Ron Spears Art

2011-12-09T18:13:00.000-08:00

A few students and some faculty from the university joined Illustrator David Dibble for some early morning Plein Air Painting. It was about 15 degrees with bright sunshine and clear skies.
Here I am with my effort - 9 x 12 inches, oil on Ray Mar canvas board.
David came in From New York to present his work as a color Key artist at Blue Sky Studios. It was a great presentation and a fun morning of painting.

Painted life drawing

2011-12-04T07:51:00.000-08:00

I did this 1 hour drawing, last week, at our Tuesday night Open Studio here at the University. It was drawn in charcoal on a sheet of 22 x 30 inch, BFK Rives 140lb paper. Back in my studio, as an experiment, I taped it to a piece of gator board, applied a couple of coats of Matte Medium to seal it , then applied some oil over the drawing. the process was fast (less than 2 hours of painting) and the results were OK. Next time, however, I'll use Shellac as a sealant and for sizing, so the paper won't buckle.
Overall, a good exercise and I'm eager to start going through old drawings to see if any can be given a new life.

Watercolor sketch at Kolob

2011-11-11T15:56:00.000-08:00

Watercolor sketch at Kolob. This area has such beautiful rocks.
Watercolor, 14 x 10 inches

Kolob Canyon Watercolor Studies

2011-11-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

Some of the small watercolor sketches I've done of Kolob Canyon and Taylor Creek.

Halloween Sculpt

2011-10-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

A new sculpt for the Scary Season.
Happy Halloween!
-Ron

Updated Website!

2011-10-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

After a long absence, I finally have a website up and running.
Visit it at ronspears.com

Plein Air at Kolob Canyon

2011-10-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

Friday, I joined some friends and students for a morning of painting at Kolob Canyon in Utah. It was a spectacular day and made better by the fun company. The Fall colors are just coming in.

Life Drawing Last Night

2011-10-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

About 20 minutes

About 10 minutes

About an hour.

Drawing Class Demo

2011-10-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a one hour demo I did last Thursday for my drawing class. It was done from life and focused on using the limited colors (30) of the pastel set.

Class Demonstration

2011-09-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

For my Digital Illustration Class, I did a quick demo in Photoshop, to explain some of the challenges and opportunities of Editorial Illustration. This piece was done from scratch and on the fly, letting ideas and concepts develop as I moved through the creative process. The illustration is based on a New York Times Restaurant Review of Robertas.
Editorial Illustration allows a great deal of expression and creativity. Here, I wanted to show the context of the place and the irreverent attitude of this top chef.

Greg Newbold's New Video!

2011-09-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

Illustrator and darn fine artist, Greg Newbold, has finally put out an instructional video!
We get the rare opportunity to look over Greg's shoulder while he paints one of his whimsical fish. Greg walks us through his handling of acrylic paint as well as other advanced techniques with textures, gold leaf, lighting, creating believable 3 dimensional form and brilliant color applications.

This is "must have" for any video teaching library and one that will offer new insights each time its viewed.
Click here to order your copy today!

2011-07-19T16:10:00.001-07:00

Please raise your glass and join me in toasting The University of Hartford's Limited Residency, Master of Fine Arts, Illustration, Class of 2011.

THE UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD has an exceptional MFA program in illustration. The professors and visiting instructors are inspirational, motivating and outstanding in the field of illustration. I had the honor to go through this program and it was the most amazing experience I've ever had in my professional career.

This Month, Hartford will graduate another class of exceptional professionals and I wish I could attend the ceremony. It begins with a reception in the gallery, where each artist displays their work. Then its followed by a dinner, with speeches, a slide show, a few tears and lots of hugs.

The program is under the direction of the great Murray Tinkelman. Long before I entered Hartford, I was a student of Murray. Seeing his work everywhere and hearing about his teaching in New York, Murray was the quintessential illustrator in my eyes. 30 years after first seeing his work, it was an honor to have him as a mentor through school and a continuing mentor and friend today.

Cheers!

Murray Tinkelman, charcoal on paper, 15 x 20 inches.

Painting with Friends

2011-07-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

Our good friends , Jerry and Karen invited several artists for a day of painting and great food at their home in the mountains. We had the beautiful Lady Carolyn as a model in one of her historic recreations. It was a great day!
Oil on RayMar oil primed linen panel, 16 x 20 inches.

Ronny Red Rocket's Next Big Adventure

2011-06-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that I have taken a leap and joined the faculty at Southern Utah University, as an Assistant Professor, in their Art and Design Department. This will be a great adventure!

Costume Study - Sharron

2011-06-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

Last night we had the beautiful Sharron, modeling in a historic reproduction dress.
This was about a 2 hour study.
16 x 20 inches, oil on Ray Mar, double oil primed, linen panel.

