Chris Rahn

Huntmaster of the Fells/Ravager of the Fells

2012-01-18T14:03:00.000-08:00

Huntmaster of the Fells, 12 x 16 in., oil on masoinite

In the new Magic: the Gathering set, called Dark Ascension, for the first time they have included double-sided cards, representing creatures that have the ability to transform into a different and usually much more terrifying version of themselves. In my case, I was asked to paint a trapper who's nursing a bite-wound from...something. What he becomes (after that sun's done setting) is this guy:

Ravager of the Fells, 12 x 16 in., oil on masonite

New work for World of Warcraft

2012-01-02T15:16:00.000-08:00

Happy new year everyone! For my first post of 2012 here are a couple more for the World of Warcraft card game.

-Deathstalker Commander Belmont (aka 80s punk zombie) 11 x 14 in., oil on masonite
-Mograine, 11 x 14 in., oil on masonite.

100th post! the Hi-Fi Rat

2011-12-07T16:27:00.001-08:00

and to think, it only took two years :) Next up...

Here's a funny little piece I just finished up for my buddy Reggie. He owns a killer meadery/winery here in Dayton, WA called Mace Mead Works and he needed an image to help promote a weekly hi-fi audio night he's putting together. This guy was a lot of fun, plus you can't beat getting paid in mead :)

Hi-Fi Rat - 12 x 12 in., oil on masonite

Crosis, the Purger

2011-11-11T15:17:00.001-08:00

Before discussing our cuddly friend here, I wanted to mention that I just got back from my first IlluXcon convention in Altoona, PA. It was totally incredible to get a chance to meet so many of my art-heroes like Donato Giancola, Dan Dos Santos, Eric Fortune and Mark Zug just to name a few. I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in imaginative art, it's totally worth the trek. For a play-by-play of the show, check out Chris Burdett's blog: http://christopherburdett.blogspot.com/

Alright, this piece was done as updated art for an older Magic card called Crosis, the Purger, here's the previous incarnation:

The Art Director wanted me to keep the key elements of the original design while hopefully making it more intense and realistic. I wound up looking at a lot of reference of beetles and scorpions for wing and carapace ideas.

Crosis, the Purger - 14 x 18 in. oil on masonite

Naz'jar Sorceress

2011-10-11T15:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a new one for the upcoming World of Warcraft set call Throne of the Tides. I did a little bit of digital work on top this time to punch up the magic/glow effects.

Naz'jar Sorceress, 12 x 16 in., oil on masonite.

Shadowcore

2011-09-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! If (like me) you're into following awesome artist-group blogs, check out Shadowcore. It just went live but there are already a bunch of amazing contributors and I'm stoked to be included.

That is all :)

Elder Cathar

2011-09-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

Here's the last of my work for the upcoming Magic: the Gathering set. I used myself for reference so the hardest part about this one by far was beefing up my skinny, uncallused, artist hands.

Elder Cathar - 12 x 16 in., oil on masonite

Skaab Ruinator

2011-09-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

Here's another one for the upcoming Magic: the Gathering set...definitely in the running for the grossest thing I've ever been asked to paint. As was the case with Stitched Drake, this guy's a creation of the Skaab, who are kind of the Dr. Frankensteins of this Magic universe. I remember I spent a lot of time on this one focused on capturing the chilly, foggy mood that I wanted for the scene.

Skaab Ruinator - 12 x 16 in., oil on masonite

Stitched Drake

2011-09-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

This piece is the first of mine to be released from the upcoming Magic: the Gathering set. He's basically a composite of dead human and animal parts and metal that have been fashioned into a (rough) approximation of a drake. Needless to say, this guy was a lot of fun to work on.

Stitched Drake, 12 x 16 in., oil on masonite

The Hammer Council

2011-08-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

Here's another new one for the World of Warcraft card game. (I'm told) these guys are the new rulers of the dwarves. This piece is also supposed to be included in this year's WoW calendar. Fingers crossed for a free copy :)

The Hammer Council - 14 x 18 in., oil on masonite.

Suncaller Haruh

2011-08-17T14:05:00.001-07:00

Here's a new one for the World of Warcraft card game. This guy was my first Tauren (that's WoW for Minotaur) for the game and I really got a kick out of it. He's also a good example of how I usually approach making changes to a piece, when I first turned it in the magic effect he's casting was only happening at his fingertips (see below), the AD thought that it needed some more punch so I went ahead and expanded the magic effect in Photoshop.

