Artistic Websites

Ballistic Publishing Announces Exotique 4

2008-10-12T12:55:00.002+01:00

Ballistic Published have announced the pending release of their latest edition of their popular and gorgeous Exotique books. Exotique 4 firmly establishes itself as the benchmark for CG character art featuring the work of artists from 45 countries. EXOTIQUE 4 includes more art from China, Korea, Indonesia, and Singapore and showcases a broader range of styles and cultures.

The work of 215 highly-talented artists fills EXOTIQUE 4 with 322 pieces of inspiring character art in genres from science fiction, fantasy, and anime, to photorealism and stylized realism.

EXOTIQUE 4 also packs an additional 30 pieces of artwork into 16 more pages than the previous edition. Go to the Ballistic Publishing website to flick through the book.

Ballistic Publishing Releases Expose 6

2008-06-11T10:57:00.004+01:00

Ballistic Published have release their latest edition of their popular and gorgeous EXPOSÉ books. EXPOSÉ 6 which was judged by an international team of leading artists features 334 inspiring images prepared by 257 artists from 43 countries, you will discover the very best work across 20 different categories. EXPOSÉ 6 includes the work of 108 unpublished artists.

All editions of EXPOSÉ 6 are available for immediate shipping.EXPOSÉ 6 is available in three editions: Hard Cover (USD$64); Soft Cover (USD$75); and Limited Edition (USD$170). The Limited Edition release includes an additional 16 pages of artist profiles and 8 Limited Edition prints. Go to the Ballistic website to flick through the book at
Ballistic Publishing.

d'artiste : Digital Painting 2

2008-05-27T17:58:00.003+01:00

This latest volume in the d'artiste series from Ballistic Publishing is a sequel to the excellent Digital Painting book which featured digital artists Linda Bergkvist, Phillip Straub, John Wallin and Robert Chang. Like all books in this series, Digital Painting 2 follows a similar format and features some of the works and also tutorials from several talented artists in this field. It also features selected works at the end of each guest artists section in which the artist comments on the piece being shown. This volume features digital artists Don Seegmiller, Mélanie Delon, Daniel Dociu and Marta Dahlig. visit the product page for more information. As usual d'artiste: Digital Painting 2 is presented in Slipcased and Limited Edition versions.

Alex Maleev

2008-05-13T19:22:00.004+01:00

Comic artists have come a long way since the styles established in the early days of Batman, Superman and The X-men. Alex Maleev is one of a number of eastern european artists whose fine art inspired and highly graphical style of art has graced the covers and interiors of many high profile characters from Marvel, DC and other publishers. His work on titles like Daredevil and The Crow has drawn a lot of attention. His highly regarded work on Daredevil is considered to be the best work on the title since Frank Millers run in the 70's. His work was also used as Sylars Paintings in the hit television series Heroes. Check out his work at Maleev.com and The Comic Art Community.

Expose 6 Available For Pre-Order

2008-05-05T15:50:00.004+01:00

Ballistic Publishing have announce that you can now preorder the newest edition of their excellent Expose series. EXPOSÉ 6 features the usual selection of excellent artwork, with 334 inspiring images prepared by 257 artists from 43 countries, it showcases the very best work across 20 different categories. As usual there are 3 editions of this book and the first 300 purchasers will be gifted with 8 prints and a CD with a specially commissioned 15 minute Video Tutorial from Linda Bergkvist. Syd Mead has been awarded the Grandmaster Award for this edition. Click here to pre-order your book.

Sketchfeed - Concept Art

2008-04-21T16:31:00.000+01:00

Sketchfeed is a blog based community dedicated to covering art and artists who work in concept art and digital illustration. The blog covers the work from artists such as Jason Chan, Xavier Marquis and Andrew Jones. Pop on over to Sketchfeed.com/ and have a read.

Todd Lockwood

2008-04-17T22:01:00.006+01:00

Todd Lockwood is a fine Fantasy Artist who was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado. He had the Rocky Mountains as his backyard, Was a big fan of Sci-fi and fantasy flicks and TV. His early passion for Tolkien and Dungeons and Dragons were part of what shaped him into one fo the finest fantasy Artists around. He's a big dan of Role-Playing which he's been doing for over 25 years. He is also a fan of one of my favourite subjects and someone whom I respect greatly, namely Mythology and Joseph Campbell.

His artwork if bright vibrant and reminds me very much of a fantasy version Tim White's work in it's luminosity and colour sense. Check out Todds Work at his personal web-site.

Preston Gannaway

2008-04-13T22:23:00.003+01:00

Photo Credit: Preston Gannaway/Concord Monitor from her Pulitzer Prize-winning photo-essay "Remember Me."

Preston Gannaway is an award winning photojournalist, who works for the Concord Monitor, in New Hampshire. I came across her work, after reading a recent post on one of my favourite sites - http://theonlinephotographer.com/. Prestons work is beautiful, challenging, insightful and inspiring. She tells stories with her images, that hold you and make you want to see more.

A lot of her images have a peek-a-boo quality without the feeling of being voyeuristic. Many of her images use off centre compositions which are framed in unusual ways by the objects and environments in which they are shot. Her Photo-essay "Remember Me" was the first to draw my attention because of the Pulitzer Prize it won, however the rest are equally of note. Visit her personal site at prestongannaway.com it'll be well worth your time.

Dave Stevens 1955 - 2008

2008-04-11T13:49:00.006+01:00

I was shocked to find out today that Dave Stevens passed away at the age of 52 on March 11th 2008, from complications due to leukemia. The creator of the Rocketeer and popular cover artist during much of the 80's and 90's, will be missed, greatly. Dave Stevens is survived by his mother, Carolyn; his sisters, Jennie and Melody; and his brother, Dan. There is a memorial page at the Dave Stevens official website.

Martin Evening Photography

2008-04-06T22:39:00.002+01:00

Marting Evening is a photographer and imageer who specialises in creating images for the fashion industry. His work is often vibrant, colourful and eyecatching. Hew also produces some of the best books for Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. He is also a partner with Jeff Schewe, Andrew Rodney, Mac Holbert, Seth Resnick in Pixel Genius which makes plug-ins for Photoshop. Martin also contributes to ProDIG which he helped found with Ed Horwich. His website although simple is well worth a visit for some very beautiful images.

Creative Imaging News - Artsites New Home

2008-04-06T19:59:00.002+01:00

About a year ago I launched Creative Imaging News and in that year I've been busy working on reviews, news and info dealing with creative imaging, photography and art tools and products. Artsites was constantly on my mind ... I wanted to continue with this site as there are just so many interesting and cool places out there to get inspiration ... so about a week ago I rolled artsites into CIN. Now to begin updating the blog, which I'll be doing about twice a week.

Ballistic Publishing Releases Expose 5

2007-07-31T23:13:00.000+01:00

Ballistic Published have release their latest edition of their popular and gorgeous EXPOSÉ books. EXPOSÉ 5 which was judged by an international team of leading artists features 298 examples of the world’s best digital art prepared by 218 artists from 45 countries. EXPOSÉ 5 includes the work of 108 unpublished artists.

