Inspiration Spotlight #24: Dave DeVries and the Monster Engine...and a visit to NYC

I've got a special Spotlight post today! Yesterday I dragged my friend Anthony Briglia with me to New York City to see the opening for Dave DeVries's Monster Engine gallery show. But I'll get to that in a minute.

Before the opening we spent some time visiting different places like Forbidden Planet Comics, and The Evolution Store. In addition to those places we decided to hunt down the Comedy Cellar and Ben's Pizzeria, two locations (on the same block) featured in the FX show Louie, created by Louis CK. It was a lot of fun seeing the places in person, and we even got some slices at Ben's. We only got to see the outside of the Comedy Cellar, but I would really love to be able to go in and see a performance sometime in the future.

After we were done sight-seeing, we headed over to Sacred Gallery at 424 Broadway (2nd Floor) for Dave's opening. Here's an excerpt from the Engine's website where Dave describes what exactly the Monster Engine is:

The Monster Engine is a book, a demonstration, lecture and a gallery exhibition. The premise for all three came from one single question: What would a child’s drawing look like if it were painted realistically?


Below are some of the pieces that were at the exhibit, both the children's original drawings and Dave's paintings based on them.

Getting to see the pieces in person was a real treat; Dave has done some really great work. It'd been a while since I worked with Dave back on Blue Shift so it was nice seeing him again and saying hello. I got a signed copy of the printed Monster Engine book, full of interviews Dave conducts with the kids about the process.

If you're in the area you should stop by and check out the work yourself. The exhibit will be up until the 31st. Also check out his book and the news report on the Monster Engine on CBS (note:this doesn't cover the exhibit, only the Monster Engine itself).

Inspiration Spotlight #23: Syfy's Face Off

I recently discovered a fairly new series on Syfy called Face Off. The premise of the show is that a group of make-ep effects artists compete in a last-man-standing kind of competition to be the number one artist and they win a nice prize packet at the end. They participate in a variety of different challenges that emphasize different aspects of doing make-up for film and TV including, body paint, prosthetics, hair sculpting, and team work to name a few.

I really fell in love with this show pretty quickly. As a fantasy artist, I was really excited to see a different form of conceptualizing creating fictional characters and creatures. There were actually a lot of challenges that fell into the fantasy realm and it got my creative juices flowing.

One of the things I loved the most was that you got to hear the artists all talk about their work and their thought process behind each piece. I was really impressed to see the level of detail they could achieve in their effect but also the level of detail in storytelling you can achieve with a single figure and some make-up. It made me rethink how important little tiny details can be in order to sell your concept and I plan on taking those ideas into my own work.

They are on their 2nd season right now. The first season was fairly short with only 8 episodes but it was jam packed with awesome work from the contestants. If you're an artist (especially a fantasy artist) I think you could get a lot out of watching this show, and it's a really entertaining show whether you're an artist of any kind or not.

Inspiration Spotlight #22: Shining Force

For some reason, I've had Shining Force on my mind a lot lately. When I was a little kid playing on the Sega Genesis when it first came out, it was one of my favorite games and I still hold a lot of fond memories of the game. Shining Force is a series but I've only ever played the first 2 and I've only ever owned the 1st game (Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention) so that's the one I remember the most so that's the one I'm going to focus on in this post.

Shining Force is a tactical RPG that takes place in a fantasy realm where there is some bad stuff happening in the world. There's some ancient evil or something and someone tries to do something with it or something like that. Basic fantasy stuff, nothing super special in that department. But overall it's a really fun and interesting game. It's one of those games I could pick up whenever and play start to finish without any hesitation.

 There's a deeper reason why I've always enjoyed Shining Force and I've just recently figured it out (or maybe this is the first time I'm caring enough to think about it) and that's because the game is full of some really awesome looking characters and monsters and also some pretty sweet environments. While the game does have it's fair share of cookie cutter fantasy creatures (goblins, centaurs, dwarfs) it also has a lot of really unique species and characters. There's this knight that flies around in a airplane/helicopter contraption, an armored rhino-looking dude, this adorable squid-like creature who flies around looking like the scrubbing bubbles mascot, an awesome looking samurai dude, robot dude, and a wolf-man dude along with lots of others. Also, I have to say it's got some of the most memorable boss fights and villains that made a real lasting impression on me.

