to Avant.

Out of Reality, a Cartoon Art Exhibit is what it sounds like.  We’d like you to leave reality at the door, but open up your imagination.  These aren’t just pictures on a canvas or print.  Each piece has a story tied to it making it what it is.  For instance you may see Red Ridinghood holding up a skunk or Stanley Squirrel snooping around a tree looking like he’s looking for something.  There’s a reason these things are happening.  Use your imagination to why these things are happening OR, ask me at the exhibit and I’ll tell you why I created that piece and the story behind them.

Our animations are created in what I call “digital cel animation”.  This is where we draw out each frame by hand BUT, color them up digitally on the computer.  Since we’re drawing with pencil and paper, we have originals.  I’m honored to be working with former Disney animator Rick Farmiloe who’s worked on films such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, the Little Mermaid and MANY others.  A few of the original frames by Rick are going to be displayed of an animation we’re working on together for the studio.  What makes these pieces different from anything else we’re exhibiting is, these help bring the movie to life on screen.  In addition, we’ll have some of the original backgrounds currently being used which were all created with watercolors (HAND PAINTED).  Due to the size of the original paintings and wall space, I’m have smaller prints made up of the backgrounds to display easier.

Ever want to see how a comic book or comic strip is created?  We’ll have a “how too” section where we give you 4 main bullet points in how we create comic strips and books with a few of our comic strips on display.

Of course we’re going to have our cartoon matted prints, original hand coloring, crochet plushies and new glass figurines available for sale for you to take home and enjoy.  Each piece of art will be signed.

Finally, something I’m working on if we have the space.  I’d like to take things one step further.  Both days of the exhibit, I’d like to hand color an original piece from start to finish for you to check out and see how I color AND some of the techniques I’ve come up with to bring the characters to life using markers.  So Coloring With Jeff LIVE! (our Facebook live episodes) will be…..live at the exhibit both days.  Keep posted here on our blog and on our Facebook event page (HERE) for updates.

I hope you can make it out that weekend or one of the days that weekend to celebrate the beginning of Summer with us.  If you can make it out, click the day or days you’re going to attend and hit “going” next to those days on our FB event page.  This helps us keep a count.

OH YEAH, did I mention this is a FREE event?  True story.

eGift Cards are HERE!

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2019 is all about “the first times” and moving forward.  Today, we’ve started offering in our web store: BalkeStudiosArt.com, our first eGift cards.  You choose the amount you’d like to put on the card and you choose the design of the card.  Oh, and NO SHIPPING required!

What makes these cards even more awesome (besides being Balke Studios eGift Cards), is they never expire and you can reload them at anytime.  We do ask that you put a minimum of $5 on the cards.  That’s it..that’s the only catch.

You can also post date the cards to be sent to the recipient.  Pretty sweet huh?  So in other words, if you purchased a card today for Mothers Day, you can have it sent to the recipient email on May 12th (Mothers Day).  All they have to do is use it starting on that day you picked.  That’s it.

Order your eGift card today: HERE

 

Coloring With JEFF is BACK!

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After having a little time off, I’m very happy to announce that the new episodes Coloring With Jeff LIVE! are BACK on our Facebook page, Wednesdays starting at 7pm (central).  I’m introducing new b/w pieces which have never been hand colored before featuring some of our NEW characters.

Coloring With Jeff LIVE! is exactly what it sounds like.  You tune into our Facebook page starting at 7pm (central time) on Wednesdays and enjoy watching some b/w pieces come to life with markers as I color each one right in front of you LIVE!  But you don’t have to sit there and just watch.  No no.  It’s LIVE!  So you can ask me questions and interact with others who are watching too.  And, every so often I do a give a way during the live episodes of original hand colored pieces.  Not every week, but here and there.

If you were interested in purchasing the actual piece I’m coloring LIVE!, you can order it (first come first serve) on our online store: www.balkestudiosart.com under the “As Seen On…” section.  What makes that piece so much different than just purchasing a print is that you got to see it colored with your own eyes and come to life.  There’s only 1 in existence and you’ll have it.

So I hope to see you on Wednesdays starting at 7pm on our Facebook page.  Please feel free to share that video at anytime during the episode too.

 

Making Some Room

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2019 is in full swing and it’s time to start making some room.  Meaning, we have a sale going on!

We’re starting to cut down on all the prints we offer.  Oh, don’t get me wrong, we’re still going to offer some.  Just not as many sizes.  So starting with our 11×17 prints, those are all discontinued.  The quantities we have for each, is it (5 or under).  They feature some of our characters as they are AND some who have dressed up in cosplay as some of their favorite characters.  Check out our online store HERE.

ALL of the 11×17 prints are just $8ea with only $3 shipping on your TOTAL order.  So if your order is $8 or $80.  You’re only paying $3 for shipping.  This shipping deal goes for EVERYTHING in the store, not just the 11×17’s.  PLUS, as an extra thank you for reading our blog, I’m want to give you an EXTRA 20%OFF your total purchase with this discount code: 20OFF4U
You can use this code is on EVERYTHING in the store, not just for the discontinued prints.  But you can use it for those too.  The code expires March 1st.  So don’t wait too long to stock up.

Every so often we’ll throw in little deals or give a ways for people who read our blog.  Just as a little thank you for taking the time out of your day to check us out.