All editions of EXPOSÉ 5 are available for immediate shipping.EXPOSÉ 5 is available in three editions: Hard Cover (USD$55); Soft Cover (USD$65); and Limited Edition (USD$145). The Limited Edition release includes an additional 16 pages of artist profiles and eight Limited Edition prints, unavailable with the Hard Cover or Soft Cover editions. Go to the Ballistic website to flick through the entire book at
Ballistic Publishing.

Corel Introduces Corel® Painter™ X

2007-02-06T16:59:00.000Z

Corel today announced Corel® Painter™ X, the latest incarnation of one of the best natural media centric software tools for digital artists. Painter™ X can now be preordered at Corel and Corel UK . New tools include performance improvements, new composition tools in the form of Divine Proportion and their powerful and innovative RealBristle™ Painting System that provides bristle level control over their organic painting and illustration tools. They've also made substantial improvements to the way Painter allows you to turn photos into works of art.

I've been a long time fan of Painter and looking forward to trying it out. For more information visit Corel. Corel® Painter™ X is available for $419.00 USD or UK£492.33 for the full version and as an upgrade from $219.00 USD or UK£257.33. I think the only complaint here is the relatively high price in UK £ when compared to the US Price and conversion rate.

Sam Haskins

2007-01-28T18:35:00.000Z

Sam Haskins is a photographer whose work has graced the pages of many fashion magazines and advertising campaigns. A prize winning photographer and early imageer whose work features the human form, still lifes, travelogues, surrealist influences and graphically powerful compositions.

He was one of the first photographers to pioneer the production and publishing of photographic essays. His first book Five Girls - 1962, created quite a stir when it was published in the early 60's. His second book Cowboy Kate and Other Stories - 1964, was so well received it was awarded the Prix Nadar.

Sam has been at the forefront of the creative manipulation of photography and has been especially innovative in his use of non digital techniques. Sam is also a convert to digital and spends many hours working with Photoshop. I've been told he continues to shoot with his much loved Pentax 6x7 and scanning his negatives and transparencies with an Imacon and printing on an Epson 7800. Visit his site and blog for more information.

Marco Djurdjevic

2007-01-21T20:56:00.000Z

Marco Djurdjevic is one of the current cover artists of Marvel Comics, he also works with Massive Black. His images are both powerful and highly imaginative, however he insists he that all his work is drawn entirely from his imagination. With over 10 years experience to draw from as a freelancer and concept designer, he is an example and an inspiration to many. He has produced covers recently for Blade, Daredevil, Spiderman and X-23. His personal website is currently being worked on, bookmark it, as it will definitely be worth visiting, his blog SIX MORE VODKA is active however. If you look for his work, search on google and you will find features and galleries on ConceptArt, CGTalk and Pen & Paper.

d'artiste—Concept Art, ISBN: 1-921002-33-6

2007-01-05T04:58:00.000Z

Reviewed by: Mario Georgiou, November 2006
Published by: Ballistic Publishing
Requires: N/A
MSRP: US$55.00 (softcover), US$145.00 (limited edition hardcover)

Many of the sci-fi and fantasy movies being made today, make extensive use of conceptual artists. These artists are extremely talented illustrators and industrial designers, whose understanding of light, color, form and space enable them to bring life to the concepts and visions of writers, movie directors and game creators. As any artist will tell you, one of the biggest challenges presented to them is the creation of art which represents another person's concept and vision. Concept artists created the visuals which helped to sell projects such as Star Wars, Blade Runner and The Matrix to the film studios. d'artiste: Concept Art, like other books in the series, primarily features the work of several prominent artists who work in the industry, in this case George Hull, Viktor Antonov, Andrew Jones and Nicolas Bouvier.

George Hull designed for the second and third Matrix films. Andrew Jones is creative director for the Massive Black Design Studio which he helped form after working at Industrial Light & Magic. Nicolas Bouvier worked on Alone in the Dark 4 and Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. Viktor Antonov conceptualized for Half Life 2, Renaissance and Skyland. The selected artists are featured with samples of their work and a few step by step examples which showcase their unique way of working. The book is capped with a guest gallery of artists whose work has been chosen and critiqued by the book's main contributors.

The range of media used and styles represented in this book is truly reflective of the range of work being created in this highly imaginative field. The skills required to create these grand visions from the imagination are very similar to those required by matte artists and illustrators. Some of the samples presented demonstrate that the artist has to be more than capable of rendering costumes, buildings, vehicles and other technologies. In many situations the artists also have to be able to make the concepts convincing enough to make believable the artificial world being created. The modern concept artist is required to be fluent in both analog and digital processes; capable of wielding a pen and mouse with equal dexterity.

Thumbing through the book you rapidly gain an appreciation of the range of talents presented therein, you'll also appreciate the love and care Ballistic Publishing has lavished on the books production. The printing and packaging all reflect the high quality that I've come to expect from this publishing house.

There is still however only one real weakness with this series of books and that is the lack of any hands on tutorials and the necessary CD containing in-progress versions of the tutorial examples. All this aside, I thoroughly enjoyed looking through and reading this excellent book. The field of concept art is one which creates visual clues for the creators of movies, games and other projects. If you're interested, you can also check out the work of Ralph McQuarrie and Syd Mead, two other famous conceptual artists who have influenced a generation of aspiring creatives.

Cons: No tutorial and content CD.

Pros: Well presented with excellent production values. The artists selected for this book are all top notch. d'artiste: Concept Art is an excellent reference book which will appeal to both amateurs and professionals. It is a must-have aimed at artists interested in the techniques and skills used to create art for movies and games. Highly recommended.

This review has been reproduced in its entirety from Kickstartnews.com

For more information about d'artiste: Concept Art visit Ballistic Publishing

Happy New Year to you all ...

2006-12-31T19:02:00.000Z

As I've been a little lax in my maintentance of this blog in the last few months I thought I'd create a post with a few sites to provide you with some inspiration for the coming year.

Natalie Shau

One of my favourite Artists from DeviantArt She is originally from Lithiuania, but currently living and studying in London. You can find her dark, but often whimsical work at Natalie Shau and blueblack.

Robert Chang

Another awesome artist whose work has graced the pages of many Ballistic Publishing books and whose work sets a high standard for others to work towards. You can find his personal portal at Ethereality.

Ally Fell

Ally Fell is a 3D animator, modeller and concept artist who lives in Derbyshire in the UK. You can see his work at Darkrising.

Jaime Jones

Another excellent concept and fantasy artist whose images fuel the imagination. visit Artpad, his personal portal.

Henning Ludvigsen and Natascha Roeoesli

A talented norwegian artist who works with a games developer in Greece and a beautiful Swiss artist and photographer in her own right. A couple in real life but individually both very talented artists. Visit henningludvigsen.com and tascha.ch.