Suncaller Haruh, 12 x 16 in., oil on masonite.

Time Walk

2011-08-11T16:58:00.001-07:00

Here's a new one for Magic: the Gathering. It was created as alternate art for an old classic magic card called Time Walk (see below). While this one was a little out of my typical comfort zone I really enjoyed the chance to work on a piece that was a little more conceptual.

While my version will unfortunately never see print it's one in a series of alternate art commissioned by Wizards of the Coast to be given away as the first place prize at it's MtG Vintage and Legacy tournaments. It was awarded last week at GenCon, framed in an oversized card-frame, to Mark Hornung Jr.

Time Walk, 14 x 18 in., oil on masonite.

GenCon! + New Warcraft Art

2011-07-26T23:12:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been a year already but next week is GenCon 2011! I'll be there again with tons of originals, prints, etc., so if you're in the Indianapolis area and you'd like to see some of these things in person (along with tons of other great artists), you know where to find me.

The lovely lady above was just released as part of the newest expansion of the World of Warcraft card game. She's called Jasmia, Nature's Chosen, 12 x 16 in., oil on masonite.

*Shameless Plug* To all the Magic fans out there, I've got some signed artist proofs from the most recent set up for sale on eBay. If you're interested check them out here.

Volcanic Dragon

2011-06-30T15:43:00.001-07:00

Believe it or not, there was a time when I was hesitant to use the more intense oil colors, for example cadmium red and yellow. I would think to myself "no, no, your path is one of subtlety, how would Vermeer or Rembrandt approach this assignment?". While subtlety has it's place, I've come to realize that sometimes intensity is called for...like when someone asks you to paint a dragon made out of freaking lava.

Volcanic Dragon, 14 x 18 in., oil on masonite.

Pride Guardian

2011-06-24T12:43:00.001-07:00

Here's another new one for the upcoming Magic: the Gathering set. I usually try to avoid symmetrical compositions but in this case I thought it kind of added to stoic/righteous vibe of the piece (btw, it was originally called Guardian Monk, hence the monastic robes, door, etc).

Pride Guardian, 11 x 14 in., oil on masonite

Arbalest Elite

2011-06-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Sorry for the unusually long gap between posts, I've been working like a madman for the past month or so (and celebrating my first anniversary with my awesome wife). Anyway, here's a new one for the upcoming Magic: the Gathering set (M12). Arbalest Elite, 11 x 14 in., oil on masonite.

Kazu Sano 1952-2011

2011-06-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

I know this is the second one of these in a row but it's been a tough couple of weeks for the illustration world.

I was saddened to hear that one of my favorite mentors, Kazu Sano, passed away yesterday. I got to know and learn from Kazu during my time at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. He was an incredibly talented artist and teacher and, in my opinion, his work stands as some of the most vital and magnetic examples of illustration ever produced.

I highly recommend you take some time to check out his work here and read the great post Irene Gallo put up on Tor.com here.

R.I.P. Jeffery Catherine Jones

2011-05-19T16:05:00.000-07:00

website

Phyrexian Ingester

2011-05-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

My final piece for the new Magic: the Gathering set; Phyrexian Ingester, 12 x 16 in., oil on masonite.

Greenhilt Trainee

2011-04-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

Another new one for Magic: the Gathering. This guy and Mindcrank are still the two smallest paintings I've ever done for Magic. While the choice to paint them at a smaller size was initially made for the sake of speed, it was interesting to see the effect that it had on the final product. I feel like it forced me to be a little more decisive than I would have been. Greenhilt Trainee, 9 x 12 in., oil on masonite.

Mindcrank

2011-04-25T19:38:00.000-07:00

Back to work and starting to feel like myself again. This is a new one for the upcoming Magic: the Gathering set. Mindcrank, 9 x 12 in. oil on masonite.

+1 goblin, -4 wisdom teeth

2011-04-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

I got my wisdom teeth out yesterday so this one's gonna be quick. Fraznak the Furious, 12 x 16 in., oil on masonite.

Back to the couch and the extended-edition Lord of the Rings trilogy :)

*I've been messing with how to keep Blogger from resizing/degrading my files. So far the best thing I've found is uploading them as .pngs. I'm curious if anyone has any other suggestions.

New Magic Piece

2011-04-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

This piece just got released on the Magic site. No name yet though. 11 x 14, oil on masonite.

