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The only magazine dedicated to fantasy and sci-fi digital art. Featuring in-depth workshops, interviews and galleries, product reviews and community news.
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CHARACTERS& CREATURESHow to draw Sith Lords and podracers from a galaxy far, far away
Inspirational workshops from artists behindthe most influential film of all time!
Learn from IAIN MCCAIG FENG ZHU TERRYL WHITLATCHAARON MCBRIDE GREG HILDEBRANDT
Plus RALPH McQUARRIE
LEARN TO PAINT
BRIDE HILDEBRANDT GREG RALPH McQUARRIE
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CHARACTERS LEARN TO PAINT FREE DVD!
3D MODELS | VIDEOSPHOTOS | Q&A FILES
Issue 74 | Oct 2011 | Printed in the UK £5.99
TO MARK ITS RELEASE, WINSTAR WARS THE COMPLETESAGA ON BLU-RAY NOW!
TO MARK ITS RELEASE, WIN STAR WARS THE COMPLETE
SAGA ON BLU-RAY NOW!
WIN!
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To a galaxy of art, you are welcome.I couldn’t resist a little Yoda-speak there. Ifyou’d been a fly on the wall of theImagineFX offices this month, you’d havewitnessed more geekiness than I thoughtwas humanly possible. Between the teamwe’ve quoted pretty much the entire Star
Wars movie franchise – “Aren’t you a little short for a Stormtrooper?”– and we’ve been giddy with excitement when confirming workshopswith Star Wars artists Iain McCaig, Terryl Whitlatch, Feng Zhu andmany others…
The seismic change that Star Wars brought about is captured in ourfeature Crafting the Prequels, where the artists working on theprequels and in the industry today give us a sense of the effect thatStar Wars had on an entire generation of young artists. We also got achance to speak with Ralph McQuarrie – a founding father of conceptart – on how he brought to life the planets and characters that onlypreviously existed in the head of George Lucas.
Even if you’re not a fan of Star Wars (you rebel scum!), thetechniques and advice on offer here provide enough guidance to helpyou create fantasy and sci-fi creatures, characters and a galaxy beyond.
Anyway, get stuck in and if you don’t enjoy this issue, well, you cantake a running jump into the Sarlacc pit! See you next month.
October 2011 3
Our special cover forOur special cover for subscribers this isubscribers this issue.Our special c r fsubscribers this issue.ur spe i r fOur special cover for
subscribers this issue.
The Force is strongwith this issue...
Two of America’s most popular artists painted the world’s most popularfilm poster. What else could adorn the cover of our Star Wars issue?
Created in a galaxy far,far away (the 1970s)
Portfolio
Greg & TimHildebrandtCOUNTRY: USTOOLS: Oil, acrylic, watercolourWEB: spiderwebart.comThe Hildebrandt brothers shot tofame in the 1970s with a series ofbest-selling Tolkien calendars,before creating the iconic posterart for Star Wars. Together theywon countless awards, but followingthe death of Tim, Greg hasproduced a series of criticallyacclaimed pin-up paintings.
popular most world’s the painted artists popular most America’s of Twoissue? Wars Star our of cover the adorn could else What poster. lm fi
Cover artistsGreg and Tim were never far from StarWars. As well as books and posters forEpisode I, they painted this image of BobaFett for the 1996 Shadows of the Empiretrading card set. It took two days – onlyslightly longer than the original Star Warsposter. “Sometimes that happens whenyou really love the piece,” recalls Greg.
Before Star Wars, the Hildebrandts madetheir name painting a series of best-sellingTolkien calendars.
The Hildebrandts also worked in comics.This is their cover for Superman: The LastGoddess of Krypton. “It was a thrill doingSuperman. We’ve been fans since 1945,when we made our own costumes,” saidGreg to ImagineFX back in issue eight.
