Seeing the shuffling man across the street gave him pause. The man didn’t appear a threat, or even put any interest towards him. As the man shuffled, Jensen noticed the man slid his left foot slowly behind his right, barely lifting it out of the dust. He dragged a world of misfortune forward, the heaviness […]
It is not that the fish was particularly bright. It once tried to eat a single krill double its size, after all, thinking it was a somehow tiny squid. It’s not even a carnivore. But instinct told it to move to the left a half second before the barracuda blasted through the same spot. The […]
In the light of the morning he could see it. Hovering quietly just behind the barbs of the corner bushes, it held its place. The silence left an odd feeling in his stomach. This close to the road he should hear people driving by, mere yards behind the shape in the bushes. He should feel […]
Dread was the start of the Show. Intricately dark and spun with old horrors invigorated, the Chorus heralded the beginning of what once was and what would be again. The patrons shrank, the audience reeled, the Ushers left speechless and torn. Companies of extras flowed around a finite point in an infinite darkness. The player […]
Why, it’s the oil, they cry, explaining their war of sorrows. We need it for our wholeness, something all of us borrows. They started it anyway, we only wanted what’s ours. We wanted to Run! Run! Run! and for that we needed great cars. Who cares if someone was hurt they aren’t of our cares. […]
He picked himself off the ground for the second time in as many hours. He could never get used to being thrown down in the dirt, or punched in the gut, or locked in a chest, no matter how many times it happened. He stood up, his vantage point rising while his emotions fell further. […]
We dream of lofty things that we dare not try. We cry for others when we dare not feel it ourselves. We judge those who weep without care of those who are watching. We can not be among those who are willing to give so much while we simply chain ourselves to the dirty ground […]
He picked the book up out of the puddle, shaking the excess muck off the cover. He didn’t see who dropped it. Despite the wet alley and rude treatment, the outside of the book’s pages didn’t seem too damp. The book had a fake leather strap keeping it closed, and he slowly worked the knot […]
Why try to crawl, when all we want is for you to run? Why do you run, when you cannot escape? Why do you climb, when you must fall? Why do you try to lead, when you are forced to follow? We are those enjoying the chase. We are those that watch the followers. We […]
She fumbles first by protest, through forgiveness, and on to sacrifice. She bellows of history and life, of future and death, and still cannot see that she will never change the outcome. Defeat was assured the moment she answered with that one word, a whisper in the hurricane of darkness. “Yes,” she had said. “Yes, […]
She sat staring out of the car window, looking for answers. Birds fluttered around in the many trees. The light breeze pushed the weeds and flowers back and forth. Nature was alive and waiting to hear from her. But she knew she would not hear what she wanted. Come with us, the small birds called. […]
Run away from the light, little one, for there is no good there. Run into the darkness, small friend, and find a world of love. Run into the dancing sea, for there you will find the home you crave. Run away, run away, Runaway from home. Find us waiting in the dark waters, only for […]
Day in, day out, she walks through her life looking for those moments where she can feel alive again. Her world seems sparse and unforgiving. There are no colorful treks, no lasting impressions of the world around her. There is only the perceived gray cloud around all, a soft blur reminding her of how her […]
Light falls on a nation of apathetic usurpers. They wait, impatient at progress and violent in their speech. Tailored with despair at the way things have gone for them. Virulent the destruction laden in their tongues of hatred. They wait and talk of the means to destroy those unlike them. Seething in dark shadows swept […]
The tumultuous nature of the Common Stratobulgaris is explained most easily through its sense of smell. As it flies, the pattern of sensitive cells in the olfactory chambers alter in peculiar patterns. Sometimes random, sometimes ordered, every change leads to a different focus. A sweet smell could immediately shift to foul, and the Stratobulgaris spends […]
She holds the ribbon as if it was a delicate feather. The ribbon sways to and fro as she releases each length of it quickly gently pushing her fingers back together before it all flies away. Steadily the ribbon’s path grows longer and longer held in place by the prickly branches. She walks silently through […]
Wrought of pain and unforgiving time, the woman stood at the altar. No suffering of hate No bruising of weak egos would drive her from her course. She placed the battered egg on the broken crown, crimson falling off the shell and on to the crown’s golden shimmer. Bathed in the warm light of broken […]
“Sir, please don’t throw rocks into the water.” Marcus looked up the slope at the ranger, and decided against revealing the truth. “Sorry officer,” Marcus replied, “I just wanted to see the big splash.” “It just scares the fish away from this spot,” the ranger said. “A lot of folks like to swing by this […]
I look at a lot of art, which I realize is an immense surprise to the three of you that regularly read these articles. Whether it is art in books, or in galleries, or online, I spend a fair amount of time just looking at whatever art comes my way. Thanks to that, I sometimes […]
After being in awe for the hour, after what was supposed to be a quick minute checking out just one piece for this article, I came to the realization that many of Franklin Booth's ink pieces show something magnificent. With his intricate linework, wonderful composition, and hectic scene, I find it hard to look away.
This Week’s Art: Sickert’s “The Camden Town Murder”
What I find fascinating about art is how much the idea of audience interpretation comes into play. Whether it’s a detailed illustration, or something abstract, there’s always a sense that good art brings the viewer into this new world, for better or for worse. In this case, in a much more overt way than the painting […]
For most of my life I have been a fan of truly intricate artwork. Not necessarily photo-realistic, which I can take or leave, but art pieces that have wonderfully tiny details throughout. Think the engraving work of Gustave Doré, the incredible works of Franklin Booth, or the fascinating details created by Bernie Wrightson in his adaptation of Frankenstein. […]
So, let’s get this out of the way first. I haven’t had a chance to read the story that inspired this illustration yet, but a story about death carrying off a dead soldier’s beloved is right up my alley. Having been an inspiration for Poe, vampire stories, and all manner of 18th and 19th century horror, […]
It may be clear to some of you who are familiar with my (more or less) past life as an illustrator and fine artist, but I have a bit of an odd streak. That’s what makes us all unique, and I wouldn’t try to be normal for all the money in the world. I think […]
This Week’s Art: Falero’s “Witches going to their Sabbath”
When I am talking about art, I often point to nudity and gore as being the “easy way out.” Much of the time they are both overdone, mostly for shock value when there is no real concept behind the art. Here’s some nudity! We’re awesome! There are times, though, where an artist has taken the […]
This Week’s Art: Cole’s “Course of Empire: Destruction”
Every morning, I wake up and look across the room at a Thomas Cole painting. Well, let’s face it, I’m not enormously rich so it is actually an old print. The print is of one of Cole’s five “Course of Empire” paintings, in this case “Consummation.” It’s been a personal favorite for a very long time, but […]
This Week’s Art: Rockwell’s “The Problem We All Live With”
“The Problem We All Live With” is one of Norman Rockwell’s most famous paintings, and has been discussed frequently by so many others that I encourage everyone to seek out those articles. That said, it being one of my favorite pieces, I hope I have something to add to the cacophony of voices in the […]
Sometimes, I see an image and I feel that I’ve been in that situation, that I’ve lived through something similar. It might be the artist’s technique, or the medium that was used, or maybe it’s just something in the way the character looks. This Schikaneder painting is one that has always given me pause, based on all three […]
This Week’s Art: Gentileschi’s “Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes
When it comes to painting any religious doctrine, particularly the Old Testament, there are literally thousands of paintings. It’s a popular, yet somewhat touchy, subject. There is a reserved reverence for many biblical paintings, and you often lose the sense that the stories within are based on mythology and the intimation of a higher purpose. […]
This Week’s Art: Henry Ossawa Tanner’s “The Banjo Lesson”
One of the challenges of memorable art is capturing an emotional moment between people. It can be something extreme like a moment of action, or something very subtle in the way a profile looks. Hitting the middle ground of softer actions and subtleties is difficult, it can lean one way or the other very quickly. […]
This Week’s Art: Goya’s darkly satirical painting “Witches Sabbath”
There’s a lot to unpack with Goya, especially for someone like me. I love traditional art, the kind you find in paintings that are hundreds of years old. I also love horror art, for those few fans I have left or those who have visited my art site it’s a fairly clear thing. So Goya speaks […]
This Week’s Art: Spitzweg’s “The Butterfly Hunter”
Being a slightly eccentric and sarcastic person, I am often drawn to characters in books, film, and art who are also eccentric and offer a bit of satire. Carl Spitzweg painted quite a few images that are perfect for my sensibilities, and looking at "The Butterfly Hunter" hits me right where it should on a cold, dark day. Considering the darkness of last issue's Doré painting and the upcoming Goya piece, I thought a nice break with something more humorous would be good.
This Week’s Art: Doré’s “La Famille du Saltimbanque: L’Enfant Blessé”
It is not a small painting, which is certainly part of it. Doré's La Famille du Saltimbanque: L'Enfant Blessé is over six feet tall, and seeing it made me literally stop in my tracks. Those are the moments I live for, the very reason why it is important to see art in a museum or gallery.
This Week’s Art: Levêque’s “La Parque (The Fates)”
Levêque was really hitting all manner of emotions with this piece.He painted the Roman versions of the fates, the Parcae. Rather, while I think he captured the essence of the Parcae, what he really captured here was existence itself. This is the spectacle of fate, on hand to show life and death in action.
This Week’s Art: Schoonover’s “Hopalong Takes Command”
I’ve always loved this piece by Frank Schoonover, though that can be said for many of the pieces I’ve seen by the artist. He was one of the classic illustrators, and being primarily an illustrator myself it’s easy to see why he’s always been one of my favorites. Hopalong Takes Command is an exceptional example of Schoonover’s […]
There’s probably something to be said about me when it comes to the reasons why I like “The Prisoner” by Yaroshenko. Maybe I’m a darker soul, a lonely one, or even just someone who contemplates life frequently, but this type of image really speaks to me. It’s not that this painting is particularly complex, either. […]
This Week’s Art: Processions in the art of John Singer Sargent
As I was looking at John Singer Sargent’s work, in anticipation of writing today’s article about his wonderful “Cashmere” painting below, I started looking at many of his other works. Now, that’s not at all unusual, I find myself leaping down the rabbit hole when it comes to art most of the time, and looking […]
This Week’s Art: David Roberts’ Great Temple of Aboosimble Nubia
There are certainly artistic sways to and fro, but his accuracy is truly astonishing. Roberts not only captured the sense of being there, but accurately captured the details as well. He used time honored tricks for showing scale as well, such as the fine folks shown in the close-up below. They don't seem very interested in being so close to these epic statues, I guess that's not the reaction I would have personally.
When I talk about art, and believe me that’s pretty much every day of my life, I often touch on the things that I really love about particular pieces. Sometimes it’s composition, or texture, even just a color within the piece. Sometimes I get very technical with it, often it probably comes across more like, […]
This Week’s Art: Souls on the Banks of the Acheron
Welcome to the first of what I hope are billions of words about art, and mostly what I think about certain pieces. Before I get started, let me just preface the whole works with the idea that the wee image here probably isn’t going to do much justice to the work. So, on all of […]
Over the years, I've written a fair amount about the depression I fight with (example). It's a gray shadow that follows me through life, and when I was diagnosed with diabetes in May I thought that the darkness would really set in very hard. But it didn't.