New Studio!

2011-04-03T13:41:00.000-07:00

After about a week of working out of boxes I've finally got the new studio more or less unpacked. It's the first time in my life I'm working in a room that isn't obviously supposed to be a bedroom so I'm enjoying every minute of it. I decided to try my hand at cobbling together a panoramic pic of the whole thing, hopefully it's not too disorienting.

Sword of War and Peace

2011-03-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

While I don't have any pics yet of the new studio, here's something else. It's the last in the set of three swords I did for the current Magic world. Sword of War and Peace, 11 x 14 in., oil on masonite.

A Deadly Hand

2011-03-24T17:09:00.001-07:00

Apologies for the long absence, we're in the middle of moving to a new spot and things have been crazy. Anyway, I just saw that this piece was published. It's a book cover I did a while back for a mystery novel called A Deadly Hand (sorry in advance for the tiny file, I'll try to get a bigger one up soon). Stay tuned for pics of the new digs!

One more new WoW piece...

2011-03-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

Favor of Acherus, 11 x 14 in., oil on masonite.

More WoW stuff

2011-02-26T12:18:00.000-08:00

This piece is one of the rare cases where I lost all patience with my oils and just finished the piece digitally. I was really fighting with that magic effect for some reason and so I basically had to decide between my pride and my sanity. "Extinguish", oil/digital

And this one was kind of a strange assignment, it's actually a portrait of a guy who (I'm told) won a WoW tcg championship and one of his prizes was to have his likeness included as a hero character in the next set of cards. It was a bit of a challenge since the only photos of the guy were flash-lit promo pics from gaming events but it was fun none the less.

Holy WoW!

2011-02-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

New piece for the World of Warcraft card game. 'Blood Chill', 11 x 14, oil on masonite.

Dungeon Magazine Cover #187

2011-02-10T12:50:00.000-08:00

This is my first whack at the world of D&D, it takes place in an underground necropolis that's infested by plague demons (those gents in the back). Thanks to Jon Schindehette for his great art direction and patience with my many, many questions.

New WoW piece

2011-02-03T15:56:00.001-08:00

This is a piece I did for the World of Warcraft tcg a while back. In it we have a Worgen (WoW-speak for werewolf) priest gathering information from a ghost. It's kind of a strange scene for me but I had fun with it. Anyway, about a month after I turned it in I got a call from the the Art Director. Turns out they had given me reference for the wrong kind of ghost and it had to be changed...

...a lot. I was able to repaint it digitally which saved me a lot of time but this one still stands as the biggest alteration I've ever done. I'm a little sad the other ghost will never see print but hey, that's what blogs are for.

11 x 14 in., oil/digital

Tangle Mantis

2011-01-27T13:36:00.000-08:00

Here's the last piece of mine for the new Magic set. I got to design this guy from the ground up (he was assigned simply as 'green predator') so I decided to go with an insect that would be well camouflaged in his metal-forest habitat. 11 x 14 in., oil on masonite.

Sword of Feast and Famine

2011-01-25T13:02:00.000-08:00

This is the second in a set of swords that I did for the current Magic world. I still prefer the original name though - Sword of the Living Dead.
11 x 14 in., oil on masonite.

Blightsteel Colossus

2011-01-22T12:11:00.000-08:00

Another new piece for Magic. Blightsteel Colossus, 11 x 14 in., oil on masonite.

Glissa, the Traitor

2011-01-19T16:30:00.000-08:00

Finally back with some new art (after a spectacular computer crash). Here's a piece for Magic's newest set called Mirrodin Besieged. Glissa, the Traitor, 12 x 16 in., oil on masonite

JAPAN!!!

2010-12-19T12:44:00.001-08:00

So...the Misses and I just got back from our first trip to Japan (their photobooth technology has far surpassed our own). I was invited to go as a guest artist for Magic's World Championship in Chiba, just outside Tokyo, and luckily it worked out that Betty got to come along for the ride. It was an incredible time and I really want to thank Ron Foster at WotC for making it happen. Anyway, on to the photo-evidence:

Chippy and I signing and sketching away at the tournament.

Japanese pub food.

"Cubic Mouth Mickey"...moving on.

A round of 'Massive Magic'. This was a lot of fun to watch, 4' cards and 20 sided die the size of soccer balls.

Hey, there's one of mine!

Giant pen!

