Because I Missed

So I missed a week of posting and I'm making it up to you guys by posting twice this week.

I just wanted to share what I'm doing currently.  I think I mentioned in my second or third post about personal projects and the one I'm engaged in at the moment.  My brother-in-law is creating an RPG game, Fiend Wake, and I'm illustrating it.  Just drawing up the races and some creatures and such.

I've only done two so far, but here they are.  These are the Earthhewn Dwarves.

And just something fun I did today.  I watched Jurassic World last Saturday and couldn't resist forming an attachment to the Grady Gang.

Artist Highlight - Alphonse Mucha

So every now and then I want to do a post about an artist that inspires me.  Talk about their history and why I find them so great.

I wanted to start with the artist that has affected me the most:  Alphonse Mucha.

Mucha was born in 1860 a citizen of Czech.  The country was under control from one country or another at any given time and he witnessed many horrors that came from battles and disease.  Around 1877 Mucha gets kicked out of school and on his journey back decides to become an artist.

He first starts out doing decorative designs for magazines and theaters and between 1880-1894 he goes to art schools in Munich and Paris.

On December 26, 1895 Mucha is asked to do a commission which is later called 'Gismonda'.  This one piece is the work that shot Mucha to the top and is the beginning of the Art Nouveau movement. He became a superstar in Paris; and once started, the demand for his work never stops.

A section of the Slav Epic

He later returns to his native country which has become the Czechoslovakia and works nearly two decades on a piece called the Slave Epic which is dedicated to his people whom he never forgot.

Another section of the Slav Epic

He dies right before WWII breaks out.

When I first saw a Mucha painting (art history class), my heart sped up and my eyes started getting all prickly.  I had never seen artwork that had touched me so deep to the core.  The foundation, the basics, of his works are solid.  He has his own style, but he keeps the anatomy of the people perfect.  Mucha doesn't sacrifice good technical skills for his own personal flair.

I will always admire the decorative aspect he put in most all his paintings.  It's something I really have no patience for.  And while I love his Art Nouveau work I love his other work even more.

I especially love Le Pater.  Which is a book illustrating the Lord's Prayer; in this Mucha is trying to show man how to reach the Divine Ideal and I think it's some of his most beautiful work.

Le Pater

Le Pater

Le Pater

I've always loved art, but Mucha helped me create a passion for it.

Fin

If there is any topic you wish me to discuss, or any questions that you would like answers to please respond in the comments and I will blog about them!

Is This Play-Doh Edible?

So this weeks . . . last weeks? topic is on Maquettes.

What's that?  Is it a real thing or did I just make it up? 'Cause when I type it the computer is telling me that it doesn't exist, so that means it's not really a thing.

It's a French word describing a model one would make for a study they were doing.

Well, I'm an illustrator, why would I need to sculpt things?  My kind and always right school counselor didn't tell me about that!

Maquettes are especially useful if one is working with sequential art.  Comics, graphic novels, children's stories, ect.  It's also helpful if you are painting a made up character; something that doesn't really exist in real life.  Or a made up environment.

It helps you when you can't figure out what something would look like under different lighting situations or color temperatures.

I found this out when I made my own maquette.  His name is Jeb Fitzgerbel and he's a grumpy bartender.

Now when I did this I found that I was a truly awful sculptor (but I kind of found that out in 3D design, so no surprise there), but it doesn't have to be perfect in order for it to work.  Do Not Be So Attached To An Idea That It Ruins The Whole Artwork!

Once you've sculpted your piece turn on the lights and do a little photo shoot.  Take pictures from all different angles and also with different light settings.

And then you get to work.

Use any medium that you desire.  I used acrylic (it was for extra credit (but I also like acrylic, so I still enjoyed the process)).

I found that in black and white I wasn't so worried about copying the right color and found myself playing with color temperature instead.  Warm cools and cool warms.  Colors where I didn't think they would naturally be, but looked natural to be there.

It was a whole new experience and one that I highly recommend.  I would check out James Gurney, he uses maquettes quite a bit and his art speaks for itself.

Till next week -

Alisha

If there is any topic you wish me to discuss, or any questions that you would like answers to please respond in the comments and I will blog about them!