Create Web Sites

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Monday, 12 September 2011

Resource

Posted on 02:30 by Unknown


by Arnie Fenner



An important aspect of being an illustrator, particularly within genre, is to be aware of what's come before. Partly for insight as to how peers solved problems, partly as lessons for what not to do, partly as reference (for tropes and content, not for poses or solutions), partly for inspiration—but perhaps mostly to ensure that what each artist is bringing to a project is fresh and not a vague echo of what's come before. There's the old saying that there are no new ideas, just new interpretations.



So it's good to keep abreast of not only what your peers are doing, but also what has been produced through the decades. Art should never be created in a vacuum; successful art never is.



I'm sure each of us have our favorite internet spots, those that always seem to deliver a wealth of...stuff. One of my favorites is "Mr. Door Tree's" Golden Age Comic Book Stories blog. Don't let the title fool you: much like the fanzines of my misspent youth, Mr. Tree's (a pseudonym for...?) image interests are far ranging and eclectic (as is evidenced by some of the images posted here). Yes, there are plenty of comics-focused entries, but there are just as many devoted to pulps, illustrators of all stripe, film studio photography from the 1930s, pin-ups, and, yes, the fanzines from the 1960s and '70s. I'm constantly running across a Meade Schaeffer or Harvey Dunn or N.C. Wyeth painting I didn't know existed on his site, just as I'm reacquainted with long forgotten fanzine illos by some of the biggest names in comics. I never know what to expect—which makes visiting the blog fun—but I'm also able to learn more and more about what was created in years past...which in turn allows me to make better decisions as an art director and in some instances helps to jump-start the thought process for a new project. Knowledge of the past can not only influence, but can be a catalyst for something new and equally arresting. A tip of the hat to Mr. Tree!











Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to Facebook
Posted in | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • IlluxCon Lecture, part 2
    by Petar Meseldzija Emotion in Art This image is taken from Christopher Burdett’s blog ……. In order to explain properly these three stages ...
  • Paja Jovanović ( Vršac 1859 – Vienna 1957)
    by Petar Meseldžija Paja Jovanović is one of the greatest Serbian painters. Uroš Predić, another great painter, is perhaps the only artist f...
  • Painting Spider-Man
    By Paolo Rivera Mythos: Spider-Man, Page 22 . 2007. Gouache and acrylic on bristol board, 11 × 17″. Just a quick post today (but with lots o...
  • The History of Dragons in Art
    -By William O'Connor 'Flight of the Paladin', by William O'Connor, ©2012 The most iconic image in all of fantasy art is the ...
  • Frank McCarthy
    -by Arnie Fenner While putting together my previous post about movie posters, scratching my head and trying to remember who did what, I a...
  • Paleo-Illustration Into Creature Design, A Natural Partnership
    -By Terryl Whitlatch I am first and foremost, a paleo illustrator specializing in vertebrate, or back-boned, animal anatomy.  When I observe...
  • Bill Nelson Art Book
    A few days ago my friend and fellow creative Bill Nelson sent me an e-mail announcing his latest art book. Some of you may already be aware ...
  • Happy Birthday !!!
    Muddy Colors turns one year old today! Traditionally, first anniversaries are celebrated with 'a gift of paper' . So that's what...
  • Alien Portraiture
    By Terryl Whitlatch Towards the end of my tenure at JAK films (aka the Star Wars—the Phantom Menace Art Department), I started to work on ot...
  • Sketchbook 2012 Shipping Out!
    by Justin Gerard Sketchbook 2012: Ents & Orcs  ships out today!    The first 50 are individually numbered and have a personal drawing in...

Categories

  • Dan dos Santos
  • Justin Gerard
  • Paolo Rivera

Blog Archive

  • ►  2012 (266)
    • ►  September (4)
    • ►  August (36)
    • ►  July (33)
    • ►  June (36)
    • ►  May (36)
    • ►  April (26)
    • ►  March (31)
    • ►  February (30)
    • ►  January (34)
  • ▼  2011 (234)
    • ►  December (25)
    • ►  November (34)
    • ►  October (36)
    • ▼  September (27)
      • A Beautiful Day in the Studio
      • Princeps - a book cover
      • Fighters
      • Art Out Loud 7 Recap
      • Portraits
      • Spotlight On: DAVE RAPOZA
      • Dufflepuds
      • Pirate Paintings for National Geographic Pt. 4
      • Flying Monkeys
      • Wyeth at Work
      • Strip Festival Breda
      • Questions and an Update
      • Mermaid-Lover and Red Sonja
      • Zombie Brushes for Photoshop
      • Overlap
      • Art Out Loud 7... Reminder
      • Resistance 3: My Year with Zombies
      • Resource
      • Vincent Desiderio - New Paintings and Opening
      • Guest Blogger: PAUL BONNER
      • Half Pint Post
      • Pirate Paintings for National Geographic Pt. 3
      • Reference Hunting: The Narrows
      • Artistic Insults From Famous Artists
      • Crit Submit #3... Part 1
      • Crit Submit #3... Part 2
      • LoTR Sketches
    • ►  August (29)
    • ►  July (35)
    • ►  June (31)
    • ►  May (17)
Powered by Blogger.

About Me

Unknown
View my complete profile