Painting Demo

Another semester has started this week at Watts Atelier. Here is a demo I just did for a painting class. Done from the live model, approx. 3 hrs

Life Drawing (follow-up)

Saturday was our last day of the winter session, so I drew along with everyone. Here is my effort, about 4.5 hours. It came out okay, but I am definitely rusty on longer drawings.

Life Drawings & Demos (March 2011)

25 min figure demos from life

25 min head drawing demos from life (yes even the Abe)

5 min quicksketch warm-ups and demos

Anatomy demos

Figure invention demo

New Warcraft card art

Hey all here are a couple new cards done for the WoW TCG

Sketch Redux (No Hero)

Here is a piece I just finished for Nightshade Books called "No Hero"

Description:

Action flick meets cosmic horror/alien invasion. Cover should mimic an ensemble cast action movie poster.

British suburban street. Oxford. Shops, apartments. A few cars. A "WWKRD?" (What would Kurt Russell Do?) bumpersticker on the closest of them (undercover Ford Escort). Something exploding (double decker bus?). Tentacles (maggoty, pale) creep in from the distance, wrapped around buildings/cars.

first pass at thumbnails

The A.D. had this to say

Hey Erik, LOVE the action movie feel on these, I can totally picture Jack Burton in there :)

I'd go with the middle comp on the left side, but if we could add in the exploding of the bottom left corner? Tie that level of drama and action into the middle left composition. Let me know, thanks!

thumbnail revision

Awesome, looks great!

Final Sketch

Hey Erik,

yeah, just had to get notes from the editor. Sketch looks awesome! I have
a few notes to keep in mind for the final:

Tabatha (with laptop) is Pakistani, dark-complected with white ink
tattoos: angels, devils, & heavy metal icons, and Kayla (the
swordswoman) wears her bangs so they cover her eyes

Also, There's concern over the car looking "British" enough. NBD on this
one, but maybe just to keep in mind.

But yeah man, looking fantastic! Thanks!

Final Illustration

Hey Erik,

So I do have one note on the piece from (the editor in chief).
Basically he just wants to see some details fleshed out a little further. I
know we were pushing you on this one with a short deadline and I think the
piece looks fantastic overall, but his concern is the tentacles. Basically
just love em up a bit more, particularly those in front of the explosion. I
love the finish on the main figure and the buildings, and his concerns are
mainly just the disparity from those areas to the tentacles (what with them
being a compositional tool and story delivering focal area). Thanks Erik!

This was actually music to my ears, because I wanted to give the whole thing one more pass. Especially the things mentioned and the explosion.

Final Illustration Revision

so awesome, we are fully approved!

Watts Atelier Spring 2011 Schedule

Hey all,

The new Watts schedule is out. Some points of interest for me are the Advanced Figure Drawing, and Long Figure Drawing on Monday as well as the Reilly Painting on Wednesday. Also there is still room in the Boot Camp running this Fall. I hope to see some of you in class soon.

Figure Painting Demo

Here is a demonstration I did for my figure painting class this semester. I cannot say I am particularly proud of this piece, but I promised my class I would post it.

Rondo Awards

Hey All,

Every year the "Rondo Awards" are held to celebrate the best in classic horror. Now I always do a lot of horror illustration, but this year has been particularly good for me in regards to classic horror, what with my illustrations for Kolchak and Planet of the Apes. There are many great nominees that worthy of recognition so go over and cast your votes, it is easy just copy and paste the category and your selection into an email with your name and send it to taraco@aol.com by March 27th. Oh, and the best pro artist category is by write in only, so if you feel I am worthy of a nod I would appreciate it.

New Robert Fawcett Book

Sorry that I have been absent from the blog for a bit (and it will probably be a bit longer) very busy with freelance right now. I should have lots of new stuff when I am back to posting regularly.

In the meantime here is a new book Auad is publishing on Robert Fawcett. He is yet another artist that my young mind was unknowingly influenced by. You see I was a huge Sherlock Holmes fan growing up, I was often let down by many illustrations of Holmes until I saw Fawcett's. The subtly of character and mood bubble over in what I feel are his greatest works.

You can purchase now from Auad Publishing

Or pre-order from Amazon

Master's of the American West 2011

Hey all,

Just a quick notice and reminder, The Masters of the American West exhibit is coming next month to The Autry Museum in Burbank, CA. Also, they recently posted much of the artwork on the official site. Even if you have little interest in "cowboy art" I cannot recommend this show enough, many of the best contemporary realist artists can be seen in this show.

Morgan Weistling

Jeffrey Catherine Jones Documentary...

...needs your help

I was introduced to Maria Cabardo by Jeremy Cranford at a group dinner during San Diego Comic-Con last year. I had heard about the docu being done on Jeffrey Catherine Jones (an artist I respect immensely). Hearing about the passion she, as the driving force behind it, has put into the project it made me even more anxious to see the end product. Well apparently the project needs a little help in funding the post-production. You can help out with a donation over at kickstarter.com. You can give as little as a dollar, but with a $50 donation you are essentially pre-ordering the dvd and movie poster.

Wizard World Anaheim and other appearances

Those of you who pay attention to such things may have noticed I list my convention appearances in a widget to the right. If so, you may also have noticed a recent change there. I was invited to attend Wizard World Anaheim this year, and due to time constraints I had to drop out of Horror Hound Weekend Indy. While I am sad to miss out on Horror Hound I am looking forward to Wizard World.

Just prior to Wizard World I will be appearing at Monsterpalooza in Burbank, and I am happy to announce I will be once again exhibiting at IlluXCon in Altoona, PA in November. If you have the time and inclination, it would be great to meet some of you at any or all of these great gatherings.