Dungeon Tiles

Here's a preview of the next Dungeon Tiles set. There will be a lot of cool new extras with this one! I'm trying to get it finished up to release this weekend.

Studios

Today over on ArtOrder Jon Schindehette posted about working with art studios, so I thought I'd give my opinion on the topic. From what I understand, and I may be mistaken, the studios used to be really big up until the 70's and 80's in the US. There were quite a few around, but they were driven away by individual artists offering lower prices, the rising cost of running a studio, stock-art, and other general business woes that affected the decline of small business in the 80's and 90's.

Back in college at the Cleveland Institute of Art, our teachers in the illustration department were from that old studio era, and they tried to recreate that in the classroom. We had a large room in a renovated Ford motor plant we called "The Factory" that was filled with cubicles. Everyone got their own cubicle to work in, and it was a wonderful community atmosphere.

My teachers at CIA felt that independent art studios probably wouldn't return, but I think that studios can definitely make a comeback. With the digital age we've eliminated the need to have a large physical studio that needs to have electricity, rent, and other utilities paid. We can afford to have virtual studios to talk, share work and ideas, and meet our clients needs.

Being a member of Empty Room Studios and Creative Director of our publishing side has been a great experience for me. We have a wonderful group of artists that I really enjoy working with, and we're doing all the things the "old studios" used to do. The difference now is that we don't drive to work in the morning, we log onto our forum and check for updates. We post our WIP's (works in progress) online so everyone can give feedback, and we live scattered around the globe.

Studios are good for artists because it creates a sort of union atmosphere. There's power in numbers, and while you'll always have your bottom rung companies looking for a deal, having studios puts some power back into the artists hands. We can spend more time working on art, and less time searching for work.

Fall of Hades Book Cover

I just finished up the cover for Jeffrey Thomas' Fall of Hades book. Now that I look at it I don't see a whole lot of difference from the unfinished one I posted a while ago. I included a close up shot for this one though.

Map of the World...

...well, not our world, but a world somewhere else. This is for a project we're working on over at ERS. I'll post more info as it becomes available.

Stick Men

The other night I was talking to someone, not about anything in particular, but we ended up on the topic of my art. Well, this person isn't an artist, and they continued on with the usual comments I get from people:

"You should try and make a living off of that."

"I always think of really cool stuff, and if I could draw like that I'd have so many cool pictures."

...and my favorite...

"I can't even draw a stick man."

Really? Not even a stick man? I always find that hard to believe, and if it's true then there sure are a lot of people that can't draw stick men in the world. In fact, does that mean stick men are considered the lowest form of art? Does it take more talent to draw a stick man than write your name on a urinal and call it a fountain?

Well, I don't consider myself to be any more than your average illustrator, and I constantly look at other artists and wish I could capture the color, light, mood, or whatever it is that I don't think I have. So I just nod, smile, and try to change the subject.

And as far as stick men go. If they could learn how to draw a stick man maybe they could be like this guy.

Too much to keep track of now.

Okay, now there's an ERS blog for me to post on. I've got my website, Twitter, this blog, and now that one. Ugh...I remember when there wasn't an internet. Phone calls and letters were all you needed. Of course I complained about that back then, and wished there was something easier and quicker. Hmm...

Music to Work By

My musical tastes vary quite a bit, but I think there's almost always a common thread that links everything. I would have to say that common element relates back to a couple of the first albums I listened to as a kid back in the early 80's, and that was Pink Floyd's "A collection of Great Dance Songs", and Jethro Tull's "The Broadsword and the Beast". Not only did those influence my future musical choices, but also stoked my imagination and love of fantasy and sci-fi. I mean c'mon, look how awesome that Jethro Tull album cover is!

Anyways, my taste ranges from Jazz and Classical to grinding Death Metal. What do they all have in common? Mood. They all fall somewhere on the side of being "dark". Whether it's a subtle arrangement that takes a quick dip in the darkness, or a blasting wall of evil sound that can't even be comprehended by anyone unless they've journeyed through the sonic wastelands of underground music, they all have some element of moody darkness.

So, what am I listening to now? I like to start my morning off with Justin Sullivan's solo album "Navigating by the Stars", work my way into Church of Misery's "Houses of the Unholy", and then move into some various Electric Wizard music. Later in the afternoon I'm usually in the mood for something a little heavier, and I'll give Acid Bath's "When the Kite String Pops" a play.

