Announcing My 30th Anniversary Print #2: COBRA Night Viper

Dear Friends,

It’s time to announce the #2 Giclee in my year-long 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Series. This exclusive set of celebration prints commemorates my 30 years as a professional artist, showing milestones in my artistic career. For more general information on this series please see my previous blog announcing it by clicking here… I thank Hisstank.com for picking up the story as well. That was really great. G.I. Joe Fans, if you’re not on that site already, you need to know about it.

In case you didn’t read my last blog entry, this paragraph recaps the back story on my involvement with Hasbro and G.I. Joe:

Beginning in the mid 1980s, I started working for Hasbro as a freelancer for their R&D Department. I was hired to create paintings of their characters, in development for toys, to be rendered realistically as if they were real people. This assignment was perfect for me, as I love to work on figures and challenge myself to translate the toy designs as they might look if you saw them on the battlefield. These works were to be used as presentation pieces to the Board of Directors to help them choose which characters got produced as actual toys.

For the first wave of figures, I was told to concentrate on the character with very little background added. I did about 12 of these during that set. In the next wave, I was asked to add a proper looking background to the figures. This helped place the figure and give it more context and realism. I continued to do that for the rest of the art done for Hasbro, until the early 1990s. I produced around a hundred paintings for them and it was a very fun run.

For 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Giclee #2, I have chosen the COBRA Night Viper as my representative art for this time period in my career, because it has always been one of my favorite GI JOE paintings. This was one of the first I did featuring the full background, with the color and atmosphere of the piece really giving a great feel of stealth and character.

COBRA Night Viper by Dave Dorman

Like all prints in this series, this one will be issued in extremely Limited Edition Giclee’s of 30 copies, each signed and numbered by me, Dave Dorman. Each will have a special embossing on the print in the bottom right corner and also come with a Certificate of Authenticity. The price is $30.00 including free shipping in the US, an additional $18 for shipping outside the US. Please click here to order this print….http://www.davedorman.com/30thprint.shtml

Next month’s featured print hint: “If Adventure Has a Name….”

For those of you following Ghost Rider creator Gary Friedrich’s situation, no matter which side of it you’re on, he’s a fellow artist and human being, and he’s hurting and needs our help. To help Gary, our friend Steve Niles created an online fund-raiser to help with geting up on his mortgage and medical bills; if you’d like to help Gary, please click here: http://www.steveniles.com/gary.html

Another fund-raiser I’m involved in is helping my Chicago comic book artist friend Doug Klauba’s beautiful son Gianni, pictured here:

Gianni Klauba, Son of Comic Book Artist Doug Klauba

Gianni is a special needs child who needs costly therapy and an iPad to help with that therapy, so please click on http://giannispad.com if you can help him. I contributed an Artist Proof of my Darth Vader’s Persuasion of the Outer Rim to help with that, and I know our friend Alex Ross has contributed this original Batman piece as well, so please bid on all of the art to help our Gianni!

Bid on Alex Ross' Batman Art for Gianni Klauba!

I will be teaching how to draw Star Wars art in an afternoon workshop with Doug Klauba on February 25th at the Southwest Elementary School in Evergreen Park to raise funds for their PTA. For those of you who watch Big Bang Theory, let me know if you’ve spotted Doug’s artwork on the set yet?

In other teaching news, I will be presenting at the prestigious American Academy of Art (Alum include Douglas Klauba, Jill Thompson, Alex Ross) in Chicago on Wednesday, February 22, 2012. I was told by an organizer that the students have been stealing the posters off the walls that announce my lecture and include a low rez image of Lord Vader’s Persuasion of the Outer Rim, so I hope people actually find out about it and show up to see me.

