I love comics. I love comic books; I the funnies in newspapers; I love mainstream comic books, but most of all, I love indie comics. It’s true that there is a lot of crap out there, but now and then you come across a title that not only delivers an interesting storyline, but backs it up with a great style.

What I really like about Aaron’s style is the paradox and sheer quirkiness of his work: a little rugged and unpolished, but refined at the same time. The subtleties in his work are great — everything from little background details in his pages, to the character designs.

There was so much to take in on the first read that I found myself coming back a few times just to appreciate the aesthetic and story. Reading through the archives and even perusing some of the commissioned work, you begin to really sense how much of Aaron’s personality and sense of humour comes through.

Aaron’s work reminds me of the grittiness of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s early work on TMNT (before it was “kiddie-fied”), as well as animation influences from artists like Jeff Matsuda.

Here are some more samples of his work:

I won’t say too much more about Aaron’s work — check it out for yourself.

So what’s new?

A lot of things I suppose, but mostly I’ve been busy as hell. There have been some recent changes in my company that have left me running a little ragged here; and while I sense there is much change on the horizon — the horizon is still quite a ways off.

I’ve been toying around with a new Blog Theme, a dramatic departure from this current theme. At some point this summer I will block off a few days to finish the design and development of the theme and incorporate some new features into it. I’ve also been toying around with the idea of turning my blog into a sketch-blog and posting up my portfolio once and for all (it’s been in development for nearly a year). It might sound a little ambitious, but I will get to it one way or another.

I have not forgotten about farfromfearless.com. I’ll be around.

Oh, I’ve been doing stuff like this when the occasion presents itself:

I’ll post more as I develop the series. Let me know what you think!

Edit:

Here are a couple new freakies that I created earlier — I thought I’d update this post rather than generate a new one. I may end up creating a new page altogether for these, but well see.

From Bartleme Design

Get these wallpapers here.

From Flickr

Get these wallpapers here.

If you’re looking for other options, there’s always Google!

An eclectic mix of male artists give their visual take on the female sex! Michael Zeke Zavacky, Lawrence Callender, Juan Carlos Noria and others serve up some hot artwork of women in a variety of styles and mediums.La Petit Mort Gallery

In the spirit of sharing, I thought it would be of interest to some folks to see some of the pieces that I am working on for this showing. The following images are all captures from my work in progress; feel free to crit, comment, etc. I’ve only recently picked up painting again, and it’s amazing how many techniques and principles I am only now re-learning.

This first piece is based on the main character of a book I am currently writing ( the first draft is completed ). The book borrowed so much in terms of cultural influences, both Mediterranean and middle-eastern, that I really wanted to explore how the blending of those cultures come across in the clothing, and ornamental aspects of her armour. There is still a lot of work to be done on this piece but I am quite happy with the direction.

This second set are studies for another piece I will attempt after I complete the work you see above.

This recent study was done in about an hour and a half, and my goal behind it was really to practice some basic principles in panting feacial features, such as the nose and mouth. In any case, I think I will continue to post my digital work here in the future, so you may see more of my studies and sketches. I also have an account over at CGTalk, on which I may post a small portfolio.

With that aside, I wanted to pick up where I left off with another installment of my “Digital Art and Illustration” series that I started late last year. I’ve come across so many talented artists that it is nearly impossible to really say that I favor one over the other, let alone try to select one amongst them to showcase here. Every one of them has various qualities that make them unique both stylistically and conceptually, and so saying one is simply better than the other is just plain wrong; however, I did have the good fortune to come across an artist whose work grabbed my attention – Dean Holden of Seoul, South Korea.

The first thing that really grabbed my attention was the sheer vibrancy of Dean’s color pallete, the storybook quality of his work is largely communicated by his choice of color as applied to the subject of his pieces. “Vibrant” is perhaps a term too modest to describe the way it lures the viewer into the work and snares their attention. It is rich and luscious in very much the same way Brom’s work comes across. Any similarities end there. Dean has developed a style that hints at so many different influences such as manga, North American mainstream comicbooks, classical painting, etc. and pulls them together to create a style that is evocative, playful and nostalgic. I will go so far as to say that Dean’s work reminds me also of the famous cover painter Darrell K. Sweet – at least in so much as the storybook quality I mentioned previously.