From the left: me, Mark Tedin, Chippy, Raymond Swanland, Ron Foster (WotC), new brand guy whose name escapes me (sorry), and Mr. Okubo. Now who is Mr. Okubo you may ask...

He's the guy that makes incredible, hand-cut, 3D Magic cards, that's who. I was lucky enough to be given three of his pieces while at the tournament and while my lame photo doesn't do his work any justice, trust me, they're un-frickin-believable.

Our buddies Chippy and Elaine at a basement Irish pub we found in Tokyo.

Us.

Betty - "Until next time, Tokyo".

Washington Bookmark

2010-11-27T12:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long absence, things have been hectic around here to say the least. Here's a piece I did a while back, he was part of a promotion my reps put together a year or so ago. Each artist got to pick a state so I chose Washington. I spent most of my formative years there and I was always fascinated by the stories people would often tell about seeing 'him' up in the mountains.

Wolf Token

2010-10-24T17:42:00.001-07:00

Another new one of Magic, this guy's a spirit wolf made of mist. 12 x 16, oil on masonite.

...and even more World of Warcraft

2010-10-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

This guy's an undead troll shaman, hard to imagine a cooler combo if you ask me. Deathseer Zuk'raj, 12 x 16 in. oil on masonite.

more World of Warcraft

2010-10-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

12 x 16 in. oil on masonite.

World of Warcraft Art!

2010-09-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

Here's the first of my work for WoW. General Lightsbane. 12 x 16ish, oil on masionite

Instill Infection

2010-09-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

The last of the new pieces for Magic. Kinda reminds me of the black alien goo from the X-Files now that I think about it. 11 x 14 in. oil on masonite.

Argent Sphinx

2010-09-22T13:31:00.002-07:00

Another new one for Magic. I'm really glad to finally be able show this one. It's rare, for me at least, that a piece comes out really close to how I originally saw it in my mind, usually things change course for one reason or another, but this one's really dang close. 12 x 16 in. oil on masonite.

Stoic Rebuttal

2010-09-15T13:10:00.000-07:00

Another new piece for Magic, Stoic Rebuttal. 12 x 16ish, oil on masonite.

Platinum Emperion

2010-09-09T01:34:00.000-07:00

A new piece for the upcoming Magic set, this guy's called Platinum Emperion.
11 x 14 oil on Masonite.

Wild West!

2010-09-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

While I wait for more work to come out from under NDAs, I thought I'd share a couple of quick personal pieces from a while back. Experimenting with some looseness.

Sword of Mind and Body

2010-08-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

A new piece for Magic, this one's from the upcoming set called Scars of Mirrodin. It takes place in an artificial world made entirely of metal so needless to say, I've been painting A LOT of metal over the past year.

And now for something completely different...

2010-08-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks back I got the chance to do my second cover for the LA Weekly. It's a portrait of LA Dodgers owner, Frank McCourt. Apparently he's got a reputation for some pretty shady business practices and always coming out smelling like roses.

Thanks to Darrick Rainey for another great round of art direction, this gig was a lot of fun and a great break from my usual creative process.

GENCON!!!

2010-08-10T10:15:00.001-07:00

Back from Gencon and finally caught up on sleep. It was an amazing four days, tons of amazing art and artists. Also, unbelievably, I won Best In Show (!!!).
I still can't believe everyone I got to see and meet; Matt Stewart, Kekai Kotaki, Lars Grant-West, Steve Belledin, Dan Scott, Franz Vohwinkle, Chris Seaman, Mark Tedin, Tom Baxa, and Steve Prescott just to name a few. I'm already looking forward to next year.

me.
Steve Belledin.
Dan Scott.
Chris Seaman.
Kekai Kotaki, Lars Grant-West and Steve Prescott (sorry Steve :)).

Obstinate Baloth

2010-07-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

This one's the last of my work for Magic's M11 set. 11 x 14 in. oil on masonite.

Steel Overseer

2010-07-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

Another new piece for Magic, 11 x 14 in. oil on masonite.

Sun Titan

2010-06-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

Back from my honeymoon and back in the studio! Here's a new one for Magic. 12 x 16 in., oil on masonite.

JUST GOT HITCHED!!!

2010-06-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

Artist's depiction.

Last 2 for The Bastion

2010-05-30T11:16:00.001-07:00

Apologies for the prolonged absence, I've been away from the studio visiting family for the past week. Anyway, here are the last two portraits for The Bastion (at least for now).