After about 90 days, I was scheduled to have both another blood test and another doctor's visit to see how my adaptations to the diabetic life were working out. I simply hoped that my numbers were on the right track.
Finding the nutrition contained in a restaurant's meal can be tricky for diabetics, but often using an app can help. If an app can't find the information, often nutritional values can be found on the restaurant's website.
As a diabetic, it is important to always consider a proper diet and the right foods. With diabetes, different foods cause different reactions in the body, so keeping an eye on carbs and calories is a constant requirement.
Here are the apps I currently use on my Android phone to track my diabetic data. I also detail the spreadsheet I use to track everything, and the charts that make it easier to instantly see trends related to the data.
Day One: The Diabetes Diagnosis and Instant Life Change
My doctor knew immediately on seeing my test results that I had Type 2 Diabetes. Everything in my life since is completely different. This is day one of my new life.
Below is my current resume as of August 2017. I have nearly 20 years of experience behind me across many industries and types of projects, and that experience continues to change. I try to update my resume often, not only for different positions but in favor of different aspects of my expertise. My full resume […]
This grant proposal was developed through the coursework for my Bachelor of Science in Communications degree from Colorado State University. It is based on real information for a makerspace grant. The original project spans many pages, and an edited, APA-formatted PDF version appears below. This proposal explores the expansion of the makerspace at Windsor High School, and the grant funding that can begin the process. Makerspaces increase practical learning opportunities for students, providing students and faculty with a unique combination of formal and informal learning practices.
This is a sample of the type of policy documents I have written for a business. This document was intended give information primarily to college students. It is intended to be informative, but not so tied to legal speak that might cause students to quickly abandon it.
Writing Sample, Policy: This is a sample of the type of policy documents I have written for businesses. This document was intended give information to primarily college students. It is intended to be informative, but not so tied to legal speak that might cause students to quickly abandon it.
This news release sample was written for my Bachelor degree in Communications program, through Colorado State University. It is an example news release based on a fictional product, but researched as if it was a real device. A PDF version is included below.
Parody: Legal, Ethical and Organizational Communication in Landmark Court Cases
Parody has been a part of media and entertainment for centuries, with seemingly few public figures escaping notice. Parody and satire, particularly in politics and with public figures, dates back at least to a political cartoon by Benjamin Franklin from 1754, predating the United States as a country7. From political caricatures and books of the […]
Understanding how persuasion can affect a reader is an important skill when writing about a controversial topic. J.J. Keith of The Huffington Post editorialized one side of the vaccination debate, and used both Aristotle’s proofs and Kenneth Burke’s theory of identification in an attempt to persuade the reader5. This paper analyzes the methods of persuasion […]
Organizations in 2017 have found a new problem to solve, a fight generated by fake and exaggerated news on social media spread by celebrities. When that falsity is spread by the President of the United States, an organization must defend itself from enormous publicity. PR Week explored the attacks that President Trump has made against organizations […]
The ways in which organizations use social media to feed their audience is not much different than the varied ways in which zookeepers feed the animals in their care. In the petting zoo, the hens are looking for whatever food they can get. At the other end of the spectrum, feeding the lions takes a […]
Coursework: 5 Unique Tools To Take Control Of Your Paintings
Artist April McConn looked out the window of her studio, taking in the flat landscape of the Colorado plains as she started her new painting of ancient Rome. McConn has spent the last two years creating popular paintings of life in the Roman empire, despite not having access to the massive architecture the Romans are […]
Executive Summary The history and success of the Washington Redskins is important to the National Football League, fans of the team, and the heritage of American sports. Washington has won the Super Bowl three times in its storied history, and is one of the strongest brands in all of sports. The Redskins organization helps local […]
Imagine a small news organization, in a local market, discovered that their website was rated the worst in the area. It is a tired design, with outdated technology and ideas, one that the previous CEO would never allow to be fixed. But now, the CEO has been replaced with a new president, one that wants […]
When promoted to being the president of an organization, a person immediately needs to find ways to make the organization stronger. New leaders are often tasked with creating teams and rewards for accomplishments, and to create a thriving culture is important to the longevity of both the leader and the organization. Having the right team […]
The ways in which organizations use social media to feed their audience is not much different than the varied ways in which zookeepers feed the animals in their care. In the petting zoo, the hens are looking for whatever food they can get. At the other end of the spectrum, feeding the lions takes a […]
Media Coverage Around the World: Pulse Nightclub Attack
Very early on the morning of Sunday, June 16, 2016, as the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, was announcing their last call for drinks, a man walked into the club and began shooting people. Over the next several hours the gunman killed 50 people, wounding at least another 53, ending in his death after an […]
Intercultural Relationships and Film: The 13th Warrior
Halfway through the 1999 film The 13th Warrior, the Northmen’s much-feared serpent of fire is seen in the distance, working its way around the mountain towards them. One of the Northmen bangs a gong to warn the villagers, and as the villagers seek shelter the stranger among them, an Arab named Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan, starts […]
In the middle of 2015, our household faced a dilemma that many families ultimately have to face: whether or not to keep cable television service. I was still only working part time in 2015, and money was tight. The year before, Comcast had offered us an upgrade on our services, promising that the great price […]
As a parent, one of the things we encourage our children to do is to take in entertainment from various time periods, including books, music, and movies. One of the older films we watched recently was the 1986 film Crocodile Dundee, a comedy featuring an Australian man from the Outback and the female news reporter […]
It is truly interesting that fan art is this week’s topic, since it is something I am not only intimately familiar with as an illustrator, but this week my freelance life centers around that very idea. One of the things I enjoy doing is interviewing the cover artists for Apex Magazine, and I am sending several […]
Imagine for a moment that a visually impaired teenager has an interest in building a marble machine, where a small marble can roll down a series of pieces connected to a wall, landing in a cup at the bottom. This project would take materials that the teenager does not have, with knowledge he cannot easily […]
As someone with an insatiable curiosity, my experience with different media has been an interesting one. Often, the information found in one medium leads to another, and then another, to try to find as much information about a subject as is possible. A great example of this is the latest book on my reading list, […]
The transcendent experience of seeing an original piece of art in a museum is substantially better than any reproduction could possibly be. Seeing the original artwork in a museum offers reflection, education, and admiration that a reproduction can not provide. The unique crafting of the original artwork piques interest for further works by the artist, and similar artists and movements, far more than any reproduction can match. This article was originally written for my classwork with CSU-Global, a portfolio project. I have adapted it from a strict APA style to a more web-friendly style.
For the last couple of weeks, I’ve seen quite a few posts online about favorite things. Seven favorite television shows, fifteen most influential authors, that kind of thing. The problem I usually have is that my favorites change constantly, thanks to the chaotic mind I’ve been dealt. So, instead of merely popping out a list […]
In my home office, behind my computer monitor and at the front of my desk, is a board of various quotes that help me think. Most of them sit outside of my view tonight, in the dark of the evening, but one in particular from Theodore Roosevelt stands out in the light from my lamp.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds;
When I was attending the University of Wyoming, back when Deinonychus was roaming around, I wanted to be a civil engineer. Well, let’s back up a moment. I wanted to be an architectural engineer. Before that, an architect. As you could probably tell, I didn’t know what I wanted to be. I grew up only wanting […]
I like to customize my Moleskine sketchbooks before I start using them, and sometimes that can be quite an elaborate process. Partly, I customize them so that they are easier to recognize and find if lost. Instead of just looking for a generic, small sketchbook, I can tell people to look for something more unique. […]
Artists, and creators in general, can be a strange breed. Notwithstanding all of the devious and unusual things we come up with, especially as a horror creator, our actions often seem unusual to the general public. For example, I spent a good amount of yesterday looking for a new pencil. Now, for most people, a […]
Twenty-five years ago, as of yesterday, I had the very best steak sandwich. To be honest, I wasn’t hungry at the time. It was well past dinner time, past 8 o’clock at night even. There’s no real reason that a steak sandwich should have even been offered, and yet, it was the right thing to […]
When I was standing in line at the local coffee shop, I overheard a couple of people talking about something awful. That happens, certainly, it’s not unusual at all (I often stand in coffee shop lines). One of the women in the group, after hearing the full details of a plane crash, said, “That is […]
The Devil’s Footprints: Creating Oddities From The Mysterious
For my entire life, from the stone ages until now, seemingly, I have been fascinated by the strange and the weird. Growing up, nearly all of the books that I read were about mysterious happenings around the world. There were no limits on my fascination. UFOs, ghosts, Kaspar Hauser, cryptozoology, strange events and anything else […]
One thing I love about art is seeing the different interpretations that artists have. A different take on a sunset, or a new way to paint buildings, and even new ways to paint monsters. These new methods and creative views drive what I love in art. Let’s face it, especially where monsters are involved. It […]
I constantly look at other artists’ work, in fact I make it a part of my day to at least check out art or illustration boards on the web. There’s something I’ve noticed, and I’m not sure if it’s a trend or if it’s something that’s always been there. Some of these creations are just […]
I was particularly enamored the other day with the newest trailer for the film Pacific Rim, and it made me think of something other than giant robots and giant monsters. Originally published by Apex Book Company, April 2013 Aren’t these the same giant monsters we’ve seen for years? Now, believe me, I’m not going to […]
Perception of the visuals: the look and feel of noir
Picture this: there’s a former cop standing in one spot, with a beautiful woman standing behind him. His gun is drawn, and he’s waiting for the bad guy to show himself so they can have a “final showdown”. It’s a tense scene, where quite a lot of bad things are about to happen. Now, everyone […]
As it turns out, I’m an artist. An artist that has, luckily, convinced others that he can do art. Thus, I produce covers, interior illustrations, and whatever else folks need. I’ve mentioned it before, and I’m not done beating it into the ground just yet, but it can be an up and down game. One […]
Whether I’m creating some new piece of art, or taking a photo, even writing a story (wait, “he writes?”, you say), I have always loved creating things. I especially love to create things that have, shall we say, an unusual feel to them. I love the fantastic, the supernatural, and all of the strange things […]
The last couple of years, with the violent ups and downs as they’ve been, haven’t been the easiest. Long term unemployment, financial issues, near total lack of art sales (and no originals sold at all, let’s not forget that). When a creator goes through times like these, contemplation on the future is sure to happen. […]
I get asked a few times a month for my current commission rates, for folks interested in having me do cover work, or maybe an ink or acrylic piece. Sometimes they hire, sometimes they don’t, that’s just business. But there’s an underlying element often of folks who don’t want to pay anything. Ever. They just […]
Last week, I was doing a free-flowing session of ideas, whatever popped into my head. I started sketching an idea of someone running across a high bridge, with the zombies in heavy pursuit. Now, the thing about being an artist, especially an illustrator, is that you have to come up with lots of interesting ideas […]
A little while back, just before the big rush of my convention art show, I created a new small ink to try and sell. It was an ink version of the famous Creature From The Black Lagoon, which you can see down below on the right. It turned out pretty well (or so I’m told […]
Most of time, life is pretty boring. We go through our lives, through our day to day procedures, and very little changes. Sure, each day and each week have their little ups and downs. After all, I did just eat a Snickers bar and stub my toe, at nearly the same time. But for the […]
Life influencing art, scaring the bejesus out of me
Earlier this week, author Ray Garton (who’s awesome, and you should read all his stories) asked on one of the social networks (the blue one) about sleep paralysis. For those who aren’t familiar with the phenomenon, sleep paralysis, also known as night terrors, is perhaps the scariest thing you could ever imagine. You wake up […]
