ResAliens Blog: Artwork

Showing posts with label Artwork. Show all posts

3.20.2017

Quick Review of Art & Fear

Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
by David Bayles and Ted Orland

Thought-provoking and engaging. I got bogged down early on by so many interesting, challenging, even profound statements on art making, fear, and our relationship to art vs craft, etc., that I sort of lost the forest for the trees. Then I realized this is one of those books you should give a quick first reading to and then return for a more reflective interaction.

Recommended for artists of all stripes. 4 Stars.

PS Subscribe to my sf/f newsletter and receive an e-book as a thank you gift.

12.15.2007

Featured Artist - Max V. Nimos

This issue's interview features Max V. Nimos - an artist, a photographer, and author residing in Texas. ResAliens (RA) is grateful to Max (MVN) for the opportunity to interview him and showcase some of his visual pieces. We at ResAliens are excited to discover artists committed to quality science fiction and fantasy artwork.

RA: Max, how would you describe your genre and style?

MVN: Ever since the beginning my art had one foot in the science fiction genre while the other foot was all over the place. As far as my style goes, I would loosely describe it as "super-reality", in other words, a fictitious image that looks like it could possibly be real. I also try my best to be as technically accurate and scientifically plausible whenever possible, a habit probably stemming from my engineering background.

"Illegal Alien" © Max V. Nimos
This is a satire about the paranoia
projected by our strong, powerful leaders.

RA: How long have you been creating art?

MVN: My analog art began when I was a child and by the time I was 17 I spent more time drawing than doing school homework. I still don't know how I ever managed to pass all my classes. My digital art began on my first computer in 1987, but really took off in 1998 when I got a new computer, new software, new inspiration and new motivation.

RA: What is your preferred medium and what program do you use to create your artwork?

MVN: I started out with pencil and pen, then migrated to acrylic on canvas, and now it's all digital. Although I do most of my modeling and texture mapping in Softimage XSI, I still use Bryce for my final renders. I find it very user-friendly and a pleasure to use. An image editor for postwork, and a digital camera for texture collecting completes my set of tools.

"Orion Gorge" © Max V. Nimos
This was just a random inspiration; it's a scene
of a famous vacation spot on another planet.

RA: You've written a novel, Maxandria. Tell us about this project.

MVN: Well, since you bring it up, Maxandria began in 1999 as a fun, innocent little project to show off my art to my friends. But then, after a series of ideas and inspirations, it quickly evolved into a story, and by 2002 it became a novel which I've been tweaking and refining to this day. It's a mystery/adventure story for all ages consisting of several underlying themes that range from simple human survival to cosmically deep concepts. I can't give away too much, but the story is basically about an ordinary family that becomes lost at sea and stumbles upon the residence of some extraordinary people. Hopefully I will get it properly published before I get old.

"Horseman in Peril" © Max V. Nimos
With this one I wanted to see if I can put together a
quick, fun image using some of the wonderful Daz models.

RA: Any recommendations for upcoming artists or novelists?

MVN: If you love being creative but think your work is not very good, keep working at it and someday you may surprise yourself. You are never too old to learn.

"Christmas Under Saturn" © Max V. Nimos
This image is about our future explorers that
decide to celebrate Christmas away from home.

RA: Thanks again, Max, for sharing your time and gifts with the readers of ResAliens. Fans can find more of your art and photography to admire or purchase at...

MVN: www.maxvnimos.com

12.01.2007

Featured Artist - Crystalwizard

In this issue, ResAliens (RA) is pleased to interview artist, author, editor, and fixer of computers, Crystalwizard (CW). She created the cover art to go along with her "silly fiction" piece, Too Many Crooks. Thanks for joining us!

"Too Many Crooks" © Crystalwizard
RA: You go by Crystalwizard. Share with us the story behind that name.

CW: Many years ago before the moon was created...well maybe not that long, but back in 1980, I needed a name to sign onto a BBS with. There's never been a word that actually meant me, even though my mom hung one on me when I was born. What means 'me' is sort of a mixture of a sound and a feeling. Crystal was the closest I could get to the sound and wizard came as close to the feeling as I could get. I've been CW or Wiz, since.

RA: You're a writer, an artist, an editor. What other creative hats do you wear?

CW: Name something and I probably wear it. I'm a photographer, I fix computers for a living, I publish Flashing Swords and run Cyberwizard Productions and if I list everything, you'll be out of space ;)

"Dragonmage" © Crystalwizard
RA: How long have you been writing, and what's your favorite genre?

CW: I've been telling stories since I could form words and push my toys around on the floor. I've been putting them on paper since high school, when I decided that there wasn't anything being published that I wanted to read...so I'd write it, then I'd have it to read. I don't have a favorite genre, that depends on my mood.