In 1999, Greg branched out into pin-up art,with a series of paintings called AmericanBeauties, which earned him a show at thefamous New York Louis K Meisel Gallery.“I’d have to say he’s the Elvgren of the 21stcentury,” says collector Louis Meisel.
Cover artist
October 2011 5
Cover artists
FXPosé8 Reader FXPosé68 Traditional FXPosé
ImagineNation20 News28 Planet of the Arts30 Forum winners32 Letters36 Artist Q&A
Features44 Legend:Ralph McQuarrieThe concept artist who – withGeorge Lucas – made the StarWars universe look the way itdoes, talks to us. Yes, really.
50 SketchbookGallery owner and video gameartist Kavika shows us somescary characters he invented.
56 Crafting the PrequelsMeet some of the artists whoworked on Episodes I, II and IIIof the Star Wars saga, and readabout their experiences.
66 Development sheetMark Castanon designs a wormand squid-like humanoid thatlive together in harmony.
112 Studio profileMagnus Rex got its first breakin the gaming and advertisingindustries with a Sega game.
Reviews104 Software106 Books107 Training108 Film110 Video games
Regulars3 Editor’s letter33 Digital editions34 Subscribe today55 Back issues96 Next month114 DVD contents
Receive great savings and get every issue delivered toyour door when you subscribe! See page 34
Ralph McQuarrie
Development sheet Studio profile
Q&A: Crystal crownSketchbook
Q&A: Magical tattoo
Studio profileStudio profileTraditional FXPosé
Q&A: Magical tattoo
“I was surprised when Georgegave us the creative reigns”Sang Jun Lee, just one of many Star Warsprequel artists that we talk to
PREQUELSTHE
CRAFTINGPREQUELS
THE
Contents
6 October 2011
38
See page 8 for the best new art
66 112
44 50 43
56
your door when you subscribe! your door when you subscribe! your door when you subscribe! See page 34
Contentsyour door when you subscribe! See page 34
68
See page 8 for the best new art
Sci-fi 3D model bundleShips, robots and more for your art.
137 sword-fighting photosSubstitute blades for lightsabers!
ON YOUR DVDThis month’s essential art resources…
Artist Q&A
WorkshopsAdvice and techniquesfrom pro artists…
36 This month’s Q&A topics…Speed paint fantasy settings, choosecolours for skin, paint glowing tattoos,paint slimy alien skin, make a fairyglow, paint a crystal crown and more!
74 Learn how topaint a Sith LordIain McCaig recreates thevillainous Darth Maul.
98 Create a 3DDarth Vader imageSteve Argyle easily adds inperspective and reflections.
85 Get more fromPainter’s brushesExplore brush options,with Simon Dominic.
78 New secrets ofthe Star Wars posterGreg Hildebrandt tells usmore about A New Hope.
86 Creature designTerryl Whitlatch explainshow she approachesStar Wars creature design.
80 Create yourartworks in parallelFeng Zhu says multitaskingcan lead to many solutions.
92 Design a droidfor the EmpireAaron McBride uses 2Dand 3D in his concept art.
Issue 74 October 2011
7October 2011
Videoworkshops onyour free DVD…Where you see this badge
you’ll find an accompanyingvideo workshop in thecorresponding folder
on your DVD.
Turn to page 114 for more…
74
for more…
Where you see this badgeaccompanying an nd fi you’ll
Where you see this badgeaccompanying an nd fi you’ll
Sci-fi 3D model bundleShips, robots and more for your art.
137 sword-fighting photosSubstitute blades for lightsabers!
This month’s essential art resources…Sci-fi 3D model bundleSci-fi 3D model bundleSci-fi 3D model bundleSci-fi 3D model bundle
ob d mSci fSci-fi 3D model bundle
Petar MeseldzijaLOCATION: NetherlandsWEB: petarmeseldzija.blogspot.comEMAIL: [email protected]: Oils
Born in Novi Sad, Serbia in1965, Petar’s artistic careerstarted in 1981 with thepublication of his firstcomic Krampi. “It was
followed by a series of short comics andthe work on the licenced comic Tarzan,”Petar recalls, and all this while stillstudying at the city’s art academy.
