Monster Portraits part 2

I mentioned awhile back that something I started doing in my spare time are classic monster portraits.  I plan on doing some more complicated narrative scenes in this vein, but in the mean time I have been taking on some private commissions.  Here is the most recent.

"The Monster 2" 8 x 10 oil on board

Captain America Commission

EDIT: Here is the thumbnail I did prior to the final sketch. I only did one thumb in this case because what I was drawing was so heavily based in the original cover.



To finish up commission week here is a sketch for a painting I have been commissioned to do for a collector who hires artists to illustrate "One Minute Later"s. Basically he picks a comic cover and has the artist paint what happens an instant after.

The Nyarlathotep Event

Here is another commission I recently finished for Jonathan Wood, author of No Hero from Nightshade Books. Awhile back I was hired to illustrate the cover to No Hero and since then Jonathan and I have gotten to know each other over the internet. So when he agreed to do a serialized short story for the GEEKDAD blog on Wired.com he asked if I could do an illustration for it. The story revolves around the further adventures of the characters from No Hero, go check it out.

The original pencil sketch

and a bit of digital polish

The Doctor

I apologize for the long absence, I have been very busy lately. This week I will be posting some fun commissions I have done lately. I have been stockpiling commissions for awhile, and have made a pledge to myself to start really putting a dent in the list by the end of the year.

Commissions are fun because you get to do things (either stylistically or subject matter) that you don't usually get to do. In this regard I am starting the week off with a job from across the pond. I was contacted by a collector in England that has commissioned several artists to execute illustrations based on Dr. Who. The catch here is that he has them done on a page in a Dr. Who compendium. So he shipped this very nice collector's book, full of great info on the long history of the show, out to me. I was stunned by the quality of the work that has been painted directly onto the pages of the book, and was glad to add my own contribution.

Lance Henriksen

EDIT: So I forgot to mention, the reason for this commission was that the collector is attending a signing for the release of Mr. Henriksen's biography (official website), which is being released this week to honor Mr. Henriksen's birthday on the 5th. So happy birthday Sir and many more.

Here is a drawing commission I recently finish for a collector. I enjoy Mr. Henriksen's work quite a bit, and thought his "look" fit well with my style, so I had a lot of fun with this one.