Rafi Adrian Zulkarnain

An indonesian based artist whose artwork reflects an interesting mix of cultural influences. Quite beautifully executed. Visit RAZ artWorks! for more examples.

The Fantastic Concepts of Thierry "BARONTiERi"Doizon

2006-12-11T00:44:00.000Z

Anyone who is a fan of the work of contemporary concept artists are likely to have come across the cool work of an artist who calls himself "BARONTiERi" and whos real name is Thierry Doizon. If you head on over to his online portfolio barontieri.com you like myself will most likely spend a while perusing the 30 or so images in his gallery. You should also should take a good look at his process and goodies page, where there are some informative tutorials. His links page is also cool, with links to many artists whose works I enjoy. His work has appeared in a number of magazines, books and the Devil May Cry comic, it has also appeared in 3 of Ballistic Publishings, Expose books. If you want to read more also visit his Windows Live Spaces Blog.

Art, Design and Photography Emags

2006-12-10T14:40:00.000Z

I've been finding a lot of free art, design and photography emags lately. Some of which you can download and some which are browser based. The beauty of these emagazines is that they use no paper and that they are really easy to use. I've been able to use mags in chinese without too much difficulty. Only frustration is that you need a computer to view them ... roll on umpc (Ultra Mobile PC).

Some of these mags, even emulate the whole page turning experience. I think however, that as cute as this is, it's only going to be a shortlived feature ... I soon grew tired of "turning" pages. I much prefer clicking in the corner or on a button. Check out 08SHOW, it's in chinese but should be fairly easy to follow.

Once I started exploring the site, I also came across a link to a photoshop weblog in German where there were some really cool articles. It's well worth exploring so here's the link.

Dave Stevens

2006-11-11T21:58:00.000Z

For fans of Good Girl Art and nostalgic images Dave Stevens is undoubtedly one of the finest examples, and one of my favourite artists. His work has inspired a great many modern comic artists and illustrators. His work includes Rocketeer, Tarzan and Bettie Page. His images are evocative of the pulp comics of the 30's and 40's. His work speaks for itself, visit his website to see more of his work.

Exotique 2 Available for Preorder

2006-10-08T14:57:00.000+01:00

Ballistic Publishing have announced the release of EXOTIQUE 2. This annual publication of the world’s most beautiful digital characters features 269 artworks by 168 artists from 38 countries. If EXOTIQUE 2 is anything like its predecessors, then it is a must have for your digital art library. EXOTIQUE 2 is published in 2 editions; a soft cover edition retailing for US$39 and a leather-bound Special Edition retailing for US$99. The first purchasers of either edition will receive 4 posters of Art from this excellent publication. For more information visit Ballistic Publishing.

The Art of Phil Noto

2006-09-15T17:05:00.000+01:00

As a fan of comic art, there are many artists whose work I enjoy and collect. Phil Noto is a perfect example of just such an artist. He's produced covers interiors and illustrations for most major characters. His work on Danger Girl, Batman, Beautiful Killer and other characters has a very unique look. The illustrations are for some reason reminiscent of the 60’s and indeed very cool. I like his style, because, it, like many of my favourites, stands out and is immediately recognizable. His work fetches good prices in the auctions and is well worth a look. To see more of his work please visit notoart.com.

Character Designs - An Artists Resource

2006-08-30T17:39:00.000+01:00

For the commercial artist, the search for resources and reference material is an unending process. Character Designs is a site I came across in one of my regular searches for resources. Hong Ly, who created the site, describes Character Designs as a "nexus for aspiring artists and professionals in the industry of design for movies, gaming, and animation." The site features interviews of professionals, galleries and plenty of reference material including; figures, textures for 3D models, and tutorials. I do like the fantasy and oriental focus of some of the character reference and photos. Drop by Character Designs today and take a look.

Barry Windsor Smith

2006-08-13T17:37:00.000+01:00

Like Michael Kaluta and Jeffrey Jones, Barry Windsor Smith is an artist who I was introduced to through an artbook called "The Studio." His art is very distinctive and is heavily influenced by celtic and PreRaphaelite art. His treatments of wolverine as Weapon X and Conan have remained some of the most admired works in the field of comics. For examples of his work please visit barrywindsor-smith.com.

Braid Media Arts

2006-07-27T21:20:00.000+01:00

Rick Berry and Darrel Anderson are digital artists whose work I have enjoyed for a long time. They both work in a style which features a strong technorganic quality. Rick Berry is an award winning artist whose illustrations have featured on the covers of many comics and fantasy and science fiction novels. His work can be found at his personal portal Rick Berry Studio and has been featured in books by Stephen King, William Gibson and Steve Perry.

Darrel Anderson is an artist whose digital work was introduced to me via the Atari where his digitally painted screen resolution images came to life. His work has always been innovative and pushed both artistic and technological boundaries. Both artists have contributed to many Movies, Role Playing Games and have even collaborated on some very interesting 3D Software called Groboto. Give yourself a treat and head on over to Braid Media Arts.

Intuos3 A5 Wide Reviewed

2006-07-05T22:44:00.000+01:00

As an artist, working on the computer can be an especially frustrating and non-intuitive process. I know many of you have wished for a more natural interface and until you can afford to buy a Wacom Cintiq or they improve the responsiveness of Tablet PCs, I highly recommend looking at a graphics tablet like the Intuos3 A5 Wide from Wacom. I've just finished a review of this excellent unit and I found it quite impressive. If you wish to find out more, read my full review at Kickstartnews.

d'artiste : Digital Painting

2006-07-04T15:58:00.000+01:00

If you've had an interest in learning the art of Digital Painting, then this volume in the excellent d'artiste series from ballistic publishing is the book for you. I received earlier volumes in the d'artiste series for review and thoroughly enjoyed the information they imparted.
Like all books in this series, Digital Painting follows a similar format and features some of the works and also tutorials from several talented artists in this field. It also features selected works at the end of each guest artists section in which the artist comments on the piece being shown. This volume features digital artists Linda Bergkvist, Phillip Straub, John Wallin and Robert Chang, all of whom are Masters of this medium. The tutorials are well worth the investment as are the guest galleries ... visit Ballistic Publishing for more information. d'artiste: Digital Painting is presented in Slipcased and Limited Edition versions.

Painter - The World's Finest Painter Art

2006-07-04T15:08:00.000+01:00

I recently bought a copy of "Painter" a book from Ballistic Publishing, which collects some of the best examples of digitally painted art and all which has been created using Corel Painter. All I can say is Wow ... talk about impressive. Upon opening the book I spent hours looking at the work which was selected to appear in this collection.
With the book broken into sections like Character in Repose, Character in Action, Portrait and Concept Art amongst others, there is plenty to keep your interest. I was blown away by several pieces in this excellent book, one in particular by Bruce Hamilton Dorn called Dancers in Repose features Two dancers painted in a very expressive style, it is a piece I would very much enjoy owning a print of.
The book features work from many artists and almost as many countries ... with artists like Jason Chan, Aleksei Briclot, Todd Lockwood, Robert Corsetti and Wu-Huang Chin, the last two of which I hadn't heard of before this book, there is plenty to enjoy. PAINTER is presented in a high quality volume consisting of 192 pages and is available in a leather-bound Special Edition and Soft Cover. If you are a collector of digital art books or an artist looking for inspiration then pick up Painter you won't regret it.