Both 9 x 12 in. oil on board

New Skull!

2010-05-14T10:23:00.001-07:00

Seeing as how I don't have any new work I can show, I thought I'd brag about the newest addition to my skull collection - Snapping Turtle. Kinda cute, right?

Frank Frazetta, RIP. 1928 - 2010

2010-05-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

Dormant Gomazoa

2010-04-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

And finally, the last new piece for Magic...at least for now.

11 x 14 in. oil on masonite

Null Champion

2010-04-20T01:17:00.000-07:00

The dude in back's his vampire master.

12 x 16ish, oil on masonite.

Vent Sentinel

2010-04-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

Another new piece for Magic - Vent Sentinel.

11 x 14 in. oil on masonite.

Conquering Manticore

2010-04-15T23:38:00.000-07:00

Finally! Here's a new piece for Magic - Conquering Manticore (formerly Elder Manticore).

A couple more for Bastion

2010-04-11T12:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted. Anyway, here are a couple more for Bastion. The girl's a thief/assassin type of character and the guy's an alchemist.

9 x 12 in. oil on masonite.

Two more for Bastion

2010-03-19T10:07:00.001-07:00

This first guy's a scout, and the girl's got an ability called Dreamsong that allows her to manipulate her surroundings with her voice. With all of that detail she turned into a bit of a challenge, I'm learning that painting smaller isn't always faster.

9 x 12 in., oil on masonite.

The Bastion 2

2010-03-05T18:12:00.000-08:00

Two more paintings for The Bastion.

9 x 12 in. oil on masonite

The Bastion

2010-03-02T14:58:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been doing some character portraits for a new company that's developing an online RPG called The Bastion. It's been a lot of fun so far and the guys working on it have even given me permission to show the work as I complete it so expect to see a few more of these in the near future.

Groundswell

2010-02-03T21:54:00.000-08:00

Another new piece for Magic, kinda like Hokusai's wave but with an elf.
Oil on masonite, 11 x 16

Lodestone Golem

2010-01-30T11:45:00.000-08:00

New Art! Another piece for Magic, this guy just became public.
oil on masonite, 11 x 16 in.

Best Christmas Present Ever

2010-01-20T12:19:00.001-08:00

Apologies for the total lack of posts lately. I just got back to Portland after staying with my mom for 5 weeks so I could help her out while she healed up from some pretty heavy duty shoulder surgery. Before you ask, she's doing well :)

Since I can't show any recent work because of those pesky NDAs, I thought I'd share what might be the best Christmas present I've ever received. My brother got me a medical-grade caste of a REAL HUMAN SKULL!!! Short of grave-robbing me a real one, I can't think of anything better.

New Work! - Leatherback Baloth

2009-12-14T17:40:00.000-08:00

On to new stuff! This guy was just released as Leatherback Baloth (not the original name by the way, but I guess that could be leather).

13 x 18 in. oil on masonite

Memory Lane - Day 6

2009-11-30T12:51:00.000-08:00

I know it's late but here's the sixth and final installment of my trip down memory lane. This first piece is one of the few digital paintings I did while in school, it was for a hypothetical fantasy story called 'The Black Cauldron'.

*at least I thought it as hypothetical, apparently The Black Cauldron was a Disney movie from the '80s. Thanks Seth.

This next one was an attempt at mixing fantasy and sci-fi elements, called 'Klank'.

Here we have a mock-cover for Beowulf...

...And I thought I'd end with this piece. A self portrait that illustrates pretty well how I was feeling by the end of my time in art school.

Memory Lane - Day 5

2009-11-24T10:40:00.003-08:00

Next up in this look back at my student days is a piece called 'Wolf in Sheep's clothing', and yes, I actually painted it in black and white...can't remember why.

Next up was an album cover for a theoretical metal band called Fallen Angel, I painted this in a final portfolio class I took with Chuck Pyle and Kazu Sano.

And I this guy was a mock fantasy book cover about a dragon rider. Looking at it now, there's a whole lot of Manchess in that background.

Check back tomorrow for the sixth and final installment of my trip down Momory Lane...There's six days in a week, right?

Memory Lane - Day 4... and 3

2009-11-23T10:48:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay, yesterday got away from me so this is a 2-day super-post! First up is the first piece that I liked enough to make it into my first 'professional' portfolio, called Big Bug.