I also want to let you know that I will be donating an original oil Star Wars painting to non-profit indie school Elgin Academy, and online bidding will start on March 1st. I am told  one of their auction items is 2 tickets to San Diego Comic-Con, which are impossible to get and were sold out during last year’s show already. If you’re in need of two five-day San Diego Comic-Con passes, you’ll want to keep an eye on this page. Those passes include a dinner with me in San Diego, if you don’t mind dining with a dedicated carnivore.

I thank you for poring over this rather lengthy message, but I had much to announce today. My next blog will be my interview with my friend Mark Nagata, who owns MaxToyCo.com, a wonderfully exclusive Japanese Monster Toys company.

Have a great rest of the day,

Dave.

Dave Dorman Art Progressives: Recreating Classic Dave Dorman G.I. Joe Art

Dear Friends,

Most of my fans know that during the mid-’80s to the early ’90s, I worked with Hasbro producing G.I. Joe artwork for their Research and Development Department. This art was done as presentation for the Board of Directors to determine whether any particular character would move forward to future production. My task was to paint the characters designed as 3 1/2″ toys to look like real fighting G.I. Joe characters. None of this work was meant for publication, however, over the years, fans and collectors have seen some of this art via the Web or fan club communications. (One of the future projects I am hoping to get off of the ground is a collection of all of this unseen artwork into a G.I. Joe/Hasbro art volume. I will keep you up to date on information as this project progresses.)

I have many fans contact me directly about the art I did during this period. Recently one of those fans asked if I’d be interested in recreating some of those pieces for his private collection. This is not something that I normally do, but this particular fan showed so much enthusiasm that I thought that it might be fun to see how I would approach these paintings almost 20 years later. I took on his commission for the three recreations and now I present to you one of them as an art progressive:

Pencil on Illustration Board Recreating the Character to Be Painted

Progressive #2:

The original landscape for this painting had a textured rock pattern that I applied with very thick gesso. I repeated that technique on this new board as well.

Progressive #3:

Here I start laying in some of the b/g colors, starting with the explosion in the mid left.

Progressive #4:

The b/g is almost complete at this point with the main figure clean so that when I add color to the figure, it will be unencumbered by underpainting.

Progressive #5:

After the b/g dries, I now lay in the underpainting for the basic colors of the figure.

Progressive #6:

Continuing similar to the previous photo, I lay in the rest of the colors for this figure.

Progressive #7:

With the basic tones being laid down in oils, I now begin the detail work with acrylics, starting with the head and moving downward.

Progressive #8:

Work continues with the acrylics, adding more detail to the body and his equipment.

Progressive #9:

At this point, I've completed some of the finer shadowing details and refinements with various shades of gray markers. You'll note final details on the ground and some color corrections for the background. The above is the finished piece.

This piece was 16″ x 20″ oil, acrylic and marker on gessoed illustration board. It is the exactly the same size as the original Hasbro artwork. If you have comments or questions about this piece, please feel free to post them here.

Many of my G.I. Joe fans have asked me about commission work or recreations. This is the first one I have ever done, and I did enjoy bringing back good memories of working with the artists and creators at Hasbro. I would certainly be happy to do more of this type of work if any of you are interested. Please feel free to email me directly at  dormanart@yahoo.com or message me via Facebook

As always, I thank you for your time and interest in my work.

Dave

My Newest Addition for the Library: The Art of Craig Elliott

Dear Friends,

Like many of you, for me, Wednesday is Comic Book Day. I was very excited to find my friend Craig’s new book today at Dreamland Comics in Schaumburg.

The Art of Craig Elliott, The Newest Edition to My Art Book Collection

Craig is a longtime friend and a gifted artist. I would characterize his style as organic, ethereal and imaginative. His glass jewelry is also beautiful. Many of you will recognize his name from the high-profile visual development work and animation art he’s done for DreamWorks, Pixar and Disney, on films like Enchanted, The Princess and the Frog, Shark Tale, Bee Movie, Mulan, Hercules, etc. To say he’s talented is an understatement. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, I recommend you check out his portfolio at http://craigelliottgallery.com or his IMDB Listing.

