Table of contents for February 2024 in ImagineFX

Out of all the skills needed for any artist, the one that most often seems to have the steepest learning curve for so many of us is the anatomy. This is a pretty fundamental aspect of art, as people figure frequently in projects from concepts to illustration and even costume design. This month we aim to help you master the human form, with both inspiration and practical advice packed in, so read on to explore a range of methods that will help you in your next steps. Among our expert advice, we talk to Glen Vilppu, the veteran Disney artist and trainer, who shares his thoughts on his career and a now influential approach to anatomy. If you’re looking for step-bystep instruction on key techniques then look no further than…

Artist PROFILE Jonas Minnebo LOCATION: England Concept artist Jonas works in the video game industry and specialises in creating mechanical and sci-fi designs. He has kept sketchbooks throughout his life and increasingly used them for recording personal work. Jonas is fascinated by the imaginative side of drawing and focuses on generating new ideas and interesting designs in his sketches. www.artstation.com/azelinus ❝The idea for this one was for it to be a jousting vessel❞ ❝I like aeronautical designs, especially when they have an exaggerated style❞ ❝This vessel would rotate around a central point in an effort to spin a wrecking ball❞ Do you want to share your sketches with your fellow ImagineFX readers? Send us an email with a selection of your art, captions for each piece and a photo and…

Artist PROFILE Rodgon LOCATION: US Rodgon, also known as Rodrigo Gonzalez, is a cartoonist who aspires to teach the whole world how to draw. He has the heart of a teacher and the soul of an artist. https://bit.ly/49Y0ejx Over the last 20 years of being a professional illustrator, I’ve learned a thing or two about sketching and good drawing habits. Let me teach you a few fun methods to help improve your artwork at lightning speed! Sketching isn’t just something we do for fun. We sketch to improve, conceptualise ideas, and sketch for pretty much every project we do. Even though there’s no wrong way to sketch, there are highly effective habits you can develop to become much better, much quicker. However, please remember that finding quick ways to complete…

Artist PROFILE Mad Boogie Creations LOCATION: Brazil Mad Boogie Creations is a Brazilian outsourcing studio that creates whimsical illustrations and visual development work for clients globally, and also develops its own original IPs. www.madboogie.com In this workshop, we’ll design the main character for an imaginary game called Blade Rush: Delivery Hero. It’s a fast-paced, action-packed PC game set in a vibrant, futuristic city. Players control Leo, a young adult who reinvents himself as a delivery person after losing his job. But Leo isn’t just any delivery guy, as he has modified his roller skates for incredible speed and agility, fast becoming a local legend. As his fame grows, he launches his own delivery app, QuickWheels, to compete with the big corporations. Our challenge was to bring this character to life,…

1 HERA & GALANTHIS “In ancient Greek mythology, the tale of Hera and Galanthis is one of deception and transformation. When Hera was fooled by Galanthis, the goddess retaliated by turning her into a weasel as punishment.” 2 ABYSS “This artwork emanates an air of mystery and foreboding, offering merely a tantalising glimpse into the secrets that lie beneath the surface of our waters.” 3 OYSTER “Oyster stands out as one of my most intricate pieces. Adorned by over 100 pearls, her elegance reaches unmatched heights.” 4 DIANA “Accompanied by her loyal civet companion, Diana embodies a timeless narrative of the exquisite bond between humanity and animals.”…

Where did you grow up and how has this inf luenced your art? For the most part I grew up in the Wild West, where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid once roamed. The Western United States still has lots of wide-open space and public land. I grew up adventuring through the desert and forest with my dog and cousins. My cousins were very knowledgeable about faeries, so we spent our time looking for faerie rings and wildlife, which I think was very formative for my art. What, outside of art, has most inf luenced your artwork? Folklore and nature have had a huge impact. Also literature. I grew up on Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and my dad read me The Lord of the Rings when I was too young…

Contact the editor, Rob Redman, on mail@imaginefx.com or write to ImagineFX, Future Publishing, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA, England Follow us on X: x.com/imaginefx Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/imaginefx Share your artwork via #imaginefx: instagram.com/imaginefxmagazine Pencils rule! Hello Rob. I’m a hobbyist artist and work on my iPad using Procreate and, while I love it, I haven’t ever tried my hand with the more traditional tools, mostly through nerves about not being any good. Last month you had a tutorial by Damjan Gjorgievski that totally opened my eyes and now I’m happily sketching away with pencils as well as my Apple Pencil, and I love it! Turns out there was no need to worry after all. Abed, via email Rob replies Hi Abed, I’m so glad that tutorial…