Illustration Friday:Launch

2011-06-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

Illustration Friday's topic this week is Launch.
Here's some Goblins that have run out of ammo to launch, so they're improvising with a medium size Orca.

Monday night's painting

2011-06-07T18:07:00.001-07:00

Last night we had Tim as our model in a stunning outfit. Always a pleasure to paint such a rich character. Oil on Masonite, 16 x 20 inches, about 2.5 hours.

Thank a Fireman

2011-05-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

Fireman, 12 x 16 inches, oil on RayMar Linen Panel

While doing research for an illustration on fire departments, I was welcomed by the men and women of the Tahoe Fire Department. They were generous with their time and knowledge.
This painting is my way of saying "Thank you" and will be presented to the Chief, who is retiring this year.
Thank a Fireman, they have a tough job.

Painting at the Reno Bike Project today, part 2

2011-04-30T15:59:00.000-07:00

Better Days Bike Seat, 10 x 8 inches, oil on RayMar Panel

Oil Sketch of the shop. 12 x 10 inches, oil on RayMar Panel

Inside The Reno Bike Project, with my pochade box

Painting on location always brings its challenges - that's the fun part. Today was no exception, I had a blast! I started with a small still life of an old bike seat, to get warmed up, then had just enough time to do a quick sketch of the inside of the shop. Lots of activity there and my "subjects" kept moving as they were bought, sampled or inventoried.

If you need anything for a bike, Reno Bike Project is the place to go.

These 2 paintings will be framed, then auctioned at a fund raising event at NorthStar, Tahoe.

Painting at the Reno Bike Project today

2011-04-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

I'm packing up to go do a couple of on location paintings at the Reno Bike Project. The paintings will be sold at a fundraiser in a couple of weeks at NorthStar Resort. If you're in the area today, swing by and say howdy!
Stay tuned, I'll post the paintings tonight.

Illustration Friday:Bicycle

2011-04-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

Illustration for a bike challenge in the Blue Mountains.
18 x 24 inches, oil on gessoed masonite.

Illustration Friday: Journey

2011-04-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

Journey to Four Corners
Oil on Masonite, 24 x 36 inches.

Ali Study

2011-04-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

Another oil sketch of the beautiful Ali.
14 x 18 inches, oil on masonite.

Thursday Night Study

2011-04-08T17:07:00.000-07:00

Last night was the last session at the museum until May. As always the 2 and a half hours for the study wasn't enough time to spend with such a beautiful model.
Next Thursday, April 14th, the Nevada Museum of Art is hosting an open house for the public. I will be doing a live painting demonstration of Lady Carolyn in one her historical dresses. I hope you can make it! The Demo will start around 6pm and go until 8.
This study is 20 x 16 inches, oil on Ray Mar oil primed panel.

Thursday night Kimono

2011-04-01T17:22:00.000-07:00

Last night we had the beautiful Fairlane modeling a stunning Kimono.
The two and a half hours for the pose was a blur of paint and brushes.
This study is 24 x 18 inches, oil on canvas.

Reno Bike Project

2011-03-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

I like what the folks at the Reno Bike Project do. So, to show my appreciation for their contributions to the community, I will be donating this painting for a fund raising event, being held at the Hobson Gallery, Saturday April 2nd, around 5pm. There will be lots of great art by local artists so be sure to get there early!
The painting is 30 x 24 inches, oil on stretched canvas. I hope to see you there!

Studio Today 3_19

2011-03-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

The lovely and talented Lauren was my model today in the studio, and wonderful as always.
This was about a 4 and a half hour session. The final study is 18 x 24 inches, oil on canvas.

Thursday Night Model

2011-03-18T17:49:00.001-07:00

Last night, at the museum, we had a stunning model in a beautiful dress, created by Lady Carolyn. The dress is a recreation of the one wore by the character Rose, from the movie Titanic.
2 and a half hours went by in a blink! Here's the progression and final study - oil on canvas 18 x 24 inches.

Saturday Session

2011-03-12T18:51:00.000-08:00

Joining me in the studio today were fellow artists Dan Helzer and Craig Kelly, and Model Ali Prater. We painted for a couple of hours then had a great lunch on the deck, in the sunshine, then back to work for a couple of more hours. Today was energetic, inspirational and about the best way I can imagine spending a Saturday.
Today's study is oil on Ray Mar Panel, 16 x 20 inches.

Thursday Painting

2011-03-11T16:36:00.000-08:00

Thursday night at the museum's painting session, we had the lovely, Lady Carolyn in her costume as a steampunk, aerial courier . This is oil on canvas, 18 x 24, and about 2 .5 hours of painting. The purpose of these studies isn't to get a finished painting, but rather to improve the observation and hand skills.