At the beginning of the 1990s hemoved to the Netherlands. He drew hislast comic page in 1992, then dedicatedhimself to illustration and painting.
Over the past two decades Petar hastried his hand at painting posters andgreetings cards, doing paintings forgalleries, and illustrating books, like hisrecent The Legend of Steel Bashaw andBanished Demons, a book on Serbianmythology. He’s busy producingpaintings for the private art collectors,and working on a new book project.
October 201168
SHOWCASING THE FINEST TRADITIONAL FANTASY ARTISTS
1
2
1EOWYN AND THE LORD OF THENAZGUL
70x100cm, oil on MDF board“Thanks to an art collector whocommissioned this painting, I was giventhe opportunity to do my third Tolkieninterpretation. It’s meant to evoke acertain feeling, rather than offer anaccurate account of this dramatic eventfrom the story – hence someinaccuracies in the scene.”
2THE LEGEND OF STEEL BASHAW 4– THE GIANTS
70x100 cm, oil on masonite“This is another important painting. It’sone of 16 paintings from my book TheLegend of Steel Bashaw. In 2009 it wona Spectrum Gold Award, in the bookcategory. John Fleskes, the director ofthe Flesk Publications, saw it publishedin Spectrum 16. He got in contact andthe idea of the US edition of The Legendof Steel Bashaw was born. The rest, asthey say, is history.”
3THE KNIGHT AND THE DWARFS32x58cm. oil on masonite
“This is a painting I did for the bookBanished Demons. I was one of fivepainters on the project and I illustratedthe chapters about the giants and thedwarfs. This painting is from the chapterabout the dwarfs and it depicts anunfortunate knight who finds himself inthe wrong place at the wrong time.”
IMAGINEFX CRIT“Petar’s richpainting style is thefirst thing you
notice, followed swiftly bythe amount of detail onshow. And to round thingsoff, his figure-posing skillsadd a sense of drama tohis compositions. All inall, a treat for the eyes.”Cliff Hope,Operations Editor
October 2011 69
3 1 THE OF LORD THE AND EOWYNNAZGUL
70x100cm, oil on MDF board
2 4 BASHAW STEEL OF LEGEND THE– THE GIANTS
70x100 cm, oil on masoniteIt’s painting. important another is This
3THE KNIGHT AND THE DWARFS32x58cm. oil on masonite
book the for did I painting a is “This
“Petar’s richthe is style painting
first thing you notice, followed swiftly by
Ashton GallagherLOCATION: USWEB: www.ashtongallagher.comEMAIL: [email protected]: acrylic onboard/digital
Drawing was one ofAshton’s earliestinterests, preferring blankpaper and pencil overcrayons and colouring
books. It was this passion that led himto getting a BFA in Illustration fromthe American Academy of Art inChicago. “With each new piece, I useboth traditional and digital mediumsto produce illustrations,” he says.“Recently, my portfolio has shiftedfrom editorial work for magazines andcommissions to comic book coversand concept art.”
1CAPTAIN AMERICA12x18in, acrylic on board
“This was designed as a period piece,utilising historically accurate WWII gearand props, depicting Captain Americaleading alongside his soldiers intobattle. It was created as a sample comiccover to demonstrate how I handle aclassic character like Captain Americaand was the key piece in my Road toMarvel project, which can be read abouton my blog.”
2STAR WARS GOES 3D11x14in, acrylic on board
“Vader is the only collegiate piece in myportfolio. It’s difficult to describe why butthis piece sticks with people unlike myother pieces. In 2006, Star Wars Goes 3Dwas selected for the Society ofIllustrators Annual ScholarshipCompetition and displayed in New York.”
3RAISE YOUR PRIDE20x22in, acrylic on board
“Representatives from movies, comics,toys, video games and literature – thegreat geek genres – unite and proudlyraise their banner.”