That's what I've got playing this week. Next week it will probably be something completely different. Oh yeah, sometimes I'll even throw a little Eminem in the mix.

Map Preview

Here are 2 of the 20 maps I did. It's probably not necessary to show them all, but I'll be posting more on my website later.

Not much else is going on right now. I'd like to mention Jon Schindehette's blog though, ArtOrder. He's the Senior AD over at Wizards of the Coast, and he's been awesome in creating an opportunity for artists to share their work. Thanks Jon!

Oops...I forgot.

Well sort of. After working very long hours, including through the weekend, to meet my deadline today I was a little burned out and needed to take a break. Of course I'm right back at it today, and feel refreshed after getting through that huge assignment for Triple Ace Games. We're talking 6 covers, and 20 maps in about 3 weeks. That doesn't include the dinosaurs I did for Fantasy Flight Games and the work for Wizards of the Coast that was sprinkled in there too.

I even missed cliff diving yesterday! Well, I wouldn't really call it diving, more like throwing myself off of into the water below. I'd never point my head towards the water when jumping off of something high. You can also only do one or two jumps because you have to swim really far around this point to get back up.

Anyways, back to work, and I'll try and post some of the maps I did.

Before I forget...

...I need to post something real quick. Still working all day. I finished about 5 maps, and cranked out this image in between. Only 3 maps to finish tomorrow, and 1 picture to color. Then I can start on those WotC finals. Here's today's picture.

Almost Forgot

I almost forgot to write something today! Well, not much new happened around here. Just grinding away to meet a deadline on Monday. Here's a couple of the images I've finished for Triple Ace Games. What I'm really excited about showing are the Wizards of the Coast art, but those won't be ready until after next week.

Machines

A reoccurring theme in a lot of personal work I do is machines in some form or another. Whether it's some pipes, gears, or other random bits I have a fascination with machinery. This has been the case for many years, and I especially like to mix zombie like humans in with the machinery. Here's a couple of old machine inspired artwork:

These were done at different times, a couple are digital and a couple are painted with acrylics. Here's some links to cool machine related stuff that always inspires me:

My favorite Machine song

My favorite Machine Photos.

An awesome Machine sculpture:

Alright, I gotta go, so that's all I have time for now. You get the idea though.

End of the Day

Well, it's not that late, but I'm already tired. I got a lot done today, but my head feels like it's in a kind of fog when I'm not working on art. It makes it tough to take care of other business. I guess I become preoccupied with the artwork, and kind of zone out.

It hits me especially hard when I work long hours. I think it's from stress too. This WotC work has me on edge because there's so much riding on it. For me it's the step up to the next level, and about the closest thing you can get to a promotion in the world of freelance illustration. If it goes well, there will be more work from them, and hopefully other publishers I've been wanting to work with.

If it doesn't go well then it'll feel like getting kicked back down the stairs. But I'll do what I've always done, and climb back up. Anyways here's some of that "old" art I was talking about before. These are a couple of paintings from back when I was a "fine artist". Only problem was that it was hard to find a gallery that was interested in showing this kind of work.


These are pretty old. Both were done around '95 or '96. Both are airbrushed with acrylics and inks on illustration board. You can definitely see the Giger influence. In fact he was the whole reason I picked up an airbrush. Just in case you've never heard of Giger, here's his website.

Busy Day!

Not that I have a lot of viewers of this here blog, but I apologize for posting late. We had a friend come over from Maui who works for the local cable access station, and she's hosting a meeting for our community to try and help the citizens of our island voice their opinions.

Anyways, I had to get some work done this morning, and then pick her up at the harbor. They're having the meeting now, but I often duck out on stuff like that. I like to be involved, but I hate meetings. I'll show up at the end so I can have some pupus (Hawaiian for snack or appetizer). Besides, my wife will convey all of the important data, and if there's something I can help with I'll be there for that part.

I'll try and think of something more worthwhile to post tomorrow. Perhaps more about my old work and projects that never saw completion. I have plenty of those!

Mondays Aren't So Bad

So far the morning has gone well. I finished up that last FFG illustration, and got my first round of pencils done for WotC. I still have a lot to do though. Two more pencils, and some maps for Triple Ace Games.

I always hate waiting for word from the Art Director's about which sketch they want to use, or if there are revisions. I have a 3 in 4 chance of not having my favorite drawing chosen. For me one of the worst things, other than having the art rejected (more on that in a minute), is having to do a major revision. For me it's exhausting because I really have to dig deep to come up with significant variations in the drawing.