Portrait in progress

2011-03-05T14:16:00.000-08:00

I've been doing mostly Alla Prima painting lately, but decided to try something different here. I'm working from photo reference that I shot of Fairlane during a painting session a while back. Since I'm not under the same time pressure of a life study I have more time to experiment.
I'm painting a Grisaille under painting first, then, once its dry, I'll apply color.
Oil on RayMar panel, 20 x 16 inches
We'll see how it goes.

Small Study

2011-03-02T16:51:00.000-08:00

Here's a small study, 7 x 9 inches, I did from last weekend's session. I'll use this as the basis for a larger painting. My goal will be to keep some of the charm this little one has.

Model weekend

2011-02-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

About every other Saturday I host other artists in my studio to paint from live models. I always ask the models to feel free to express themselves in thier art as well - costumes, make up, etc. Its a wonderful collaboration of the arts.

Saturday I hosted several artists and we painted a stunning model.
I'll develop the painting I started and share it later.

On Sunday, I had another beautiful model, Lauren, who brought several of her creations.
Lauren is a designer, historian, and model, and she maintains a great blog for clothing design at:
americanduchess.blogspot.com

I'll spend months working up the paintings from the material I collected this weekend.

FACEBOOK - finally!

2011-02-09T18:04:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
All of my wise and caring friends and family have finally convinced me to join Facebook.
I'll get a handle on it as I go along, but for now I'll have to stumble through.
Thanks everyone for the nudge.

Steampunk Saturday- 2

2011-02-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

I was joined in the studio today by fellow artists Dan, Todd, Kim, and Craig. Our model was the beautiful Mary. She had a couple of killer outfits and after some debating, we went with this one. We'll have to have her back to model the other one!

I did a small study, 6 x 8 inches, in oil to get warmed up. The study was done in the first 25 minute session. It turned out pretty well and gave me confidence to move onto the larger canvas. You can see it on my easel, sitting next to the larger canvas.

The final is oil on Ray Mar panel, 16 x 20 inches. Painting time about 5 hours

Civil War

2011-02-01T16:40:00.000-08:00

Detail

Final painting, oil on Ray Mar Panel, 16 x 20, about an hour and a half

Painting in progress, with model in background

False start, crash and burn

My good and wise friend Greg Newbold always seems to have the right thing to say at the right time. We'll come back to that.

Last night we had another great model, this time in a Civil War Officer's uniform. I couldn't seem to focus, rushed the lay in, threw paint randomly on the canvas and crashed and burned. After about an hour I wiped off the canvas. I always tell my students, that these are positive moments and its the artist inside telling you that you can do better. It sounded better when directed at them.

However, if you're going to improve, you need to press on. So with the clock ticking, I relaxed, focused, and started again. The result is a fresh, direct painting.

Today, Greg expounds on the need for persistence. Go to his blog and be inspired, as I always am.

Thanks Greg!

I.F. surrender

2011-01-28T17:17:00.000-08:00

Surrender to Love

pencil on paper

Best of Show Award

2011-01-27T17:15:00.000-08:00

My painting "Canyon Stray" received a Best of Show award at the Red Bluff Western Art Show, in California.

224 x 30 inches, oil on canvas.
Framing by Eagle Framing in Reno, Nevada

2011-01-25T16:32:00.000-08:00

Doc, 16 x 20 inches, oil on RayMar Panel, about 2.5 hours

Last night's model was Doc Durden - cowboy, actor, model, film maker and real deal.
Standing 6' 4 inches, in his socks, Doc, makes an imposing image. His clothing and accessories, like the guns, spurs, bull whip etc. are all authentic. What a pleasure to paint such a figure. I'll set up another session with him in the future when I can spend more time with him.
He is president of Foothills Productions, in California.
As you can see from the last shot with the model, to the final painting, I decided to lose the edges of the hat into the shadow area. I think this made a simpler, more dramatic statement and focuses the eye on the face rather than the hat.
I had about 2 and half hours for this session.

I.F. Dusty

2011-01-21T17:41:00.000-08:00

Canyon Stray, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches

Alice, oil on canvas, 22 x 30 inches

The theme for Illustration Friday this week is "Dusty"

Nothin' more dusty than cowboyin'

The timing for this theme is perfect!

These 2 paintings were juried into the Red Bluff Western Art Show, and tomorrow I'll drive them up and drop them off. I posted progress shots of these earlier, so here's the final paintings.

WWII German Medic

2011-01-18T18:20:00.001-08:00

Last night we had the pleasure of painting Lance Otto. He was dressed in a WWII, German Medic's uniform. Lance is an actor, a historical re-enactor and a gentleman. He gave us a lesson on the uniform and expressed his passion for history with thoughtfulness and sensitivity.

I worked hard getting the details right, especially the way straps, buttons, and buckles lined up.
I also wanted to leave an "open canvas", with the texture and under painting showing through.
This is one of my favorites.