Not the most complicated game, there are definitely a lot more tactical RPGs to come out since Shining Force and I'm sure lots of them are better, but this game is a true classic in my book and I'm sure I'll be remembering this game for a long time still. I've actually been playing through again recently and I've done some sketches of some of the characters in the game. Expect to see them on Monday!

Inspiration Spotlight #21: Steve Jobs

Ok, I know I'm throwing a curve-ball with this one. To clarify, up until about a year ago, I didn't know who Steve Jobs was, I didn't recognize his name, and I didn't have any opinion of him when I found out he was the founder of Apple. However, a couple days I listened to his 2005 Stanford Commencement Address and I really liked a lot of what he had to say. I thought it would be nice to add something like this because while it's not art related a lot of what he said resonated with me and I thought his speech was really inspiring. Aside from any of his achievements in his career, I think Steve Jobs definitely deserves some appreciate for this speech...

P.S. I learned how to add videos to my blog today!

Inspiration Spotlight #20: Anthony Briglia

Ok, those of you who know me personally know that Anthony Briglia is my best bud and I know this isn't the first time I've promoted his work on my blog, but he definitely deserves a spot in the spotlight section.

I've been a fan of Anthony's work for about 8 years now and it's been a real joy watch his work grow in both skill level and concept since we were both mediocre artists (at best) going to high school together. He's got some great ideas and a wonderfully grotesque sense of aesthetic which really gives his work just the right flavor to sell his ideas. And if you're someone who really enjoys good ink work you should definitely take a closer look at his work because he really knows how to lay down a nice line in ink.

Anthony has recently started his own blog where he's making a habit of posting an exaggerated portrait every week. There's currently 2 of them up right now and they are both really awesome. You should go check out his work and show him some love. There's sure to be plenty of more goodies in store.

Inspiration Spotlight #19: Jason Chan

Ok, I wasn't sure what to write about for the spotlight this week so I'm just going to gush a little over my favorite illustrator... JASON CHAN!!

 I've been following Jason's work for a few years now and he continues to be one of my biggest sources of inspiration in art. He's got some awesome ideas for illustrations (see above and below images). And they're topped off by being gorgeously rendered. There are TONS more illustrations out there by JChan that you should see and my folder of his work is currently at 183 (if only he posted stuff online more often!).

 Another reason I love Jason Chan is because I've learned a lot from looking at his work and watching his tutorial videos. I also came across a section on his website called "The Junk Drawer" where he had archived tons of old pieces from back when he wasn't quite as good. I was in awe after going through all the sections and actually seeing his growth happen with each new year of work. Seeing his less matured work alongside his now ridiculously-awesome work made me realize that he started off right where I did and so there's really no reason I can't improve to his level as well. His website seems to be down right now and "The Junk Drawer" section was closed off well before that, but here's a blog post I came across that gives an example of what I'm talking about as far as his growth as an artist.

 Lastly here is some of his most recent work for the new Magic: The Gathering expansion Dark Ascension (above and below images). He does a lot of great work in various genre's and I'm always excited to see new work from him. Please check out his stuff if you aren't familiar!

Inspiration Spotlight #18: IlluXcon

IlluXcon

That's right, IlluXcon gets it's own line in this post, it doesn't even need any period or anything either. IlluXcon is a fairly young convention that celebrates the Fantastic Arts and it is THE place to be for people who are looking to break into the Sci-Fi / Fantasy art industry, or if you're already comfortably nested in the industry you can enjoy the pleasure of hanging out with your friends and selling some goodies. There are tons of connections to be made, plenty of people more than happy to look at your work and talk about it, and lots of lectures and demos put on by the industry's leading talents.