Expose 4 Review

2006-06-27T13:56:00.000+01:00

Expose 4, edited by Daniel Wade and Paul Hellard
ISBN: 1-921002-29-8
Reviewed by: Mario Georgiou, June 2006
Published by: Ballistic Publishing
Requires: An interest in computer graphics and digital art
MSRP: US$49.00 (softcover)

As an avid collector of art, design and photography books it has been my pleasure to own many excellent publications over the years. Every year I look forward to collections from several of the very best in fantasy and comic art but only recently has this included volumes which collect the very best of computer graphics (CG) and digital art. Ballistic Publishing is a company which has done a fantastic job of putting together collections of the state of the art in this field.

Exposé 4 is not about teaching you how to illustrate or render. It will not walk you through the step-by-step process of modeling, rendering and sketching or show you how to use the tools which facilitated all of the works featured in the book. It is however pure inspirational eye candy, food for the imagination and something which will hopefully inspire many of tomorrow's artists to create a body of work that is featured in future editions of this book and others like it.

What I particularly enjoyed was that the standard of work in Exposé 4 is high indeed. The grand master selected for Exposé 4 is Stephan Martiniere, who is one of my favorite CG illustrators. His work displays a luminous and techno-organic quality which is almost sketch-like.

I was really bowled over by the architectural exteriors and interiors sections. The quality and depth of detail in the renderings is such that I defy anyone to tell me that they don't find them convincing. I also found the standard of the painted portrait division was incredible. Many of the pieces featured here would compete with traditionally produced art in the same genre. Whilst the figures in the rendered portrait division still, by and large, have that artificial look to them, there were a few which you will swear are exceedingly good photo manipulations.

As I went through each section there were a great many surprises and best of all was the realization that the book contains a truly international sampling of talent. There were a great many artists whose work I was familiar with and there were equally as many whom I felt the urge to look up on the internet after I'd finished my first couple of passes through the book. This search was aided by the URL's posted next to the artists’ names in the index at the back of the book.

Cons: Price might scare off a few folks. I'm going to have to wait another year till the next title is out. In my opinion, one of the selections for an excellence award was a bit of a stretch as it looked like a poorly cropped and processed Photoshop image, but this was really the only exception in an otherwise amazing presentation.

Pros: Excellent production values. The artists represented in this book are all first class. Exposé 4 is a publication aimed squarely at collectors of CG, fantasy art and illustration. This book is a must-have as it sets the bar for what is currently accepted as the state of the art in the field of digitally created art and computer graphics. As I've stated in previous reviews, Ballistic Publishing has consistently produced publications which hit the mark. If you are an artist who wants to see the best examples of what is possible in your craft, a fan of digital illustration, or just want to look at some amazing art, this book should be on your short list. Highly recommended.

This review has been reproduced in its entirety from Kickstartnews.com
Expose 4 and other excellent books can be purchased at the Ballistic Publishing Website.

3DM3.COM

2006-06-17T19:18:00.000+01:00

3DM3.COM - 3DM models creation is an online resource for information on Computer Graphics and Animation, and features the news, interviews and information on high-end 3D design. The Site was founded in March 20, 2001. I spent some time reading several features, which are linked to from the site, and particularly enjoyed one which covered the de-aging of Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen for X-men 3. The site also hosts the excellent CGFolks forum and online galleries, which feature some excellent CG artists.

d'artiste: Concept Art is released

2006-06-15T00:08:00.000+01:00

Ballistic Publishing have announced the release of another in their excellent d'artiste series. d'artiste: Concept Art, features the techniques of leading concept artists Viktor Antonov, George Hull, Andrew Jones and Nicolas "Sparth" Bouvier. In this masterclass tutorial book, these four artists showcase concept art techniques which are used to create environments, characters and machinery for film, television and video games.

From what I can see it looks like they've come up with another excellent educational resource for Production Designers, Concept Artists and Imageers. If the page gallery is anything to go by the book has a variety of styles presented in it and it looks like it would appeal to Illustrators, designers and artists alike. d'artiste: Concept Art is published in 2 editions; A Leather Bound Limited Edition, and a Slipcase edition. For more information about d'artiste: Concept Art visit Ballistic Publishing.

d'ART - FINE-ART.COM

2006-06-01T23:09:00.000+01:00

FINE-ART.COM is an enormous art and resource site where you can find contributions from thousands of artists, collectors, and dealers. Fine art.com features a listing service, a web directory and even facilitates art research through its forums. you can use the listing service to list and find art. Search the directory to find specific types of artistic websites. Critiqueing or researching an artist is easy, simply visit the artist forums.

Character Modeling from Ballistic Publishing

2006-05-30T01:02:00.000+01:00

d'artiste—Digital Artists Master Class: Character Modeling,
ISBN 1-921002-11-5
Reviewed Published May 2006
Published by: Ballistic Publishing
MSRP: US$55.00 (soft cover slipcase edition), US$145.00 (limited edition)$69.95

For many fans of computer graphics (CG), the most enjoyable part of any CG art is seeing just how realistic a character the artist can create. Part of the enjoyment is being able to turn to friends and share the thrill of being entertained by the artifical reality. Part of the enjoyment is the appreciation of the talent and experience needed to create great CG. For anyone working in the world of CG art, achieving this level of reality is one of the hardest things to do.

Movies such as Final Fantasy, The Lord of the Rings and the latest crop of Star Wars movies have displayed a level of hyper-realism which has left many of us truly gobsmacked. I remember sitting in a theatre in Toronto watching Final Fantasy in digital and smiling to myself with a real respect for what this movie represented. It was a whole new level of sophistication in the creation of artificial characters and imagery.

Character Modeling is an impressive book. Like others in Ballistic Publishing's d'artiste Series it features the work of three artists who work in the industry. The book features Francisco A. Cortina, Steven Stahlberg and Pascal Blanché. These artists have created some amazing work over their careers and some of the renderings in this volume make you just sit back in awe of their ability to create realistic characters.

Each artist showcases his work in a gallery featuring some of the best pieces. Like the other titles in the d'artiste series the artist then presents a tutorial in which he very effectively demonstrates some of his working methods along with some insights into how to make your work more believable. Another gallery follows, showcasing the works of invited artists.

Francisco A. Cortina who is the first artist featured and is famous for his work on the movies Aeon Flux, the landmark Final Fantasy—The Spirits Within, and on The Final Flight of the Osiris in the Animatrix Movie. His gallery and tutorials showcase some of the better images in this book. I also thoroughly enjoyed the work showcased in his guest artists gallery, in particular the Knight of the Temple (which had an amazingly gritty quality), and one of an Asian child eating a tomato.