I don't think it gets more 'classic student work' than this next piece, I had to illustrate a song so this is my somewhat literal painting of Tool's '46 and 2' .

This was a personal piece I did while in school...

...and this was another from Steven Player's sci-fi illustration class. It's a mock-cover for a book about zombie vikings called 'Warriors of Decay'. I really miss that class.

Memory Lane - Day 2

2009-11-21T12:15:00.001-08:00

Alright, for day two of my art school flashback, we'll start with a digital piece called 'Guardian'. I was living in downtown San Francisco at the time and I was on a kick about impossible things happening in everyday situations. For anyone who lives there, that's the corner of Stockton and Post, facing south.

This one's an Illustration of Daphne (of Greek legend) being transformed into a tree...

And this guy's pretty self-explanatory, called 'Ogre Hoard'.

Memory Lane - Day 1

2009-11-20T12:21:00.000-08:00

Since I don't have any new work I can show at the moment and since it's about time I post some art, I thought I'd take you for a little trip down memory lane. This week I'll be posting work from my time in art school, two or three pieces a day.

I thought I'd start with my first really big, multi-figure piece that I ominously titled 'The Beast of the Moors'.

This second piece was an assignment where we had to illustrate a quote that my instructor Steven Player came up with, something about a crack to hell opening up below a cathedral.

Check back all week for more mildly embarrassing posts...

Charlie Chan Interview

2009-11-12T16:06:00.000-08:00

I recently did an interview for the pulp fiction blog Killer Covers about my work on the Charlie Chan series. It just got posted today so if you get a chance, check it out here:

http://killercoversoftheweek.blogspot.com/2009/11/under-covers-with-charlie-chan.html

It's a really great blog and definitely worth following if you're into pulp/detective art, and who isn't, right?

Originals!

2009-11-11T18:33:00.000-08:00

In my continuing quest to offload my originals, I've recently posted a few for sale at the Illustration Exchange: http://www.munchkinpress.com/cpg149/index.php

Definitely a site worth checking out if you have any interest in owning original sci-fi and fantasy artwork. Thanks again to Scott Altmann for recommending it.

* Just found out that new posts aren't viewable for 14 days unless you're a 'premium member' of the site so my stuff won't show up for about 12 more days...dern.

Some older work

2009-10-29T10:24:00.001-07:00

Since I can't show anything I've been working on lately I thought I'd post a couple of pieces that I haven't ever shown. They were painted in the spring and summer of '08 for Magic. The knight was done for one of the Magic booster boxes in that set as well as becoming a card. A little tip if you ever need reference of guys on horseback bolting downhill - search for 'Omak Suicide Race', it's still the wild west in my home state of Washington.

Both 16 in. oil on masonite.

Tajuru Archer and Quest for the Gravelord

2009-10-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

More recently revealed art for Magic: The Gathering. Believe me, you don't want to see the reference pictures for the Gravelord...yikes.

Both 11ish x 16 in., oil on masonite.

Wait...That's Not a Painting!

2009-10-08T13:18:00.000-07:00

Last week, inspired by James Gurney and Adam Rex and feeling the urge to create something other than a painting, I decided to try my hand at sculpting a small maquette. I went with a male bust because I wind up painting a lot of these tough heroes/knights/villains etc. so I thought it could be helpful for coming up with interesting lighting schemes and angles. It was a lot of fun and I really recommend it for anyone looking for a change of pace, plus it's a cool/weird thing to have on your window sill.

4.5 in. high x 5.75 in. wide x 3.5 in. deep - super-sculpey over aluminum foil over an unusably short pencil for the neck. Painted with acrylic.

Post #20! Nimbus Wings and Highland Berzerker

2009-09-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

These two pieces were just released, both are from the new Magic set.

Both 11 x 16 in.

Process...or something

2009-09-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

I was asked recently to post some process stuff to show how I put a painting together. I've actually only photographed my process once, it was for a larger scale packaging illustration I did for Magic in the summer of '08. This was a while ago and I've changed things up a little since then but this is still pretty much how I go about working. Click to enlarge.

1 - value thumbnail, usually I do this in pencil but here it's digital.
2 - color sketch, this is what I submitted to the art director for approval.
3 - final drawing (they're never pretty).
4 - final drawing transferred to masonite over acrylic tone.
5 - acrylic underpainting...I don't really do this anymore.
6 - oils!
7 - everything's in but unrefined.
8 - final painting as I submitted it.