4DAYS OF FUTURE PAST11x17in, acrylic on board
“I had to give my own interpretation ofthe Days of Future Past, one of the all-time classic comics covers. I reallyenjoyed focusing on subtle details in theenvironment and character poses thatcan have big storytelling impact.”
October 201170
1
1CAPTAIN AMERICA12x18in, acrylic on board
2STAR WARS GOES 3D11x14in, acrylic on board
“Vader is the only collegiate piece in my portfolio. It’s difficult to describe why but
3RAISE YOUR PRIDE20x22in, acrylic on board
4 DAYS OF FUTURE PAST11x17in, acrylic on board
“ I had to give my own interpretation ofthe Days of Future Past, one of the all-
Want to see your traditional artgrace these very pages? Sendyour work to us, along with anexplanation of your techniques,the title of each piece, a photo ofyourself and your contact details.Images should be sent as 300dpiTIFF or JPEG files, on CD or DVD.All artwork is submitted on thebasis of a non-exclusiveworldwide licence to publish,both in print and electronically.
You can also email submissionsfor FXPosé. Bear in mind that filesmust be no more than 5MB intotal, or we won’t receive [email protected]
SEND YOUR ARTWORK TO:FXPosé TraditionalImagineFX30 Monmouth StBath, BA1 2BWUK
IMAGINEFX CRIT“Ashton usescolour and gesturewonderfully to
guide the viewer aroundhis paintings. None betterthan in his depiction ofCaptain America framedin a sea of khaki, beingpushed on into battle.”Claire Howlett,Editor
October 2011 71
43
2
A LONG TIME AGOIN A GALAXYFAR, FAR AWAY…
ver the past 34 years I havebeen asked many timesabout the original Star Warsposter, produced for the
film’s release back in 1977. WhenImagineFX asked me to write about itonce again, I sat back in my chair andwondered what I would talk about thatI hadn’t already said in countless otherpublications and websites.
Tim and I were 38 years old andworking on our fantasy novel, Urshurak.The phone rang. It was the Jon andMurray ad agency in New York. They hada movie poster job that they needed donein four days. They called us because of aYoung Frankenstein painting that we didfor them, in 24 hours, back in 1974 for theMel Brooks film, and the fame whichwe’d gained thanks to our Lord of theRings art.
We went into the city and discussed thelayout they wanted. They gave us some8x10 photos from the film for reference.Then we went back to my studio andpainted non-stop for 36 hours to deliverthe job. But this everyone already knows.What I will tell you here are a few of thedetails that have never been revealedbefore… until now, that is.
O
Greg Hildebrandt reveals new secrets on how he andhis brother Tim designed the original Star Wars poster
“Look sir, droids”When we delivered the painting the droidsweren’t in it. I told the art director that thespace was too open and it neededsomething. I suggested the big hairy guy,but they called George Lucas and he said,“Good idea. Tell them to paint the droidsin it.” We ran to an art store in New York.There wasn’t time to go back to my studio,so we painted R2-D2 and C-3PO rightthere at the agency.
October 201178
Workshops
, FGreg Hildebrandtt
GregHildebrandtCOUNTRY: US
Greg has beenan illustratorfor 52 years.Working withhis twin
brother Tim, his careerhas spanned filmanimation, children’sbooks, textbooks,advertising, pin-ups,comic books,commissions and evenpropeller cone art.Tim sadly passed awayin 2006.spiderwebart.com
DVD AssetsGreg’s referencephotos and poster
art are on the DVD, in theWorkshops section.
“My scope’s negative”For the first time we used DioxazinePurple instead of black. We realised it’sactually a deeper black than black. Thiswas a revelation for us.
“It’s our lot in life”In those days artists weren’tusually credited on movie postersso we painted our name small.Murray said that George wantedthe signature large. So we paintedit out and repainted it bigger.
