Mar 28, 2019
Artwork Wednesday (or Thursday). An entry from Inktober 2018. #Spell
seen from Brazil
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Artwork Wednesday (or Thursday). An entry from Inktober 2018. #Spell
Creepy new art just arrived at Lionheart Gallery - just in time for the spooky new year! Admire and shop all the new art pieces HERE!
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ARTWORK WEDNESDAY
I recently got the chance to re-design all of The Empty Suits' album art for their discography re-release. It was so fun getting to re-design album artwork for a band's ENTIRE discography! I just thoroughly enjoyed it and just love the way they all turned out! They look really good collectively, as well!
Want me to design album artwork for YOUR band???? Check out my album design gig HERE on Fiverr. I really enjoy it, so I'm super cheap! Prices start at just $5!!!!
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I just recently discovered this gorgeous floral art series entitled "Flowergirls" by Lim Zhi Wei and I thought they were PERFECT to share for #ArtworkWednesday today! They are so absolutely beautiful, I cant even pick a favorite. I think these would make such wonderful wedding gifts!
You can pick up photography prints of these delicate works of art HERE at Naiise.
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THE PORTRAIT PROJECT: Antares25
Wow, Anta. This piece is absolutely breathtaking for me. I'd even say it's my favorite portrait in this series. What are your initial thoughts about the finished piece?
Well I was quite pleased, especially by how the background turned out. Initially, I was worried how to do it since I don’t work with backgrounds often, but I’m glad it turned out nicely.
What is your favorite thing about this piece?
Call me weird, but it’s usually the hair or the eyes that become my favorites. In this case, it’s the eyes and background. They were really fun and amusing to do.
I was REALLY specific about what I wanted, and you hit every single mark without any real revisions from me. As an artist, I feel that I, personally, work best with a little bit of direction, but not a huge amount. Was it harder having so much detailed direction from me, initially, or was it helpful to you as an artist?
Trying to draw in a different style was difficult, but in general, the directions helped me a lot especially the reference images. When doing commissions with vague instructions, I’d always worry if I’m doing it right, so I do prefer detailed directions while still having and adequate room for artistic freedom.
My biggest inspiration for this portrait was one of my favorite animes - Black Butler. Were you very familiar with it before I approached you, or did you have to do some research?
Oh yes, I closely follow the manga updates of the series. I also used to watch the anime, though I never finished it since I lost our CD… though that doesn’t mean I didn’t do research. I had to look up some anime screenshots for references on how to closely execute to style.
I wanted to have Aloise' stature, but dress like Ciel. I wanted that specific robe with leopard fur trim, to be sitting in a certain type of chair, I wanted a checkerboard floor, a fancy background, and my cat.. there were a lot of specific requests in regards to my cat. I wanted it to look so much like her that I sent you all these pictures of her from all these different angles just so that you could get her markings correctly. If a client came to me with the requests I came to you with, I would have told them to go jump off a bridge. Did you think I was going to be a total nightmare to deal with?
A nightmare? I didn’t really think that, but more like… a challenge where I’m probably gonna end up screwed. I think I took more time trying to figure out how to execute the drawing than actually drawing.
When I first mentioned that I wanted it to have mega Black Butler vibes, you thought I was talking about the manga, which I know scared you a little. Were you relieved and more excited when you found out I wanted it to look like the anime, or was it still an extremely daunting project?
I was relieved that you were referring to the anime. I adore the manga’s art, but I never even dared dream to reach that level. On the other hand, the anime art and coloring is a lot simpler, but still really difficult… trying to deviate from the style I’m comfortable with is a hard task after all.
What are some of your favorite animes?
I haven’t been watching as much anime as when I was a child, so if we’re talking about recent animes, I’m rather fond of No Game, No Life, Persona 4, and Hataraku! Maou-sama. Though, for older ones, I loved watching Mojacko, DBZ, Flame of Recca, Yu Yu Hakusho, Rurouni Kenshin, and Pokemon.
I will always love Ciel Phantomhive, Sailor V, Sailor Neptune, and don't get me started on every single member of Ouran HIgh School Host Club… Do you have any particular characters in the anime world that you will just always adore?
If you can count a videogame turned anime-movie, I really like Shinjiro Aragaki from Persona 3. I also like Maou from Hataraku! Maou-sama, Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin, and practically everyone in the Investigation Team in Persona 4.