I’ve heard the phrase plenty of times that you should always look forward, never back. Which, like any other totalitarian idea, is more of a sledgehammer than a finessed thought. I mean, I understand where they are coming from. You don’t want to be so beholden to the past that you can’t move forward. That […]
The other night, I was watching the new television series Alcatraz, and something started to bother me about it. Now, it’s not a bad show, “decent but flawed” might be a good way to put it. But it suffers from lazy writing sometimes, and the episode the other night made that quite clear. Twice in […]
Misogyny and schadenfreude: 500 years of treating female artists badly
I plan on using two big words today, and that’s two more than I’d use on a normal day. Of course, on a normal day most of my words just have the four letters in them, so it may not be that big of a stretch. Here it goes anyway. The two words we’ll be […]
I’ve been a big fan of the works of Zdzisław Beksiński for a long time. They are like dreams and, often, nightmares, come to life. Beksiński himself even said as much about his own work, and from what I’ve read about him he was a fascinating person. Especially in the many ways that I feel the same […]
Some of my favorite art pieces are those that show emotion, that have an energy to them. True, most beloved pieces have an energy all their own, even if it’s subtle. But there are some pieces where that energy is something more evocative. I’ve seen many of Giovanni Boldini’s paintings over the years, often of the […]
This Week’s Art: Dore’s Death, Life-In-Death, and the Ancient Mariner
I read a lot of poems, and one of my very favorite poems is The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It’s a dream made for an illustrator, filled with such great visions, and it’s probably one of the reasons that it’s been a popular poem for so long. I have a […]
This Week’s Art: Matania’s Paulina in the Temple of Isis
When I post my “This week’s art” articles, I like to have as much information about a piece as I can get. Sometimes, like yesterday’s article, the piece is quite popular, and there’s lots of information about it. Other times, it seems like only one site has the beautiful art, but won’t put any information […]
I love the illustrators of the early-mid 20th century. Rockwell, Wyeth, Pyle, and many more, they just have this great sense of drama and storytelling in their work. Even without knowing the stories that they went with, as is sometimes the case, the images still cause a reaction. Case in point, this image by one […]
The first of my renewed “This Week’s Art” articles, where we discuss a particular piece of art, is Vasily Polenov‘ Birchwood Alley (Oil on canvas, 1880). Here’s what it looks like, and click on it for a larger version. 19th century Russian art is something I’ve become more and more intrigued by over the years, and this […]
In my path to learning more about photography, I’m keeping my art sense in mind when I shoot things. The big idea behind much of my art is to simply try new things, to experiment with new methods. Along those lines, I decided to try shooting some lightning. Conveniently, there was an angry storm outside, […]
I’ve been a published artist for 15 years this week, for both cover art and interior art. I don’t say that to brag, I just want to set the stage for a discussion about the rights that go along with using my artwork. Now, to get the obvious out of the way, I own the […]
As with art, writing, and everything else that I do, I like to experiment. Often, that experimentation is very raw, very chaotic, and can lead to fascinating places. Other times, the experimentation is more clear, more precise, and still leads to interesting places. In this case, I wanted to try taking some shots of the […]
Art & Design: Promotional materials to leave behind
It is a good idea, after an interview or portfolio review, to leave behind some manner of promotional material for yourself. That could be as simple as a business card, or as complex as a brochure. The idea is that the person doing the review will have something to refer to later, hopefully to get […]
Since it popped up on Netflix, and I hadn’t seen the film since it was in the theater, I thought we should talk about The Blair Witch Project. When I saw it in the theater, way back in 1999, there were only two of us in the theater. Now, with a movie that’s actually scary, […]
“It will save her life, right?” Marnie let the desperation in her question plead for her and her daughter Marisa. She sat on the floor, holding Marisa and hoping that this last resort would work. Dr. Jackson hesitated before he answered, trying to come up with a delicate answer. “The nanites will clear Marisa’s cancer, […]
I’ve been thinking about writing articles on movies (and TV) for quite awhile, and I thought I’d get started with True Detective. HBO’s series has managed to get a lot of attention, and for good reason. Now, before we get into this, I want to say that I approach these articles the same way I […]
Last fall, while we were in Florida for a rocket launch, we decided to check out the many nature reserves along the way. We came across one that had a nice walkway through the swampland, and I thought it would be a great chance to try the Canon T3i dSLR that we had just purchased. […]
On my travels as an amateur photographer, my plan is to write about my experiences in learning about the craft. Living in Colorado affords me a lot of chances to take many different kinds of photos, and my photography articles are here to help me remember the good parts of what I do. I have […]
Why art is a profession, and should be treated as such
I’ve been at the artist thing since 1999, and it’s been great. Sure, it has ups and downs, like any other profession, but I still like creating. But I want to back up just a bit, and look at that word, “profession”. Merriam-Webster’s defines the word as, “a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long […]
This article popped up on iO9 today (check it out here), all about “night terrors”. Go ahead and read it, and come on back. My turn? Well, to start off, here’s a gif from the comments in that article that might perfectly tell you what night terrors are: Yeah, they really are just like that. […]
I had a great chance to take the new Canon T3i outside this weekend, as it was a pretty nice day out. My daughter and I stopped at a local area that’s known for having lots of wildlife, and it didn’t disappoint. Now, don’t forget, this is a brand new camera, and I’m no expert. […]
I yearn for the days of old.I look to the hillsfor adventure and glory. I look to the seasto fight the good fight.To dash to and frofighting my waythrough the day. I look to the desertsbarreling fiercelyon my strong steed.Breaking through thelines of the weary enemy. I see my chance!I push forward,my sword swingingback […]
Now, there are roughly a billion ways to do any one thing in Photoshop. When it comes to color correction, there may even be two billion. But today I just want to look at one particular method, using the Curves adjustment layer to correct color. A couple of caveats: I haven’t installed CS6 yet, despite […]
I think it’s important as an artist to look at various kinds of art each day. Just as it is important for graphic designers, filmmakers, authors, and anyone with a creative side, seeing the works of others can help a creative person learn more about what they do. In that respect, I used to write […]
Over the weekend, we picked up a brand new dSLR camera, a Canon T3i. Our Canon point and shoot is about five years old right now, and we thought it would be a good time to pick up a newer camera. Especially with the upcoming trip to the Kennedy Space Center, it was time. Now, […]
“I’m telling you, it’s the Canites”, Marko said. He tore off his helmet, tossing it on the floor in front of his panel. “The prophets warned us! The reports from the other side said–” “Calm down!”, the magistrate said. “Remember your discipline, or I’ll have you run out of here like a temperamental child!” […]
We lived in our quiet homeand ate of our good bounty,until the walls fell. They were built to last forever. But forever is just a word, meaningless in the dark. We fought against the darkness that invaded. We were strong together. Divided, it was still stronger. It came for our children, turning them into […]
The wind knows of sorrows long past.Ancient souls long forgotten,yearning to rise again. Cries are heard through distant valleys, of the coming of the lost ones. Storms rise and fall on the voices of the old, the feeble, the few who remember of old. When in times before, the cliffs turned black with their […]
The process of new cover art and the grand feedback experiment
Last year, I created a cover for author Vincenzo Bilof’s Necropolis Now: Zombie Ascension. So, as is sometimes the case and something I look forward to, he asked if I could create the art for the book’s sequel, the now-released Queen of the Dead: Zombie Ascension II (go get it here). Most of my year […]
Just the other day, Thunderstorm Books posted their newest book, Bryan Smith‘s Grimm Awakening. I was lucky enough to do the cover art for it, which was a great thing for me because I also did the cover for the original version way back in 2004. It’s not often that an artist gets a second […]
“He just scratches the walls, day and night”, Conner said. “His nails came off weeks ago. We bandage them, but he keeps scratching until they’re broken through again.” Dr. Manheim peered through the small window in the door, watching James run his fingers back on forth on the far wall. Long tendrils of blood […]
Note: This article was written in 2010 for a “Visitor’s View” section of Legacy Magazine, when I worked for the National Association for Interpretation. Legacy Magazine was the organization’s magazine, sent to 5,000 members at the time as part of their membership. It is written in an open, easier to read style for varied audiences, […]
They had said he never listened, and someday he’d learn his lesson. They told him not to go into the old Hill mansion. They told him not to touch the stain on the floor in the abandoned library. He kept wrenching back and forth, trying desperately to pull his fingers from the stain. It […]
Content Article: Sleeper sofas are the perfect addition to your home
Every home has different needs, but the standard furniture we have in them is normally the same. We have beds, dining room tables, dressers, and chairs or sofas. Once you determine what your needs are, you’ll know what furniture your home needs to have. One consideration is having furniture that serves multiple needs, giving your […]
The cool night air pushed tendrils of blood down her side, a tickle she’d never feel. She was lying over the windowsill, the broken glass still working its way into her flesh. She’d only been dead a few minutes, but the killer was long gone. He rabbited out of there the second he […]
Content Article: Different types and styles of beds
When we talk about beds, we inevitably are looking for the right bed for our homes. There are a few different styles of beds to consider, and those considerations are important before choosing the bed you need. While the choices you make for your bedroom needs vary greatly, it is important to know ahead of […]
Content Article: Open up your home with more light
There are certain energies that your home has, and we like to talk about feng shui as a way to balance those energies for good health. One aspect that’s not always discussed is the lighting in your home. Balancing the lighting in your home can be difficult, since most areas of the home have multiple […]
Content Article: Don’t forget the floor coverings in your home
Imagine this: you’ve just remodeled your living room, and you can’t quite figure out why it doesn’t work. You have that beautiful, brand new sofa and matching lounge chair. You have a nice set of small tables that accent them perfectly. You’ve painted the walls a relaxing color, matching your new furniture well. Even the […]
Content Article: Keep your healthier resolutions intact this new year
Each new year, many of us start off with resolutions. We look forward to the new year as a rebirth of sorts, a revitalization, and we make those resolutions to try and have a better life. One of the most popular resolutions is to live a more healthy life. That can mean quite a lot […]
“I don’t know why they aren’t moving”, Michael said angrily. “Why can’t you just listen to me?” He looked around again at the frozen figures, defying any of them to move. But they wouldn’t, no matter how many times he pushed or hit them or screamed at the top of his lungs. “Let’s just […]
Content Article: Using the holidays for your home and furniture planning
We are in the busy December holidays now, and many of us are involved in the hustle and bustle of the season. There’s not a lot of extra time to stop and think about your future needs, in between friends and family, shopping, even decorating. For a few reasons, now is actually a great time […]
Content Article: Remember what you need for guests
For many people, November and December mean an increase in the number of guests in their homes. Those guests range from friends coming over for dinner on the big days, to extended family members staying for a few days, a week, or more. Before the busy times get here, it’s good to stop and think […]
He opened his eyes, and remembered the sound of dying. It wasn’t a big crash, or a scream, or even a whimper. It was the steady sound of dripping, coming from behind him. Miles shook his head to loose the cobwebs inside. He had fallen asleep at his computer again, and as he raised […]
Content Article: Considering the long term health effects of your furniture
Buying new furniture can be a lengthy process, and a lot of thought goes into to purchasing the right pieces for your home. The comfort of the furniture, color, structure, the look and feel, the list of things to consider can get pretty long. What can occasionally be forgotten about in the process are the […]
Content Article: Finding the right furniture for you
It can be fun and exciting to buy new furniture. You’re bringing something into your home that you love, that will become a part of your life. But buying furniture isn’t always easy, there are many things to consider before your purchase is complete. First, before you even get to the style of the furniture, […]
Content Article: Why natural and sustainable terms are important for your home
When you are buying items for your home, whether it’s furniture, or bedding, even flooring, you want them to be of the highest quality. You also want them to be safe and healthy for your family. We talk about “organic” and “natural”, and even that products are classified by how healthy they are. But what […]
Sales Copy and Product Information Writing Sample: Natural Rugs, Floor Mats, & Tatami Mats
Note: This is a sample of the sales copy and product information that I wrote for my position at Haiku Designs from 2012-2013. It is designed to be an informative landing page, from here this page would lead off to the individual rug styles. It is also designed to have some marketing sense, to both inform and to help keep traffic coming to the website for valued information.
