Artist Series - Day 212: Aaron Blaise

Today's artist has done animation and design for Disney (Aladdin, Mulan, co-director of Brother Bear), and now paints and teaches full time.  His animals and on location paintings are amazing :)

Artist Series - Day 211: Mark McDonnell (Slightly NSFW)

As well as a tremendous figure drawer and character designer, I think of today's artist as much as a teacher as anything else.  I've mostly talked to Mark at conventions, and it has always been a pleasure - he has a deep passion for what he does, and it shows!

Artist Series - Day 210: Angela Song Mueller

I met today's artist at an Elfquest panel at SDCC.  Super cool woman, and has done tons of character designs for Nickelodeon.  Given that I would love to do environment design and layout there (or on Elfquest), highly topical for me :)

Artist Series - Day 209: Corwin Herse Woo

My friend Brendan Regulinski shared today's artist with me as an example of what a good "environment artist's" portfolio looks like.  I tend to agree, this is some good stuff!

Artist Series - Day 208: Jake Wyatt

  

Going to wind up SDCC with today's artist. He's got a real "indie" style to his work that I love, but he has done stuff for Marvel, which to me, shows the power and potential in crossing the streams in visual media....and since that's pretty much what I want to do, he is indeed one of my inspirations.

Artist Series - Day 207: Humberto Ramos

More SDCC!  More comic book artists!  Today's artist is probably best known for his work on Spider Man, and I also really enjoy his work on his personal project, "Fairy Quest."

Artist Series - Day 206: Ed McGuinness

The SDCC tie-ins won't be stopped!  Today's artist also works in a style that is a blend of what I consider animation and traditional comics....think I'm going to have to stop by his table and say "Hello."

Artist Series - Day 205: Chris Bachelo

Today's artist continues my comic book theme for SDCC.  He's got a crazy cartooning style of drawing without losing the grittiness that often falls away with abstraction.  He started out doing some stuff for Sandman, and looks like he's working on X-Men at the moment.  I actually discovered his work (well, at least when I could name the artist) from his graphic novel "Steampunk" back in 2000...when Steampunk was actually still cool and interesting.

Artist Series - Day 204: Jack Kirby

As I head down to San Diego Comic Con, it seems appropriate to pick Kirby as today's artist.  Like Thor?  Thank Kirby.  Like Captain America?  Kirby.  X-men?  You know the drill.

Artist Series - Day 203: Sean Andrew Murray (Muttonhead)

Really looking forward to talking with today's artist at SDCC this week!  He was at IlluxCon last year,but I never got to talk to him :(  I took his world building class online in the Fall, and it was fantastic.  His book, Gateway: The Book of Wizards is on my "first purchase list" for preview night.

Artist Series - Day 202: Erte (Romain de Tirtoff)

Today's artist was a 20th century multi-disciplinarian, most known for his art deco works.  To me, his work kinda has a "John Bauer meets Klimt" sort of vibe.  Such incredible simplicity of shape and design!

Artist Series - Day 201: Claire Hummel

Today's artist made it HUGE on the tumblr scene with her series of historically accurate Disney princesses....but she's also worked in video games, and I believe is now doing something secret at HBO.  Obviously, she's got a keen attention to detail and costuming :)

Artist Series - Day 200: Ryan Carlson

Two hundred posts, no interruptions!  A huge thank you to everyone who keeps reading, and sharing, and letting me know they appreciate this series.

Today's artist comes to me from my friend Chris Oatley, who worked with Ryan at Disney.  When I found Ryan's site, I proceeded to download every image on it.  I love the combination of process, art direction and painting.

Artist Series - Day 199: Inaki Miranda

I was poking through "Heroes Aren't Hard to Find" in Charlotte, NC last weekend when I discovered today's artist.  He illustrated the comic "Tribes: The Dog Years", which is like an amazing blend of Elfquest, Lord of the Flies and Mad Max.  I love it when comics use the full power of photoshop, and they wind up looking almost like animation stills with lens and motion blur.

Artist Series - Day 198: Justin Gerard

Back today with another excellent traditional artist.  I met Justin at IlluxCon a couple of years ago, and then had the pleasure of taking one of the TLC Workshops with him last August.  Fun, smart, driven and helpful are all words I'd use to describe him.  He started out (at least in my awareness) doing watercolour stuff, but he's been doing more and more oil painting, which is exciting.  He is a regular contributor to Muddy Colors as well.

Artist Series - Day 197: Dave Palumbo

Today's artist is one of what I consider to be the "new breed" of traditional oil painters doing cool stuff in fantasy and sci-fi.  I met him at IlluxCon a couple of years ago, but I really got a chance to talk with him at IMC this year, and it was pretty awesome.  GREAT guy.  Done Magic: The Gathering cards, role playing books, regular book covers, comic books....

Artist Series - Day 196: John Jude Palencar

Today's artist has done the book covers for many of the novels I have read throughout my life.  I met him at IlluxCon several years ago, he gives a very insightful crit.