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.

Dave Dorman in Chicago Tribune Today

Dear Friends,

Thanks to all of you who came by my table yesterday at WindyCon. It’s very rewarding to get feedback from all of you on my work and it keeps me excited about the work I’m doing.

Today journalist Sarah Frink wrote an article on me in today’s Chicago Tribune about the odd jobs I held while trying to break into the business and learn my craft. Here’s the link to the article: http://trib.in/v8lxHz 

Of course, if you already read my memoir/art book, “Rolling Thunder, The Art of Dave Dorman,” by IDW Publishing/Desperado Publishing last year, you already know most of this story.  The book is now marked down to $20 for the regular version and $50 for the signed, limited edition version. These make great holiday gifts for that special person in your life who loves comic book art, sci-fi, fantasy and horror art, plus I included a lot of my personal fine art work in the book as well. Be sure to check it out if you don’t already own a copy!

I hope all of you are having a great Sunday. I’m back to the old drawing board today. If you want to connect with me on my social networks, here are my profiles:

http://facebook.com.davedormanartist | http://twitter.com/davedorman | http://linkedin.com/in/thedavedorman

Thanks for reading,

Dave.

Dave Dorman New Star Wars Crimson Empire Art, Horror Art, Some Studio Pictures and Some News

Dear Friends,

First off, here’s a video of the new SPECTRUM 18 book: My art is featured at about 2:18 and 5:18 in this video: http://bit.ly/uOTP3G

Also, here’s the new-on-the-retail shelves cover I did for the first new STAR WARS CRIMSON EMPIRE comic by DARK HORSE:

STAR WARS CRIMSON EMPIRE COVER ART By DAVE DORMAN

I got a nice review from Geeks of Doom, which you can see here: http://bit.ly/rSyjuC

I hope some of you are coming out to the “MALEFICIUM” multimedia horror art show at Kosart Effects Studios & Gallery on Saturday night in Westmont, IL – a Chicago western suburb. It is on the order of more of a New York show with the caliber of talent involved, so we hope to see some of you there. I did a fun new horror piece here below, and in keeping with my sense of humor, I did a little “Rocky and Bullwinkle” thing with the title, which I am calling  “The Portrait of an Artist as a  Tortured Soul ,” or: “Cthulu! Gesundheit!”

Cthulu: Gesundheit! by Dave Dorman Oil and Acrylic on Canvas

Okay, here are some goofy pictures of a quick walk down to my “Dave Cave,” a.k.a. my studio. We have a house built into a hill, so we have a walkout basement, and I have taken the entire basement over as my studio. It’s sort of like a “garden apartment” with a lot of light coming in the windows, which are above ground. I didn’t stage any of this, just took some impromptu pictures, so forgive the mess. More pictures to come, but I really must clean some of the mess before I go posting them on the web.

Here’s what you see when you come down the basement stairs. My wife and I are big fans of BBC comedy League of Gentlemen, hence the Royston Vasey signage. At the foot of the stairs is a piece that brings me a lot of joy, a Star Wars painting by my friend Christopher Moeller. On the right you’ll see the hint of my Rocketeer cut-out, which was a character created by a dear friend, the late, great artist Dave Stevens.

Entrance to the Dave Cave...Beware!

When you get to the bottom of the stairs, here’s what you’ll see – my treasured autographs from 501st Members from around the world that I gathered during Star Wars Celebration shows. It brings me a lot of joy to see these every day.

You Are Now in the Dave Cave...

Another Viewpoint of the Entrance to the Dave Cave

My father-in-law built me all of these wonderful built-in shelves and I really use them. You’ll see there’s a “Dog Fight” game on my shelf. My brother Jeff and I played this game as kids. We were never allowed to keep our toys as we were military brats, always moving from base to base and having to give up all of our toys. I saw this one day on eBay and I HAD. TO. HAVE. IT. Now I’m addicted to toys, and intent on keeping every toy I have. Sometimes I share with my son, but not always.

Here are some paintings you may recognize to the right wall walking toward my great room of the Dave Cave. The cleavage painting in latex on the right is for sale. Make me an offer.

Right Hallway of the Dave Cave, Leading Into the Great Room

Here is the wall to the left, walking down that same hallway.