On Wednesday, I mentioned I'm really trying to beef up my portfolio, and IlluXcon is the whole reason why. I have attended IlluXcon once before (the 3rd one) but I wandered around as some nobody just taking in the artwork and being terrified by and in awe because of all the talent surrounding me. I got a lot out of it but I didn't have a whole lot of direction. I just knew I wanted to go.

But this year for IlluXcon 5 I'm attending again and I'm trying to plan things out a little more. The first thing I did was buy a ticket along with a table in the Showcase room! Here I'll get to set up my own work for others to walk around to and see for themselves rather than having me walk up to everyone and make the puppy-dog eyes and ask "would you pwease wook at my powfowio?" I'm definitely going to take advantage of having a Showcase table.

(Another photo from IlluXcon 3 would be here if I were better about taking photos)

To give you an idea of what a big deal IlluXcon is for me, I've been in falling in and out of a slump with my work lately, but after simply paying for admission and a Showcase table, I'm already feeling super recharged and pumped up to do some awesome work in preparation. If you want to learn more about the convention there are a lot of other people who have done a great job of documenting it, I also talked about my experience briefly in this post. Really, nothing speaks for IlluXcon like the con itself so if you're interested at all, do yourself a favor and go!

Inspiration Spotlight #17: Ben Templesmith & Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse

Speaking of artists who've inspired me early on (last week's post), Ben Templesmith is one of the first illustrators to ever really start influencing my work and this was long before I even really knew what illustration was. Ben is an very accomplished comic book creator...I say creator because he has been know to draw, ink, color and even write for the comics he produces. I've been enjoying Ben's work ever since I first picked up the Silent Hill comics he worked on for a little bit, way back whe nI was in high school.

 My favorite of Ben's works is one he created entirely on his own titled "Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse". The story takes place in a universe inhabited by corpse's that act as meat suits for an inter-dimensional traveling worm, demons, leprechauns and a whole mess of other crazy species.

Wormwood is super funny and enjoyable! Ben has created a really fun and interesting world with some really delightful characters with some great personalities. His style has a lot of character and grittiness to it too, and his color choices really drive home the perfect mood for the setting.

 I've been following Ben's work for a long time now and he always manages to keep me wanting more. He's done his own interpretations of superheroes and other famous characters...like Jesus! (see below) I really enjoy Ben's work a lot and he's got a pretty large fan base, so it's definitely not just me. If you like what you see check it out and maybe buy a comic or two of his!

Inspiration Spotlight #16: Sean Murray

On Wednesday, I briefly mentioned that I got to meet artist Sean Murray a few years ago. He came to speak to the illustration class at Syracuse University. During his visit we got a chance to hear about his successes as an illustrator, ask questions, and we even got to watch him do a digital painting demo to get a feel for how he works.

Sean Murray is currently the lead concept artist over at Big Huge Games and he was part of the team that's been working on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. He does some really ridiculous drawings. His characters and architecture are completely saturated with ornaments and detail. His sketchbooks are a real joy to look through.

At the time of his visit, I had never met a professional illustrator aside from my professors. When I saw the kind of work Sean was doing I immediately thought to myself "that's exactly what I want to do!" That was the day it finally clicked that working as an artist was absolutely possible, because here was a guy who was doing exactly what I've always wanted to do. Not only that, but we graduated from the same college so there's no reason I couldn't wind up doing the same right?

This is the mindset that I've been using to propel myself forward and it's what got me to start being serious about my work. The Kraken Wizard piece from Wednesday (the one in the middle) was the first piece I did (not for classwork either, only for myself) and it was the best piece I had ever done at the time. It was the spark that helped ignite the still-burning fiery passion I have to make it as an illustrator. Sean Murray continues to inspire me with his new work. You can see plenty more work on his website and you can stay up to date with his latest work on his blog.