I was in a pretty good habit, a couple of years back, of posting the sketches that I do all the time. Posting them is good for me, because I can go back and review the things I’ve done. Posting is good for others, so I’m told by other artists, in that they can get […]
The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming.
That quote, for those of you who don’t watch movies, is from the film The Dark Knight. Until now, I just thought it was an interesting statement, but the fact is that I’ve lived like that. Also, until now, there was really no dawn to speak of. But, as these usually do go, a subtle […]
Strapped with duct tape to an old rusty table, Mark could only see the musty ceiling. He tried to speak, but his mouth was gapingly taped open. He could only grunt like an animal. “Sorry chief, I don’t speak ‘grunty’,” Josh snickered, coming into Mark’s view. “You’re pretty agitated, you might want to calm […]
Spectrum Art Show Recap Part 2: As an attendee and artist
I talked a little while ago (as in, 3 hours ago) about being an exhibitor at Spectrum, and this time I want to focus on the experience as an attendee. Now, since I was an exhibitor and not a full attendee, there are plenty of things I missed, so keep that in mind. The famous […]
Last weekend, I had my very first booth ever at an art show. It was at the Spectrum Fantastic Art Live show in Kansas City, itself a first-time event. I’ve decided to write about my experiences, but it will take a couple of articles to get it all in. This one is the first part, […]
New Ink Art and Walkthrough: The Colossi of Memnon
For a very long time, since way back when I was a college engineering student, I’ve been fascinated with ancient architecture and stonework. Near the top of that list has always been the Egyptian statues known as the Colossi of Memnon, two massive representations of pharaoh Amenhotep III. When I say massive, they are among the […]
It’s been a little while since I’ve posted a new ink, and it’s about time I did. Life gets in the way of art sometimes, but art is still something I need to be building consistently. In this case, I wanted to try another fossil as the base idea for an ink. I have lots […]
Travels of my first booth part 1: The mess of things
So, I went ahead and did it. I signed up for my first ever booth at a major art convention, in this case the Spectrum Fantastic Art Live show in Kansas City in May, 2012. What the hell was I thinking? Now, before we get any further, let me just say that I’m very much […]
Life has ups and downs of course, and I’ve said plenty of times that art is a great catharsis. I used that catharsis this very morning, for a new digital piece. I like digital art, in this case more photomanipulation than full, line by line sort of art. My style(s) of art usually has a […]
In getting ready for my Spectrum booth this coming May (check out the event here), I’ve been working out which pieces of art to bring with me. One of the ideas that came up, which I’ve had before, is to combine three of my smaller inks into one framed set. I had two previous H.P […]
No, I didn’t misspell that title, it actually is spelled “valravn”. The valravn is my new artwork, and new Alphabeast. From Danish folklore, a valravn is a half-wolf, half-raven creature. From Wikipedia (and a couple of other sites): “The valravns appear in traditional Danish folksongs, where they are described as originating from ravens who consume […]
For some time, I’ve been wanting to create another “loose” piece, using scratchboard, ink, acrylic, and seemingly everything else I can find in my office. Quite a few people like the previous piece like this, last year’s The Lost Nightmare, and I thought today would be a good time to try another. I had picked […]
For this week’s Alphabeast creation, I came across the description of a type of mean faerie, called an “unseelie”. Now, in the many descriptions I’ve come across, sometimes it’s described as the “unseelie court”, and sometimes as the creature itself. In either case, the unseelie is seen as a very mean faerie, one that tends […]
Here’s a new Alphabeast creature, and an interpretation of a scene from one of my very favorite films, John Carpenter’s The Thing. If you haven’t seen the film, go ahead. I’ll wait. Back? Wasn’t that just awesome? To create an ink of the creature isn’t the easiest, considering that it doesn’t really have one single […]
I’ve been a big fan of the film Dark City since I saw in the theater back in the 90’s. For awhile now, I’ve been considering doing some ink art of one of the creatures from the film. They are known as “the strangers’, and our hero (played by Rufus Sewell) has to go up […]
This week for Alphabeasts, which I’m now caught up on, I decided to try something different. With my computer being backed up and doing some maintenance, I thought I would try a larger piece than the others have been. This week’s letter was “R”, and the first thing that popped into my head was “revenant”. […]
Over the course of the last two years, from January 2010 to present, I’ve been writing monthly articles for the Apex Book Company. I’ve now compiled those two years of articles into an ebook collection, called Life As An Artist In Repose, now available for purchase on Amazon here. The idea behind my articles […]
Here’s today’s second catch-up Alphabeast art, for the letter Q. This is a qilin, from Chinese mythology, and something I found very interesting. As a creature, a qilin is (from Wikipedia and others) a creature that’s described in a few different ways. Among them is a description of a beast with horns/antlers, more of a dragon’s head, […]
In trying to catch up on life, especially while my computer is a bit busy, I’m finding that I can still work on ink art away from the normal spot. Case in point, today’s first catch-up Alphabeast art. I had a few “P” choices to pick from, but this one stood out quite a bit. […]
For quite awhile now, I’ve wanted to do an ink of a large tortoise. I’ve seen them in various places throughout the years, and they have a great texture in their skin that I’ve wanted to try and work with on an ink. Any time you have an ink idea with texture though, it complicates things. You only […]
The second Alphabeast ink of the day is a Japanese mythological creature known as the onryō. If you’ve seen The Ring (or Ringu), even maybe The Grudge, you probably have a pretty good idea what a onryō is. An onryō is a vengeful ghost, seeking retribution for some wrong that happened to it during life. The most […]
A few different ideas went through my head when it came to the “nightgaunt”, for my latest Alphabeast. For those that don’t know, a nightgaunt is a creature that is present during night terrors. Now, night terrors are the worst thing in all the world. Frightening, to the point that getting a night terror affects […]
I’ve been working on a number of projects, and one of those is to expand the offerings that I’ll have at my Spectrum Live booth this coming May. To that end, I’m trying to create a number of small acrylic paintings to have there. I’ve also wanted, for some time, to try my hand at […]
Quite awhile back, when I was first getting back into inking, I created an ink based on the Im-Ho-Tep/Mummy character from the 1932 film version of The Mummy (see it here). The idea with that one was to work from a photo, something I hadn’t done much (if ever), to recreate the iconic face of […]
Continuing on the mission to make 2012 mine, I completed a second ink today (don’t miss the first one, here). It was a challenge, in more ways than one, but I think it turned out well. The ink is of a Lampade, from Greek mythology. Lampades were companions of the goddess Hecate, and were nymphs […]
The end of the year didn’t go anywhere nearly as well as I thought, art-wise. Of course, the whole year was… yeah. But this is a new year, and I have a lot of catching up to do. Though I’ve been working on art behind the scenes, here’s the first posted one of the new […]
I’m gradually starting to get caught back up, after a disastrous few months. I decided that I didn’t want to end 2011 with nothing completed, so I manged to kick out two pieces of art in the last couple of days. The first was the skatedeck art, The All-Mighty Dollar (see it here), and below […]
For awhile now, I’ve been interested in trying new materials to work with, something other than canvas or paper. A few artists that I know paint on wooden skateboard decks, and I thought that would be something very interesting to try. My friend at the local Rendition Gallery (go check it out folks) ordered a […]
I’ve been busy for some time now, and I haven’t been able to post the newest ebook cover that I created a couple of months back. I thought it was time to show it off, so here it is. For those that follow this blog (both of you), a few months back I was in […]
This is my latest ink for the Alphabeasts project, and hopefully the last one I need to catch up on. I started with “C” (here), coming in a little late, so this one catches me up to the current letter. An algul is a mythical/legendary vampire woman, in Arabian mythology, and I thought it would […]
For my Alphabeasts entry this week, being still in an “experimental” mood after that last painting (here), I went with a different effect than I normally have. Usually, I have quite a lot of crosshatch marks on my inks. I decided this time to try something with far less lines, but with just as much […]
Being an artist, to me anyway, involves taking chances. Though I value consistency, there’s something to be said for experimentation. Experimenting with techniques and styles gives me a chance to explore areas I haven’t tried before, and really challenge the concepts of art. Not just in how I make things look, but the difference in […]
For this week’s Alphabeasts entry, I decided to stick with Valve’s games, albeit a slightly older one. From the Half Life series, there are these little creatures called “headcrabs”, which I thought would be fun. Headcrabs like to throw themselves at you, and can be pretty annoying. With the trusty crowbar they aren’t too hard […]
For many years, coming from both illustration and graphic design, I’ve heard different discussions about what people charge to do their work. Sometimes it even sounds like a big, secret mystery, as if you aren’t supposed to talk about it in front of anyone. Which, as all of you who are consumers would be quick […]
Every so often, I get some idea rolling through my head that I just have to investigate. On this site of mine you’ll find experiments as dark as The Lost Nightmare, as wacky as zombie muppets, and many others that I just thought would be fun. After a discussion online earlier today with artist Chris […]
Here’s my new entry for Alphabeasts, G is for Gremlin. It’s one of those films I grew up with, and now my own children have seen it and are growing up with it. In fact, it’s on my daughter’s suggestion that I’ve created this ink art, of the vicious Stripe. She, of course, didn’t want […]
I missed the opening couple of rounds of Alphabeasts this time, so I’m gradually catching up with “A” and “B”. Today, I managed to get “B” out of the way, with an ink I’ve wanted to do for some time. One of the films that has always inspired me (from a twisted direction at least) […]
Once again, I’ve created a new ink for the Alphabeasts project (alphabeasts.tumblr.com). This time, I had a bit of a quandary, since there are a few creatures that start with “F” that I thought might be interesting. Of course, there’s the faun from El laberinto del fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth). But I have an interesting ink […]
A few months ago, a former graphic design client of mine asked me to do a traditional painting for her, something she could give away as a present. She had been on a long trip to the Mediterranean, and wanted to repay her hosts with something more than just a “thank you” card. I thought […]