Of course there is the worst case scenario where your work is just flat out rejected. I've had it happen a couple of times, and it totally sucked. The first time was actually the first professional job I had for a game company. It was Fantasy Flight Games A Game of Thrones CCG.

I got 5 illustrations done, and all 5 of them were turned down. I thought they were decent, but now when I look at them they look like poop, and I can see why they didn't make the cut. They were also some of the first digital paintings I did. Up until then I did everything with real paints. Luckily though they gave me a second chance, and I managed to do a little better, and I have a great relationship with FFG to this day.

Alright, alright, here's the rejected art. Don't laugh!

Good News

Why do I say good news? Well, I finally got a couple of commissions from Wizards of the Coast! I've been trying to get work with them for years, but of course when I look back I probably wasn't ready.

Which gets me to thinking about all of the art jobs I've tried for over the years that I wasn't ready for, but thought I was. The earliest was when I had just graduated High School, and had deluded myself into thinking I was some young hot shot artist about to stun the fine arts community with my incredible talent.

At that time I had an eclectic mix of paintings (some I have to admit were actually pretty good for being 18) that when I see them today I cringe in disgust at their lack of skill. Out of dozens of paintings I did only a few still remain. A couple at my parent's house and one or two at an old friend's place where he safeguards quite a stash of fine-art I did years ago. The ones that remain are the descent ones, the rest all "disappeared".

Anyways, back to the story...I made slides of all of my work, dressed in my coolest clothes, and walked into an art gallery (that even if my work had been good wouldn't have been the proper place to show my art) and passed my slides to the director.

She took less than 30 seconds to flip through the amateur crap I tried to force on her, suggested I go to school to get better, and handed back my slides. I made some smart-ass comment that I can't remember and walked out feeling even more misunderstood by the world.

Now, as I sit here getting ready to start my pencils for Wizards, I'm humbled, excited, and nervous that I've finally gotten to do artwork for a brand name I've dreamed about working with since I first poured over the pages of the original Monster Manual. Only this time I promise there won't be any smart-ass comments if I get a critique.

I Need Some Coffee

I just rolled out of bed, my back hurts, and I need some coffee. I can't decide if my back always aches because of sitting at my computer working, or because my bed sucks. I think I need one of those mattresses made out of the stuff they put in the space shuttle's seats.

Well, today I have to finish up the second image for the next expansion for Fantasy Flight Games Talisman board game. I wish I could show the work, but they have NDA's now so artists aren't allowed to show any art until it's been published.

I can show this though. It's this weeks entry for Jon Schindehette's Art Order Blog.

Burning the 10:00 pm Oil

It's about 10:00 pm right now, and I've been working on that book cover for the past hour or so. This is the first "book" cover I've done, and it also happens to be for a writer I greatly admire. His work, oh yeah...Jeffrey Thomas is his name, always inspires me and evokes wonderful imagery in my head.

He's like a modern day Lovecraft with a little Blade Runner thrown in for flavor. Great stuff, and I recommend you check out his writing. Here's his website where you can check out his books, blog, and forum.

Anyways, back to the cover. I'm pretty happy with this artwork, but as I reach the end I start hating it. Perhaps it changed some from the original image I had in my head, but for whatever reason I'm tired of looking at it, and just want it to be done with. At least doing digital art gives me a chance to turn off my paintings so I can stop staring at them.

When I painted traditionally I used to drag my paintings around the house with me and prop them up so I could constantly critique them. It used to drive me crazy. I'd sit and watch TV with an unfinished piece of artwork leaning against my entertainment center. Every commercial I'd glance over and hate something new and think of how I'd try and fix it the next day.

This one is turning out the same. I find myself opening up the file real quick while I'm doing something else just so I can find something that annoys me. Oh well, perhaps I'm being to hard on myself. I'm off to bed now, and I'll return to disliking my art in the morning.

Not Sure

Okay, this is the first post on what I'm sure will be yet another project I start that will eventually fizzle away. Like most people that start a blog I'm not sure what to write first. Although maybe other people do know what to write, and that's why they started a blog.

Well either way I'm gonna try and make this spot a showcase for the day to day struggles of being an average illustrator in the overly competitive world of...well...illustration. Particularly the world of RPG illustration, although I'll probably also talk about the other random jobs I do just for money.

Anyways, I'm done for now because I have to go run some errands before I go home and work on some maps and and a book cover I'm in the middle of.