Crimson Empire Cover Art Rests on the Left-Side Hallway Wall

Captain America v. Darth Vader

Dear Friends,

This Captain America v. Darth Vader image has been toying with my mind for a while, so this week, I decided to paint it. Let me know what you think. Perhaps I should title it S&P v. America?!?

A WizardWorld Chicago 2011 Exclusive, I will be premiering this painting for the public this weekend for the very first time. The paint is barely dry!This piece is oil & acrylic on canvas and 18″ x 36″. I will post progressives on my blog, probably after WizardWorld so you can see the process.

As always, thanks for reading!

The Darth Vader v. Captain America Battle in My Mind's Eye

Dave Dorman Progressive ZOMBIE ART

 

http://www.VinniePenn.net

Dear Friends,

Sorry it’s been a while, but I’ve been very busy painting. Yes, I’m working on the Dark Horse Star Wars Crimson Empire cover art, plus a ‘Droid Hunt piece for the 501st Midwest Garrison, plus I recently completed this piece below, including the logo design.

Project Description: This is book cover art for my friend, New Haven, CT Clear Channel deejay/author Vinnie Penn, who wrote a really fun zombie tale that takes place in Connecticut, my mother’s home state.

Art Direction: Denise Dorman, WriteBrain Media

Logo Design: Dave Dorman

Here are my art progressives for your perusal and comments:

My Digital Prelim Rough with Comp Colors

 

Dave Dorman Pencil Art for DJZom-B

My 1st Layer of Underpainting

2nd Layer of Underpainting for DJ Zom-B Book Cover

Details Are Becoming More Defined

 

Me, Happy With the Art So Far…

More Detailing, Painting Nearly Done

Vinnie Penn Asked Me to Do a Marvel-Like Logo Design

Final Cover Art with Logo for DJZom-B

Thanks for checking out my art, and as always, for being supportive of my career. Let me know what you think. Also, a special thanks to author F. Paul Wilson for his great lecture the other night at the Cook Memorial Library in Libertyville, IL. Denise & I really enjoyed seeing you again.

DAVE

Follow me on Twitter: @DaveDorman

Photo Album from Last Weekend at Blick Art Materials

 

The Last Public Appearance of This Painting - Sold to George Lucas

Me Sketching the Inside Cover of My New Book, Using Photo Reference from my iPhone

Dear Friends,

I just wanted to share some quick pictures from last weekend at Blick Art Materials in Wheaton, IL. I thank all of you from the 501st Midwest Garrison as well as the fans and friends who helped me celebrate the launch of my new book, ROLLING THUNDER: THE ART OF DAVE DORMAN, including Kevin Sandstrom, Mike Reisner, Chris Spice, Jim Tampa, J. Anthony Kosar, Ian and Cynthia Narcisi and Dr. G. Here are photos, courtesy of Jim Tampa, from this past Saturday:

The 501st Await Our Arrival

My Crew of Friends Who Came Out to Support Me

My 501st Midwest Garrison Friends Last Saturday

My Son Loves Drawing Just As Much As I Do.

Dave Dorman's Blick Signing: A Family Affair

I’d like to give you a brief rundown of my friends pictured above. James Tampa is the art director at Medallion Press and Medallion Music. Kevin Sandstrom is the store manager for Blick Art Material in Wheaton. J. Anthony Kosar is a gifted artist and sculptor whose recent Blago mask is THE mask to buy in Chicago for Halloween and has garnered a lot of TV coverage. Ian Narcisi is an uber-talented musician and song writer whose new album launches soon. Cynthia Narcisi is a Lucasfilm-licensed artist who is doing terrific work in the field of yoga in addition to her whimsical children’s illustrations. Be sure to follow her on Twitter and FaceBook. She and Ian took a trip to India this past year for 3 weeks that really taught me the important life lesson of following my muse.

Thanks for taking the walk down memory lane with me and thank you to James Tampa for sharing these photos with us.

I’ll have a major announcement tomorrow, so be sure to stop back in for a visit.

Thanks,

Dave.

From Dave Dorman’s Private Collection: BATMAN for SALE

Dear Friends,

Thank you for all of the great comments and interest in my step-by-step art process from yesterday’s blog. I’ll be doing more of those since you really seem to like seeing the process.