Artist PROFILE Charlie Pickard LOCATION: England Charlie is a classically trained fine artist and illustrator who works, exhibits and teaches out of his studio in London. https://bit.ly/3R3Dcz3 One of the most challenging topics in the life drawing room, and in drawing more generally, is that of foreshortening; where a body part is coming more or less directly towards the viewer and appears shortened. And that intimidating feeling isn’t without good reason. So often a strongly foreshortened limb can present us with a view of the body we’re entirely unfamiliar with, and our usual drawing methods can fail us when we attempt to represent it. But despite what looks apparently difficult here, there’s actually a lot more similarity between the strongly foreshortened view and conventional positions. With just a slight change…

Artist PROFILE Lynn Chen LOCATION: US Animal lover Lynn is a visdev artist based in Los Angeles. She creates colour keys and splash images for games and animations, working for the likes of Warner Bros. https://bit.ly/3MO1kV6 The concept of the lamplighter is part of an ongoing personal project. It’s a series of illustrations featuring Momo the corgi and his hamster friends going on adventures. I’m already familiar with the characters as I find it hard to resist placing them in various imaginative scenarios. The inspiration for the lamplighter struck me when I stumbled on some beautiful photo references of snowcovered streets lit up by warm lamps. It’s an enchanting moment when the night hasn’t yet started and the snow casts a soft blue glow. The contrast between the serene, warm…

Eloïse Girard LOCATION: France MEDIA: Procreate, Photoshop WEB: www.instagram.com/girard_eloise Artist and illustration teacher Eloïse has a biology and 3D animation background. Her illustration work takes inspiration from fairy tales and mystic creatures, as well as her passion for horror stories and mysteries. 1 THE UNSPEAKABLE PORTRAIT “This is a reinterpretation of an 1844 painting by Franz Xaver Winterhalter. The colours evoke a Lovecraftian atmosphere, so I pushed this concept further.” 2 KINGFISHER “This resonates with themes of metamorphosis and warrior spirit. It was fun to imagine this half-bird, half-human character, drawing inspiration from both nature and mythology.” 3 DANDELION MERMAID “Spring has brought many flowers to my garden, including some considered weeds. Here, I wanted to show their beauty while associating them with the mermaid, my favourite creature.” 4…

“At 6am I start moving my kids out of the door. I have one in elementary, one at middle school, one at high school and one in college. I try to get a walk in with my husband, who also works from home. I’m at my desk by 9am, which works well as I’m in Utah, an hour ahead of the west coast. My last job was ideal; someone on the team would open a Zoom call so we could always bounce ideas off each other. When I start a job, I like to get to know the visual language of the designer. If we know the casting, I’ll stalk Instagram to get an expression that communicates the character’s vibe. And then there’s feedback, so I’ll turn something in and…

Artist PROFILE Mario Alberti LOCATION: Italy Comic book artist and writer Mario loves to tell stories with his images, seeking out beauty in the process. His long list of clients includes the likes of Marvel, DC and Sergio Bonelli Editore. www.marioalberti.com “Whether I’m working on a comic book, illustration or storyboard, the storytelling is vitally important. I must understand which element or piece of information is relevant in that frame, and build a path that will naturally guide the viewer’s eyes towards it. Of course, this relies on readability and composition, but there are other tools to be aware of like movement, light, colours, costumes and camera placement. Comics, being a kind of one-man-band show, are a particularly formidable test in that regard. Storyboards also have the added challenge of…

LOCATION: US/Japan MEDIA: Pencil, graphite, Photoshop WEB: www.keimeguro.com 1 CAPRICORN “This image from my Zodiac series represents the discipline, perseverance and reliability often associated with Capricorns.” 2 PISCES “I’m absolutely fascinated by the universal language of astrology. Pisces is a water sign that represents transformation, spirituality and emotions.” 3 CHRYSANTHEMUM “This represents life, death and transformation. I believe that in a lifetime, all of us evolve and shed old parts of ourselves. The more we let go, life gives.” 4 TRANSFORM “A reminder for myself and everyone that you can heal and evolve simultaneously. Our growth is not linear, and we all have our own pace.”…

Over my time as an artist, I’ve developed many excellent tricks and learned from a number of pitfalls while painting traditionally, which is a medium I love. Those vital tidbits of advice are what I want to share with you in this workshop. As artists, we have the unique ability to pull things into existence from our minds! It always gives me great pleasure to bring the horrific denizens of my imagination to life. As a result, I know the importance of realism; if something is believable it becomes that much more real. MATERIALS PENS AND PENCILS ▮5B pencil ▮Fineliner ▮Biro PAINT ▮Clear gesso ▮Winsor & Newton Professional Acrylic ▮Cobra Artist watersoluble oils MISCELLANEOUS ▮300gsm paper ▮Liquin That’s why I’m always paying a lot of attention to the technical side…