WE'VE MOVED!

WAIT, NO. HIDE SOMEWHERE ELSE!

Starting February 2014 this blog will be out of action.

But DO NOT DESPAIR. We've just moved, and you can still find the same riveting and informative posts that you have come to expect on our new blog:

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

MORZOG! Lord of Destruction

After a week of shameless self-promotion, I am now offering a post with what is hopefully something more artistically useful...

For those of you who missed it, I had an artist's booth at DragonCon in Atlanta.
For the show this year, I decided I would do a dragon mini-portrait painting.  (Do you get it? A dragon for...Dragon... ?  I know, I know, highly original. I am living right out there on the very edge of the fantasy art world.)


Anyway, so I started sketching. I was thinking, "This guy, he's a huge dragon, and he's really ripping this castle up; just trashing the place. And he is loving it. Yeah, yeah this'll be great."




As I went along I added a lot of smoke and more of the castle falling down around him. It was a lot of fun.



Then I finished the painting.  (It was watercolor and gouache on bristol, by the way.)

But it was missing something.  It was so...

boring.  

I mean, I should have known right?  There is literally no story here.  And I felt like, surely I can do better than this. I'm a high school graduate after all.

There was just nothing of any substance here.  Sure he was real mad.  And that castle was getting real trashed. But there was no context for any of it.  I mean, who cares right?  I don't even know or care whose castle this is. And the audience certainly doesn't know or care.

I got kind of depressed about it.  How am I going to sell this at the show?  Everyone would be whispering at the booth when they didn't know I was spying on them.
"That Gerard is an over-rated hack."
"Yeah he is. I hear he doesn't even really paint anymore. Just talks about how great a painter he is on blogs mostly nowadays."
"Isn't he running some kind of pyramid scheme?"
"I don't know what you are talking about. But say, have you heard of Amway? You look like a smart guy and who would like to make a lot of money working from the comfort of his or her own home..."

Anyway, so I light the curtains on fire, crash my car, stumble off into the night and wake up the next day wearing a pancho, several garbage bags, a tear-stained face and a stray cat.  But with a resolution to not do such a boring painting.



On the flight back home I drew this guy. (Cory Godbey was there. Thanks Cory.) I had realized what I needed. I needed some kind of further context; some kind of irony.

Like most people I read books, and when I do, I find myself imagining myself as the hero, the dude, the gunslinger, the knight. Who is it who is imagining himself as this giant, fire-breathing dragon?  And that is where this little chameleon comes in.




Now the piece makes more sense. It has a story to it.  It wasn't much of an addition, but it works better now.

All in all I was much happier with the final piece and I think it did better at the convention for it. (We sold out the first run!) So I guess the lesson here is don't be afraid to stop and think about the message in your piece before finishing it. Even if you have to do some reworking. Make it tell something good that touches us in some way.

We need more than just a picture of someone who is real angry.

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ALSO: More shameless self-promotion: I am selling the second run of prints on etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/JustinGerard.  

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Illuxcon This Weekend




Hey guys! I'm about to head out to Illuxcon to exhibit at the weekend salon and wanted to give you a quick preview of some work that will be there.  

I love doing small paintings for studies and will be bringing a few odd portraits of knights and dragons. 
Above is one of the brave fellows that will be there.  

Also, a here is a quick primer on how to paint a tiny 5"x7" painting:



Step 1: Draw in the shapes in raw sienna.



 Step 2: Fill in the shadows with burnt and raw sienna.



Step 3. Now just paint the whole dang thing. 

I will be bringing the new 2013 Sketchbooks as well other books and a lot of new prints. 
Also, I will be exhibiting the final oil painting of Smaug for the first time this weekend!  


Stop by and say hi if you happen to be passing through! 

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Sketchbook 2013: The Four Dwarves

Sketchbook 2013 is going live today at 11am EST on Etsy HERE!


If you missed the previous post, the details are:
1. Sweet New Sketchbook. It's just like the old sketchbooks EXCEPT IT'S TOTALLY NEW.
2. It's out today.

Okay, one other thing: I am doing something a little different this year. In past years I have done the first 50 order receive a hand-drawn image on the front page.

For previous years results check out:
2011
2012
2010 Re-release

This has been a lot of fun, but has often-times ended in abject pandemonium. So, this year, I am experimenting with something new and am going to be offering 2 separate books.

The Standard Edition and The Deluxe Limited Edition.
That's right, Deluxe.

The Standard Edition will arrive hand-signed and is $20. It's just like the normal order from previous years.

The Deluxe Limited Edition will arrive, hand-signed and individually numbered (1-50), with an original drawing on the front page and it also includes a bookmark. The Deluxe Edition will be $40.  This one is limited to only 50, and once they are gone they are gone.

Deluxe Drawings!


Deluxe Bookmarks!


Deluxe Things!
(Deluxe Treasure Chest not included)

This is going to be available online for a limited time only: Tuesday, September 10th through Tuesday, October 15th.


I will also be offering 8"x10" signed prints this year of a number of my images. (More on this soon)  So get your Christmas shopping done early!



11AM. Tuesday, September 10th. www.etsy.com/shop/JustinGerard

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Also! The lovely Annie Stegg is going to be selling her new sketchbook: Thumbelina, at the same time on the same day. Check it out at 11am on Tuesday at: www.etsy.com/shop/AnnieIllustrations

Friday, September 06, 2013

Sketchbook 2013 Release Date



Hi Guys!
I am going to be releasing Sketchbook 2013: The Four Dwarves on Tuesday, September the 10th, at 11am EST!

I am doing something a little different this year. In past years I have done the first 50 order recieve a hand-drawn image on the front page.  For previous years results check out:
2011
2012
2010 Re-release

This has been a lot of fun, but a little chaotic. So, this year, I am experimenting with something new and am going to be offering 2 separate books.

The Standard Edition and The Deluxe Limited Edition.
That's right, Deluxe.

The Standard Edition will arrive hand-signed and is $20. Much like the normal order from previous years.

The Deluxe Limited Edition will arrive, hand-signed, individually numbered (1-50) and with a bookmark. The Deluxe Edition will be $40.  This one is limited to only 50, and once they are gone they are gone.




Also, this is going to be available online for a limited time only:

Tuesday, September 10th through Tuesday, October 15th. 

I will also be offering 8"x10" signed prints this year of a number of my images. (More on this soon)  So get your Christmas shopping done early! It all ends October 15th!

11AM. Tuesday, September 10th. www.etsy.com/shop/JustinGerard





-------

Also! The lovely Annie Stegg is going to be selling her new sketchbook: Thumbelina, at the same time on the same day. Check it out at 11am on Tuesday at: www.etsy.com/shop/AnnieIllustrations