As always, thanks for reading,

Dave.

It’s Dave-the-Happy-Geek Week

Dear Friends,

I’ve had one of my more interesting weeks in a long time with three really fun surprises in the mail–two being Star Wars-related. The first was a wonderful hoodie from 501st member Daniel Quay, TR-8285 and fan Andrew Marzka of Happy Valley Custom T’s in Pennsylvania. (Andrew’s business phone is (814) 571-2992 if anyone wants great hoodies or t-shirts.) They are concerned I’m not staying warm enough in Chicago, and they are right about that! Here it is:

501st Hoodie from Daniel Quay and Andrew Marzka, Happy Valley Custom T's

I also received my “Save the Lars Homestead” watch in the mail this week with its pure Tunisian Tatooine sand embedded within and the beautiful engraving on the back. My fellow Star Wars junkies are stoked about the watch and the good news is, you can still order them here: http://s395343987.initial-website.com/

Save the Lars Homestead Commemorative Timepiece

Engraving on Back of the Watch

And then there was my bust from Sideshow Collectibles. I ordered this at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2011, and here we are 6 months later and I had almost forgotten about it. Almost, but not quite. What a great surprise! My wife’s friends have insisted she not display it in our foyer, so we’re still finding the right place for it.

My New Zombie Crusade Bust from Sideshow Collectibles

Even better, I just got a Tweet from @MaxToyCo friend Mark Nagata informing me that a box of toys is en route. Could this geek’s week possibly get any better?!? I hope your week is filled with geek touchstones as well.

Dave.

 

My 30th Anniversary Series Super Fan Exclusive: Print #1 January 2012

Dear Friends,

It’s hard to believe, but I’ve been illustrating comics, book covers, magazine covers, packaging art and more for 30 years now. I started making professional sales to independent publishers in 1982; however, I consider Bird of Prey to be my industry breakthrough piece. I painted Bird of Prey in 1982 and it became the cover for Heavy Metal Magazine’s  November 1983 issue. It was my first cover to have national exposure, in both newsstand and direct sales.

January 2012 Limited Edition Giclee: Dave Dorman 30th Anniversary

To celebrate, I want to make this special offer to my Super Fans. During 2012 , I will be presenting the “Dave Dorman 30th Anniversary Series of Limited Edition Giclees.” Each month for 2012, I will offer a new giclee print for sale, featuring iconic images from my 30 years as a professional illustrator.  Details:

• This series is limited to 30 pieces only per month
• Each piece is personally signed and numbered by me
• Cost: Each Giclee will sell for just $30
• The serial number you will receive will depend on when you order; earliest buyers will receive the lowest numbers
• Serial Number Guarantee: To guarantee a specific number in the series, I am requesting that you purchase the entire series up front; please identify the serial number you prefer and submit $360
• Shipping: Shipping and Handling is FREE for U.S. orders. Overseas orders will be charged $18.00 per print for shipping
• This limited edition series of Giclees will be printed on Archival Etching Rag and produced in studio by me
• Size: 13 ” x 19″
• Each Giclee will include a 30th Anniversary special embossing, further celebrating the uniqueness of this series; the embossing die will be destroyed after 2012
• Each print will also include a Certificate  of Authenticity from me, signed by me, as proof of this special edition
• The January 2012 piece will be the aforementioned “Bird of Prey”

Below is the link to my webpage with PayPal buttons to make your order for individual giclees, or for the full subscription guaranteeing your series with your preferred same serial number on each giclee.

