​
This Insider Wants to Help Artists Build Thriving Careers with a Little Help from Technology
Dan Flores made his first mark on Atlanta around 1995, when a friend suggested he show his art portfolio to a tattoo shop owner and see about getting a job. After serving in the U.S. Marines for four years, Dan had been dishwashing and driving a forklift, but had never inked a tattoo in his life. He had, however, been putting pen to paper and making art since as long as he could remember. He sketched a sample logo for the shop owner, got his first tattoo, and landed a job as an apprentice.

Fast forward to today and Dan has a thriving career as a painter, illustrator, and graphic designer, producing everything from large-scale paintings to comic books and graphic novels. He’ll still ink the occasional tattoo for friends, but chooses now to focus solely on the art that he personally wants to create. Equipped with his go-to Surface Pro and Surface Pen, Dan sees technology as playing an important role in his success--both with creating digital art and keeping the business side of things smoothly humming. For many artists, he’s reached the equivalent of the Holy Grail: he’s a working artist passionate about his practice.

“People say ‘starving artist,’ like somehow you should suffer for the right to live your life doing the thing that you like to do,” Dan says. “And to some extent, that's the trade-off that we're all willing to make. But it doesn't have to be that way, because there's so much commerce already based on art.”

As a way to give back to the community that nurtured him as a young artist, Dan started a nonprofit called Art Is King. “Our focus is to help emerging artists connect their talents to the art business,” Dan says. “We help them learn a process that allows them to talk about their work to clients and set a fair price before agreeing to do any work. So that at the end of the day, the artist has provided a service and they've gotten paid for their work, and it's a good, happy exchange with the client and a great relationship.”

Art Is King hosts free meetups and a 6-month program covering a range of practical topics, including soft skills, business skills, and how artists can leverage technology to boost their careers. Dan emphasizes that having a digital portfolio--even something as simple as an Instagram account--is a basic must for promoting and archiving work. Other tech tools like OneNote and OneDrive are essential for staying organized and capturing and processing ideas on the go.
“I try to show my mentees and interns how technology can make your life easier,” Dan says. “Because everybody has a smartphone--you're walking around with a computer in your hand--you have tools that can make it easy for you to structure your information so that others can work with you, collaborate, follow through, etc.”

“I always have my Surface Pro with me, because having a full, real computer and a drawing tablet, puts together both sides of the business: the creative side and the business side. Being organized is a big, big deal for me. And I learned this from my wife. I was organized before, but she's a real analytical person. The calendar is number one. If you don't know what you're doing tomorrow, then you're not taking care of your life the way you should.”
“Not everybody's the same. But I share those resources, I share my methods, and then I ask the artists I work with to put it into practice whichever way works for them.”

Continuing his mission of “boosting a robust, successful, and thriving arts community,” Dan recently led the creation of the Azteca Moderno mural, a collaborative art installation that serves as part of a revitalization initiative for downtown Atlanta.

“Atlanta is a city of diversity and inclusion,” Dan wrote recently in his blog, describing how he was inspired by his Chicano heritage to reinterpret Aztec myth into a story for the present day. The Mexican and LatinX population have steadily grown from the Buford Hwy Corridor to south of Hartsfield Airport--proof that given a chance, our cultures can thrive together in harmony.”

“The Aztec characters have creative tools like pencils, pens and markers instead of weapons. We are in charge of creating our futures now.”

Editor’s Note: Daniel “DTM” Flores was the winner of the Windows Insiders In Action: Giving Back contest. He is a Mexican-American (Chicano) working artist with a 20-year career in digital and traditional arts and a founding member of the non-profit organization Art Is King. You might also recognize Dan from an episode of The Walking Dead on AMC and other movies and TV shows where he’s been featured as a mean looking dude. Connect with him at @DeltaTangoMike on Instagram or check out the YouTube channel of Art is King, for more on boosting the business side of art.
​

Written by Kristie Wang for Microsoft Windows Insider 

I finally got a chance to update my #DrawDaily2017 with all the drawings from 2017, drawn with @SketchableApp and @Windows10 @Microsoft @Surface Pro 4

Here are some of my favorites, visit the link and let me know which you like best.
http://www.deltatangomike.com/draw-daily-2017.html

I also posted everyday on instagram.com/drawdaily2017
and if you're a pro, you can check me out on behance.net/dacreativegenius

PS. I am tempted to do it again in 2019, but there has to be a twist. will think about it. #webcomic ​

​The call for Art for the 2018-2019 Art, Beats + Lyrics Art Exhibit Tour was open and I submitted my design: two Aztec characters holding a boombox. 