Steven Stalhberg is the second featured artist and although his work is far better than what I can create with the tools he uses, I found his characters looked a little too similar. All his females have a sameness to them which to a certain extent takes away from my appreciation of what he does as an artist. However his tutorial, Telling a story: One Last Time, is excellent. As with the earlier guest gallery, his featured artists are incredibly talented. The digital model of Monica Bellucci and the girl in Track Day are excellent examples indeed.

The final featured artist is Pascal Blanche who specializes in creating quasi-human and non-human beings that have an almost cartoonish but uncanny realistic quality. All his pieces have a unique powdery/dusty feel which adds a feeling of authenticity to his renderings. I'm a fan of his work. Blanche's tutorials cover the creation of some of his more unusual looking creatures and his selections for his guest gallery also reflect his unusual world view.

Cons: As I stated in my earlier review of d'artiste: Matte Painting, I felt it would have been good to see a few hands-on tutorials with a CD containing the associated files.

Pros: Well presented with excellent production values. The artists presented in this book are all top notch. d'artiste: Character Modeling is aimed at the artist who is interested in the art of creating realistic and believable characters. The titles in the d'artiste series are examples of how to produce books for the professional artist and collector of digital art. Ballistic Publishing has consistently produced books which hit the mark and set the standard for showing the state of the art in digital craftsmanship. If you are an artist who wants to learn about your craft, a fan of digital character creation, or just want to look at some amazing renderings of people, scenes and characters, both human and not so human, then this book is a must-have.
Highly recommended.
This review has been reproduced in its entirety from Kickstartnews.com
Character Modelling and other excellent books can be purchased at the Ballistic Publishing Website.

Jason Chan - Digital Dreamer

2006-05-09T21:52:00.000+01:00

Jason Chan is an artist whose work I came a cross a while back, but a recent feature [May 2006] in UK Magazine ImagineFX brought him back to my attention. His digital paintings of angels, gothic babes and fantasy characters are stunning to say the least. His work history is like a who's who of Fantasy Gaming, RPG and book publishing companies. Born in Stockton, California in 1983, he is a young artist but don't let that fool you. His work shows his talents are to be taken seriously. Visit his website Jason Chan Art for a look at his excellent work.

EXPOSÉ 4 Released

2006-04-29T14:10:00.000+01:00

Ballistic Publishing have announced the release of EXPOSÉ 4, the latest annual publication of the world's best digital art. If EXPOSÉ 4 is anything like its predecessors, then it is a must have for your digital art library. EXPOSÉ 4 is published in 3 editions; A Limited Edition Version with 16 extra pages, 12 Art Prints and a deluxe leather and gold foil binding, and also in hardcover and softcover versions. For more information about EXPOSÉ 4 visit Ballistic Publishing.

The Art of Adi Granov

2006-04-15T21:39:00.000+01:00

Adi Granov is a comic book artist and digital artist who grew up in bosnia duru=ing the war years spent a couple of years in croatia and now lives in the UK. His work adorns the covers of Marvels' Current Iron Man Series. Marvel comics named him as one of their "Young Guns" in August 2005. The Young Guns are a group of artists who Marvel believe have the qualities that make a leading light in the world of comic art. He worked with comic book writer Warren Ellis on the post-Avengers Disassembled relaunch of Iron Man. His work has a highly polished quality to it and reflects this young artists talent at illustrating. The Art of Adi Granov is well worth a visit.

Bud Plant - Books, Art and Comics

2006-04-15T15:29:00.000+01:00

For a number of years now, I've been a collector of Comics, Art and Photography Books. One of my favorite sources for books has been Bud Plant, who are a specialist store based out of Grass Valley, CA. Bud Plant is also a collector who began in the early 1960's by collecting comic books. He set up the Bud Plant Store in 1970 and expanded the variety of products to include art books, graphic novels, comic strip collections, comics, books on illustrators from the past and present, popular culture, erotic art and photography, and countless other products. They specialize in rare and out of print books as well as limited and specialist items. If you are looking for something not generally found at amazon then give them a try. Visit Bud Plant here.

Ashley Arrasmith

2006-04-01T23:15:00.000+01:00

Ashley is an artist who work has an interesting dreamy and yet textural quality to it. Her work has a very strong graphical nature which reminds me of the works of Erte, Aubrey Beardsley and more recently Christopher Shy. Although a talented artist in the traditional sense she largely uses digital tools for her creations. Ashley lists amongst her influences Art Nouveau, the works of Gustav Klimt, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Harry Clarke and Aubrey Beardsley whom I mentioned above. I highly recommend you pay a visit to her website,

Messs Creative Concepts

2006-03-09T00:43:00.000Z

After my recent look at Imaginary Friends, I remembered that there was another studio worthy of mention. Messs Creative Concepts, showcases the work of several extremely talented 2D and 3D artists. My only criticism about their site is that they don't do themselves any justice by failing to tell their own story ... Excellent Art though. I've been following their work at the Concept Art Community Forums for a few years now and I'm still impressed by what they produce. Visit them at Mess Creative, it'll be time well spent.

Craig Mullins - Artist and Visionary.

2006-03-01T23:55:00.000Z

I've been toying the last few days over who I'm going to feature and decided on an extraordinary visioneer. Craig Mullins is a production artist who is also a brilliant and talented Fine Artist. His works have influenced the look of some of the most exciting games and movies seen in the last decade or so ... He's worked on movies like Final Fantasy, the Matrix Revolutions and Armageddon and on games like Need for Speed Underground and Halo. His work is awesome to look at and his digital sketches and concepts have an amazing sense of life to them ... his natural media based style is cool to say the least. also worth looking at is his fine art plenty of which can be found at his website Goodbrush.com, drop by today you'll enjoy the time you spend at his site.

Studio Ronin

2006-02-19T18:23:00.000Z

Christopher Shy is another Illustrator whose work I enjoy. His work features a very organic and luminous style which is quite beautiful to look at and yet a little disturbing at the same time. He cut his teeth as an illustrator working for many of the leading gaming and fantasy book companies producing illustration of vampires, cyber warriors, seductresses and winged beings. In 1994 he approached a group of artists to form a new Studio ... "A Studio that would take no money, or be of any specific art style or movement. Rather it would adhere to the Philosophy of The Ronin, in the sense that it would move free from constraints, and be masterless in its form and function. Each artist would be free to do what he or she chose, but together the Studio would lay down its first group ideals."

"Studio Ronin was created to Promote the work of the artists
Studio Ronin was created to Protect the work of the artists
Studio Ronin was created to Produce Payment for the artists"

The artists at Studio Ronin include: Christopher Shy, Leanne Buckley, Thom Miecznikowski, Mike Cosner, Steven Perkins, Josh Sutton, Niko Rantalainen, Erich Randall Buttstadt, Kirk Shy, Nick Stakal, Cam De Leon and Anthony Lepiouffle.