I’m having fun with the Alphabeasts project (visit http://alphabeasts.tumblr.com/ for more info), it’s making me really think about what I want to do for it. The creatures are all different as well, so it’s a good challenge to come up with different textures and ideas. On top of that, getting away from working with photos, while a […]
My second entry into the great Alphabeasts project (visit http://alphabeasts.tumblr.com/ for more info) is based on the race of beings called “The Deep Ones”, from H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos. I’m getting more comfortable working on inks without photo reference, and this one didn’t have any at all (other than a quick google search for “frog eyes”. Make […]
A great new collaborative project is online, called “Alphabeasts”. The idea is that artists each week have a letter, and they must create a piece of art of a fictional creature starting with that letter. I’ve been looking for a nice, regular sketch sort of thing to do each week, and I think this will […]
My children tell me that they love that I’m an artist, and that I have a vast knowledge of how to pull things off for Halloween. Now, of course, they just tell me that so I’ll let them stay up late to watch movies. But I have to admit, I think that their excitement with […]
My good friend Patrick Douglas has a new book coming soon, and I created a new art piece for him to use as a signature sheet. The book itself is great, and tells the story of an outcast girl who has stumbled into a lost tribe in a cave system. Signature sheets, at their base […]
A good friend of mine, Weston Ochse, just released a fantastic collection of stories, called Multiplex Fandango. Published by Dark Regions Press, Multiplex Fandango is filled with great stories, and I highly recommend picking one up as soon as you possibly can. Go here to do so. Now, you might be asking, why am I […]
I’ve been trying lately to get on a schedule of having regular, smaller works completed. The last month has proven instead to confound that plan, but I’m still hoping to get that worked out. Case in point, my new painting for today. It’s meant to be a smaller, less involved painting, and for the overall […]
For a long while (for those who haven’t followed me for that long), I would do weekly art blogs about paintings that I was inspired by. Works by artists who are now among my favorites, like Caspar David Friedrich, Arnold Bocklin, Thomas Cole, and many others. You can see the original set gathered here. Between […]
I’m fascinated by creatures of all sorts, especially those that are a bit on the creepy side. Case in point, “The Mouth of Sauron”, featured in the extended edition of the film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. In case you haven’t seen the extended versions of the LOTR trilogy (which […]
The Mouth of Sauron; Ink, color ink wash on 140 lb. Cold Press, 9″ x 12″; based on the character from the film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King;
The Tools and Materials I Use, Part 2: Painting and other uses
In the first part of the article yesterday (here!), I talked about the pens, pencils, and different paper stocks that I use as an artist. Today I’m going to discuss the other things that I do, including acrylic painting, matting, and so on. First off, the easy stuff. Painting with Acrylics Now, I’ve only been using […]
The Tools and Materials I Use, Part 1: Stock, ink, pencils
Whenever I’m on Twitter (and, to a lesser extent, Facebook and Google +), there always seems to be these great discussions about the type of materials and tools that artists use in their art. Often there are similarities, and quite often too there are new and cool things that I hadn’t heard of before. I […]
In starting up my new online stores, I decided that it might not be a bad idea to have a few items that weren’t as much about my art as much as just “cool”. Being that, without a day job, I don’t get to play with graphic design as much anymore, I thought it would […]
While working on a far larger painting, one that’s taking much longer, I decided to do a smaller painting. I had to wait for the larger one to dry anyway, so slipping in a small one was something I could work out. I’ve been thinking of doing continual, small paintings of different ideas that I’ve […]
New Ink Art and working with reference: Cthulhucraft
I’ve been itching to do more ink work lately, and I decided over the weekend that H.P. Lovecraft’s birthday was a great chance to work something in. The trick, of course, in doing art of a recognizable character (or person) is that you just have to get it right. Sure, there is some leeway here […]
In the last few years, I’ve done something regularly that I hadn’t in the previous years. I’ve started to complete full sketchbooks, with some kind of art on every page. I’ve noticed that it’s a good time to go back and look through it, to see how things went over time. In this case, this […]
Sure, most of the time I’m a happy-go-lucky person with a cherub-like demeanor. But once in awhile I let the world get to me, as I’ve mentioned plenty of times on the site here. I’ve found one thing, that I love to do anyway, that gets rid of the depression usually. Chiclets. Ok, that’s not […]
Designing Foil Stamps for Covers: Maelstrom Set #2
Previously on my site here (well, here), I talked about foil stamp designs. I posted examples of designs from one of the books by Brian Keene, A Gathering of Crows. Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to create the foil stamp designs for the second Maelstrom set of books from Thunderstorm Books as well. […]
Recently, I’ve had a couple of commissions to do ebook covers. Which is great, because I really am a starving artist (unemployed and all), so commissions help me survive. But that’s only part of why we’re here, the other side of it (and the point of this article) is designing for ebook covers. Now, at […]
One of the great things that I like about digital art is the ability for programs (I use Photoshop) to let different layers of art interact. For example, I can have a painting of a character on one layer, with all the shadowing, anatomy, and so on, and on a different layer I can have […]
Ok, this is tutorial isn’t about making eyes at someone else, or processing new eyeballs to replace the ones your T-800 lost. It’s just a quick tutorial on one way to create eyes in Photoshop. More specifically, this is about the iris and pupil. There are many ways to do it of course, but this […]
I originally wrote this article for my Apex Magazine slot this month, but in the long run I decided to go a different way with it. I thought this one ended up a little more about creators than about the things the Apex might need, so I wrote a different one. That said, I think […]
As a freelance artist (and designer), the need to have a contract template available becomes apparent pretty quickly. I like to think I work hard as an artist, and I want my works to be taken care of and used in the proper manner. So, I did a bunch of research, read a lot of […]
Recently, a client of mine (who I used to do plenty of graphic design for) asked me for something a little different. Instead of the graphic design work that I’ve been doing for many years for her, she asked if she could commission a full painting from me instead. Being unemployed and poor, I made […]
I toy with my procedures all of the time, to try to do things better. If not better, than more uniquely, or to a different effect or feel, I’m certainly a tinkerer. Case in point, clouds. There are roughly 1, 192, 632,325 ways to make clouds digitally (“roughly”, he says), so by all means this […]
Nature and the artist: Rocky Mountain National Park
I think it’s very important as an artist to get inspiration from all different kinds of things. Especially nature, which offers so many unique and interesting features that, as an artist, I can’t help but be inspired. Sometimes it’s worth it to just take a drive, and see what’s around you. That might be cityscapes, […]
There are a lot of social networks out there, and often as an artist it can be difficult to choose which ones would be best. There’s something to be said for really needing to be doing art all the time, but I don’t think that’s quite fair. In my situation, as it is from many […]
I’m sure most people are aware of this, but here it goes anyway. There are people on the web that, when they find an image on a website, just grab the web URL directly to the image and paste it into their forum/website/blog/whatever. This is called hotlinking, as you are not hosting it on your […]
A fun new idea: artists posting at 10 am every day
Being on Twitter (quite often) gives me the chance to see what other artists are up to, and the kinds of projects that they work on. Case in point, yesterday Eric Orchard posted one of his sketches, and the idea came up that it would be fun if a bunch of artists decided to get […]
A few years back, I wrote an article about the art technique books I have (it’s here). I thought it might be a good time to revisit that, as well as post some of the artist books that I have as well. However, reading a bunch of text is probably pretty boring, and artists are […]
I’ve been considering doing an ink work of something from the film District 9 for some time, and I finally decided to fit it in here. I managed to fit it in between two other commissioned pieces (call it a “break”). I also decided that, instead of just an ink work, I’d have fun with […]
Something that comes up from time to time is the need, as an artist and a designer, to have a portfolio to show someone in person. That could be at a convention, or a job interview, various places where having a portable way to show your work would come in handy. For many years, I’ve […]
Creating a cover from scratch: Ray Garton’s Vortex
Despite the bad way that my year is going, I still manage to get some great projects by some wonderful authors. Case in point, I was given the chance to work on author Ray Garton‘s new book, Vortex, out soon from Cemetery Dance. It’s a great honor not only to work with one of Ray’s […]
For once, I’m posting less about art and more about life. Don’t worry, I’ll be getting back to posting about art soon enough. I think, looking at my work overall, you can see that I’m influenced by a great many things. I don’t really match any one artist, or one style, and I tend to […]
Peter Cushing from the first Star Wars, as Grand Moff Tarkin, who’s in control of the Death Star. Ink and ink wash on 140 lb. Cold Press, about 9″ x 12″.
I think it’s important as an artist to look at a lot of art, and in fact I love nothing more than to flip through the many art books I have on the shelf. Seeing different styles, different techniques, and just appreciating what others have done is a great way to learn more about art, […]
In The Wrong World; Digital, story illustration for Peter Straub’s story Variations on a theme from Seinfeld Published in Cemetery Dance Magazine, 2009
On Thursday, I posted my newest ink/digital artwork, of Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin character from Star Wars. I decided today, while taking a break between art pieces (and while my internet is working) to upload this article about how it was created. I like to post these kinds of articles for a couple of […]
This is the character Tomas from the film El Orfanato (The Orphanage). It is a digital color version of my original ink, 5″ x 7″ on 140 lb. Cold Press.
I’ve been wanting to try and do art for one of the special days that come up. Certain birthdays of actors, or film release dates, anniversaries, that sort of thing. So I took a little time away from finishing up some publishing work and gave it a go. Today would have been actor Peter Cushing’s […]
Rising After Dark; Digital, based on the book The Rising: Deliverance by Brian Keene; Published in the book as the signature sheet; by the Maelstrom imprint of Thunderstorm Books, 2010
This is a digital color version of my ink work of the Pale Man creature in the film El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth). The ink is 8 1/2″ x 12″, 140 lb. Cold Press, scanned in and colored in Photoshop.