Very simple and to the point. The wall design was to convince the curator to give me some room to paint my classic Azteca Moderno illustrations. 

​I got the call a few weeks later that my art was selected. I was asked to prepare the artwork in vector format because instead of a wall, my art was going to grace the sides of a cube lit from the inside. 

That immediately got my creativity flowing and I decided that I would redesign the initial characters and bring in three more characters and create a long composition that would wrap around the cube. 

​I had the cube template. 

Three solid sides and one side that was split in half. I wasn't sure how I was going to make the illustrations flow but after sketching out each individual character on Sketchable App, I exported each piece and played around with the design on Adobe Illustrator. 

​I presented the sketch and it was immediately approved. I thought to myself that from this point I would need only a few hours to create the final illustration. 

Since I needed a vector illustration for the final design, I decided to work in Adobe Illustrator Draw on my iPad Pro so I can later export the pieces and make adjustments in Adobe Illustrator. 

​Aztec Warrior, classic character of the Aztec Empire.

What I thought was going to take me a few hours, became 30 hours of work. I focused on the detail because the final design was going to be on a cube that measured 3 feet by 3 feet on each side, that meant that every bit of color and line work would be clearly seen. So I had to really show out! ​

The full complete Azteca Moderno 2018 for ABL Art Exhibit Tour. ​

Look for the #AztecaModerno installation in the upcoming Art, Beats + Lyrics art exhibit, take pictures and tag me on instagram: @DELTATANGOMIKE ​

GET THE GEAR! https://society6.com/product/tezcatlipoca-old-school-hip-hop_stretched-canvas
And next time you are in ATL, ask me for a free sticker.  

I enjoy drawing comic book superheroes and the opportunity to create a mural design based on Marvel and DC characters was a too awesome to not make the best group shot I have ever drawn!

12 characters total: Wonder Woman, Batman, Hulk, Fantastic Four, Cyborg, Flash, Aquaman, Supes and Captain America.

My process begins with Sketchable App on the Surface Pro 4. I start with a sketch and build the drawing little by little, I like the flexibility of drawing in layers with very easy to use tools like the pencil and ink.

First layer is composition and anatomy. Second layer is line cleanup. Third layer is detail. Then comes the flat colors, shadows, highlights and a few extra layers for deeper shadows. I keep each character in their own layer so I can move them around for the best fit and composition.

​I had an idea for the overall look and feel, but it takes a bit of experimentation to get a good look. I spent at least 10 hours, a little bit at a time, mainly on Sketchable and then finished on Adobe Photoshop. ​

And then 9 hours painting, whew!!!

Valere Studios spent four days in Atlanta interviewing me in the studio and around town. 

"DTM combines his Mexican heritage (from the murals of East LA to the stories of the Aztec Empire) with his passion for comic books (Batman, Frank Frazetta, Simon Bisley). "

Since arriving in Atlanta right before the Olympics. I have found my art style, between bold comic art and realistic features, and my message. The message is simple, the retelling of the Aztec Gods. 

This short film tells a bit of that story. 

Follow Valere Studios:
https://www.facebook.com/valerestudios/ 
https://twitter.com/valerestudios 
https://instagram.com/valerestudios 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF6PkldtaU5WVLHb4HhqYKg 

More on DTM 
​DTM - The Best in the Biz
@DeltaTangoMike
http://www.deltatangomike.com/
http://www.dacreativegenius.com/
https://www.behance.net/dacreativegenius

Day 7 Of 7 Day #DigitalChallenge w Microsoft Surface Pro 4 and Surface Pen 


Day 7 of 7 Day #DigitalChallenge is here and we are drawing with the top device in the list of drawing tablets I own.

I have been drawing on 7 different devices on 7 different days show that we do not need the most expensive tools to create impactful art, Even in the digital space, there are different levels of access to tools for every budget.

Link to the channel here: www.youtube.com/c/Vectormaestros
Subscribe and turn on notifications, you do not want to miss!!!!

Day 1: https://youtu.be/Q6bkS-4pHF8 n
Day 2: https://youtu.be/AfWrHfsDhgg
Day 3: https://youtu.be/8jsziRcWFfA
Day 4: https://youtu.be/yJimb8nF2Rk
Day 5: https://youtu.be/LNuWJCMkGf0
Day 6: https://youtu.be/1wH_XHQ-Lz8 

Many years ago, way before the Surface line of tablets, I approached the Microsoft Store to feature some drawing sessions on their devices. I do not recall what drawing tablet Microsoft was selling but they agreed to host a couple of drawing demos.

