Featured Artist: Solomon Russell

I originally knew Solomon from my time on the IFX forums. Nice person so it is nice to be able to feature his work on this blog.

Be sure to check out his full portfolio over at http://solomon-russell.deviantart.com/gallery/

I love Solomons distinctive cartoony style. When he gets it right it looks fantastic and charming.

One piece of advice I would like to give to Solomon is to look back at artists that inspired him to see what he can learn from them.

Artist Feature: Dylan Teague

Holy crap this guy is good. Dylan's sketch blog makes you want to pick up a pencil and draw. This blog is filled with some fantastic sketches and some awe inspiring comic pages. The great thing about this blog are the development of some of the final pieces. You get to see Dylan's work process, something that I personally love.

Visit his blog at: http://dylansdrawingboard.blogspot.co.uk/

I have not seen a sketchbook use colours quite like Dylan's The varying shades of red and blue are a great contrast and I would love to see more artists post work like this up. The image above seems a bit chaotic and eclectic but for some reason I can't stop starting at it, and this is just one example of his sketches.

I always try to feature the female form in this blog (feel free to call me a pervert) and these studies are a fantastic example of how to lay out your sketchbook. Rough doodles in light blue fill up otherwise unused space whilst not detracting attention from the main figures. Line quality is superb and eye catching. No line is out of place or wasted.

I know a few artists struggle with colour (myself included). This is a fine example of how to apply colour. By using minimal tonal variations Dylan has brought this character to life. The minimal background and foreground look fantastic and really bring the piece together.

I love featuring comic work. I feel it takes a great amount of knowledge and effort to even attempt comic art yet alone master it. This is where Dylan really shines. His professional level and expertise is outstanding. This part of his portfolio is worth a visit on its own.

I could easily ramble about Dylan's work all day but I would recommend you view it for yourself. http://dylansdrawingboard.blogspot.co.uk/

Artist Feature: GodOfBadWeather

I love the anime and manga style. Done well it is eye catching and very stylish, so when I got the chance to feature some manga art you bet I lept at the chance. GodOfBadWeather is an exceptional artist with an impressive portfolio of manga art, not only that but she can also paint in a realistic style. Be sure to check out her full gallery http://godofbadweather.deviantart.com/gallery/

The use of strong bold colours in the more graphical pieces works extremely well with her style. Whilst there is not a log going on, in regards to perspective, the background makes the characters pop and makes them immediately noticeable.

Freed (the image above) is one of my personal favourites in GodOfBadWeather's gallery. Striking use of contrasting values coupled with fantastic application of the rule of  thirds, produces this stunning image. The pale skin looks great and the daring choice of painting his with damp rags really paid off.

I could talk about the stylised stuff all day but I must mention the more realistic studies. These are great and really showcase GodOfBadWeather's range of skills. In the image above we not only see him tackle the difficult subject of glass but also a variety of textures.

Be sure to visit the full gallery on Deviantart. http://godofbadweather.deviantart.com/gallery/?

Deviant Art Feature: me-illuminated

Me-illuminated has a stunning gallery. It is worth a visit just for the perfectly rendered skin. Whilst this is not the biggest gallery (just over 30 images as of 27th of Feb 2013) each image looks fantastic and you can really see the consistent level of skill in each image. There are no weak images and no filler. Even the studies look great. http://me-illuminated.deviantart.com/

Me-illuminated has a flare for portraits. Black and white or full colour renders the faces look consistently amazing and life like. Hair is something most artists struggle with but Me-illuminated achieves a realistic look with apparent ease.

The details in each of his images are magnificent. Small things like the parting in hair or textures in clothing add to each image.

Whilst Me-illuminated can handle a subtle colour pallet when he paints with more vibrant colours something spectacular is always created. He has the wonderful ability to grab the viewers eye and hold it. The image above (mayday, mayday) is very eye catching. Bold colours really tell a story about the character shown. Different textures are captured flawlessly and the back lighting really makes this image pop out at you.

My personal favourite image is Angela Eanor- Come and get some. The colours are fantastic. The character concept is well executed and I love the details in the sparks coming from her. I am glad no background was added as I feel it would detract from the image. I must mention the bow. I love the design and the idea of adding multiple bow strings makes it look even more powerful. It is a very clever way of manipulating your eye back to the main character as well.