The pose was about 2.5 hours. Oil on RayMar panel, 16 x 20 inches.

Steampunk Saturday

2011-01-15T20:09:00.000-08:00

Today I had 3 other artists in the studio, with our beautiful model Lissa Overlie.
Lissa is a designer, fabricator, artist and musician, as well as a model. She brought several Steampunk influenced outfits that she created, and after a tough decision we went with this one. It was an energetic day with lots of great painting!

I.F. Chicken

2011-01-14T17:13:00.000-08:00

I did a bunch of goblin drawings for Wizards of the Coast a while back. As always, they were a blast to do.
Here's a sketch I did, asking the question: "Why did the chicken cross the road?"
Answer: "Dinner"

Norman Rockwell Digital Collection

2011-01-05T18:11:00.000-08:00

I've had the honor of visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA a couple of times. Each time, it was an awe inspiring moment.

Through the Herculean efforts of the museum, we can have access to this master's work on line.

'Nuff said - go check it out!

http://collection.nrm.org/highlights.page.do

Gabriel Knight revisited.

2011-01-01T18:20:00.000-08:00

I did a post a little while ago on my involvement with the Gabriel Knight games.

Last week I was contacted by a writer doing an article on the graphic novel and games, interested in some information. I scanned a few pages for her and thought I'd post a couple of them here, as my earlier post just showed the pages fanned out.

Here you can see a couple of the black and white layouts I did, as well as a final page with a detail shot.
Until now, the layouts have not been seen.

With the new interest in Gabriel Knight, I've decided to offer the entire set of originals, including the black and white dummy book, available for collectors. If you're a serious collector, please feel free to contact me.

LA Weekend

2010-12-31T08:26:00.000-08:00

Inside Jeremy Lipking's Studio

The outside courtyard of Jeremy Lipking's studio

New Orleans Square at Disneyland

The Getty Art Center

In this age of virtual connecting through the internet, sometimes you just have to physically go and be there in person.

Just after Thanksgiving, I flew down to L.A. for the weekend to do 3 of my favorite things. First I went to the Getty, saw some great art and had a wonderful lunch with a dear friend.

Then, in the evening, I went to Jeremy Lipking's Open Studio Party. I'm a big fan of Jeremy's work and the evening of chatting with other artists and seeing his originals was a real treat.

On Sunday, I spent the day at Disneyland with my Niece and Nephew. Another great treat!

There's nothing like being there (wherever "there" is) in person!

Ghosts of Christmas Past

2010-12-22T17:18:00.000-08:00

Here are 2 posters I did as fund raisers for some worthy cause about 20 years ago. The illustrations are not as important to me, as the memories of the people I used as models.

For the illustration with the family, I used my wife's brother and his wife and kids. The "kids" are now (left to right) a Wildlife Management Professional, a Sculptor/Craftsman, and a Speech Therapist. Its been inspiring watching them grow up.

The man painting the ornament is my former college art professor. He was a great mentor and a good friend.

I'm now ready for Christmas.

Happy Holidays and all my best to everyone!
r

Today in the studio

2010-12-11T16:38:00.001-08:00

Today I invited 2 other artist friends to join me in my studio to paint the beautiful Lauren Resser. Take a look at her site, and the costumes she makes.

Lauren wore a silk and satin dress from 1919. After this sitting, she'll most likely donate the dress to a museum.

We had about 5 hours of painting for the day and the time flew by. Here's what I managed to get down in the short time. You can see I started by loosely laying in the composition, then refining as I worked the painting as a whole, rather than an individual detail. I took some reference photos, and will work on a few spots, like her hands, that I didn't have time to give as much attention as they need.

I wish I could spend more days in the studio like this.

Oil on stretched canvas, 24 x 30 inches.

I.F. Phenomenon

2010-12-10T16:21:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe the week went by so fast!
Illustration Friday's word: Phenomenon.

"The phenomenon of the Folding Room is seen in the angels that protect it."

From a short story by the artist.

Both paintings are oil on canvas, 24 x 32 inches.

I.F. Prehistoric

2010-12-03T18:19:00.000-08:00

Illustration Friday's word for the week is Prehistoric.
This is a book cover for a children's series I did a while back.
Acrylic on illustration board.

Life Painting - Lady in Blue

2010-12-02T17:18:00.000-08:00

Monday night's painting. Another beautiful dress and a great evening of painting. Only one session left.
About 2.5 hours, oil on stretched canvas, 16 x 20 inches.

IF:Savour

2010-11-26T18:12:00.000-08:00

The topic for Illustration Friday, this week is "Savour". What a wonderful and fitting topic for this time of year.
This image, painted from life, is titled Savour the Holidays.
Food, color, art!