Thank you all for following the first 30 years of my art and career. The next 30 will be more fun and promises even grander flights of imagination!

click here for:
Dorman 30th Anniversary Giclee Purchase Page with PayPal Buttons

 

 

Building Your Foundation for a Future in Illustration

Dear Friends,

Last week’s post I have since removed from this blog. The post was badly worded, poorly thought out, and hastily written. And, unfortunately, it completely missed the point I intended to make. It also created a discussion completely off of my intended subject, and one that I had no interest in debating or pursuing further. I appreciate all who dropped in to read the blog and those who took the time to post some very thought-provoking comments.  I apologize to all those who took offense, and for those who missed it, let’s move on to more creative topics. (Dave waves his hand in the air cryptically and says in a low voice, “These are not the words you are looking for. Move on…”)

Next Topic: Maximizing Your Success By Learning Illustration Basics

When I was 19 and just learning my craft, one of the main things I  did was to draw…all of the time. I would sketch in bed, sketch at breakfast, practice at the drawing table, at work on break, and after dinner in front of the TV.  I had set a goal for myself to become the best illustrator I could, and  I knew I needed to work at my craft and invest as much time and work as humanly possible.

Dave Dorman Student Sketches, Circa 1979

Most artists have sketchbooks filled with the work product to prove it. Oddly enough, I have very few “sketchbooks” from that time in my life. The bound drawing paper-style sketchbook was way too restricting for me. It never laid flat, it was usually not good paper–at least not the sketchbooks I could afford as a student and military kid– and I could only review one to two open pages at a time.

Dave Dorman Student Sketch Sample #2

My solution? I discovered it was better for me to purchase packages of 5″x7″ blank index cards and use those for my work sketches. The paper was good and stiffer than sketchbook paper. It held up well for pencil, ink and watercolor. Buying a 500-sheet package was way cheaper than buying a 500-sheet sketchbook. If I was working on a series of images or thoughts, I could do them individually and lay them out like panels in front of me rather than flipping pages in a book.

Dave Dorman Student Sketches #3

As a student,  I produced literally thousands of these little sketch cards. I used them to

• Rough out ideas
• Work on form and structure
• Copy other artists to see how they worked out anatomy, body structure, and the dynamic figure.

This was my ongoing training daily, practicing my craft. Without this groundwork, I could not and would not be the artist I am today. For all of you students and up-and-coming illustrators, I believe the work you put into learning the basics will pay off enormously as you build your career. There is no magic or shortcut to it. Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers summarizes it in two words: 10,000 hours. I sat down one day and calculated how many hours I would have put int before I reached my first professional sale. 10,000 hours seemed about right.

Thanks for reading,

Dave.

Happy Holidays from Dave Dorman & Some Cool Gifts to Share

Dear Friends,

If your household is like mine, Lucasfilm, Amazon and Apple retailers got the majority of your greenbacks this year. Santa was good to me this year and here’s a highlight of my favorite gifts and holiday cards:

I got The Making of Star Wars: The Old Republic, by Chronicle Books, a fine art book that also has lengthy descriptions on the creation of the game itself, not just the preproduction artwork. My son and I have been playing and are on Level 15 so far. It’s a wonderful game.

Me with my new Star Wars: The Old Republic art book

I also received Genius Isolated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth, by IDW Publishing, which is the best book I’ve received all year. It is a beautifully made compilation of Toth’s early formative years as an artist, and it’s the first of three books to cover Toth’s career. It’s an exciting start to the series and I’m really looking forward to the subsequent volumes. The production on this hardcover book was just amazing and the material that the authors dug through and found to represent in this book was truly astounding, covering Toth’s formative work, both in comics and illustration. I highly recommend it. If you are an Alex Toth fan, you should also pick up my friend John Hitchcock’s book, which chronicles his correspondence and friendship with Toth in the later years of his life. It’s a real treasure. John is a master storyteller and if you’re ever lucky enough to hang out with him, you will see what I mean by that.

My Favorite Book in 2011: The Life and Art of Alex Toth

I was also happy to receive this Christmas card, postcard and trading card from our friend Kevin-Kim, TK-1023 in the German Garrison of the 501st. That was a nice surprise. (My son is in his new Star Wars pajamas from Santa).