I must mention the image above. I grew up on Disney cartoons so this piece inspired by beauty and the beast really brought a smile to my face. Nice re imagining on a classic cartoon.

Be sure to check the full portfolio of work at http://me-illuminated.deviantart.com/

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Deviant Art Feature: HowlSeage

Let me start off by saying I have not seen a portfolio that is anything like HowlSeage's. The thing that makes this portfolio so special is the use of colour. Most of Seage's work has an ethereal painterly feel to it.

Artist: HowlSeage
Website: http://seageart.com/
DA Link: http://howlseage.deviantart.com/gallery/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/SeageSpeaks

Seage has a distinctive style recognisable from a mile off. The wispy, watery nature of his work combine with a mastery of colour theory produces images that demand attention. Special attention should be given to each characters outfits. Each of figure is dressed distinctively giving them all personality.

The detail in Seage's images inspires alot of awe. Colours are expertly handled making the subject matter leap off the screen. It is hard not to be captivated by this portfolio.

My personal favourite piece is Rogue. This piece won the Daily Deviation award on the 27th of April 2012 and for good reason. Everything about this image controls the way your eye moves around the piece. Dark purples and blues are broken up by light flesh tones. Nothing in this image out stays it's welcome producing a piece that is a beauty to behold.

Another thing I love about HowlSeage is his youtube channel. Primarily focusing on speed paintings mixed with advice to artists this is one of those channels that should really have more views and subscribers. http://www.youtube.com/user/SeageSpeaks

If you enjoyed like HowlSeage's work why not check out our range of art books. From tutorial books to video game art books you are sure to find an inspiring art book that you will love. http://astore.amazon.co.uk/artfreck-21?_encoding=UTF8&node=1

Deviant Art Feature: SourAcid

I discovered SourAcid through a live chat that I join  every Wednesday. After a quick look at his gallery I felt I should feature his work on this blog. Here is the link to the full profile http://souracid.deviantart.com/

Mainly focusing on portraits SourAcid has a very professional style. Rendering is handled with real care and attention. The lighting looks fantastic in every one of his pieces.

SourAcid's personality comes out in each of his pieces. One piece can have a serious tone but he is never afraid to try something a bit more fun. Octopolis (shown above) has a great over the top feel to it. Part of a colab this bizzar image is both eye catching and well executed. The pink hair really draws your eye to the subject and the tentacles ensure your eye won't be leaving in a hurry.

The thing that I really love about SourAcid's gallery is the bright vibrant colours, well that and the ladies XD. The images are strong enough to stand on their own but when you look at the whole gallery you get a real sense of SourAcid's skill. There is not a single bad image to bring the gallery down.

There are a few pieces of fan art. Normally I would not knowingly feature fan art images but in this case I will make an exception. L from death note looks recognisable yet SourAcid has left his own mark on this subject capturing his odd personality perfectly.

 
For some critique I would like to see more characters in environments. Taka (shown above) is a wonderfully realised piece and I would love to see more like it.

My personal favourite piece is the mummy (shown above). This unique take on  a classic monster is wonderfully depicted. The texture on the bandages is a great contrast to the leather coat and the background makes this image pop out.

Keep an eye out for more works from SourAcid.

Sketchbook review: Sketchbook Journey

Sketchbook: Sketchbook Journey
Artist: Mack
Link: http://cghub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5242

It never ceases to amaze me  the abundance of talent across the Internet. Mack has not only one of the most varied and largest sketchbook I have seen but it is also one of the best. There are a multitude of styles and subjects here so you are bound to find something you like here.

Gun concepts.

From page one you are treated with professional level concept art. The presentation is slick and appealing giving you both a sense of the design options and how the fully rendered version would look like. I have yet to see another sketchbook pull this off to this level.

Another impressive feature in this sketchbook are the storyboards. They are crisp and detailed. Movements are readable, not only that but they give a great sense of atmosphere. All this with using only a monochrome style.

Example of Mack's storyboards.

