Influences, a continuation...

Recently, while writing about influences in my work and mentioning artists that have helped shape the way I think and look at the world, I found to my dismay that (other than mentioning Paul Calle`) I'd only talked about comic book artists. That just won't do!

I'd left out two very important illustrators that have changed the way I look at lighting and shadow...and consequently everything I draw! These two idols of the drawing board are: Alex Ross, a man who paints books, posters and everything imaginable having to do with super heroes in such a realistic style that it makes me question my station in life and whether I should work as a retail salesclerk! This man's use of lighting and shadow will actually make you squint when he's depicting sunlight gleaming off a surface ... you can even tell what time of day it is by the warm or cool tones that wrap around his figures and the surrounding atmosphere he paints. That's so cool and pretty scary, all in the same breath! Second, and still my favorite is the late Rien Poortlviet (I'd give anything to know how to pronounce his name after all these years!), who has to be one of the most dynamic yet unassuming artists to walk this Earth. A self-taught artist known predominantly for his book Gnomes, Rien was one of the most overlooked illustrators alive! His prolific legacy includes two of my favorite books, simply titled Dogs and Horses. His elegance and grace whether working with pencil, pen, brush and ink, or oil paints brought animals and people to life in the most striking fashion, not to mention his use of light and shadow.


Ahhh, there's those two words again ... light and shadow! Very important these two words, as they're what give your illustrations, life, character, dimension, and most important of all... emotion! Drawing anything while dismissing the necessary effect of light and shadow will leave your work flat and dull, and probably forgotten. Not only have the two aforementioned artists never forgotten that rule, they've elevated the use of light and shadow to such a level that it's almost impossible not to try to improve your own work by watching them closely! What I lack in correct grammar I hopefully make up for with passion for my subject matter!


Influences are all around us ... our job as creative interpreters is to absorb those influences and find a new or different way to channel them into something that others might enjoy! My entire career, I've told people that my job is to make something out of nothing ...  I relish the opportunity! Ciao bella!