Halo Hunter

2009-09-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

This is a piece for the next big set that Magic is releasing called Zendikar. He's a demon that specializes in hunting angels (grim, I know). I had a ton of fun with this set because I got to really jump into some dark content, it was a good break from knights in gold armor.

15 x 20 in.

Jenara, ready for her close-up

2009-09-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

I was asked (by Capprotti) recently if I'd post a couple of close-ups of the armor on this piece. As you can see, a lot of what looks like detail from a distance is actually just looser, and in some cases sloppy, brush work. In terms of scale, these files are actually a bit larger than the original painting.

Quick Sketch

2009-09-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

Occasionally I like to do a quick painting without any planning, just sketching in thin paint and seeing where it goes.

6 x 9 in.

Tinker

2009-08-19T11:02:00.000-07:00

This guy was just released while I was at Gen Con, he's a character that's obsessed with improving himself through artificial means.

~13 x 18 in.

Back from GenCon

2009-08-17T16:08:00.001-07:00

GenCon was unbelievable, I barely had a moment to spare but it was so much fun. My favorite part was definitely getting the chance to meet and spend time with so many insanely talented artists including Wayne Reynolds, Steve Belledin, Omar Rayyan, Dan Scott, Steve Prescott, Richard Whitters and Chippy, all of whom I've been following for years. I've got to thank Chippy in particular for introducing me to so many artist and art directors and showing me the ropes at my first convention.

Chippy and me at our table.

Gen Con

2009-08-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

For anyone who happens to be in the vicinity of Indianapolis, Indiana next week, I'll be at Gen Con from Thursday the 13th through Sunday the 16th as a guest artist for Wizards of the Coast. I'll be answering questions, doodling and signing whatever's put in front of me. Feel free to stop by and say hi!

Jenara, Asura of War

2009-07-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad I can finally show this one, it's been almost a year since I finished it. Jenara here is basically the top general of the warrior angels in the current Magic set. I had way too much fun geeking out on the armor.

12 x 18 in.

Alara Unbroken

2009-07-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

It's been out for a while, but last week I finally got my hands on a copy of the Magic: The Gathering novel I worked on last year. This project was a lot of fun and it's really great (and a little strange) to finally see the end result.

Charlie Chan 5 & 6

2009-06-27T12:07:00.001-07:00

These are the last two covers for the Charlie Chan series, hot off the easel. The publisher was really focused on maintaining a retro feel so I tried to make them as pulpy as possible, plus I finally had an excuse to buy a vintage suit jacket and a real, though nonfunctional, Saturday Night Special.

Roadtrip!

2009-06-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

The reason for the recent shameful lack of posting is that Betty and I have spent the last couple of weeks on a killer roadtrip through the Southwest to celebrate putting up with each other for the past ten years.

Here we have Betty belittling a Tyrannosaurus Rex,

The Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, AZ,

A surprise piggy-back ride,

And one pretty grand canyon.

Fatpack Illustration

2009-05-21T16:28:00.000-07:00

Another Magic: The Gathering packaging illustration. It's a scene of characters from three different worlds (four if you count the dragon) all crossing paths.

15.5 x 22 in.

Enigma Sphinx

2009-05-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

Last summer I worked on a few packaging illustrations for Magic: The Gathering that also doubled as card art. They were just released so I can finally share them with you folks. This is the first, called Enigma Sphinx.

16-ish by 24-ish

Quick Study

2009-04-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

Back on topic, here's a recent quick study. Working on values and different kinds of light.

6 x 9 in.

My first blowout!

2009-04-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

I know it's totally off topic, but I thought it was worth a post. It happened on I-5 at about 70 mph. Even the tow-truck driver was impressed.

Veteran

2009-04-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

This is a quick personal piece I did recently between jobs, trying to push myself to loosen up.

6 x 9 in.

Society of Illustrators 51

2009-03-31T17:02:00.001-07:00

I know it's a bit late but I thought I'd post the two pieces of mine that made it into this year's Society of Illustrators annual and their show in New York. The first is a cover for the re-release of an old detective novel from the '20s and the second was a cover for the L.A. Weekly.

2009-03-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog! I know, it's about time. Along with finally getting this blog up and running, I just finished a huge update/revamp of my website so be sure to check it out. I thought I'd kick things off with a couple of recent studies:

Both are 5 x 7 in. and doubled as Christmas presents for the fam.