I’ve been busy as of late, with commissions, local art sales and creation, job searching, various levels of depression. Coupled with those things, I’ve also had a terrible internet connection, which has caused a number of things to fall behind. In the process of trying to get caught back up, I did manage to squeeze […]
My latest article for Apex Magazine (check it out here) is about, as an artist who likes being noticed, learning how to approach people. It’s not easy, and being a wallflower most of life it really becomes a challenge. As the article I wrote discusses, putting that first step out can be difficult, but can […]
I’ve always loved the image of the female robot from the film Metropolis. It’s a very streamlined, very cool design, and well ahead of it’s time for when the film was made. I’m not sure I captured it as well as other ink works I’ve done, but I’m still happy with it. I think it […]
While I was in Austin, Texas, for the World Horror Convention, I had a bit of time to kill before checking in. I decided to sketch some things first for projects that I have in play, and after that I decided to create another ink card. Now, the main motivation for it was that I […]
The Devil’s Backbone, ink and color ink, 5″ x 7″ on 140 lb. Cold Press. Based on the character Santi from the film El espinazo del diablo (The Devil’s Backbone).
I’ll be attending the World Horror Convention in Austin, Texas this week, and I’m hoping to meet a lot of people there. I have a number of friends that will be there, along with quite a few I talk with online who will be nice to meet in person. If you decide that you’d like […]
Since last night’s ink card (see it here!) was a bit on the dark side, both figuratively and literally, I thought I’d something different with today’s ink card. Today’s ink is of “The Spaniard”, the temporary nickname for the character of Maximus in the film Gladiator. I chose it not only because I really like […]
As I’m jumping back in on the art thing this week (see the previous article), I wanted to try something, well, harsh. I wanted to try and create an ink card that was very dark, and really only show the barest of highlights. It’s tricky for sure, and to be perfectly honest I’m not sure […]
I’ve spent the last couple of weeks, while still working on projects and doing art and design, in a bit of a lost sense. I’m not sure why, but I’ve reached a bit of a crossroads with the world. Almost like this long, perceived journey is about to take on a different tact since the […]
It’s not really a well-kept secret that I like the scary stuff. So, when I was looking to create a new ink work for the end of the week, I ended up with a scary figure. Now, in this case, it may or may not look that scary. The character is Tomas, from the film […]
Since yesterday’s art was more on the horror side of things, and I’m working on a horror book cover, I think my brain wanted to play nice with this new ink card. This one is back to what I have been doing, 5″ x 7″ ink on 140 lb. Cold Press. I also added just […]
I decided I was getting too comfortable with my new inks, and I thought I’d try a new experiment. I think it’s important as an artist not to get too comfortable with what you are doing, as complacency can often lead to boring art. So, what I would tell all artists is to try something […]
Sometimes when I’m thinking of doing some art, I get a good idea going. Some concept, or some particular scene grabs me and I want to get art made of it. Today was no different, as I’d had an idea for another ink work based on some old noir films. I thought that not only […]
Death From Below; Digital; published as the second endpaper for the novella Scratch by Brian Keene (Cemetery Dance, 2009); Companion piece to “Death From on High”, also on this site.
Death From On High; Digital; published as the first endpaper for the novella Scratch by Brian Keene (Cemetery Dance, 2009); Companion piece to “Death From Below”, also on this site.
I decided that it might not be a bad idea to take a step back and look at the inks I’ve been working on. For those that haven’t been following (I know, I know, no one has been), I started doing ink cards and ink works late last year as a way to learn more […]
He was getting angry, though he knew he shouldn’t let her get to him. For the sixty third time this month June had said no to his advances, and she went quickly to sleep. He watched her now as she slept, the top of one foot sneaking out from under the covers. He turned […]
I decided that I should take a break from inking monsters, and try something that has less texture to it. Texture is fun with characters, but I want to challenge myself by working with images that don’t necessarily have a lot of texture in the important areas. Case in point, this new ink that I’ve […]
Last year, when I was working on the cover for author Brian Keene’s A Gathering of Crows for Thunderstorm Books, I was asked if I could do a design for the foil imprint that was to go on the cover. Easy enough. It’s a point at which my graphic design production background and my art […]
I had fun digitally coloring The Pale Man ink that I did (see it here!), and I thought I’d try it again. I’ve been away from inking for a couple of weeks, due both to the job search and some paying gigs, but I created a new one today for sale. I have numerous ink […]
This is sort of an old story, since the three Maelstrom books, two by Brian Keene and one by Kelli Owen, have been out for a few months now. But, as with many things, life managed to get in the way of posting the art that I did for the run. I decided to post […]
Today has been an experiment in not only a larger format for an ink work, but also in the idea of not letting a problem in the art end the day. When I started doing art today, I just grabbed my 12″ x 18″ watercolor stock and went to work. I had a decent idea […]
I was recently looking around my office for a reference for a piece I’m working on, and after a short search I came up with what I was looking for. But when I was done I came to an interesting conclusion. I sure do have a lot of stuff. Now, I’m sure many artists, writers, […]
While I’m working on these ink cards, I’m trying a few different ideas out. Of course, one idea is purely commerce driven, I’m unemployed and selling things keeps food on the table. But artistically, there are a few things at play here. First, I’m trying to relearn what I knew about inks so many years […]
Now, I’m not sure how many will know who Aknot is, but let’s just say I enjoyed making the ink card (5″ x 7″, ink on 140 lb. Cold Press as usual) and leave it at that. Ok, I guess I can let you know. Aknot is a warrior/creature that appears in the wildly underrated […]
Ok, technically I’m not breaking a book. But I am being rude to it. Some time ago, I started getting an idea that it might be fun to take one of my contributor copies, of some of the books I’ve created art for, and add new ink art throughout. The idea came about because one […]
So, February ends, and with it the end of my day job. Yes, believe it or not, artists have to eat, and often have day jobs. Or their families have to eat, that sometimes happens too. In my case, I was the Creative Technologies Director for a nonprofit organization. As happens sometimes with nonprofits, the […]
While I was at the con, I was able to complete one ink card and two ink sketches. It was very interesting, working on art in front of people. I don’t get to do that very often, and it was interesting to see how people reacted while I was creating the works. The first one […]
Much of the time, I get an idea for a piece of art and I start in on it. But every so often, I have the start of an idea, and I let it take off from there and it ends up wherever it feels like. This is one of those paintings. Now, to be […]
Second star on the right, and straight on ’til morning
At the end of this week, I’ll be a guest at VisionCon in Springfield, Missouri. This is only the second time I’ve been a guest at a convention (though I’d love to be in more of them), but after the first time I realized how great it can be. We’ll set aside the part for […]
As a designer (not just an artist!), I run into all sorts of different projects. Everything from very simple designs up to extremely complex ones. Sometimes it’s web design, and other times it’s graphic design. Sometimes, when I’m lucky, it’s graphic art and illustration. A few years ago, my freelance client asked me to design […]
I’ll be a guest at VisionCon next week in Springfield, Missouri, and I’m trying to create more art to show (and sell there). I’m also having fun doing these ink cards, it gives me more confidence going into larger pieces. I’m also getting good practice working from a photograph (or a series of them), which […]
I’ve been thinking of doing more monsters in ink, for sale while I’m a guest at VisionCon 2011. Here’s the newest one, one of the ghosts from The Devil’s Backbone. It’s like the previous ones, 5″ x 7″, ink, on 140 lb,. Cold Press. It has just a hint of red too near the top, […]
Though I’ll try and get better pictures of it once it’s dry, I decided to go ahead and add my newest acrylic painting to the site. I call it, Consequences: I’m really having fun with acrylics (and inks for that matter), but they are far different from my digital pieces. I sort of just let […]
Last year, I offered up a post on the small Moleskine sketchbook that I picked up (last July, check it out here). Since then, I’ve managed to fill it completely up, and move onto a new one. As an artist that likes to share (just catch me in real life, I never shut up), I […]
Graphic Design and Art: My cover for A Gathering of Crows
Some time ago, I discussed the genesis of the cover art that I created for Maelstrom’s edition of author Brian Keene’s A Gathering of Crows (check it out here!). For that article, I talked about the content of the art, what it meant for the book, and in general the idea behind what’s going on […]
Most years, when I can spare a little extra money, I try to enter a couple of competitions. First on the list is always the annual Spectrum competition, for the best of the current year’s fantasy/genre art. I was lucky enough to have been chosen for Spectrum 9 many years ago, and I’ve always wanted […]
Now, before we begin, let’s just say that my years of being an engineering student are way, WAY behind me. But I was looking at a couple of sites today that discussed the Golden Ratio or the Fibonacci Spiral, a quasi-magical scientific idea (let that roll around in your head for a minute) by which […]
Over the busy weekend, I’ve still managed to create two new ink cards, both based on ancient stone sculptures. They are also both ink on 5″ x 7″ 140 lb. Cold Press paper. The first is a gargoyle, based on one that I have here in my office. I’m having fun toying with the close-up […]
I’ve had quite a few ideas lately, but between my last trip for the day job, looking for a new day job, and family concerns, I haven’t had much time to do artwork. I have a few things I’ll need to do for deadlines, especially a new ink piece and a new contest-oriented piece, but […]
For my current day job, I’ve been tasked (since 2005, when I started) with creating animations for our big conference/workshop. The animations played, with video, in front of the major sessions at the workshops, for between 700 and 1200 people at a time. They needed to accomplish several things from the design perspective. First, they […]
I have an unfortunate tendency to abandon works of art, as I’m creating them, if they start going off track. I’m working on not doing that, but it’s built-in that if it starts looking like the piece won’t work as planned, I just give up and go do something else. It’s something that only applies […]
I decided that, for the gallery, I was going to take three famous “monster” actors and put an ink card for each in a frame, to sell at the gallery. I already have the Dr. Phibes that I did, and I wasn’t convinced that the Phantom of the Opera was going to work in it. […]
I needed to get my new painting, The Apotheosis of War, ready for the upcoming First Friday Gallery Walk. So, I set aside some time tonight to finish framing it.
