Awesome Horse Drinking Game v.1.0

Sometimes during the show, people ask us if we paint from our imagination (without using references). The answer is "yes" but, as you can see below with my ridiculous horse painting, sometimes it's to a frightening end...



I'm sure the rules will change over time, so keep an eye out. If you haven't caught one of our shows yet, visit http://www.awesomehorsestudios.com for our show schedule and to download past episodes.

(Oh, and please participate responsibly, or don't, lest ye pickle yer liver!)

Color Mixing from the Masters

I don't use this technique for every oil painting, but if you're feeling lost on what hues to use, sampling from a master work can help guide your color choices.

In 2010, when I was working on Beautiful Grim, my inspiration was John Singer Sargent's Lady Agnew of Lochnaw. I was privileged to see it at the National Gallery of Art in DC about a decade ago, and it's been one of my favorites by J.S.S. since. So while I let Lady Agnew set the mood for my piece, I also let it direct some of my color choices, particularly the skin tones.



No digital reproduction will ever be accurate to an original, but I was able to use colors sampled from Lady Agnew to create a skin palette that had a similar value range and close hues. By printing out the sampled colors on a card using a calibrated photo printer and photo paper, I'm able to easily mix paints next to the cards:

Awesome Horse Interviews from IlluXCon 2011

It goes without saying that I had a great time at IlluXCon. :)

Instead of blogging at length about the experience, you should check out our video broadcast from the convention; Me and the Awesome Horse guys sat down for an informal interview with a dozen talented folks at the convention, including exhibiting artists, art directors, and even the creators of IlluXCon, Pat and Jeannie Wilshire!

Alternate title: Two Hours on a Bed at the Ramada


Visit http://www.awesomehorsestudios.com for more videos. Live demos and critiques every week (and the occasional interview special).

Medusa's Companion

Some progress pics

Medusa: work in progress

With IlluXCon just around the corner, I can't help but feel like I haven't done enough traditional work this year (can you ever do too much?). So I'm making it a point to pack as much oil into October as I can, starting with this personal work-in-progress, of Medusa and her stony companion.

Start of the acrylic underpainting:


More progress, with my furry studio mate:

Live Webcast Saturday Oct. 8 at 12PM EST

In just 25 minutes, I'll be doing a live broadcast with my talented colleagues Marc Scheff, Noah Bradley, and Aaron Miller

Together, under the banner of Awesome Horse Studios (someday we'll talk about the story behind that name, heh) we will be broadcasting art demos on a wide variety of topics. Today's episode features Noah Bradley painting, and the rest of us answering audience questions live - come interact with us at http://www.livestream.com/awesomehorsestudios from 12 PM EST - 2 PM EST.

Magic Card Art: Zombie Token

Card Name: Zombie Token [Innistrad]
© 2011 Wizards of the Coast

Gatherer Link: none

Medium: Digital
Original Art Available? No
Artist Proofs Available? No

Artist Notes: Technically my earliest commission for Magic, though I finished the art after Bloodcrazed Neonate in the same commission cycle. I've heard a lot of positive feedback at events about this token, for the convincing deadness of the eyes, and/or the overall creepiness- thanks very much!

Magic Card Art: Bloodcrazed Neonate

Card Name: Bloodcrazed Neonate
© 2011 Wizards of the Coast

Gatherer Link: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220373

Medium: Digital
Original Art Available? No
Artist Proofs Available? Yes (very few)

Artist Notes: This was technically my first Magic commission from Wizards, though my Zombie Token came first numerically. I had a lot of vampire/dark work in my portfolio, and it was very fortunate timing for me that the art director saw it right as they were starting to commission work for Innistrad, the "goth" set.

Also as seen on my favorite Tumblr, Magic Cards With Googly Eyes! http://magiccardswithgooglyeyes.tumblr.com/search/bloodcrazed+neonate

B&W Interior Illustrations for Kobold Quarterly

I received my copy of Red Eye of Azathoth from Kobold Quarterly, with five black & white interiors I did back in the Spring.



Click for a larger version:

Lessons from the 2011 Illustration Master Class

The week-long Illustration Master Class came and went; While I was there it felt like maybe I'd always been there, but after arriving home and readjusting to daily life it seems almost like a dream.



For those of you who haven't heard of or experienced the wondrous event known as IMC, the basic concept is this: Take a group of hungry and dedicated fantasy illustrators, put them in a beautiful college campus environment with a dozen or so of the world's top working talent acting as faculty, stir for a week until magic happens. Between working on our paintings, watching incredible lectures, and surprise faculty demos, we all came together and celebrated the sense of family and community fantasy illustrators have, that I've mentioned many times.

Of the countless memories and information I'll take away from the experience, here's my top 5 list of lessons from IMC:

1. Good planning makes good paintings. Instead of doing 5 thumbnail sketches, make 50. Instead of shooting 10 reference photos, shoot 100. Doing more work in the planning stages will force you to think through all the challenges you'll face when painting, and come up with solutions before you start laying paint down.

2. Be meticulous about your reference photos. While I was modeling for another student's piece, faculty member Dan Dos Santos readjusted a light under my arm four times, for about 20 minutes, just to give the student exactly what her piece needed. You should take the same care when shooting. It's worth it to use the best equipment you can afford, to set up your lighting as close to what you want in your final image as you can, and to get models who understand your vision. Many of the faculty cited "getting great models" as a part of the success of their figurative work.

3. Copying Old Masters' paintings is a good way to build your painting skills. It might seem like a waste of time to stop what you're doing and reproduce an existing painting. After all, you won't get a portfolio piece out of a copy. But the exercise can affect the way you think about making your brushstrokes, blending and choosing your colors in your own art.

4. Practice constantly, but don't just practice what you know constantly. Your brain only builds new neural pathways through challenging practice, not repetition alone. If you do the same painting 50 times, you'll only improve at creating that one painting, so go a little bit outside your comfort zone when you can.

5. Make art for you. This was one of the hardest-hitting lessons at IMC for me. Find a way to inject something you love into every painting, whether it's an assignment with a strict style guide or a personal piece. If you're not sure, go through your portfolio and look at common themes you've chosen. Doing so will make it almost impossible to burn out on painting.