Exhibit in Review

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First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who came out to our first cartoon art gallery exhibit this past weekend in downtown Lake Geneva. It was a success. Everyone seemed to enjoy the exhibit and atmosphere. Well common, it was above a coffee house. What’s not to like (hehe)?

Feb 1-3rd marked out very first gallery exhibit featuring our own characters and art from the studio. Since this being our first one, we really didn’t know what to expect. To our surprise, we were pretty busy Saturday and Sun. Friday was a little slower because that entire week we had -50 degree wind chills and businesses and schools were closed until Friday when it warmed up. So everyone was “back to normal”.

Saturday, we actually had people waiting to come upstairs and check out the exhibit (we were on the entire second floor of the coffee house). That’s a great feeling. Seeing people’s eyes widen when I tell them about how we create animation and seeing them laugh/chuckle at the comic strips on the wall, really gives you a warm fuzzy inside. Sunday was pretty much the same. A lot more kids though. Seeing the kids get inspired with our “process” of how we create comic strips is inspiring to me.

People measure success in many different ways. For me, it’s seeing how people react to what we’ve created, were they asking questions and seem interested in what we are creating? I had a lot of questions asking about who this character is or what’s the story behind this scene. To me, that’s something you can’t put a price tag on.

To sum up the entire weekend in two words. It ROCKED! We had such a great time and met a lot of new people.

Would this be something I’m willing to do again? ABSOLUTELY! Maybe next time, closer to YOU!

Cartoon Art Gallery

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I’m honored to announce, for the first time ever, we’re hosting our very first Cartoon Art Gallery Feb 1-3. This event is to give you a little glimpse of the “behind the scenes” of how we put together an animation and some of the original art and backgrounds we use to do it.

Most animation now is done digitally and in 3D. However, we create our animations in 2D both with CEL and what I call, digital cel animation. What’s the difference?
Cel Animation: every cel or frame is hand drawn and painted (like the classic Disney movies)
Digital Cel Animation: every frame is hand drawn but colored digitally

What I’m going to show you, is how WE put together an animation and some never before seen sketches and backgrounds of current animations in progress. In addition you’ll also see some of our first comic strips blown up (so you can see them easier) and, pages from our first kids book coming out this Summer featuring our Fairytaleland characters.

The gallery is being hosted at Avant Cycle Cafe in downtown Lake Genava. We have an event page created on our FB page. For more info and updates, please check out our page and event page.

I now not everyone can make it out to the event due to distance. Which is why I’m going to do a live video right before we open the gallery so you can also check it out and be part of the event. This is a FREE event for everyone and I hope, if you’re in the area, you can make it.

Out with the Old and in with the AWESOMENESS!

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2019 is just around the corner, and things are getting REALLY exciting!  Of course we have to survive New Years Eve first.  But right after, everything get’s kicked into high gear here at the studios.  Not only do we have a great schedule coming up for conventions, but in Feb, we kick off our “tour” with our very first Pop Up Cartoon Art Gallery featuring art never before seen by Jeff Balke Studios.

January 1st is a WHOLE new chapter for the studio.  Since I started the studio in 2015, I was trying to work on two careers.  Comic book coloring (which I’ve worked in for over 12 years professionally) and animation.  To say the least, it didn’t work.  I was being pulled away from the studio and my characters focusing on “superhero prints” and making sure I get sales.  But not anymore.  Of course I still want to make sales but with my own characters and art.  I want to let the world know that we’re here.  One way to do that is to go to different conventions across the country and have a presents letting people physically see and buy our art.  Outside of conventions, I do have a few ideas up my sleeve which are being worked on, such as our first Pop Up Art Gallery coming in February (I’ll talk about that in more detail in another blog).

I also want to say THANK YOU to all of you who has supported us.  With all your comments, shares, likes and so on, it really means a lot to me.  Without you guys, I wouldn’t be able to do what I LOVE.  2019 is going to be that year where we BOOM and come out of our shell.  We’re going to cross over our comfort zone and just “DO IT”!

Happy New Year and I look forward to seeing you in 2019.

Gearing up for 2019

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This past weekend was our final convention for 2018.  Now it’s time to get things ready and going for 2019.  Next year we’re stepping over the boundaries of our comfort zone and going all in, doing then asking questions later.  That may sound kind of odd, but sometimes you need to do the scary things in order to get things going.

In addition to the conventions we’re attending next year, we’re going to have a pretty big year on our YouTube channel.  We have a couple of different series we’re creating including moving our popular Sketch Coloring™ LIVE! episodes from our Facebook page to YouTube.  If you haven’t already subscribed to our channel, please click here: JEFF BALKE STUDIOS YOUTUBE CHANNEL and subscribe so you don’t miss out on any of the shows.  This also includes any animations we have and commercials.

So much changing and coming next year, we need this time off from conventions to get it all organized.

I also want to say THANK YOU to all of you for a great 2018.

PopSockets

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Popsockets are the most popular gadget for your phone.  They make it easier to hold (taking the pressure off your wrist) while talking on it, texting, video chatting or even propping it up so you can watch videos.

They work for all phones and you can switch them out easily to showcase your favorite characters.  Like our little guys.  We’ve teamed up with Amazon and have been accepted to start selling our very own Popsockets featuring our characters.  Below is what one of them looks like (there are 9 different ones to choose from).

Order your very own Jeff Balke Studios Popsockets today on our Amazon page.

If you have Amazon Prime, shipping is FREE!