The new Sailor Moon Crystal remake is about to premiere pretty soon, and I am MEGA amped for it! If you were given the chance to recreate one and only one of your favorite animes, which would you choose and how would you approach the project?
Oh my… that will be a tough choice… DBZ and Rurouni Kenshin already have remakes… so maybe Mojacko? Personally, I really prefer it when animes stick to their source material, but if there are room for improvements and character development, then I’ll go for it.
I'm going to have this thing printed on a gigantic canvas, put in a ridiculously gaudy, gold frame, and hang it in my library for family members to adore until I die and they have to fight over it in my will. What do you think about them apples?
Ahaha… I feel kinda embarrassed… but more than that, I’d find it really interesting to see the look on people’s faces when they see it.
SEE THE EXHIBIT: http://lionheartgallery.us
SEE ANTA'S PORTFOLIO: http://antares25.deviantart.com
SEE THE EXHIBIT
After receiving my incredible portrait from Berlin-based artist Emilie Thoorens, I had a thought... "Why not commission artists to do a series of portraits of me while I'm still in my prime?" And thus, The Portrait Project was born.
For #ArtworkWednesday in the coming weeks of May and June, I will be posting the pieces I have had created for this series along with some interviews with the artists who have created them. Most of the pieces are finished and on display now at Lionheart Gallery, along with some other amazing portraits created by these artists from all across the world. But a few of these art pieces are still in the works. Some of them are direct recreations of photographs and others are completely new pieces born from my and the artist's vision.
Head over to Lionheart now to see the pieces that are already up in this truly stunning exhibition.
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10 Questions With... Emilie Thoorens
Where are you from and what is the art scene like there?
I'm originally from France. I have been living in London for seven years and now settling in Berlin. Living in London was very exciting - especially music wise, but Berlin has attracted me for its artistic vibe. There's a lot of freedom here. It's like a compromise between London and New York in the '80s. Almost everyone you meet here is in music or arts which is very inspiring. Everyone does their own thing and blends well together.
I recently discovered your work through a collage you did of Brody Dalle. How long have you been creating your collages?
I got into my first collage in 2009. I was collecting images of eyes and lips through magazines and started to create portraits. My concept came naturally: using features from stated magazine 'beauties' to recreate more weird ones but nonetheless beautiful. Its about how you feel about someone, how a person moves you more than how they look. I love to play with contrast and irony.
Much of your work is influenced by music. What are some of your all-time, favorite bands?
Music is very important to me. It really unites people and I travelled a lot to follow some of my favorite bands. I have quite an eclectic taste. I love Jamiroquai, Queens of the Stone Age, Scissor Sisters, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles...
Have you ever gotten to meet any of the musicians you have created collages of?
I have been lucky enough to meet a few of them like members from Queens of the Stone Age, Jamiroquai, Die Antwoord, Band Of Skulls, Jesse Hughes, and Dave Grohl...
Who was your first collage in this series style and what made you create it?
My first collage in the music series was the Mini Mansions one. I was listening to their music and thought why not create a collage portrait of them three together. I liked the idea of creating a single entity out of a band, all the members as 'one' like the music they make.
Your Shirley Manson collage has to be my favorite. It looks just like her. Has she seen it???
It was one of my favorite to work on. I liked how it turned out. She has seen it via Twitter and kindly replied.
She is my favorite singer of all time, and I have to say… YOU ACTUALLY LOOK A LOT LIKE HER!!!!! Have you gotten this before?
Ha! That's a great compliment, thank you! I did actually get that now and then, but especially in my teens when I had my hair dyed red.
You also do sketches and illustrations! What is your favorite form to express yourself artistically?
I am very versatile when it comes to expressing myself. It really depends on my curiosity and the mood I'm in. I always have many ideas stirring up in my mind and I have to let them out! As my favorite - I'd say sketching, as it comes more naturally to me. I have been drawing since a very young age and always needed to visualize things that I have in my head in a quick way.
What artists inspire you?
I get inspired by different artists... painters like Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, Miro; photographers like André Kertész or Man Ray; illustrators like David Downtown or René Gruau, but I love art installations. The fact that you can experience them in full, get physically inside them like Richard Serra's sculptures or Yayoi Kusama's 'infinity mirrored room'.
I've gotta ask… what would it take to get you to make one of me? Do you accept bribes??? I have 2 clothing lines, by the way… hahahahaha!
Well, because it's you, it takes nothing more than asking and because your clothing lines are great I would blissfully be corrupt!
EMILIETHOORENS.COM