I started out to make a new sketchcard (same size and specs as the others, 5″x7″ inked), with the idea of doing one of Lon Chaney Sr.’s famous monsters. I chose his Phantom of the Opera, basing it off of a couple of photos. As I worked though, for some reason a certain softness, a […]
I was hoping to do quite a few more small inked cards (I’ve been calling them “sketchcards”), but I haven’t had as much time as I’d hoped. But, tonight, I managed to get one finished. I call it Phibes, and it’s based on the character from the “Dr. Phibes” movies. Since it’s Vincent Price Day, […]
Now that I have the camera back (it took the family on a vacation this week), I can post a few shots of my work in progress. It doesn’t have an official name yet, but “futility” might have something to do with it. Here it is on my desk, and below it are a few […]
I’ve been lucky over the past few weeks to get to work with the fantastic Thunderstorm Books. I’ve been working on three books for their Maelstrom imprint, beginning with tonight’s showcase, the cover for author Kelli Owen’s Six Days. For me, this first book is special because it’s Kelli’s first novel. As she and others […]
Last weekend I was able to finish a painting that I’d wanted to do for some time. Not a digital image, but an acrylic painting. Here’s what it looked like in the gallery on Friday night: If anyone read the previous blog entry (not betting on it) about the original “infection” piece (here), you’ll recognize […]
Being a graphic designer as well as an artist can lead to some fun projects. When I’m working with authors, I tend to try to help them with what they need to push the books I’m doing the covers or other artwork for. After all, if they do well then hopefully I’ll get noticed as […]
I’ve been working on three covers for Maelstrom/Thunderstorm Books for the last few weeks, the third of which I’m working on right after I get done typing this. The two that are complete have now shown up, titles and all, on author Brian Keene’s site here. Two of the covers, for A Gathering of Crows […]
While I was at the booth at the Gallery Underground (Ft. Collins, CO) this evening, I created another sketchcard. After a failed attempt at an Iron Giant sketch (let us never speak of it again), I created this one below. I call it “Rough Times”. Like the other two, it’s 5″ x 7″, ink, on […]
Here’s the second of the sketchcards that I’ll have at the gallery, starting tomorrow night. They are fun, and they are also helping me get back into the swing of things with inkwork. This one is of a mask/sculpture of Pacal, the Mayan ruler of Palenque. I think inks are fun to do, and years […]
I’ve seen several artists online talk about doing original sketchcards, either at local galleries or at conventions. It’s something I’ve been considering for awhile as well, and with the new gallery I thought I’d give it a try. Here’s the first one, an ink sketch based on a gargoyle I have. It’s 5″ x 7″, […]
I decided, since I had a few old frames left over from another project, that the best thing to do would be to destroy the ever-loving hell out of one of them.
From start to finish: The Cover of Brian Keene’s Scratch
I like seeing how art evolves, from the beginning of the thumbnail sketches all the way through the final product. I think you can literally see an artist’s though processes as they work through issues, try new things, and complete what their vision is. In my case, it might be more like watching chaos unfold […]
I never just charge into a piece for the sake of doing art, I always let it mull around in my head some first. Sometimes I have a pretty good idea and I just need to smooth things out. Other times, there’s a lot of thought in what the scene portrays, who’s in it, what’s […]
Since January of 2010, Jason Sizemore and MG Ellington over at Apex Magazine have given me the opportunity to talk on their blog each month about art, and how I create it. Now, so far, it’s been mostly rants about the things I see wrong with art and with the various genres I’m a part […]
I’ve been very anxious to show everyone this, and now, upon the release of the novella, I can do just that. Below I’ve attached a number of pieces of art that I did for author Brian Keene’s book Scratch, just released from Cemetery Dance Publications. Scratch, if you don’t follow Keene’s work (and his followers […]
I’ve been a part of a local gallery for several months now, and it’s been a great experience. Having been an illustrator for so many years, it’s been interesting to explore the prints and fine art side of things. Luckily, the On Display Gallery in Fort Collins, Colorado (just up the road from home) specializes […]
Sometimes, I shudder to post new ideas or new techniques that I try. I never know if they really work out, if they are ok but just need work, or if they are so awful that the sun will shrivel up and we’ll all die. But, I also think that as an artist I always […]
I dabble a bit in photography, something I’ve always found to be fun. I don’t (yet) have the fancy cameras, but I still like to do it. I think, especially being an artist and a graphic designer, I have a decent eye for composition. I also like dabbling with duotones when I’m working with photos. […]
Last year, a couple of friends (Mike Oliveri, Cullen Bunn, and a few others) were really talking up using a small writing or sketching book to jot down quick ideas. I’ve carried a larger sketchpad in my backpack for a long time, but I’d considered something smaller to compliment it. So, I ended up purchasing […]
When I’m not doing art (so-so art, really), I work both as a day job and as a freelancer in web and multimedia design and development. Most of the time, that means I have to turn off the creative side of my brain and slog through whatever code comes next. Sigh. But occasionally (and hopefully […]
Awhile back (and by “awhile back” I mean “over a year ago”) I wrote an art blog of Frederic Edwin Church’s beautiful painting called The Icebergs (check out the blog here… I”ll wait.) I won’t bore you with the specs again (I’ll be boring you with other ways now), but seeing it in person I […]
Family trips aren’t always conducive to finding those unique places that are either interesting, affective or both. But my wife’s family is from Oklahoma and Texas, and both states offer places that we visit when we are in the area. Above is one of the empty chairs from the Oklahoma City National Bombing Memorial, and […]
I was asked while at a gallery over the weekend what my artist’s studio/office looks like, and if I’m comfortable in it. It’s an interesting question, the environment in which we create the things that we do. I love seeing other artist’s studios, it gives me a sense of where someone’s coming from. They run […]
I happened to be in the local Barnes and Noble earlier, and the latest issue of Cemetery Dance (#63) was on the shelf. I did art in that issue for the great Peter Crowther’s story “Memories”, which was a nice story and visually fun to work with. Here’s what that art looks like, comments always […]
Now that the visitors are all gone, I’m getting back on track with things. There have been a few developments, and there are a couple of reminders here, so let’s get going. My art is featured in an actual, physical gallery locally now. The On Display Gallery in Fort Collins, Colorado, has a number of […]
I don’t do recaps too often, since, really, you could probably just scroll down and see it all anyway. But there are a few things happening away from this site, so I thought I’d highlight them. My Flickr “sketch every day” project, which is at least getting an OK start. I don’t think my Teddy […]
I have an odd brain (you don’t say…), and the way it works with art has always been interesting. One of those oddities is in working with grayscale vs. color. I know plenty of artists who start with a grayscale piece and then go and color everything to make it a full color image. For […]
I’ve been trying to get back into art as strongly as I can, especially with my being a guest at VisionCon in January. It’s been tough, between family life, day job, being out of town for said job, and so on. But I managed to squeeze in some time this afternoon, and I created an […]
I don’t often get to art museums, so I make the most of it when a chance comes up (save for the Denver Art Museum, which is only an hour away). I think, though books and the web can certainly show you art you’ve never seen before, that being in the museum in person gives […]
Continuing on my art posts of really happy, joyous images (reference: sarcasm), here is Vasily Perov’s Found Drowned (1867, Oil on canvas, 27″ x 42″). I’ve had a bookmark for it for awhile, and I think it’s an interesting piece. I think it’s one of those pieces that has a story behind it, but still […]
After the accident (there’s a thread around here somewhere for that), I’ve had a hard time getting my head back into art. To help get that moving again, I’m returning to posting some of the sketches I’ve been working on. As always, they vary quite wildly, even on the same page. They range from sketches […]
I’m all about cheery pics tonight, the other two I was thinking of were pretty dark too. Something in the air maybe? This is Jules Elie Delaunay’s Plague in Rome (1869, Oil on canvas, 52″ x 69″), also known as The Angel of Death. I might be wrong, but this isn’t the happiest of […]
Fantastic news, for the first time ever I will be an official guest at a con! I am one of the guests at VisionCon in January, in Springfield, Missouri (website at www.visioncon.net). Along with Brian Keene, Mike Oliveri, Cullen Bunn and a bunch of other folks. I went last year, and it was a great […]
The whole last week: KillerCon, accidents, and art
It’s definitely been an interesting couple of weeks, and to start things off here’s how last week (Sunday evening) started: Out in Colorado here we call that, “turning on a green arrow”. Basically, we get the green turn arrow (everyone else gets red), we start turning and BLAMMO!, other party never stopped at the light. […]
An interesting discussion came up today (both online and in real life) about what music drives our particular passions. I decided to go through my iTunes library and really see which tracks influence my art, or at least which tracks really drive me in certain directions with the type and style of work I’m doing. […]
I still get the occasional question from folks who want to buy a print of my work. So, I thought I'd ask if any of the below pieces would be good print choices.
I’m working on a Flash book trailer for a client (you’ll see soon enough, it’s not a small client), and for testing with converting Flash animation to video I decided to create a promo for my own art. After a number of unique issues (I’m looking at you, Kaspersky), I was finally able to upload […]
Ok, so it’s been a little while since the last one of these art blogs. I’ll see if I can’t post a few more of them, and without the 4 months between them. Above is Ivan Aivazovsky and Ilya Repin’s Pushkin’s Farewell to the Sea (1887, Oil on canvas), one that caught my eye […]
The new issue of Cemetery Dance Magazine (#61) has a new piece of art by yours truly, for a story by Peter Straub. I've been anxious to post it for quite awhile.
I’m still getting settled into our new house, but I thought I’d best post something (just so no one thinks I died or anything). These photos were taken on our trip to New Mexico in May, and I thought they turned out pretty well. These in particular are from Santa Fe, though we went a […]
Russ’s Art Blog: Vedder – The Questioner of the Sphinx
I've run across a number of Elihu Vedder's pieces before, and this one is one of my favorites. This is Vedder's, The Questioner of the Sphinx, a piece that for me is always inspiring.
I’ve been picking away at a color sketch in Photoshop, and I think it’s finally done. I try to do pencil sketching, ink and crosshatching practice and Photoshop/digital sketching and manipulation each week just to get new ideas rolling around in my head. Sometimes they work, other times not so much. I’m also trying to […]
This is Lord Frederick Leighton's "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it", a piece that caught my eye when I was looking for something else (which is often the case).
I’ve been trying to sketch quite a bit more lately, I agree with the mantra “Draw! Draw! Draw!”. It’s been difficult in the past to make time for sketching, especially when I have other (paying) projects going on. I think it’s an important step to learning though, and I want to be a far better […]
It's been awhile since I've written an art blog, which I've done off and on for a few years. I usually discuss a piece of art, almost always one that I like myself, and give the world my thoughts on it.
Since the graphic design/logo blog went over like a lead balloon, and I wanted to try the new camera out some more, here are a few closeups of an old sculpture that I did years ago. Maybe it will help me get cracking on that next sculpture too…
Most people that know me outside of family (both of you, you know who you are) know me as an artist. But by day, and sometimes even at night, I am also a graphic designer. Sometimes that means signs, or books, or even logos, which is the topic for today. I created a logo for […]
It’s just a point-and-shoot Canon 880, but it’s a far more advanced camera than my 4 1/2 year old Kodak. It takes some pretty decent shots, and I think it’ll be a good camera overall. A few shots… This one shows off the macro ability, which the Kodak never had a chance of doing. The […]
I think where art can be a good thing is the ability to get the feelings and emotions out on the table, without necessarily having to explain all the things you are really feeling. I’ve always felt that art comes down more to what I want something to look like than any emotional release for […]
Sometimes you reach a point in life where the proverbial crossroads happen, and I think I’ve reached that point. There is a definite feeling of where I’ve been, and now where I choose to go. The paths are unclear, but there are definite choices coming. Art. No art. Design. No design. Keeping the status quo […]
I just returned from a very long trip to Portland, and I snapped a few pics for the website. As always, if you have any comments just let me know on my MySpace or LiveJournal. I like old signs, especially the faded ones on the sides of buildings: I also have a tendency to experiment […]
It’s more like Gorgon sculpture: Hour #2, but close enough. This is always the difficult stage, where everything gets tweaked. For awhile too it all looks sort of… lumpy. The general shape is beginning to show, but unlike two-dimensional art you don’t start with a skeleton or even a rough sketch of circles and lines. […]
Before I actually mention the sculpture, I just wanted to touch base on what it’s like to have family around when you are working on various projects. This is a possible "Uberchimp", which might become a "something" in the near future. He’s what I picked up for reference since I don’t draw chimps all that […]
While I was helping my daughter with my homework, I decided to work out some Monday sort of frustrations with new artwork. I don’t think it turned out too bad actually. I call it, “Asylum Days”.