My Gifts from 501st German Garrison Kevin-Kim, TK-1023

In other news, we’ve been working hard on updating my Facebook fan page. With the rate at which I’m getting friend requests on Facebook, I will have to split my time between my Facebook Fan Page and my Facebook personal page as I fear I will run out of spaces to add friends on my personal page. I do plan to maintain both, but please “Like” my Facebook Fan Page; we are working hard to get that page up to speed this year with decent graphics, contests, fan exclusives and more. We will be doing a Fan Page for my own creator-owned series The Wasted Lands and I will announce that here shortly.

In other news, I am very pleased with the traction my artist friend Dave DeVries is getting with his own creator-owned concept, The Monster Engine. His site went viral again this month overseas and people all over Asia and Europe are discovering him. This project is really deserving of a TV series, a movie and a videogame and I hope we see it happen in 2012.

Thanks, as always, for reading my post. I’m @DaveDorman on Twitter and I do respond to direct Tweets, and I’m an open networker on LinkedIn, so please connect with me there as well. I am happy to review your products online (tech, movie, books, comics, music, nerd and geek products are my sweet spot) and to do so, please write to WriteBrain Media, Attn: Denise Dorman, P.O. Box 417, Carpentersville, IL 60110 and put “Dave Dorman Blog Review” in the subject. If you need marketing, social media or PR advice, follow Denise @writebrainmedia on Twitter or “Like” her fan page at Facebook.com/WriteBrainMedia.

Dave.

Dave Dorman Christmas Card 2011

Merry Christmas from the Dormans!

Dave Dorman First Ever Star Wars Prints Exclusive Holiday Sale – $50 Until Midnight December 11th

Dear Friends,

As we approach the holidays, Star Wars enthusiasts (like me) always love a good deal, so I am offering you this rare opportunity to own Star Wars prints at a deep discount. The deadline is midnight on December 11th, as I want to ensure I can get these to you in time for Christmas. I have Artist Proofs of some of your most favorite pieces of my Star Wars art available, including some from the Star Wars Celebration shows. Most are $50, some are $30. All are signed by me, and identified as Artist Proofs. For an additional $20, you can request a remarque. Here’s the link to where you can purchase the prints:

http://www.davedorman.com/swholidaysale.shtml

Here’s what’s I’m offering you for a very limited time at a deep discount:

A Slight Disturbance in the Force on the Battlefield of Hoth

And this…

Lord Vader's Persuasion of the Outer Rim to Join the Empire

And this…

Incident on the Jundland Wastes, Tattoine

And this…

Rise of the Sith

And this…

In the Court of Jabba the Hut by Dave Dorman

And this…

Battle of Hoth

And this…

Dewback Patrol: Star Wars: A New Hope by Dave Dorman

And this…

Heroes of the Alliance by Dave Dorman

And this…

Smuggler's Moon by Dave Dorman

And this…

Tales of the Jedi by Dave Dorman

And this…

Legacy of the Jedi by Dave Dorman

And this…

Han Solo and Chewbacca by Dave Dorman

And this…

Leia as Boussh by Dave Dorman

And this…

Wedge Antilles by Dave Dorman

And this…

Darth Vader: Dynamic Forces Edition

ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer was focusing hard on finding Made in the U.S.A. holiday gifts. Well, here they are! And you can FEEL GOOD about giving these gifts – I’m giving back – 10% of all sales goes to non-profit USACares.org (helping military families in financial need) and 10% of all sales goes to non-profit Elgin Academy, a unique independent school with an amazing track record for academics and cultivating future leaders.

I thank you all in advance for your interest in my work. Here’s a link to my recent podcast interview on AlphaNerd in Tasmania, Australia:

http://www.alphanerd.me/?p=1188

I hope you enjoy it. They were a lot of fun to talk to and I hope to do some shows in Australia soon so I can have a pint with these guys at their local pub.

Merry Christmas to all of you from me.

Dave.

Just $50 Until Midnight on December 11th