Visit Studio Ronin for some excellent artwork.

Imaginary Friends Studios

2006-02-12T23:27:00.000Z

I actually only came across this studio today and I was so impressed with the work which I found there that I felt I had to post a review. Imaginary Friends Studios (IFS) was formed in 2005 by Stanley Lau, Edmund T. Shern, Kendrick Lim and Ri Kai. IFS has as it goals the task of bringing together Asian and international audiences by creating entertainment properties and art which appeal to both.

In their own words; "Despite a modest 1,600 square foot artist studio in Singapore , IFS has gathered a team of rising talents all over Asia and beyond to bring its creations to life. By bringing together artists and writers who have grown up on both Asian and western influences, IFS hopes to deliver entertainment that will transcend international boundaries yet remain genuine to its influences. IFS won't conquer the world, but we hope you'll at least enjoy the ride with us."
I spent several hours perusing the gallery which features the work of 9 of the 20 artists that they currently work with. They provide serices like the creation of comics and graphic novels, 2D and 3D CG Art, Book and Game illustration, and creating conceptual art for games, animation and films. Take the time to visit their site, you wont regret it.

Best Ads Ever

2006-02-09T23:04:00.000Z

Whilst surfing the internet I came across this blog which posts Adverts on a frequent basis ... Advertising in general is pretty banal but occasionally ads come along which raise an eyebrow or make you stop ... many of the Ads featured in this site are worth a look at ... I got quite a few chuckles out of this one. Whilst it would not be an Art site in most peoples minds, creating advertising like this is an art in itself. Visit Best Ads Ever and enjoy...

depthCORE collective

2006-01-25T20:57:00.000Z

depthCORE is an international art collective which is focused on the creation of modern and abstract art. The collections incorporating design, photography, animation and audio are produced using a combination of digital and analogue media and tools. The collective was established by Justin Maller and Kevin Stacey in 2002, and comprises of artists from all around the world. depthcore was etablish to showcase art which pushes boundaries. In their words "we aim to bring something unique and innovative with every release we put forth, as we illustrate, orchestrate and visually represent the thoughts, hopes and dreams of all corners of the globe." I only recently came across this collective by chance as a result of following a link from one of the artists I was checking out on DeviantART. Visit depthCORE today and get inspired.

Stephan Martiniere

2006-01-15T19:50:00.000Z

Stephan Martiniere is an illustrator and creative who has contributed to many of the leading projects in the world of film and gaming. He has contributed to projects like Star Wars: Episodes II & III and as an Art Director for the games URU and MYST 5. His work on book covers have won him many awards and he has the knack of being able to capture fantastic landscapes and futuristic vistas. This knack has served his various clients well, if you enjoy well rendered science fiction imagery then visit martiniere.com for some excellent examples.

Artmagick.com

2006-01-06T22:52:00.000Z

ArtMagick is an online gallery which in their own words is "dedicated to the continual quest of seeking out obscure 19th century artists and long-forgotten paintings showing a "magic world of romance and pictured poetry"." Much of the art featured is from the Pre-Raphaelite and Symbolist movements it also links strongly to Art and crafts from the Vienna Secession. It is a wealth of links and sources for art from this time which happens to be one of my favourites. Visit Artmagick for some excellent info.

Ashley Wood

2005-12-29T23:17:00.000Z

Another of my favourite artists is Ashley Wood, who is well know for his work on titles like Spawn, Popbot, Lore and Automatic Kafka. His work hints at nightmares and dreams, mixes mechanisms with sexual imagery and looks more like fine art than what most comics fans would associate with conventional sequential art. As an illustrator for over 15 years he has enjoyed working on projects for a diverse range of clients, including Dreamworks, Warner Bros, Sony, Konami, LucasArts/LucasFilm, Microsoft, Vivendi International, Random House, Marvel Comics and Todd McFarlane Productions. He is a three-time Spectrum Award winner and a two-time Communication Arts award winner. Visit Ashleys world at his website ashleywoodartist.com and his blog ashleybambaland.

conceptart.org

2005-12-29T13:27:00.000Z

Conceptart.org is a web community of artists who collaborate and share idea, images, work and experience. It is a place for education and a webportal where you can meet like minded peoples.
Conceptart provides a venue where you can showcase your works and get feedback from like minded individuals. It is also frequented by industry professionals and by corporate sponsors based in the world of digital creativity. In their own words: "We have lofty goals. We want a place which we can all learn and share our works. We want to improve the quality of art education on the internet. We do not believe that the information about art should be only for those who can afford the expensive private schools. We want to help those with talent, regardless of income. We want to even be able to offer scholarships to a select few with need and talent. The latter is one of our biggest goals and we are currently seeking corporate sponsorships in order to make this happen. It will happen."

The site is frequented by individuals who work with companies like: LucasFilm, ILM, Tippett Studios, Massive Black Inc, Nintendo, Acclaim, Escape, Vivendi-Universal, Ubisoft, Blur, id, Flagship Studios, Blizzard Entertainment, Activision, and many more. I vist them regularly to catch up on what several of my favourite artists are getting up to. Join the community and visit them today at Conceptart.org.

OPI8.COM - The New Dark Culture

2005-10-16T16:15:00.000+01:00

If your artistic tastes tend to the darker side of human nature then OPi8.com just might be your cup of tea. This is a site which focuses on the promotion of artists, writers and other creatives whose work expresses the darker extremes. OPi8.com was founded by photographer & illustrator, Chad Michael Ward and came about largely due to motivation from a friend of Chad's Warren Ellis who is a famous writer of excellent Graphic Novels and Comics. Chad's experience with the now defunct Reactor Magazine, which was an excellent webzine, led him to desire a more personal conduit. Visit OPI8.com you might find it a little disturbing.

Michael Kaluta

2005-10-08T13:09:00.000+01:00

Michael William Kaluta is another one of my early artistic inspirations. His career as an illustrator has spanned over 4 decades. He first became famous for his work on The Shadow comic book in the early 1970's. His fantasy art prints were what attracted me, as well as his association with other "The Studio" members, Jones, Wrightson, Windsor-Smith. His more recent works include producing some beautiful covers for many of DC's Vertigo Imprint such as The Books of Magic and fantasy related titles. His love of Art Nouveau and Deco Art is evident in his works as is his penchance for fairies, angels and other denizens of the world of myths, legends and fantasy. His eye for interesting composition and design is second to none. Take a trip into Kalutas World.

Hellboy Dot Com

2005-10-08T12:49:00.000+01:00

This website is a great resource for all things Hellboy ... as an official conduit it carries the latest info and news. It also has some great art and an excellent forum on upcoming projects and features some excellent fan art. Visit Hellboy.com today

Stenkat - Design/Illustrator

2005-09-18T16:38:00.000+01:00

Stenkat is a designer/illustrator/photographer whose portfolio features some great art and designs. His work features graffitiesque illustrations, design and graphics a few nice photos. The sites design is also cool with much use of flash and multimedia.