I created a few computer desktop/wallpapers from the art that I did for Brian Keene’s Scratch. Here they are below: Download here Download here Download here
I don’t always get to just experiment and have fun with Photoshop, and tonight I had a chance to so I ran with it. This takes the place for tonight’s sketching, something I’ve been trying to do every day. The images below are for possible use with the great site The Big Adios (or at […]
Someone asked me the other day which art technique books I would recommend, and it’s not necessarily an easy answer. I’m very picky with those kinds of books, and there are so many out there that what works for you might not work for me. But I thought I’d at least throw out a few […]
Last year I completed my first comic work, a short story by Horror Express owner/author Marc Shemmans. It’s a nice little story, and I learned alot working on it. I decided to post it here on the site, it’s in the right column over there. Or, I guess, you can click here . For comments, […]
While we were in Yellowstone, the Tetons and Montana for vacation I snapped a few pics. Here are a few selections below for your enjoyment. The first one here is an abandoned attraction near Casper, Wyoming, that I visited as a kid. Hell’s Half Acre was always a cool stop (the “planet” in Starship Troopers […]
My good friend Kirk Alberts suggested making my blog partly about design and art techniques, so I thought I’d give it a try. This one’s on Photoshop’s Warp abilities. One thing I missed from using Corel PhotoPaint all the time was the warp abilities that Photopaint had. There were certainly ways around that in Photoshop, […]
I’m not quite finished moving things over from the old server, hopefully that will be done this evening. Adding links, putting in art gallery pages again, all the stuff that makes moving a website so wonderful. At least installing WordPress again was easy enough.
Russ’s Art Blog: Seeing it in real life – Pollice Verso
I don’t get to art museums and galleries enough, but it can really give you a different impression of a piece of art. In this case, last week I was at the Phoenix Art Museum and saw the piece here, Pollice Verso (Thumbs Down) by Jean Leon Gerome (oil, 1872, 38″ x 59″). First off, […]
We’re back on a single piece of art this week (since I couldn’t decide on a different topic), this time it’s John Everett Millais’ The Blind Girl (Oil on canvas, 1854-1856, 32 1/2″ x 24 1/2″). It’s one of those pieces where the title really does impact what you see in the image, or at […]
This week, I’m talking about artist Gregory Manchess (www.manchess.com), one of those artists who seems to be able to fit into any genre. Whether it’s work for movies or television, books or magazines, or even just fine art, Manchess has a great ability to capture different ideas in interesting and exciting ways. If you happen […]
This week we’re back to a piece of art, in this case Franklin Booth’s War on the Tiger (ink, 1908). I’m a huge fan of ink and engraved works, and Booth was a master of the pen. He is one of the most influential ink artists ever, and his techniques and styles can easily be […]
On the road of the new and improved (or at least different) “This Week’s Art” posts, this week I thought I’d talk about an art term. Partly for those who may not know what it means, and partly because I get to learn a little too. This week’s art term/word is “Trompe l’oeil”. No, I […]
As I mentioned last week, I’m hoping to change things up a little with the art blogs, and offer more than just a “piece of the week”. I’ll be featuring artists sometimes that you may be familiar with, if not in name than in work. This week, I’m going to talk about Michael Deas (www.michaeldeas.com), […]
After a busy (and depressing) holiday season, I’m attempting to restart the art blog idea. This time though, I’m going to work things a little differently. Instead of just a piece of art each week, I’m going to alternate on artistic ideas. Some weeks will still be about a certain piece, other weeks about artists […]
This is Franz Von Stuck’s Sin (1893, Oil on canvas, 35″ x 21″), which may get my vote for having perhaps the most accurate title of an art piece I’ve seen. I like the color choices and palette here that Von Stuck used, or rather a lack thereof. He keeps the colors simple, […]
Ok, so my “little break” was more like a couple of weeks. Add “extreme coughing from the lungs” to “Post-Las Vegas” and there you go. But I’m back, and this one is an interesting one for me. It’s one of the first art pieces that I really took something from, especially in the extreme emotion. […]
A brief Vegas-oriented hiatus… and Photoshop World!
If you’re looking for This Week’s Art, I wimped out and decided I had too many things to do this week. I am heading to Las Vegas early in the morning for Photoshop World, which should be quite fun. Wish me luck!
Here’s another of the images that I posted on the Message Board of the Damned so long ago. This is Rene Magritte’s The Lovers (1928, oil, 21″ x 29″, aka Les Amants), a piece which I’ve had ready to post for some time, but decided to hold onto. It’s just such an interesting, disturbing […]
The fans of Edgar Allan Poe out there should like this one (not that they are probably reading my blog, but it’s worth a try). This is Antoine Wiertz’s The Premature Burial (1854, media/size unknown, aka The Hasty Burial), a piece I first saw many years ago accompanying Poe’s work by the same name […]
This is Jean-Léon Gérôme’s The Duel After the Masquerade (1857, Oil, 20″ x 28″), a piece I came across when I was actually looking for another of his works (this one, which may come up again in the future). It struck me as an interesting piece, and a much different palette than many of Gérôme’s […]
This is Gustave Dore’s Rising of the Bones (aka, Vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones, 1865, engraving), a masterwork by one of the greatest engravers and artists that I’ve yet come across. When I started being an artist, there were certain works and creators that I was really influenced by. Artists like […]
I’m back from the brief hiatus known as the Northeastern Writer’s Conference (NeCon), and I’ve chosen a piece that I haven’t come across before. This is Gilbert Rogers’ The Dead Stretcher Bearer (1916, size and media unknown, possibly oil), a fairly disturbing war piece. Now, before I get too far ahead, the version above […]
This week it’s one of my very favorite pieces, and one from the previous incarnation of the “This Week’s Art” threads. This is Caspar David Friedrich’s A Wanderer Above a Sea of Mist, a stunning piece for me and one that I will eventually (when I have wallspace) show proudly on my own wall. […]
Before I brand myself as either only liking realistic art or only posting neoclassic/romantic art, I thought I’d add a little different look. This is George Bellows’ Club Night (aka, Stag Night at Sharkey’s; 1907, Oil on canvas, 43 x 53 inches), a “looser” image than I’ve been posting so far. Ironically, Bellows also did […]
I’m getting excited, NeCon’s just a little bit away now. I leave the week after this coming week for it (on Tuesday the 17th), where I’ll spend a couple of days in Boston checking out the sites with Tod Clark. It should be fun, though I’m not 100% sure what to expect. It’ll be a […]
This is Thomas Cole’s Expulsion – Moon and Firelight (1828, Oil on canvas, 35 7/8 in x 47 7/8 in), one of those pieces that I find very inspiring. It’s a bit different than the images by Cole that I normally cite (like his Course of the Empire series, check out http://www.swarthmore.edu/Humanities/kjohnso1/colecourse.html), but it’s an […]
My friend is looking for music/movie reviews for the site that I helped him build, and I thought I’d pass it along to you fine folks. “Consider yourself a good judge of music? Well aren’t we all? The Culture Shock (www.thecultureshock.com) is looking for someone to write album and reviews from any era. We’d be […]
This is Frederic Remington’s Moonlight, Wolf, (1909; oil on canvas, 20 1/16 x 26 in), a bit of a different image from the typical Remington western art you’d see. Much of the effect had to do with Remington’s life. Many of his western works appeared before the Spanish-American War, and after he became an artist […]
This is Edward Poynter’s Faithful unto death (1865, Oil on canvas, 61″ x 29 3/4″), a piece of art that is not only is a strong image, but shows an accurate and interesting historical uniqueness. Many of Poynter’s works are historical, and this was one of his very first ones. The scene has been said […]
This is Rob Gonsalves’ Still Waters, truly an impressive piece of art. It’s one of the most interesting styles I’ve seen, and it’s fascinating to look at. I’ve always loved the unique visions of artists like Magritte and Escher, who seem to be able to easily twist reality and yet keep beauty intact. Gonsalves has […]
I’m back from a long, long trip to Washington, D.C., with this week’s new art piece. As always, let me know what you think of the art. This is James Ensor’s Skeletons Warming Themselves (1889, oil, 30″ x 24″), one of the pieces that I’ve been lucky enough to see in person at a museum. […]
In many a year ago, I was an architectural engineering student. I loved architecture, but I grew to hate number crunching (which is why I’m a silly artist-type now). But I still appreciate architecture, and this piece is a fantastic view of it. This is Karl Friedrich Schinkel’s Medieval Town by Water (1813, oil, 94 […]
Last year sometime (maybe even the year before, the last few have been a blur) I picked up a fantastic oversized book called Pulp Art ($12.95 no less!). The image above is from the book, it’s a cover of Spicy Mystery Stories Magazine (oil?, 1936) by pulp artist H.J. Ward. This pulp image in many […]
This is Jacek Malczewski’s Death (1902, Oil on panel), and if you were a visitor to the former Message Boards of the Damned you may recognize this piece. It’s one of my personal favorites, filled with everything that makes a piece of art great. Malczewski is an important artist in Europe especially, a Polish artist […]
Here’s another week of art commentary, please let me know your thoughts on the art or other comments, and I will be posting this on my MySpace as well. This is Arnold Bocklin’s Self-portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle (oil on canvas, 1872). I like alot of Bocklin’s work, and I’m becoming a big fan […]
I’ve thought about it, and not only are these posts fun but they help me grow as an artist. In it, I pick an image from past art and give out my thoughts on it. I’m not really an expert (though I have actually had the classes), and what I say is merely how I […]
If things go according to plan, I'll have the vast majority of current projects off my plate once and for all within a couple of weeks. That includes a Flash game, a programming gig (ick), and my very first sequential arc. I'm just about done with the short seven page graphic story, one which I'm […]
As an avid comic reader, it would be difficult not to hear of Neil Gaiman’s stories. Somehow, though, with the hundreds of comics that I have (possibly thousands, but too hard to count in a box under the bed), I have yet to pick up a comic by Gaiman. After reading his latest novel American […]