RA: Tell us about Flashing Swords and what you do there. Any major projects in the works?

CW: Flashing Swords is a quarterly magazine that publishes both a print (for sale) and electronic (free download on our website) edition. We publish fiction, poetry and non-fiction articles or essays with the following themes:

+ Sword and Sorcery
+ Sword and Planet
+ Heroic Fantasy
+ Epic/High Fantasy
+ Swashbuckling Adventures
+ Historical Adventure

"Golden Ocean" © Crystalwizard

CW: I'm the managing editor of Flashing Swords. That means I pay the bills and I have final say on what goes into each issue. We are working on an anthology which is due out in March of 2008. Jason Waltz is the editor in charge of that and you can find out all about The Return of the Sword here.

RA: BTW, what medium do you use to create your art?

CW: I use the computer. Now. It's all digital. Poser and Bryce are the two 3d graphic programs I use; Paintshop Pro is the 2d art program I use. I can also paint and sketch, and have done watercolors, acrylics and oils, but that's messy and costly. So I mostly stick to the computer, these days.

RA: Where can fans find your fiction and graphic arts?

CW: Go to google and search for crystalwizard and 99% of all the hits will be me. There are a couple of hits that aren't me and a couple that belong to some company that's definitely not me ;) Search Amazon for crystalwizard and you'll find all my books. Or visit the Cyberwizard Productions home page.

"Wizard's Bane" Cover Art © Crystalwizard
RA: Thanks CW for carving some time out from your hectic life to give us a picture of the person behind the artist. Best wishes in all your endeavors.

9.01.2007

Featured Artist - Frida M Bergholtz

Introducing Our Featured Artist

Frida is an avid D&D role playing gamer who works, creates, and lives with her husband and her dog Tellus in Malmö, Sweden. She says, "I play role playing games whenever I get the opportunity and enjoy all kinds of nerdy hobbies. RPGs are also my greatest source of inspiration. I have just graduated from my graphic design class and am now trying to get by as an illustrator."

ResAliens (RA) is very excited to interview Frida M. Bergholtz (FMB) for our September issue and feature some of her art below. She has a gallery at Elfwood and is developing her own site, so watch for that.

RA: Frida, welcome to Residential Aliens. And thank you for illustrating our cover. Coordinating the cover art with a particular story - as well as the issue's theme of relational sorrow - was a first for our zine. What inspiration did Misunderstood by Rick McQuiston provide?

FMB: I thought the story was excellent. I really liked the idea of a zombie with feelings. I tried to imagine what it would be like turning into a zombie, loosing everything you love. What immediately came to my mind when I read the story was the image of two zombies comforting each other - maybe one of them could show the other a picture of someone he knew in life. I started out drawing this but something never quite felt right. So I went for a bit more subtle approach. I hope you like it.

RA: We do! "Sorrows Never Die" is a very evocative painting. What other creative endeavors are you engaged in? For pay, enjoyment or both?

FMB: Right now I am starting a business as a freelance illustrator. So I am mostly working on my portfolio and webpage. I like to make book covers and to design company logos. In my spare time I like to paint miniatures, paint in oil, make clay sculptures ... and sing a lot.

RA: You have such a variety of styles. Tell me about Leonore.

FMB: Leonore is my role playing character. She is a sorceress, a noblewoman and a young mother. Since the world she lives in is heavily influenced by the medieval times I thought it would be fun to draw a picture of her in a medieval style. I am very interested in art history so it was a lot of fun to do.

RA: How long have you been illustrating role playing game characters? Who is your favorite?

FMB: For as long as I have been playing role playing games, so that would be seventeen years. One character that always seems to appear on my paper is Shakti. She is a hedonistic nutcase with a diabolic heritage.

RA: Describe the 2007 Gamers Fantasy Pinup Calendar project.

FMB: I usually draw my characters naked before I put clothes on them. Sometimes they never get any clothes. The rest of my all male gaming group tend to like those pictures best. So I decided to make them a calendar with my characters for a present. The general idea was to make pinup girls who seemed to have more on their agenda than posing and looking pretty. The calendar is one of my best works yet and will be available to buy.

RA: Since it is a pinup (and we're a PG zine) I won't post a sample here, lol. They'll have to settle for Brot...

FMB: I feel sorry for the readers then, Brot is not a nice fellow and he smells.

RA: Where can fans find more of your art to purchase or admire?

FMB: All I have right now is my Elfwood Gallery, but I am working on a webpage and if you check out my gallery I will let you know as soon as it is ready.