Inspiration Spotlight #15: Dr. Seuss

You know, for an illustration blog, the so called "inspiration" section could use a couple more illustrators huh? Might as well get this started off with someone good right? How about the most successful illustrator who ever lived!? Some of you may think I'm talking about Norman Rockwell, Charles Dana Gibson, or Frank Frazetta, but...um...not quite. While they are all FANTASTIC illustrators who have truly made their mark in the illustration world, truth is the average person doesn't even know their names. But there is one illustrator that everyone knows about no matter your age or interests...and that's good ole Dr. Seuss.

It's hard to deny that Dr. Seuss is the most successful illustrator when lots of illustrators I talk to these days complain about no one even understands what it is they do let alone can they appreciate it. Illustrators used to be celebrities, but now even the most talented illustrators these days aren't recognized or appreciated at the level their talents deserve, at least by the general population. I'm not including within the realm of illustrators, we know who the celebrities of the illustration world are today.

Dr. Seuss is known for (like you don't already know why he rocks) his crazy imaginative worlds and characters and his super delightful writing (yeah he illustrated AND wrote his own books). He wrote a lot of best sellers and his books pretty much make up their own genre now. Spell-check doesn't even yell at me when I type his name!

 

He's just awesome. I don't really need to explain, his work speaks for itself. I'm writing this mostly so people understand the magnitude at which his awesomeness reigns. I would suggest you do yourself a favor and pick up some of his books and love them forever, but it seems like most people are already doing that.

Inspiration Spotlight #14: All my friends are dead.

I heard about this book a while back, and it sounded hilarious. Then, one day I'm just waiting in line at a bookstore, and BAM... All my friends are dead., staring at me in the face. I picked it up and flipped a few pages and it was an instant buy!

 Here's an excerpt from the book...

 WASN'T THAT GREAT!? How about this one??...

Ok, it's hard to get the full effect of the book from just the first 2 pages, but it keeps going, it picks up momentum, getting better and better. The drawings are amusingly simplistic and the expressions on all the faces are pretty priceless, especially with the super awesome punchlines and perfect comedic timing. If you're interested in picking up the book (if you have a sense of humor then you should!) then you can check it out HERE.

Inspiration Spotlight #13: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Ok, this one might be a little obscure, but I remember reading Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz all the time when I was little.

Me and my friends were really into them and one of the things that stood out the most were the pencil illustrations that accompanied each story.

This was probably one of my first real encounters of illustrations that really impacted me, at least since I my children's books.

To this day, when I make drawings more along the lines of the horror, you can often see similarities between my drawings and the drawings inside Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, done by illustrator Stephen Gammell.

The stories are a lot of fun, and some of them are really creepy for a kid to read. I still enjoy looking through these books from time to time, though I have no idea what happened to my copies.

Inspiration Spotlight #12: Ninja Mountain Podcast

Ninja Mountain is a collective of Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Horror illustrators. They regularly make a podcast appropriately called Ninja Mountain Podcast. I found out about the podcast last summer and I started listening to a few episodes a day as I worked on art projects. They are jam packed with fun and interesting conversations about the art world, they talk a lot about the business involved with being a freelance artist, and they are more than happy to answer any questions from their audience and from time to time they have special guests like art directors and other awesome artists.

Ninja Mountain has been a great influence on me because they really opened my eyes up to exactly how the illustration world works, and they kept me company during my long days working. There are currently 107 episodes, most are around an hour and a half (sometimes more) so if you're looking for something fun and inspirational to listen to while you work, here's another one to add to your list!

You can find all of the episodes on the Ninja Mountain Scrolls Blog, and you can subscribe to the podcast on itunes HERE.

Inspiration Spotlight # 11: Final Fantasy IX

Final Fantasy IX is my favorite video game. It is the only Final Fantasy game I've been able to reach the end of, and I've done so many many times. For me, I can easily pickup this game whenever and run all the way through it without getting sick of it.

This game had a huge impact on me when I played it as a kid. My first Final Fantasy game was VIII and it was just too complex and had too much teen angst for me, I could only get past the 1st disc. But everything about FFIX I loved! It was more sword & sorcery / steampunk (which I prefer) than other Final Fantasy games are; most usually leaning towards the sci-fi realm. It has a very whimsical art style to it, and the overall feel of the game is a lot more lighthearted than most Final Fantasy games as well.  