I had never drawn digitally at this point!

I have been working with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop since 2001/2002 but had not taken the opportunity to draw on the screen. I did own an HP laptop that had a pen enabled screen when I started with Illustrator, but it never occurred to me to draw with it. I do no know why.

In any case, those demo days at the Microsoft Store in 2011 were my first time trying to draw digitally. The store had some devices and I remember using a Samsung tablet running windows, I drew on the basic drawing app, I think this was Windows 7. Windows 8 was coming and it was called Metro at that time.

Then the Surface drops and I know I want one! By then I had started to work with my Wacom Bamboo tablet and got familiar with current tools enough to realize that the best tablets were the ones that came with a pen.

By the time the Surface 3 was on the market, I was ready to buy one at full price. The next year the iPad Pro came to the market and now it was a race for the soul of an artist!

Since 2016 I have owned both, the iPad Pro and the Surface Pro 4 and my admiration for both machines is still strong. I do not have a preference of one over the other, however, I do see the value in each machine and their capabilities to help me produce the art I need.

I still own a Surface Pro 4, the one on this video is a 16GB RAM, i7 Processor and 500GB SSD. More than enough power to help me with my work in the Adobe Creative Cloud including Premiere, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Audition and of course, Sketchable App.

Follow my work at @DeltaTangoMike
Illustrator, designer, art biz coach and curator.
behance.net/dacreativegenius
instagram.com/deltatangomike

Follow Vector Maestros
instagram.com/vectormaestros

#SamsungNote10 #SamsungNote5 #DellVenue8 #SurfacePro4 #iPadAir2 #iPadPro #Cintiq21UX #HPprodesk And that means #Windows10 #Android #ios @sketchableapp #AdobeDraw #AdobeSketch #iLikeToDraw #ArtLifeAllDay #DTM #ATL #DigitalArtist #DrawDaily #CreatedWithSurface #MySurface #AztecaModerno #DailyIllustrations #YouTubeLive #Bamboo #Wacom #Adobe #Sketchable

Day 6 of 7 Day #DigitalChallenge is all about Adobe Sketch and Adobe Draw, 2 free awesome apps for sketching and drawing that lead to a professional illustration.
https://youtu.be/1wH_XHQ-Lz8 

I am drawing on 7 different devices on 7 different days. A lot of times we think that we need better/pricier tools to create the art our talents deserve but the reality is we can create impactful art with very simple tools, even in the digital space.

Link to the channel here: www.youtube.com/c/Vectormaestros
Subscribe and turn on notifications, you do not want to miss!!!!

Day 1: https://youtu.be/Q6bkS-4pHF8 

Day 2: https://youtu.be/AfWrHfsDhgg
Day 3: https://youtu.be/8jsziRcWFfA
Day 4: https://youtu.be/yJimb8nF2Rk
Day 5: https://youtu.be/LNuWJCMkGf0

Ever since the iPad made it to the market, I knew I had to get my hands on one and try to draw with it! By then I already owned and had tried to draw with, a Bamboo Tablet by Wacom. I say I tried, it was a very rough start to my digital drawing training.

As time went on, I admired the iPad from afar and got my hands on a Samsung Note 10 and then a Note 10.1 and discovered how well made the Note was.

Eventually, I started collecting devices and aftermarket pens to draw digitally, pens from Adonit and Wacom, but nothing really worked well with the iPad.

I’ve had the iPad 2, the iPad Air, the iPad mini and finally: the iPad Pro. Once I heard that Apple was finally releasing the iPad Pro, I was ready to draw with some of the best apps in the App Store including Adobe Draw and Adobe Sketch.

I am still enjoying myself!

Follow my work at @DeltaTangoMike
Illustrator, designer, art biz coach and curator.
behance.net/dacreativegenius
instagram.com/deltatangomike

Follow Vector Maestros
instagram.com/vectormaestros

Day 5 of 7 Day #DigitalChallenge is all about Adobe Draw and Adobe Sketch on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5.
https://youtu.be/MNsvM4xSlHY 

Link to the channel here: www.youtube.com/c/Vectormaestros
Subscribe and turn on notifications, you do not want to miss!!!!