Savour the day!
r

Life Painting - Lauren

2010-11-23T16:53:00.000-08:00

Last night we had a beautiful and talented model. Lauren is an illustrator and clothing designer, as well as a model. It was a pleasure to paint her image and as always, the 2.5 hours was not enough time to do justice to her or her period clothing.
Oil on stretched canvas, 16 x 20 inches.

IF: Sneaky

2010-11-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

Sneaky is the topic for this week's Illustration Friday.
It seemed like a good time to show the completed painting of this sneaky fellow.
Oil on gessoed masonite, 14 x 12 inches

New portfolio on theispot.com

2010-11-17T16:34:00.001-08:00

I have a new portfolio on the theispot.com
I hope you'll take a look!

Here's the link: http://www.theispot.com/rspears

portrait - 15th century

2010-11-16T07:41:00.001-08:00

Last night's painting session was another great night of painting. Our model wore a 15th century professor of law costume. Very intimidating!
About 2.5 hours of painting, oil on canvas, 16 x 20 inches.

Pears - still life

2010-11-14T11:01:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun with the pumpkin painting a little while ago, that I've done several more small still lifes. At 6 x 8 inches, they go pretty fast and I get a good workout.

These will be framed and sold.

Life Painting 2

2010-11-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

Here's the painting from Monday night's session. Another beautiful dress. As with the other sessions, this was about 2.5 hours of painting.
Oil on stretched canvas, 16 x 20 inches.

Richard Schmid's color challenge

2010-11-07T16:19:00.000-08:00

In Richard Schmid's great book "ALLA PRIMA, Everything I know about Painting", Mr. Schmid issues a challenge to create a series of color charts based on his palette of oil colors. Like most people who have read every page of his book and marveled at the beautiful reproductions of his paintings - I didn't do the color challenge. Until now.

Tracking down his specific colors required the Internet, as my local stores didn't carry all of his choices. The cost was around $170.00 from dickblick.com.
It took me over a week to prepare the 12 panels. Each panel is 15 x 8 inches, gessoed and sanded with multiple coats. I then made a grid of 1 inch squares, separated by a quarter inch. Then I taped off the grids - all according to Schmid's directions. The only variance I made was to add an extra column at the end, which I used for a gray scale, as a control for the values of the colors.

Rather than repeat all of his instructions, I recommend buying his book and getting the info straight from the source.

I was able to paint 1 or 2 charts a day. The whole process was spread out over 3 weeks.
That amounted to 864 individual squares of color.

As Schmid promised, it was well worth it and I did learn a lot.
If I were to do this again, I would put the charts on rolled canvas, rather than 1/8th inch masonite panels. The panels make a nice set, but are heavy and difficult to haul around.

This is a great book, by a great artist and his color challenge is a gift to every artist.

life painting

2010-11-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

Last night was our first 3 hour session with a costumed model. It was fantastic!
The model was a wonderful lady who is passionate about authentic period costumes. She creates these masterpieces and lectures about the history of her costumes.
This painting was done in about 2.5 hours. To many folks that may seem like a long time, however it flew by quickly and I wasn't able to capture all the bead work, pearls and elaborate stitching.
Oil on stretched canvas, 16 x 20 inches.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-30T10:31:00.001-07:00

My friend, Clint Hobart, is a masterful still life painter and an inspiring teacher.
His recent paintings on his blog, that he calls "Minnies", have reminded me how much fun simple still life's are to paint.
In celebration of Halloween, I grabbed a small pumpkin and a couple of leaves, and did a quick "minnie". This one is 8 x 6 inches, oil on RayMar panel.

Happy Halloween!

Life drawing the other night

2010-10-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

This was the last session for this series of open studios at the Museum. It was a fun evening and I was happy with this last oil sketch. In a couple of weeks we'll start a new series with costumed models that will hold a single pose for 3 hours. I'm really looking forward to the longer time. It'll give me a chance to move beyond the 40 minute quick draw.
Oil on RayMar panel, 12 x 10 inches.

D&D Oil Illustration

2010-10-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a small spot illustration from one of the Game manuals. Oil on gessoed masonite, about 10 inches tall.
Always fun!

Life drawing last night

2010-10-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

Last night was a great session. Here's a fast, (about 20 minutes) sketch of the last pose for the evening.
Oil on Raymar panel, 12 x 10 inches.

Magic:The Gathering

2010-10-12T18:10:00.001-07:00

Here you can see the progression of a Magic card illustration.
First the pencil sketch, then a value study, then the final.
The final is oil on board, about 12 x 9 inches.

Life drawing last night

2010-10-07T16:25:00.000-07:00

Last night at life drawing I brought my paints and did some fast oil sketches. These are about 40 minutes each, so its just enough time to get a few shapes down.
Both of these are oil on Raymar canvas panels, 10 x 12 inches.