RA: That will be great. Thank you, Frida. It has been a pleasure interviewing you and showcasing your various projects. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

All artwork on this page © Frida M. Bergholtz

Comment on this interview at The Alien's Pub soon.

8.15.2007

Featured Artist - Richard Svensson

Swedish creative artist Richard Svensson saw King Kong when he was six and his life hasn't been the same since.

He states: "I've made a bunch of films with friends, self-published some books and just finished my first "pro" job as a prop-maker for a children's TV-show. I'm hoping to expand my creativity and find new friends through it. During the day I'm a newspaper image editor (where most of my loot comes from). During the rest of my life I dabble in stop-motion animation, work as a prop- and mask-maker for other filmmakers and for theatre groups."

And avid fan of fantasy literature, Svenson enjoys "some pretty darn good authors" like JRR Tolkien, H P Lovecraft, Robert E Howard, Clark Asthon Smith, Fritz Lieber, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Anne Rice, Tanith Lee, Clive Barker, and Stephen King. Some of Richard's favorite musical artists include Queen, Toto, ELO, BeeGees, Beatles, Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep, film music by Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams and (pre-Titanic) James Horner.

Residential Aliens (RA) has the privilege of interviewing Richard Svensson (RS) and featuring some of his art in this month's issue.

RA: Richard, you're a film-maker, author, artist, prop- and mask-maker. Is there anything else you do for fun or profit?

RS: I also work as a fighting coach/swordplay instructor for a couple of local theatre companies. Sometimes I hold classes in mask-making. Now, all of this is just for fun and self-development. I have a day job as an image editor for a local newspaper and that’s where I have my main income.

RA: I like this piece. What's the story behind it?

RS: This is the cover for the core rule book of a role-playing game a friend of mine made a long time ago. The painting is quite old as well. The game project never amounted to much but it was fun to work with. That's a swinotaur in the rear, sneaking up on our heroes.

RA: What creative outlet do you enjoy the most?

RS: Pen and ink drawing, single pictures. I've done some comics too, but I rather like putting my effort into one single image. But making films with my friends is probably my greatest source of joy (and sorrow).

Note: Some of Richard's favorite movies include King Kong (1933), Star Wars, LOTR Trilogy, Excalibur, Conan the Barbarian, Ed Wood, Superman (Chris Reeve), Ray Harryhausen's adventure epics, Errol Flynn films and "all new and old movies that provide a swell escape from the drab everyday world."

RA: Here's an illustration for a joint project with Elfwood writer Brian Buckley, "A Field Guide to Fantasy Creatures." Tell us about your current collaboration with Brian.

RS: I discovered Brian's "A Field Guide to Fantasy Creatures" on Elfwood, read it and loved it. I thought I could contribute with some pictures and that the project might result in some kind of book. Could be an e-book or a traditional self-published one. As of yet, we don't know what to do with it. I keep working on the pictures and when it's finished we'll see what happens.

RA: You also illustrated Steve Doyle's poem, "A Leprechaun's Tale."

RS: Yes, it's a familiar fairytale told from a different viewpoint.

A Leprechaun's Tale
by Steve Doyle

You'll not believe with your ears what happened to me
When I walked in the forest not far from the street.
Out for a stroll I went walking one night
And I caught for myself a terrible fright.

I decided when I found a fallen tree
To sit myself down and rest me sore feet.
So down I did sit and me feet I did rest
When there came such a sound as to scare me to death.

From behind me jumped a giant of such a great size
I could nay hardly believe me eyes!
He reached and he grabbed at me very self
I screeched and I screamed and I hollered for help!

He was after me gold, sure as I stand
But I got away, so quickly I ran.
I forgot all about me feet being sore
And did nay stop running 'til I reached me own door!

So believe me young Leprechauns when I tell ye this:
Big people are real; They truly exist!

© 2003 Steve Doyle. Reprinted with permission.
Originally posted at Elfwood.

RA: And of course, your wonderful cover art, 'Cuisine d'Ogre.'

RS: Sometimes cooking is a pain in the neck for both the chef and the meal.

RA: How can fans find more of your work?

RS: Well, I really don't know if I have any fans yet :) But if someone would like to see what I'm up to there's my Elfwood page for drawings.

My YouTube page with examples of my films and animations.

And my own web site, the Lone Animator, with images of puppets, masks and props.

Also, if someone doesn't mind that it's all in Swedish there's this children's site that I've written and illustrated. I've been working on it for seven years so there's over 1000 pages of my work (for those who can't get enough) at Unga Fackta.

RA: Well, Richard, it has been a pleasure interviewing you and showcasing your art. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

All artwork on this page © Richard Svensson

Comment on this interview at The Alien's Pub.