Wednesday, March 30, 2011

JEAN FRANCOIS PODEVIN ON GREEN MATTERS

GLOBAL WARMING

For the finish, I use 3D software, my drawings and photographs, which I
composite in Photoshop, in multiple "progress files" with layers.
A lot of my work goes into the concept after discussing the assignment with an art director. I start on a blank page, and make very quick rough thumbnails of any ideas, because I want to be able to grab anything that comes out of the thinking process.
Just like a writer, you cannot let an idea pass you by.
These roughs are tiny quick aquarelles (watercolor) sketches, 
that contain the essence of the image, with a “tension” which I strive to retain in the final.

CORN AGRICULTURE 

This process is very versatile and allows me to make many comps, to create a "stage" a scene virtually like a movie set.


I discuss these thumbnails with the AD, and we "twist and turn"
according to the requirements of the job until we feel comfortable enough
to proceed to very tight comps. These can help the AD make a strong presentation and sell the idea.  However, if needed , I can to go back to square one.



Jean Francois Podevin's portfolio on Rappart.com 

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

JEFF SMITH GOES PULP FICTION IN "SHADOW KNIGHTS"

Book Cover
Noor Inayat Khan, butterfly, at 98 Rue de la Faisanderie, Paris, France
Harry Ree decides to join the fight.
Churchill tells Dalton to set Europe ablaze!
Noor eluding the Gestapo in Paris.
"Liberte!"

Notes From Jeff Smith:

          In January 2009, I got a call from David Talbot. David asked me if I might be interested in a new project; a book titled, Shadow Knights. Well, actually, it didn’t have a title when we first met at the Bel-Air Hotel in Los Angeles.  But the idea of the book would be to tell the story of the courageous men and women who fought a secret war against the Nazi’s and Adolf Hitler. All of these brave souls volunteered to serve as members of Winston Churchill’s SOE (an acronym for Special Operations Executive.) Some were well suited for the job, some were reluctant, and others were as unlikely as a butterfly.  But all of these courageous individuals risked life and limb to undermine Adolf Hitler’s fascist regime, and some paid the ultimate price.
       The scope of this project was important enough to travel, so I decided to take a trip to Paris. I left on June 15th, 2009.  I wanted to see some of the real places where Noor Inayat Khan lived, fought and died for freedom.  Gary Kamiya, the writer for Shadow Knights, gave me addresses; places like 40 rue Erlanger in Auteuil, where Noor first arrived, No. 3 Boulevard Richard Wallace, mostly occupied by SS officers, 98 Rue de la Faisanderie, where Noor was arrested, Avenue Foch, 82 and 84, where the Gestapo headquarters were, and finally, Fazal Manzil, the house in Suresnes where Noor grew up as a child. Visiting these places gave me the grit to stay focused on a project that would take seven and a half months to complete, to research thousands of photographs from the internet, books, and magazines, to shoot 567 photographs of models and myself, produce 22 photographic comps, many more sketches, 22 full page paintings, and 2 covers for this wonderfully exhausting project.
       I perused the first chapter for this project on October 12th, 2009, and sent the last illustration on May 28th, 2010.  Shadow Knights hit the book stands in the first week of October, 2010.

-Jeff Smith

For more on this work click here: http://drawger.com/jeffdraw/

YUTA ONODA: FANTASY & REALITY

 This original illustration was created by Yuta Onoda for the cover of David Ward's new fantasy thriller, 
 "Between Two Ends"
The book is due to go on sale May 1, 2011. 

About the Book:
When Yeats and his parents visit his grandmother's creepy old house, Yeats reunites a pair of pirate bookends and uncovers the amazing truth: Years ago, Yeats's father traveled into The Arabian Nights with a friend, and the friend, Shari, is still stuck in the tales. Assisted by the not-always-trustworthy pirates, Yeats must navigate the unfamiliar world of the story of Shaharazad--dodging guards and tigers and the dangerous things that lurk in the margins of the stories--in order to save Shari and bring peace to his family.
For more information on the book: Between Two Ends


“Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”

Yuta Onoda shows us how his illustrations for The Atlantic go from sketch to completion. The final piece was featured for an article about Amy Chua’s book “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.”

http://www.yutaonoda.com/
Yuta Onoda's blog

Monday, March 14, 2011

STEPHANIE DALTON COWAN'S AWARD WINNING PIECE!


Stephanie Dalton Cowan's latest illustration won a Grand Gold award in the "Photography & Illustration" category in the 2011 CASE <http://www.case.org/>  District VIII Communication Awards! The award winner was the two-page spread for Brian Volck's essay "When Doctors Tell Tales" in the Autumn 2010 issue of Response magazine.

Here are the judges' comments:

 "The illustrative, layering image really helps tell the story: how doctors need to see more than skin and bone, but the whole person and big picture. The use of script, colors, and other effects made it feel very warm and inviting. We like the punch of the stethoscope as well. Flowers and bones, an interesting mix. It's the full package supporting the article and interpreting the piece as well."

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF NIGEL BUCHANAN

Lion/Zebra, Plansponsor Magazine
This piece was included in the editorial section of the Society of Illustrators LA award contest
Trench Coat Man, John Hopkins Health
Nigel Buchanan won a gold award for this piece in the Institutional section of the Society of Illustrators LA
Cockatoo Woman, Screen Australia
Nigel Buchanan won a silver metal for this piece in the Institutional section of the
  Society of Illustrators LA
Team of Sailors, Plansponsor magazine
Nigel Buchanan won a gold metal for this piece in the editorial section of the
  Society of Illustrators LA










CLICK HERE FOR A SNEAK PEEK AT THE JUNGLEBOOK IPAD APP ILLUSTRATED BY NIGEL BUCHANAN


CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO NIGEL BUCHANAN'S PODCAST INTERVIEW WITH ESCAPE FROM ILLUSTRATION ISLAND!

ASAF HANUKA ILLUSTRATES METAL YOGA FOR BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK



Asaf Hanuka's radical version of yogas latest trademarked trend draws a lot of attention to the Bloomberg Businessweek article titled "The Missionaries of Position."

Monday, March 7, 2011

JEFF SMITH FEATURED IN GOLF DIGEST'S MASTERS ISSUE


Last year, Jeff Smith was hired by Golf Digest to go to the Masters Golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia, arguably the most famous and beautiful golf course in the world. He was given full access to the grounds and assigned to sketch moments of interest and importance during the week. Over the next year he was to choose 8 images to paint. The resulting works are remarkable, and are featured in Golf Digest's current Masters issue. Follow the link the below to see all 8 images and other additions to his portfolio.