Even Mack's sketches and life studies look unique. By simply using a beige colour pallet Mack produces an eye catching style for his studies. The shoes have a great depth to them that I don't think could be achieved with just black and white.

There are a few 3D models in the sketchbook. Again I am extremely impressed with the presentations. Not only do the models look great but by simply drawing a person next to the model we instantly get a sense of scale. The 3D creatures are imaginative and eye catching.

The only thing I would like to see in this sketchbook would be some youtube videos. I feel some quick speed drawing sessions would be very popular. I feel this sketchbook is better than some of the art book I have.

Picking a favourite piece was a challenge but I feel the image above is a great representation of Mack's skills. The character concept looks great but like all of Mack's pieces there is a presentational flair that I have not seen in any other sketchbook. Do not miss this sketchbook.

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Sketchbook review: Kvetchbook

Sketchbook: Kvetchbook
Artist: Kvetch
Link: http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?242812-Kvetchbook

The thing I love about Kvetch's sketchbook is the potential shown. It starts off with some oblivious confidence issues but as the post come the talent grows. You can see the effort put into this sketchbook and you can get a sense of the commitment the artist has put into his craft. The transition from blurry lines to solid forms is an impressive feat making this sketchbook one to keep an eye on.

Blurry lines at the start of the sketchbook

The studies are sharp and crisp making them really enjoyable to look at. Some of the early ones display some really advanced theories like textured and reflective surfaces. These are really hard to pull off but Kvetch makes it look effortless.

Note the textured and reflective surfaces

One of Kvetch's strengths is knowing his weaknesses. His early figure work is a bit weak so he focused on tightening up his figure skills by a set of measurement exercises and just general practise. The study shown bellow is a fine example of what can be achieved when you focus on fixing your weaknesses.

Still life studies feature heavily in this sketchbook. Simplistic items such as mobile phones are rendered to near perfection. This attention to detail makes them eye catching and nearly tangible. These are by far some of the best still life studies I have seen in a long time.

There are some extremely inspiring imagination studies in this sketchbook. Using what looks like a custom brush at varying opacity produces a great stylised effect. I would love to see this expanded upon.

The only critique I can really give is I would like to see more imaginative figure studies. Kvetch seems to have a grasp of studying figures but I have not seen many unique character designs from him. I must say what the sketchbook lacks in figure work it more than makes up for in environments.

My highlighted piece has to be an environment. Kvetch has a natural ability for creating eye catching scenes and the piece bellow is my favourite. The futuristic feel combine with the eye catching yellow is really fun to look at. Everything feels crisp and neat yet still has a stylistic look to it. The background works perfectly with the foreground leading the eye around the image.

Be sure to check out Kvetch's sketchbook at http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?242812-Kvetchbook

Sketchbook Review: Blindrat (anthro artist)

Sketchbook Name: Daily Scribbles of a Blindrat
Artist: Blindrat
Link: http://cghub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9895

I don't see many sketchbooks that deal with primarily anthropomorphic or anthro art. Even if you remove this novel idea the sketchbook is one of the strongest i have seen both in style and competency.

As well as hosting an array of unique characters there are quite few studies. Blindrat's environment studies  not only look fantastic but also show off his talent with colour. each one captures a mood or feel perfectly. The face studies (shown bellow) show Blindrat's ability to add personality to any character. Each face is unique which is quite a task considering the amount of faces in this one study alone.

One of my favourite features in this sketchbook are the animated WIP (work in progress) images. In these you see some of his creations from just a rough sketch right the way to near finished piece. They not only look great but they give the sketchbook something unique that very few other sketchbooks have. I would love this idea to trend and feature in more sketchbooks.

I struggle to critique this sketchbook. There are sketches, finished pieces, studies and even a 3D model. The only thing I can think of that I would like to see would be some character reference sheets.

This is that part of the sketchbook review where I select my favourite image but I seriously cannot find one. There are so many great pieces and as soon as I settle on a favourite image something else catches my eye. I suppose that is a cop out so after much deliberating I chose the indie project commission. The scene looks great, the lighting is fantastic and the colours really pop out at you. This is a fantastic example of what Blindrat can do. You owe it to yourself to check this sketchbook out