Goblin finished

2010-10-05T17:07:00.000-07:00

Here's the finished goblin. its oil on masonite about 14 x 12 inches. I'll get a better picture of it and maybe use it for my Halloween cards.

I've also finished the Minotaur and made some good progress on the cowboys. I'll post those a bit later.
This, and the Minotaur are pieces done for myself and will be available for sale as original, framed, fine art pieces.

Currently on the easel

2010-09-19T16:04:00.000-07:00

OK, so I received a couple emails asking if I was really working on 10 goblins and a couple of westerns and a Frazetta tribute piece.
Yes, I am. Here's shots of my studio taken today. I stacked the 10 goblin paintings up so you could see them all together, and close ups of 2 of them - a Minotaur and a Bouncer. The western painting is a couple of cowboys chasing down a stray - (24 x 30 inches, oil on canvas). You can see all the reference photos of the southwest around my drawing board. I used to live in the Southwest, so all the photo are from my adventures into the Sonoran desert. The other western painting is the girl and her horse, I was working on earlier. The Frazetta painting is going to be a surprise and will have to wait until the show.

Thanks for writing and keeping me honest!

Life drawing last night

2010-09-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

My good and wise friend, Greg Newbold, reminded me that I haven't posted in a while - sorry.

In addition to my day job as a concept artist for a game company, I'm working a lot in my studio at home. On the easel right now I have 10 goblin paintings at various stages, 2 western paintings for a show in November and a Frank Frazetta tribute painting for a December show. All of them are in oils.
I'll show some of these as I get further down the road. In the mean time, I also attend a life drawing session on Wednesday evenings at the Art Museum here in town. Here' the drawings from last night. The poses range from 25 - about 50 minutes. Not much time, so I'm usually just a dust storm while I'm trying to get something on the paper.
These are charcoal, charcoal pencil, white and sepia pencil, on Felt Grey, Canson, Mi Teintes paper.

Magic:The Gathering, Kodama of the South Tree

2010-08-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

Kodama of the South Tree
24 x 18 inches, oil on masonite panel

Here's the progression of a particularly complex painting.
I began with a sketch on Masonite, then reinforced the drawing with burnt umber acrylic. From there I tried to finish each section before moving onto the next.
Keep in mind that the art on Magic cards is less than 2 x 2 inches. A lot of the detail I put in just doesn't reproduce at that size.

Gabriel Knight

2010-08-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

Gabriel knight was a fun, fascinating, and underrated story based computer game series. The talented Jane Jensen was the author and creator of Gabriel Knight. Jane's stories always took a new interpretation of classic themes, such as vampires and wove them with religion, myth, and contemporary societal issues. She and Gabe enjoyed a small but very loyal following.

I had the honor to work on the last Gabriel Knight game and also did the prequel graphic novel that accompanied the CD. Due to a scheduling glitch I only had about 20 days to do a 16 page book. With such a short deadline, I did a small black and white comp of the each page, then moved into the finals.

I threw everything at the art, with no looking back - watercolor, airbrush, colored pencil, acrylic, ink, and lots of coffee. Jane was very kind and generous in accepting my interpretation of her script, even though I took a few liberties in order to finish on time.
The project was a blast and when the dust settled I was pretty happy with it.

Because I did it so fast, the style is loose and leaves a lot for the viewer to fill in. I think it added a bit of mystery and symbolism for the viewer.

I'd like to paint that way more.

Worldcon 2011

2010-08-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

"Renovation, the 69th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon)" is coming to my home town!
Wow, I'm really excited about this and hope everyone comes out to Reno!

I'll be posting this over the next year until the show arrives, but sign up early for the best prices.
I'm working on new art to have for this show, with prints, a sketch book and of course originals.
Depending on the format of the floor I hope to get a chance to do a few painting demos over the 5 days.

If you're planning to attend be sure to drop me a line!

Magic:The Gathering, Goblin

2010-08-08T08:11:00.001-07:00

This Magic card is one of the few I did with digital tools. While I use digital tools such as Photoshop, Painter, illustrator and Lightwave, on a daily basis, I really prefer the feel of traditional media. Plus with digital, all I can provide to collectors are the prints - no original.

Magic:The Gathering, enviroment concept

2010-08-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

Magic: The Gathering Style Guide
24 x 18 inches, Oil on masonite

Before the Magic Team sends out its commissions to the artists, they develop style guides to give the illustrators a sporting chance at understanding the characters and environments.
This painting is an environment concept for one of those style guides.

I doubt this art has ever been seen by the gaming public. Too bad, its really a nice oil painting.

Magic:The Gathering, Fair Trade

2010-08-06T17:13:00.000-07:00

Magic:The Gathering card
Fair Trade
Oil on board 15 x 12 inches

Magic:The Gathering, Wind Drake

2010-08-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

Magic:The Gathering card
Wind Drake
Acrylic on illustration board, 15 x 12

A Drake is a small dragon. Always fun to paint.