Day 1: https://youtu.be/Q6bkS-4pHF8 Day 2: https://youtu.be/AfWrHfsDhgg
Day 3: https://youtu.be/8jsziRcWFfA
Day 4: https://youtu.be/yJimb8nF2Rk 
Day 5: https://youtu.be/MNsvM4xSlHY 

I remember when the first Samsung Note came out, I wanted one so I could draw on my phone! My digital illustration path had not yet started and I knew that drawing on the Note would give me creative freedom at anytime I felt like drawing.

I was able to walk into the AT&T store by the time the Note 2 was in stores, and get me a new one since my contract was up. My satisfaction was a bit short lived as every year the smartphone technology has continued to expand to the point that drawing on a phone is not the novelty it once was. 

Currently I own several Note phones, I collect them really. I want the ability to draw on the go, quick and easy, right out of my pocket. I want to be able to sketch out my ideas before I forget them. And if I use Adobe Draw and Adobe Sketch on the Note and export to Adobe Illustrator then I can finish an illustration for a client!

Get you a Samsung Note off craigslist, facebook marketplace, anywhere you can and get to drawing, they are cheap now!
Also, the pen I am using is the Bamboo Pen for Samsung Note tablets and smartphones by Wacom. It is worth every penny!

Follow my work at @DeltaTangoMike
Illustrator, designer, art biz coach and curator.
behance.net/dacreativegenius
instagram.com/deltatangomike

Follow Vector Maestros
instagram.com/vectormaestros
Stay tuned, subscribe and turn on notifications because this week I will be drawing everyday with a different digital tool. A lot of times we think that we need better/pricier tools to create the art our talents deserve but the reality is we can create impactful art with very simple tools, even in the digital space including

#SamsungNote10 #SamsungNote5 #DellVenue8 #SurfacePro4 #iPadAir2 #iPadPro #Cintiq21UX #HPprodesk And that means #Windows10 #Android #ios @sketchableapp #AdobeDraw #AdobeSketch #iLikeToDraw #ArtLifeAllDay #DTM #ATL #DigitalArtist #DrawDaily #CreatedWithSurface #MySurface #AztecaModerno #DailyIllustrations #YouTubeLive #Bamboo #Wacom #Adobe #Sketchable

​Day 4 of 7 Day #DigitalChallenge continues with the big timer Cintiq 21UX by Wacom and the HP ProDesk lil machine with Windows 10 
https://youtu.be/yJimb8nF2Rk 

I will be drawing on @SketchableApp  
Link to the channel here: www.youtube.com/c/Vectormaestros
Subscribe and turn on notifications, you do not want to miss!!!!

Day 1: https://youtu.be/Q6bkS-4pHF8 
Day 2: https://youtu.be/AfWrHfsDhgg 
Day 3: https://youtu.be/8jsziRcWFfA 
Day 4: https://youtu.be/yJimb8nF2Rk 

I got this Cintiq a few years ago, used, from a company that had it sitting around in a closet for 10 years. There is a bit of dust in between the glass and the digitizer but the performance in the display is still the best of all the tablets and computers I have ever used. 

The 21 inch size allows for the full use of my arm, elbow and wrist to get super clean lines in my art. The Stylus is the right size for my hand and theres a rubbery grip that makes it easy to handle. I buy soft tips to replace the hard plastic tips that the stylus comes with, those soft tips gives me just enough friction to give me that paper and pencil feeling. 

The HP ProDesk is a new addition, its powered with 16GB of RAM, an i5 Processor and just enough Hard Disk space to house my current digital projects. Its a nice handy machine to give the Cintiq enough juice to produce good client artwork. 

Follow my work at @DeltaTangoMike 
Illustrator, designer, art biz coach and curator. 
behance.net/dacreativegenius 
instagram.com/deltatangomike 

Follow Vector Maestros 
instagram.com/vectormaestros 

Stay tuned, subscribe and turn on notifications because this week I will be drawing everyday with a different digital tool. 

A lot of times we think that we need better/pricier tools to create the art our talents deserve but the reality is we can create impactful art with very simple tools, even in the digital space including

#SamsungNote10 #SamsungNote5 #DellVenue8 #SurfacePro4 #iPadAir2 #iPadPro #Cintiq21UX #HPprodesk And that means #Windows10 #Android #ios @sketchableapp #AdobeDraw #AdobeSketch #iLikeToDraw #ArtLifeAllDay #DTM #ATL #DigitalArtist #DrawDaily #CreatedWithSurface #MySurface #AztecaModerno #DailyIllustrations #YouTubeLive #Bamboo #Wacom #Adobe #Sketchable