2 “Full throttle”The gun went off the second we
got back to my studio. We posed thefigures, did the layout, then painted likesons of bitches. I slept a few hours whileTim painted, then he slept a few hourswhile I painted. We did this for the firsthalf of the 36 hours. The second half wejust stayed up and painted together,side-by-side. There was no other waywe would finish in time.
1 “She’s beautiful”We always shot models for
lighting. I got my wife to wear anightgown, put her in the pose and tookblack and white Polaroid photos. Thenwe grabbed a friend and put him in anold, torn terry cloth bathrobe for LukeSkywalker. He was holding a hammer –for the lightsaber. Since then I’ve neverbeen able to throw that robe away. It’sbecome an iconic costume
3 “You’re who?”We were told that George Lucas
wanted the image to be comic book-like– not our genre at that time. We decidedthe figures had to be of heroicproportions, which in reality the actorswere not, with intense colours. We weretold not to make it look like the actorsbecause they were unknown – not forlong, obviously!
How I create…
AN ICONICPOSTER
October 2011 79
Artist insight A long time ago…
Publisher Digital Art Tutorials Price $30/$25 Format CD-ROM/Download Web digitalartutorials.com
Brian began his career working indevelopment for Lorimar/WarnerBrothers Television. He eventuallyreturned to his first love – comicbooks – by joining Top CowProductions. There he branched outto develop several characters,including co-creating the popularWitchblade. He’s now at HaberlinStudios, a full-feature illustrationand design studio specialising incomic book-related art. The studio’s
many clients includeMarvel, DreamWorks,Todd McFarlaneEntertainment, DCand Disney.
digitalarttutorials.com
use of physical media enables what hecalls “happy accidents” – thoseunpredictable points where paint andpaper interact in an unexpectedlygood way. If you’ve little experiencewith watercolour then you’ll discovermany basic techniques – such as howto lift pigment from the board afterapplying it – that should give you theconfidence to try it yourself.
It’s not until the sketch and washpiece is scanned back into Photoshopthat colour enters the equation, asBrian lays down flats and detailing in a75-minute session full of techniquesand tips. Art newcomers in particularwill greatly appreciate Brian’s relaxedyet practical approach here.
Both the CD and download versionsof Brian’s tutorial include someuseful extras, including brushes forPhotoshop CS5 and a PDF primer withtips on buying hardware and the rightway to scan in drawings.
RATING
OLD SCHOOL Comic book artist and illustrator Brian Haberlin proveswhy physical media can still show digital art tools a trick or two…
ven with the amazing resultsdigital art software canachieve, some artists stillfeel that a computer and
tablet can’t emulate everything youcan do with a physical canvas andpaint. In this video Brian Haberlinpresents a hybrid technique that’sdesigned to make the most of digitaland physical media.
You’ll watch as he creates a simplefemale portrait piece from scratch. Thepiece starts on paper as a sketch,which is then scanned into Photoshop.Here, Brian works on establishingvalues, as well as showing how theLiquify filter can help you to correcterrors in the drawing.
The core of the tutorial starts asBrian prints the Photoshop image ontoBristol board, where he develops aricher tonal range using watercolour,gouache and whatever pens he has tohand. In principle, there’s nothing in thisstage that couldn’t be achieved inPainter, say, but Brian argues that the
E
Sketch-to-PaintVolume1
Pencil, watercolour anddigital tools are applied
to a pencil sketch over thecourse of the video.
Brian ably demonstratesthat traditional and digitalpaint tools can live sideby side.
Inspiration Books and training
October 2011 107
Topics covered■Blocking out
■Establishing values
■Watercolour washes
■Digital painting
Length150 minutes
digitalartutorials.com
PROFILE ARTIST
BRIAN HABERLIN
use of physical media enables what he
and paint where points unpredictable
proves Haberlin Brian illustrator and artist book Comic
SAMPLEON YOURDVD!