In any case, if you are looking for great influence or inspiration check out Dean’s site here.

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Other Links:

1. View his CGTalk Portfolio here.
2. View his Official Site here.

Diane Özdama is a 21 year old art student from “Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs de Paris”, and one might imagine that living in a country arguably considered one of the most romantic places in the world, is a wonderful feeding ground for an already rich imagination. It certainly helps that the talents and skills she has developed, makes the process of bringing her imaginings to life all that much easier.

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Take some time to look through her portfolio; I have always enjoyed seeing the progression of an artist body of work from its earliest stages (at least what they allow us to see), to their most recent work. The growth tells a unique story of the development process involved in becoming an illustrator – there is much to be learned for those just starting out.

Other Links:

1. View her CG Talk Portfolio here.
2. View her GFX Artist portfolio here.

The first is a series of Photoshop Brushes; these I found a while back. I dabble in digital illustration and it is always nice to have different bushes for painting certain things and also for adding texture and definition to your paintings. I’ve used these brushes on occasion in other non-illustration projects for the sole purpose of adding texture or creating more natural looking texture on otherwise flat images.

Here is a sample of some of the brushes:

Download the brushes here

Follow standard practices for installing brushes. More to come!

Update: I neglected to mention the source of these brushes, and though I would love to claim ownership, that credit belongs to the artists who provided the brushes here. My apologies!

I first noticed her work on CGTalk while rummaging through the countless galleries of various digital artists. Her work immediately jumped out at me, not simply because of the quality of her images, but for the same semblance to John Waterhouse that I mentioned earlier. I would not be surprised if she noted Waterhouse or any of his counterparts as her earlier influences. Regardless of artistic similarities, Linda’s work commands attention.

For me, her most influential works are her self-admitted “quick” paintings. Those rough pieces that are bits of imagination not fully realized and only half rendered, have been a source of inspiration for some of my work. I love her color palettes, which even while delving into darker subjects, burns with intensity rarely found with other artists.

Take the time to look through her gallery if you’re in need of something different than the countless flash or blog sites out there; or if you’re a book collector, Linda has many of her works in print and you can purchase some of them at Ballistic Publishing.

Other Links:

1. View her CGTalk portfolio here.
2. View her website here.

Technorati : Digital Art, Illustration

Marc Burnet is based in Montreal, Canada. His work among many other artists has been a source of inspiration for my creative endeavors; whether it’s writing, design or even dabbling in illustration now and then, I like to refer to his work especially for the color pallets he tends to employ. Marc’s work reveals a lot of eastern influence mixed with a distinctive western style that marries well. Most of the subject matter explores various aspects of that blended cultural influence with a hint of the fantastical intertwined with science fiction, all without going completely beyond either end of the spectrum.

Here is a great example of his most recent work:

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Though his work still has some rough edges, his ideas and his composition are strong. Keep an eye on this guy; some of his future work might crop up in places you might not expect.

Other Links:

1. View his CGTalk portfolio here.
2. View his DeviantArt portfolio here.

Technorati : Illustration

They’re still out there, multiplying in mass quantities in some Mexican sweatshop or being imported from another one in Borneo . They’re debatably hideous, but you have to admit there’s a certain allure to the imagery of exaggerated rebellion against life, love, and the American way. Most of them are pretty butt ugly but I came across a site about a year ago that seems to take it in a new direction; one of artistry and design. American Fear Clothing has a great selection of tees, hoodies, tanks, and baby tees redone with style.

The style of the illustrations veer away from much of the blood and guts and snakes protruding from bleached skulls and instead favors more symmetry and subtle symbolism in a monochromatic rendering. The guy who silk-screened the first of these shirts must have crapped himself good and decided to keep a few for himself to make up for it.

Break out your inner rocker and order yourself a few prints if you get a chance.

Technorati : Design, Fashion, Illustration