Magic:The Gathering

2010-08-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

Magic: The Gathering card
Shivan Wumpus
12 x 9 inches, acrylic on illustration board

Since the art on Magic cards is so small, the artist really has to push the drama in order for them to project off the card. Not much subtlety here, but it was fun to paint!

Magic:The Gathering

2010-08-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

Magic:The Gathering card
15 x12 inches, acrylic on illustration board

This is probably one of the sillier characters I've painted for Magic. My challenge was to make this Rat girl, ninja, creature, sexy and in action.
I can't even remember the name of the card, but, I've always regretted selling this piece, because she's kind of grown on me.

Magic:The Gathering, Reckless Researcher

2010-08-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

Magic : The Gathering card
Reckless Researcher, 12 x 9 inches, oil on board.

Magic:The Gathering, Token

2010-07-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a token card with a creature representing the five colors of Magic:The Gathering.
Oil on board, 10x14 inches.

Fire trucks

2010-07-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

I'm a big advocate for collecting your own reference material and doing your own research for projects. Too many folks today are relying only on Google to get their material. Doing that results in not only poor reference, but also denies the artist the chance to do cool stuff and meet great people.

So, this week, when I had a job that required fire trucks, gear, equipment, etc. I enlisted the help of a friend and hooked up with a couple of fire stations at Lake Tahoe.

The men and women working these stations are very busy, and work very hard, but they took the time to help me with anything I needed. Including pulling out one of the big rigs and giving me a demonstration of the ladder. Amazing! That baby extends 104 feet, in any direction!
They also geared up in full equipment and ran some drills - on a hot 80 degree morning!

It was a great day and I got awesome, one of a kind reference!

Many thanks to the men and women of Station #1 and Station #3.

Profile Article

2010-07-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

Profile Article

2010-07-19T13:46:00.000-07:00

Last year I did an interview with "Fantasy +" magazine. I just received my copy. Its a beautiful, hardbound publication, featuring some incredible fantasy artists. The cover image is from the inspiring Volkan Baga. I'm honored and humbled to have been included with such an amazing group.
Here's the spreads from the article.

2010-07-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

THE UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD has an exceptional MFA program in illustration. The professors and visiting instructors are inspirational, motivating and outstanding in the field of illustration. I had the honor to go through this program and it was the most amazing experience I've ever had in my professional career.

This Month, Hartford will graduate another class of exceptional professionals and I wish I could attend the ceremony. It begins with a reception in the gallery, where each artist displays their work. Then its followed by a dinner, with speeches, a slide show, a few tears and lots of hugs.

The program is under the direction of the great Murray Tinkelman. Long before I entered Hartford, I was a student of Murray. Seeing his work everywhere and hearing about his teaching in New York, Murray was the quintessential illustrator in my eyes. 30 years after first seeing his work, it was an honor to have him as a mentor through school and a continuing mentor and friend today.

Please raise your glass and join me in toasting The University of Hartford's Limited Residency, Master of Fine Arts, Illustration, Class of 2010.

Cheers!

Murray Tinkelman, charcoal on paper, 15 x 20 inches.

Squaw Valley

2010-07-15T19:26:00.000-07:00

Squaw Valley is a beautiful ski resort in the sierra mountains. Its also a great place to hike around in the summer.
Artist Greg Staples, visiting from England, and Art Director Jeremy Cranford, and myself, went up there with our paints and had great day painting the scenery.

Here are my attempts - each acrylic on canvas board, 12 x 9 inches.

Akroma vs. Phage

2010-07-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

Akroma and Phage are 2 classic characters form Magic:The Gathering. This piece was created for multiple uses. It was used as a book cover, packaging and two separate cards. All of this put a lot of restrictions on the composition, but in the end, it turned out fine.
The original is acrylic on masonite board 24 x 18 inches. Then after a small request from the art director, I darkened the sky digitally. So the final, printed piece looks a bit different from how the original painting looks.
This piece is copyrighted by Wizards of the Coast, so please be cool and don't copy it or use it for anything other than your own viewing enjoyment.
Thanks!

Chess Characters

2010-07-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

Designing interfaces for computer games can be a bit tricky. For a video chess game that teaches you various opening books, I designed characters that represented different playing levels. After they were all finished a writer and I put a back story to each character. In all I designed about 30. They are all acrylic on board, 7 x 7 inches.

D&D Oil Illustration

2010-07-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

In the post below I have 2 spot illustrations done with digital tools. Here is another D&D, quarter page illo, however this one was executed in oils on gessoed board. Both methods start with a pencil sketch. Doing the art in traditional paint is more satisfying to me and I get an original to sell to a collector. However, sometimes digital is best for deadlines.