As I mentioned yesterday, here is the Batman I have up for sale:

 

BATMAN by DAVE DORMAN, From My Private Collection, Now on Sale

 

This piece is considered one of my more iconic Batman paintings, done in oil on illustration board.  I am asking $5,000 for this painting, and here is the link where you may purchase it, on the Comic Art Fans site: http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=637327&GSub=78979

Let me know what you all think of it. It will be like losing a piece of me to see this go, and my wife and son are none too happy to see it go, but these are very strange times indeed.

Thanks for reading,

Dave.

My Tori Amos Art

Dear Friends,

As promised earlier, I am posting my Tori Amos art. Every once in a while, I’m asked to get involved in a charity, and since I really enjoy Tori’s art — her wonderfully ethereal and original music — I wanted to give back for the enjoyment she’s given her legion of fans for many years.

Both of these original pieces were done as oil and acrylic on illustration board for Tori’s organization, R.A.I.N.N., which stands for the “Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.” Both of these pieces were for calendars she does to raise money and awareness for her organization. The first piece, which is the winter scene, I did to show the contrast between the warmth of her red hair against the brittle cold of a winter forest.

Dave Dorman's Tori Amos Portrait for Her R.A.I.N.N. Calendar-December

The next piece came as the result of me playing around with the spelling of the name Scarlet, her alter ego, and how I would work that into a sign. I thought of New Orleans and their many trolley “Car Stop” signs, and it inspired me to do this piece, which also appeared in her calendar. This original 12″ x 18″ painting I still have in my possession, so if anyone has a serious interest, I’m asking $5,000 for this treasured piece.

Dave Dorman's 2nd Tori Amos Portrait for her R.A.I.N.N. Calendar

This next piece of text I pulled directly off of their Web site, but it if helps to raise awareness or bring them money, I’m sure they’ll let me take this liberty:

VOTE every day from now through September 30th and help RAINN win $250,000 through the Pepsi Refresh Project. Your vote will allow us to bring our Online Hotline to Spanish-speaking victims!

You can vote 3x a day, every day in September.

Vote Online: www.refresheverything.com/rainn

Vote by text: text 102552 to 73774

Vote through Facebook: install the app once at www.refresheverything.com/rainn and vote from Facebook

Let me know what you think of this art – it’s a little different from what you’re used to seeing me do, so I’m always curious as to how people receive it. This art is also in my new book, Rolling Thunder: The Art of Dave Dorman, so be sure to check it out on Amazon or in your local Borders & Barnes & Noble bookstores. It’s 5 pounds and 326 pages of art and my life’s memoirs, so quite a unique book, great as a gift for Sweetest Day, birthdays, holidays or just as a way to give yourself a rare treat in a bummer economy.

Thanks for reading,

Dave.

PROGRESS MADE ON MY HORROR PAINTING

I hope everyone’s having a good Monday night. Did you all enjoy the Oscars? I could really have done without the people standing on stage waxing poetic about each nominee, the entire dance segment and the fact that no film clips were shown during one of my favorite awards – “Best Cinematography.” Maybe that’s the artist in me, and no one else cares, but for me, the cinematography makes the film. Of course, my choice for “Best Film” was “District 9,” and we sort of knew it wasn’t going to win, but we still held on to some hope of it until the fat lady sang.

As some of you may recall, I started a painting during a charity event for WildClaw Theatre, my favorite horror theater group in Chicago. They held an event called “Dance of the Demented” with a live deejay, live models, a burlesque show and more. For the artists who attended along with me, it was a lot of fun. So I started this painting, and I’m making progress and I just wanted to show you where I am since you last saw it, so here it is:

And here is a closer shot of the main character:

Dave Dorman's Demented Painting,XCU

I hope you all were able to check out the course I’m teaching in San Diego this summer, Comix Academy, along with my friends Scott Hampton, Christopher Moeller, John vanFleet and Durwin Talon, with a special guest appearance from Mike Mignola. If you can join us, sign up now because seating is limited and the price goes up April 30th.

This weekend I will be at MegaCon in Orlando, and for my Florida friends, fans and colleagues, I look forward to reconnecting with all of you there. If there’s anything in particular you see for sale on my site that you would like me to bring along so you can see it in person, please let me know.

I hope you all have a great week. I will post more art as I make more progress.

Thanks for reading,

Dave.