 FFIX knows just how to balance the happy-fun-times with the dramatic-extreme-epicness. It's not a non-stop depression-fest, it's a mix of all the right emotions. FFIX is my favorite game because I will never be able to forget when I finally beat the game and I watched the end credits and I found myself asking "It's over? NO! I want more!" I'm yet to play any other game, read any book, or see any movie that made me feel the same way about it.

The art (like any Final Fantasy) is absolutely gorgeous and all the designs are brilliant. The monsters, the characters, the cities, the vehicles, EVERYTHING! For anyone who loves FFIX as much as me or just appreciates the artwork that goes into creating such games, I highly recommend The Art of Final Fantasy IX. It's full of gorgeous development artwork for a variety of characters, monsters, and environments. And of course, it has a bunch of Amano pieces in it as well. Overall, you can tell there was tons more that they left out and so it's a little upsetting to see they didn't add more into the final product, but it's still one of my most treasured art books.

If you haven't played FFIX yet, you're missing out. You should get a hold of this game somehow and love it forever. If you have played and you've been nodding your head with excitement as you read this post, then high five!

Inspiration Spotlight #10: Dave Rapoza, Dan Warren, & Crimson Daggers

Lately I've been listening to / watching illustrator Dave Rapoza's livestream. You've probably seen his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, but in case you didn't here's a mash-up Dave made of all the finished portraits.

Dave's been really influencing me for a while now. The above series is one of the big reasons I decided to do the couple Power Rangers pieces I did. But now that I'm been watching his livestream I'm getting some really great advice, I can ask him questions and from time to time he'll give feedback on people's work along with his also illustrator friend Dan Warren. Dan's been doing a 2 hour study everyday in order to better his skills for when he goes to do new portfolio pieces. An example of one of his studies can be seen below...

Dave and Dan run a study group called Crimson Daggers. There are no real rules or anything, a basic outline is in place that everyone can work from in order to become better artists, and every month on Dan's livestream they host the Golden Boy awards, where they name one of the participants the Golden Boy for really improving their work through studies. Dan also hosts his study sessions on his livestream and encourages others to work alongside him.

 The Crimson Daggers just announced a challenge called the Crimson Daggers Deathline Challenge. Basically you set up a couple big seemingly unachievable goals to accomplish over the course of the next year to better yourself and your artwork by setting miniature goals to achieve every month and you have to do something every single day to work towards your goal. Every month they are going to have up meet-up on the livestream to talk about everyone's progress. If you wanna learn more click the link and join in yourself! I'm partaking, and I've already started the process. I'm starting off by making sure I do some sort of study every single day no matter what. I'll post the studies up on the blog next week, I've already done a bunch. I think I forgot to link to Dave's website...BAM Dave Rapoza!

Inspiration Spotlight #9: Egoraptor

Online personality Egoraptor (Arin Hanson) is an animator / voice actor who has achieved much success on websites like Newgrounds and Youtube. I remember watching Egoraptor animations way back in high school. He is the creator of and voice actor in his "Awesome" series, where he takes popular video games and turns them into hilarious Flash parody animations.

Here's his first animation uploaded way back in 2006: Metal Gear Awesome

He also has another series called Girlchan in Paradise which is a parody on anime and it pokes fun of the tendencies that come up a lot in anime.

Last but definitely not least (it's what sparked the idea to feature Egoraptor this week) he just started this new series called Sequelitis and he describes it as, "a funny and slightly educational look at sequels and the relationship they have with their predecessors". If you enjoy watching reviews on movies / video games, you'll most definitely enjoy this series (after I wrote this the second video just came out!). The first episode is on Castlevania and Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest.

It's cool coming across this stuff when you're a naive little high school student and then all of a sudden you realize how much work goes into this kind of stuff and you can appreciate the growth of his work over time, just keeps getting better.