The Art of Timothy Lantz

2005-09-18T16:21:00.000+01:00

Timothy Lantz describes himself as a full time web developer/graphic artist with degrees in Art Education and Communication. His work has a fantasy and gothic quality and his works include book covers, commecial illustrations and comics. More recently he has completed work on the beautifully rendered Archeon Tarot. Check out the work of Timothy Lantz today ... don't forget to visit the website for The Archeon Tarot.

Raster

2005-09-18T16:05:00.000+01:00

A recent find for me, Raster is a creative collective which features some very, state of the art design, graphics and photography. Raster embraces the use digital art tools and features some excellent artists, it also showcases the many faces of contemporary art in all its forms and mediums. The main personalities behind Raster are Luis C. Araujo and Keith Kennedy. Take a few minutes out of your busy day and open yourself to Rasters vision.

GFX Artist

2005-09-18T15:51:00.000+01:00

GFXartist.com is another of my regular watering holes. It is a community site aimed at professionals and also the next generation of digital artists. At the site you will find some excellent examples of the state of the art in several creative disciplines.

In their own words they state that - "Our main goal is to create an online environment where our visitors can communicate, learn and expose their work. GFXartist also has an elite system. At the end of every month we line up the most respected and valued artists by looking at the top 10 artworks in the member gallery. To decide who gets the elite status, we let the public vote. Elite members have more access to the site and get to post their work in the Elite gallery, thus providing the users a high quality selection of artists and their work."

GFXartist was started in late 1999 and went live in March 2000, based in Hilversum, The Netherlands they are an excellent source of reference and high art. They regularly feature articles and tutorials on new skills and techniques. Their interviews provide an insiders viewpoint into the industry and the creative process. Do yourself a favour and join
gfxartist.com today.

Faerie Dust Gallery

2005-09-18T15:40:00.000+01:00

FaerieDustGallery.org is a showcase of Fantasy Artists whos'works include Faeries, Elves, Dragons, Mermaids & Vampires, as well as Angels, Goddesses and other magical beings in mediums from Natural Media to Digital and 3D. If you like fantasy art then visit the faeriedustgallery, although there are not many examples on the site itself and the image sizes are small the artists pages link to sites with larger collections.

ArtUproar

2005-09-18T15:19:00.000+01:00

ArtUproar.com is an online artistic community with a large collection of many different forms of digital artwork. The community features animations, art, audio, designs, writing, skins and a variety of digital media, much of which is very good. Definitely worth the visit, Drop by ArtUproar today.

Epilogue - Fantasy and Sci-fi Art at its best.

2005-08-29T17:10:00.000+01:00

This online gallery is one of the best showcases of Fantasy and Sci-fi art. Epilogue was established late in 1998 and has grown from its humble beginnings to what it is today. Whilst the growth has not been without its challenges, efforts of its creators have definitely been worth it. Pay Epilogue a visit and experience some of the best examples of art in these genres.

The 24 Hour Museum - UK Art

2005-08-29T15:50:00.000+01:00

The 24 Hour Museum lists itself as the UK’s National Virtual Museum. It offers the e-visitor dynamic content which includes daily arts and museum news as well as exhibition reviews and tours of online exhibits. In their own words “The site promotes publicly funded UK museums galleries and heritage attractions and seeks to develop new audiences for UK culture.” Visit The 24 Hour Museum today for some great art, information and links.

The Fantasy Gallery

2005-08-20T22:09:00.000+01:00

This commercial portal is an excellent source for prints and posters of some of the best art in existence. Tim Corbett, is the owner of the Fantasy Gallery and also an avid collector of fantasy art. This love of the fantastic is reflected in the Gallery and in his favourite artists. He started trading in art as a way of financing his passion and also to make a living by working with his passions. The Online site is a virtual gateway for the real world "Fantasy Gallery" based in the Montrose area of Houston.

It features the art of fantasy and comic books, pin-ups, pre-raphaelites, sci-fi, horror, sport and wildlife based works. Tim lists the works of artists like, Thomas Canty, Brian Froud, Michael Whelan, Don Maitz, Keith Parkinson, and Steve Hanks as being his favourites. Visit the Fantasy Gallery, for some great art.

STEP Inside Design And Dynamic Graphics Magazine Launch Free Sites For Designers

2005-08-17T03:21:00.001+01:00

In March of this year, Jupitermedia (the owner of Graphics.com) acquired Creatas, the parent company of Dynamic Graphics and STEP Inside Design. STEP Inside Design focuses on exploring the impact of design on contemporary life, its tagline being "design from the inside out." Dynamic Graphics magazine focuses on providing tips, tricks and shortcuts right across the design disciplines, and expert advice on the process of running a creative services based business. They are definitely worth paying a visit.

Design Is Kinky

2005-08-06T21:26:00.000+01:00

Based out of Sydney, Australia, "Design is Kinky" was created in the late 90's to act as an educational resource for designers. It is heavily influenced by sites such as Digitalthread, Zeldman.com, Shift and the K10k. DIK features interviews with designers, artists, illustrators and also provides a showcase for a wider audience.

It is very concerned with current technologies and trends and also with the personalities active in the creative field. It also allows creatives to showcase their work and to share ideas and information with each other. It is conceptually very much like a webzine, visit Design is Kinky and get your design fix today.

Digital Thread

2005-08-06T21:14:00.000+01:00

DigitalThread is a web portal which acts as a conduit to some very cool content and websites. It features a gallery of some of the best designed sites on the web, an event center, listings of design firms, font resources, book reviews, PhotoShop actions and plugins, and other design resources. Take a few hours out of your day and visit DigitalThread for some great creative brain candy.

Kaliber10000 - The Designers' Lunchbox ™

2005-08-06T11:05:00.000+01:00

Kaliber10000 (K10k) is an excellent creative design portal, which features thought provoking and inspirational content. It is designed to provide artists, designers and other content providers full freedom in exploring their chosen medium. Visit Kaliber10000 and let your hair down.

Bill Sienkiewicz - Illustrator - Comic Artist

2005-07-30T12:52:00.000+01:00

Bill Sienkiewicz is one of my favourite comics artists and illustrators. Over his extensive career he has illustrated most of the major characters and personalities in this genre. His work is remarkable because he draws influences and references from many artistic styles and has explored the concept of graphical storytelling quite creatively. His work is quite detailed and is famous for his use of different media and mixing many graphical styles in the creation of his "pages". I have many of his books and graphic novels and look forward to seeing more from this amazing artist. Visit his website to see some examples of his work.

Artnet.com

2005-07-22T19:45:00.000+01:00

Artnet AG is a german based webportal which represents itself as "the place to buy, sell and research fine art online." It is hooked in to over 1,000 galleries in 250 cities, and has access to more than 150,000 works from over 25,000 artists worldwide. Artnet serves both dealers and art buyers by upto date info on pricing and trends and also facilitates quick access to info and artists alike. Artnet features artists, galleries, a price database, markets alerts, trend forecasts and a Magazine. Visit Artnet today to buy and research some great art.

