Chris Oatley

Wow. My buddy Jason Brubaker just posted an AMAZING video about...

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:57:17 -0700

Wow. My buddy Jason Brubaker just posted an AMAZING video about “The Million Dollar Idea.”

It’s short, snappy, extremely well-executed and thus super-shareable.

Highly recommended!

I’ve been working 10-12 hour days, non-stop on my upcoming...

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:18:12 -0700

I’ve been working 10-12 hour days, non-stop on my upcoming Digital Painting Workshop: [ CLICK HERE ]

…but I’ve been getting a ton of ideas for sketches and concept paintings lately. …so I took half a day off yesterday just to sketch.

I kinda liked this TrapJaw quickie so I thought I’d share.

If you like this, you might also like my Skeletor painting from a couple years ago.

Jim Henson brings a dead puppet to life right before your eyes.

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 06:00:38 -0700

Jim Henson brings a dead puppet to life right before your eyes.

Mind-blowing. Took a bajillion photos. I’ll post them...

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:17:31 -0700

Mind-blowing.

Took a bajillion photos. I’ll post them ASAP.

It’s time.

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 10:33:16 -0700

It’s time.

Spot-on caricatured likenesses of Jon Stewart & Regis...

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 07:56:23 -0700

Jon Stewart by C.F. Payne

Regis Philbin by C.F. Payne

Spot-on caricatured likenesses of Jon Stewart & Regis Philbin by C.F. Payne.

These likenesses are so effective because C.F. captured the essence of their personalities in the facial expressions and poses.

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Long before iPhoto, hard drives and cloud storage, I collected published illustrations ripped from magazines and newspapers.

I’ve been scanning and sharing my collection here on Tumblr and on Pinterest.

I call this my “Great Illustrators Archive.”

Great caricatures of famous directors by C.F. Payne. Also,...

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:00:55 -0700

Great caricatures of famous directors by C.F. Payne.

Groucho Marx by C.F. Payne.

Mark McGwire by C.F. Payne.

Great caricatures of famous directors by C.F. Payne.

Also, Groucho Marx and Mark McGwire. (Sorry the bottom two are so low-res. They were super-small when I scanned them.)

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Long before iPhoto, hard drives and cloud storage, I collected published illustrations ripped from magazines and newspapers.

I’ve been scanning and sharing my collection here on Tumblr and on Pinterest.

I call this my “Great Illustrators Archive.”

My new “Animal Farm” digital painting for the...

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 05:02:56 -0800

Chris Oatley's 'Animal Farm' digital painting for ImagineFX.

Detail image from Chris Oatley's 'Animal Farm' digital painting for ImagineFX.

My new “Animal Farm” digital painting for the March/April Issue of ImagineFX Magazine!

Go behind the scenes of this painting with my NEW Digital Painting Workshop! Click here for details.

Breathtaking detail shots of Sargent’s portrait of Carmela...

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 06:00:32 -0800

Breathtaking detail shots of Sargent’s portrait of Carmela Bertagna.

One of my favorite things about Sargent is what he DOESN’T paint. He achieves so much with so little.

You want an antidote for the obsessive-compulsive “rendering” that kills the energy of your digital paintings?

Sit quietly before a Sargent and STARE.

Don’t move.

Just keep looking.

I went to the Columbus Art Museum yesterday to see the new Mark...

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 06:00:49 -0800

Incredulous, Chris Oatley admires 'The Soda Jerk' by Norman Rockwell.

Detail from 'The Soda Jerk' by Norman Rockwell.

Detail from 'The Soda Jerk' by Norman Rockwell.

Detail from 'The Soda Jerk' by Norman Rockwell.

Detail from 'The Soda Jerk' by Norman Rockwell.

Detail from 'The Soda Jerk' by Norman Rockwell.

I went to the Columbus Art Museum yesterday to see the new Mark Rothko exhibit and, of course, it was super-inspiring.

But before I left, I also had to drop by and visit Norman Rockwell, John Singer Sargent and The Hudson River Painters.

Here are some close-ups of Norman Rockwell’s “Soda Jerk.” …one of my favorites by good ol’ Norm.

The composition is incredibly sophisticated. When it comes to composition, there are few artists who had such mastery of composition.

Also note the perfect efficiency in the painting - thin washes over an impasto ground. You can even see his pencil lines through the paint.

His obsessive approach with reference and studies not only led to a strong final image, but one that appears to have been executed very quickly.

The next time you are tempted to rush your preliminary studies and gathering of reference, remember Norm.

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To learn more about how to make the most of your studies and reference, check out this podcast episode.

Lotta folks have been asking to see some of the iPad sketches...

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:10:00 -0800

A bewildered Yeti. Sketch by Chris Oatley. Made with the 'Paper'app and the Pogo Connect Stylus.

Sketch by Chris Oatley. Made with the 'Paper'app and the Pogo Connect Stylus.

Sketch by Chris Oatley. Made with the 'Paper'app and the Pogo Connect Stylus.

Lotta folks have been asking to see some of the iPad sketches I’ve done with the Pogo Connect Stylus.

It took me a while to get comfortable drawing with the Pogo Connect but I have now completely fallen in love with it.

It’s especially fun to combine the Pogo Connect with Paper by Fifty Three Inc., a fantastic sketching app.

The Yeti is the drawing with which I’m most happy - though you can still see a bit of my struggle with the stylus. The Pogo Connect has a very thick tip so it can be difficult to achieve any sort of precision in the drawing.

At first, I thought that the stylus would, due to the lack of precision, only be good for doing loose, plein air paintings in Procreate (and it is good for that). But I’ve found that the more I practice, the less aware of the thick tip I become and the more precision I can get.

Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s no substitute for the Cintiq - or even an Intuos Tablet. But for the convenience of an infinite sketchbook on my iPad, it’s awesome. Money well-spent.

I’ve included to other sketches in this post:

The dragon was the first reasonable drawing I was able to make this way. It’s not a great drawing. …and you can really see the struggle there. But I thought I would include it so you can compare it to the Yeti - my most successful iPad sketch yet.

The pink creature is here because I think it demonstrates well the watercolor effect in the Paper app.

I’m also finding that the drawings have a specific appeal which is partially due to the lack of precision. So, I’m excited to see where that takes me…

I’ll keep you posted.

oats

PS: If you buy the stylus or app through my links and I get a small commission which will go toward the increasing hosting costs of my websites and newsletter.

One of my Painting Drama students posted this awesome indie game...

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 07:31:00 -0800

One of my Painting Drama students posted this awesome indie game trailer in our Secret Facebook Group today.

The trailer for the new indie game Kentucky Route Zero by Cardboard Computer proves that the ancient tools of composition and color are absolutely vital for creating drama while hyper-real graphics and processing power are not.

The following comments by John Hastings (the student who originally shared this trailer with the class) are inspiring:

“Its stuff like this that reminds me why video games are well on their way to being in the realm of full blown masterpieces of story telling. Also why working in video games does not mean I’m doomed to draw rugged, white, brunette dudes for the rest of my life.”

The director of Paperman, the new CG/2D hybrid short...

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:00:00 -0800

The director of Paperman, the new CG/2D hybrid short film recently confirmed that Disney is pursuing the Paperman process further.

Could the Paperman process be a picture of the future for Disney Feature Animation?

Click here to watch full short film, The Making Of Paperman videos and learn what I think it all means for the future of hand-drawn animation…

I’m constantly challenging my students and subscribers to...

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:18:00 -0800

I’m constantly challenging my students and subscribers to know their film history…

To pursue expertise in the entire spectrum of visual storytelling.

Well, here’s an amazing opportunity. The ENTIRE Criterion Collection is available for FREE on Hulu ALL WEEKEND LONG.

That’s right, you do NOT have to be a Hulu Plus subscriber. This offer is for everyone.

Click the image above to learn more. (Some images might be considered NSFW!)

Thanks to the Film School Rejects for the lead!

Norman Rockwell's Photo Reference

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 06:30:00 -0800

Norman Rockwell's Photo Reference:

This is a great post that shows the photo reference behind some of Norman Rockwell’s most well-known paintings.

Note how he pushed the poses, expressions, lighting…

He was never a slave to his reference, but he used the reference to serve his greater artistic vision.

For more on reference, studies and Rockwell, check out this episode of my podcast: Improve Your Art Before You Start

“If you don’t know it’s impossible, it’s...

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 06:35:22 -0800

“If you don’t know it’s impossible, it’s easier to do.” -Neil Gaiman (on pursuing your dreams)

1930’s women in charcoal and pastel by Bradshaw...

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 06:47:14 -0800

1930's Charcoal Drawing by Bradshaw Crandell

Pastel portrait by Bradshaw Crandell

1930’s women in charcoal and pastel by Bradshaw Crandell.

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Long before iPhoto, hard drives and cloud storage, I collected published illustrations ripped from magazines and newspapers.

I’ve been scanning and sharing my collection here on Tumblr and on Pinterest.

I call this my “Great Illustrators Archive.”

Clever cover illustration of Winston Churchill for The Atlantic...

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 08:00:45 -0800

Clever cover illustration of Winston Churchill for The Atlantic Monthly.

You might recognize Mark Summers’ scratchboard technique from his hundreds of illustrations for Barnes & Noble.

(Barnes & Noble kept Mark Summers and pastel illustrator Gary Kelley busy for what seemed like a decade. In fact, they might still be working for B&N from time to time.)

It’s a simple, striking design that is perfect for a magazine cover.

…and you can just feel the energy of that tension between the foot and the banana peel.

Although Mark Summers is known for his unique illustration technique, it’s clever storytelling, remarkable draftsmanship and a penchant for historical likenesses that set his work apart.

If you like Mark Summers’ work, check out this Gary Kelley Illustration Tutorial from Step By Step Graphics Magazine.

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Long before iPhoto, hard drives and cloud storage, I collected published illustrations ripped from magazines and newspapers.

I’ve been scanning and sharing my collection here on Tumblr and on Pinterest.

I call this my “Great Illustrators Archive.”

Here are three very different caricatures of the same actor. The...

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:20:16 -0800

Russel Crowe & The Beanstalk by Roberto Parada for Entertainment Weekly

Russel Crowe Wrestles An Alligator by Roberto Parada for Entertainment Weekly

Gladiator, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Cast Away at the Oscars by Tim Bower for Entertainment Weekly

Here are three very different caricatures of the same actor.

The first two were painted by Roberto Parada, the third by Tim Bower.

The artists exaggerated different aspects of Russell Crowe’s likeness yet every interpretation is recognizable as Russell Crowe.

I can’t figure out why this works, but it’s amazing.

And LOOK AT THAT STRUCTURE!!! Note how heavily the paintings rely on strong drawing…

Amazing.

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Long before iPhoto, hard drives and cloud storage, I collected published illustrations ripped from magazines and newspapers.

I’ve been scanning and sharing my collection here on Tumblr and on Pinterest.

I call this my “Great Illustrators Archive.”

Concept Design Guru Scott Robertson just uploaded an...

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 07:26:59 -0800

Concept Design Guru Scott Robertson just uploaded an inspirational gold mine to YouTube.

It’s long but full of great tips for concept artists.