D&D Digital Illustration

2010-07-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple of quarter page illustrations for D&D. They need to be in a confined area but without a border, so the design had to let the image fade out. These are digital, and done very quickly to meet the deadlines. Since they are so small when reproduced, you'll never see them as large as when you click on these images.

Beth and Ray

2010-07-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

This was a fun and personal project for me. Beth and Ray are wonderful people who have touched many lives. This painting shows their wedding day, appropriately, Valentines day.
The painting is 5 feet by 4 feet, oil on canvas.
You can see the painting on the easel, in my studio as I worked.
I delivered it last week and was thrilled to have them pose next to it.

Still Life

2010-06-30T19:04:00.001-07:00

I don't a lot of still life painting. However, whenever I do, I come away a better painter. I did these when I wanted to paint something, but had no grand concept. Just grabbed stuff out of the grocery bag.

These three paintings are being donated to a fund raising event at the end of this month.

I like these and probably should do more. They are relatively quick, great practice and easy to have on hand when asked for a donation.

Walt Reed - Illustration House

2010-06-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

The week has quickly gotten away from me so I'll have to finish my Cowgirl later.

In the mean time I recommend checking out Illustration House, in New York.

This auction house has some of the most incredible original illustrations on display, as well as archived in their massive collection. Being there is a walk through history. I was humbled, excited, thrilled and awed as the owner and director, the great Walt Reed gave us a tour.

He, and the entire illustration community, will celebrated his 93rd birthday on July 21st.

When I returned from New York, after meeting him in 2008, I did this portrait of Mr. Reed as a very personal souvenir of my experience there. It hangs on the wall behind my easel and provides inspiration everyday. Oil on Masonite, 16 x 20 inches.

Happy Birthday Walt!

Cowgirl Painting step 5

2010-06-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

Looking back on the progression of this painting, its easy for me to think it was a step by step process, with a logical conclusion. However, at least for me, its a thousand questions and decisions, and a thousand moments of self doubt.

Rather than work on her face, I decided to adjust values, correct a couple of things and give the painting a bit more bulk in the brush work. I'm glad I went this route, because now I can tackle her face with a bit more confidence.

Cowgirl Painting step 4

2010-06-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

Still lots of work to do, however I'm happy with where its going.
The main areas I'll focus on next will be her face, hand and general paint application.

Cowgirl Painting step 3

2010-06-24T18:02:00.000-07:00

Moving along nicely.

Cowgirl Painting step 2

2010-06-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

I decided to use the "Zorn" palette on this piece. Anders Zorn used a very limited range of colors on his palette - a high chroma red -Cad. Red Light, a low chroma yellow -Yellow Ochre, a low chroma blue - Ivory Black and finally -White. Because of his mastery with values and color temperature, he was able to get an amazing range.

After the drawing was done enough to give me some basic information, I sprayed it with fixative. I starting laying down paint, trying to get the correct color, value, and shape with each stroke. I also correct the drawing as I go along. While I know I'll need to re-address everything as the painting develops, its easier for me to control the painting if I'm attentive at the beginning, rather than just tossing paint around.

Cowgirl Painting Beginning

2010-06-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

I'm currently working on developing some paintings from our trip a couple of weeks ago.
If you missed it, just go back a few posts to "Painting Trip".

I'll try to show the progress as I go along.

To begin, I chose a cotton canvas, pre-sretched, 22 x 30 inches. I decided not to tone the canvas, just work straight on the white surface.

I used powered charcoal with a tissue and small sponge to mass in the shapes, then came back in with a charcoal pencil to correct the drawing. The drawing is more for placement on the canvas for a general start, rather than a tight drawing I'd be afraid to change later. I want to keep it flexible and I plan on correcting the drawing every time I lay down a stroke.

Magic Model

2010-06-21T18:01:00.000-07:00

While I don't always rely on models, I try to use them whenever I can, to give my work a bit more realism, than my imagination may provide. I needed a guy in good shape for this piece and a few others I was working on at the time. My neighbor was having some landscaping done and I noticed this guy delivering rocks. He left before I could walk over and chat with him. So, I called the landscaping company, and after some awkward explanations, he agreed to come over and model for me. He was terrific and had a great sense of humor about the whole thing.
15 x 12 inches, acrylic on illustration board.

First Magic Card

2010-06-20T09:26:00.001-07:00

Veiled Sentry was my first illustration for Magic: The Gathering. It was done in acrylics on illustration board. Still one of my favorites!

The Getty Center

2010-06-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

If you're ever in Los Angeles, be sure to go to the Getty Center. Aside from all the great masterpieces on display, the building itself is amazing. They have a gallery set aside for drawing from statues or master's paintings. Mike Wimmer, Greg Newbold and I couldn't pass this up.