The CG Channel

2005-07-17T08:31:00.000+01:00

This Montreal based online community, is a great resource for lovers of all CG art. With features on 2D and 3D graphics, artists, companies and technology, there is very litte left out. Their feature articles are always very current and showcase a variety of artists, productions and events. The site also hosts excellent tutorials, artists galleries, product reviews, daily news, discussion forums and a links directory. Visit the CG Channel for a great CG based community.

Howard Schatz - Ethereal Images

2005-07-13T21:51:00.000+01:00

With titles like Passion and Line, Pool Light, Seeing Red and over a dozen photobooks under his belt, Howard Schatz has won many fans in the world of photography. His distinctive underwater photos and the use of red heads in many of his works, have certainly made me a fan. He shares his website with his wife and business partner, Beverly Ornstein. Pay a visit to Shatz - Ornstein and also take a walk down to a decent bookstore and take a look at one of his many books.

ASFA - The Association of Science Fiction & Fantasy Artists

2005-07-11T23:28:00.000+01:00

The ASFA, which is a nonprofit educational association, have a great website which promotes Science Fiction and Fantasy based Art. Its membership is made up of amateur and professional artists, art directors, publishers, collectors and anyone who has an interest in genre. The site features galleries and links, as well as being an information portal for the ASFA. The ASFA is responsible for handing out the Chesley Award. This award is named after Chesley Bonestell who is famous for his SF and astronomy based images. Visit the ASFA it's a great website for some good info and art.

Artcyclopedia - Art Links Galore

2005-07-09T00:42:00.000+01:00

Artcyclopedia is a great art based reference site. It provides a well categorized list of links to websites featuring the work of many thousands of artists and art styles. The artists are grouped and listed by Name, Movement, Medium, Subject and Nationality. There is even a listing dedicated to Women Artists only. The Website also features articles, news, weblinks, galleries, links to Online Art Museums and other great reference materials. Please visit the Artcyclopedia to explore the world of art.

Jeffrey Jones ... Artist - Illustrator

2005-07-06T21:36:00.000+01:00

When I was in my teens, and still at secondary school here in London, I and a group of friends had developed a passion for fantasy art and comics. I picked up a book called "The Studio" which featured four artists: Jeffrey Jones, Barry Windsor-Smith, Michael Kaluta and Berni Wrightson. Of these artists, Jeffrey Jones was my favourite because his art spoke to me on a level which echoed my passion for the historical and romantic in ART. Whilst my early influences were from Graeco-Roman history and mythology, "The Studio" was to introduce me to celtic mythology and its influences.

Ever since then I've had a love for celtic art, crafts and mythology, and also for Arthurian legends. Much of this passion for art has manifested itself in a passion for collecting art books and artistically rendered comics. Jeffrey Jones is an amazing artist who has inspired many a young person to start their own journeys in art, please visit the Website of Jeffrey Jones to see some more great art.

ARC - The Art Renewal Centre

2005-07-05T14:01:00.000+01:00

The Art Renewal Centre is one of my favourite online galleries. It promotes and provides examples of art which features epic themes and in a classical style. It avoids modern or new art which is abstract, in form and nature. Whilst some of you may not agree with their philosophy, you will doubtless enjoy many of the classic pieces of art found on this site. The following 12 points from this mission statement, accurately communicates their philosophy and goals.

1. To create the largest on-line Museum on the internet, with hundreds of thousands of oversized high quality images of all the known works of the greatest painters and sculptors in human history, cross referenced to the largest encyclopedic online art reference library of historical texts, essays, biographies and articles.

2. To promote a return of training, standards and excellence in the visual arts.

3. To provide responsible views opposing those of the current art establishment when warranted, especially as expressed in critiques of current art exhibitions, and in aesthetic philosophy.

4. To disseminate the rich artistic heritage of 2500 years of accumulated knowledge in creating traditional, realistic images touching upon universal and timeless themes.

5. To advance the understanding that Great Art begins with great themes and expresses them poetically through mastery of all aspects of technique.

6. To repudiate the idea that development in art requires destruction of boundaries and standards, pointless emphasis on 'newness,' or pursuit of the bizarre and ugly as ends in themselves, and to expose as artistic fraud those works conceived only to elicit outrage.

7. To provide a technical and historical resource for artistic information, including referrals to experts.

8. To provide a forum for dialogue and exchange of expert information among educators scholars, curators, collectors and artists.

9. To promote scholarship and research on the artists of the past and the rediscovery and preservation of their techniques and methods.
>
10. To establish basic visual literacy standards across the world. Drawing must be introduced as part of the core curricula in K-12 and developed progressively until high school and beyond.

11. To provide impetus for the reestablishment of high standards of performance in the visual arts of painting, drawing, and sculpture, and to promote the concept of recognizable quality as a primary criterion for the judgment of Fine Art.

12. To offer a platform for discussion - both scholarly and informal - on art history, aesthetics, technical considerations, art education and other related issues, and to maintain honesty and frankness in our interaction with everyone, regardless of predisposition.

Based upon these goals they obviously have strong views on the nature of art. I enjoy the art on this site and can honestly say, I've spent many hours looking and reading the materials here Enjoy...

deviantART - Art Community & Portal

2005-07-05T13:02:00.000+01:00

deviantART is an online artistic community that I spend a lot of time exploring. There are some very good creatives who post their work at this web community and portal. With well over a million members wordwide, and having been around since it was launched in August 7th, 2000, it is a healthy and thriving community. With a name like deviantART, you'd think it would be seriously warped in nature, and whilst there are creatives who do have a distinctly dark overtone to their work, it definitely has a much broader creative appeal.

The site was created to serve as an artistic community and also to cater to the skinning requirements of DMusic. You can find the full story told here by one of the co-creators. dA now plays host to artists, writers, designers, photographers, skinners and other creatives. It provides hosting for wallpapers, skins, icons, images, photos, visualization presets, themes, art, tutorials and many other downloadables. With over thirteen million files or deviations, I daresay, you'll be hard pressed not to find something you like. Visit deviantART now, you wont regret it.

The Comic Art Community

2005-07-04T21:23:00.000+01:00

I spend a good deal of time online and one of the sites I visit with any regularity is the Comic Art Community. I'm a big fan of comic art and the CAC is one of the better portals for being exposed to and acquiring original comic art. The website features auctions, messageboards, a decent gallery and an extensive directory of weblinks. It's well worth a visit and if you want an excellent source for original comic art, this is it...

Hello fellow art lovers...

2005-07-04T19:41:00.000+01:00

I created this blog to share the many cool sites and artists I come across on a day to day basis whilst browsing the web. I will attempt to review and link to sites which I feel meet my interests as an artist, designer and photographer.