illustration – Page 8 – K. M. Alexander

Page 8 of 8

November 19, 2013November 19, 2013

Fan Art Highlight – Heath Lewis

In my discussion with readers the subject of the dauger has come up a lot. They seem to be a favorite race in The Stars Were Right and there is a great deal of fascination surrounding their culture, their masks, and what lies underneath. With that sort of interest already in the community I was stoked to see illustrator Heath Lewis take a crack at how he perceives the dauger. His drawings of the masks, the subtle art-deco flair, the rendering of the metal, are not only amazingly well done, but a really cool envisioning of the race.

Along with those character explorations, Heath has also done a few more illustrations of the various styles of masks as well. I really like seeing these side by side. Which is your favorite?

Okay… there’s also one last thing: If you have finished The Stars Were Right, then I would also encourage you to take a look at his drawing of the villain. It’s kind of spoilery so to be safe I am going to hide it behind a link, but it’s seriously amazing: CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Seeing creations like this is one of the things I love most about being a storyteller. I might write the words but it’s the imagination of the readers that make them real. A heartfelt thanks to Heath for spending his time doing this. You can see more of his work at his project Wowley Heck, or contact him at: heathlewis.com. He is available for freelance work, and is always looking for commissions, so consider him if you’re looking for illustrations on your own project. The man has serious skills.

So what do you think? Does Heath’s vision of the dauger match with the dauger in your mind? Would you draw them differently? Are they perfect as-is? Hash it out in the comments! I’d love to hear what you think.

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Do you have some fan art you want to share? I’m going to keep highlighting art from The Stars Were Right fans and readers and would love to share it with everyone! If you have any fan art submissions please email them to me at: hello@kmalexander.com with the subject line: “Stars Fan Art Highlight.” Include any links to a website showing your work so I can share that as well and let me know if people can buy your piece/prints/etc.

November 5, 2013

John Kenn’s Monsters

This work is just way too awesome not to show you guys. Make sure you click to see it all enormous. It’s incredibly detailed and a little bit creepy. Check out more of John Kenn’s work here. He has an Edward Gorey vibe I really dig.

Okay, now back to work…

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October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

Fan Art Highlight – Sean Cumiskey

The Shopkeep and the Umbra by Sean Cumiskey — “The Shopkeep and the Umbra” by Sean Cumiskey

Do yourself a favor and click on the image above or click here and see this illustration larger. It needs to be see at full resolution. This piece of fan art comes from Sean Cumiskey and is entitled “The Shopkeep and the Umbra” and as you can see it’s incredible.

His attention to detail within this piece is astounding and the charcoal style really captures the mood of the prologue. (Which you can read right over here.) Note the reverse name of “Russel & Sons Optics” in the window, the way the umbra is holding the straight razor, the details and highlights in Thad’s eyes, and even the rain on the windows. It’s so well done!

Huge thanks to Sean! I love seeing readers artistic interpretations of Stars. Make sure you check out more of Sean’s work at his website: seancumiskey.com. Sean is also available for freelance projects and commissions. As you can see he’s incredibly talented.

Here’s a video showing how he created this scene. Make sure you view it full screen and in HD:

Let me know what you think of “The Shopkeep and the Umbra” in the comments! Does it match with your imagination? What’s your favorite part?

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I’m going to keep highlighting art from “The Stars Were Right” fans and readers and sharing it with everyone! If you have any fan art submissions please email them to me at: hello@kmalexander.com with the subject line: “Stars Fan Art Highlight.” Include any links to a website showing your work so I can share that as well and let me know if people can buy your piece/prints/etc.

October 4, 2013

Art Highlight: Josh Montreuil

The above image (click to see it larger) comes from my best friend and one of my favorite illustrators: Josh Montreuil. Last Christmas my wife commissioned him to draw the cast of “The Stars Were Right” as a surprise gift for me and he did a fantastic job. Wouldn’t you agree?

As writer I love seeing the different ways people interpret these characters. I posted this piece before, and as I said last year there’s a lot going on that I really like: Wal’s tattoos, to Samantha’s robes, Josh’s take on Wensem, and even the details in the world around the cast: from the open sewer to the strange writing on the storefront window.

Josh Montreuil is available for commissions, check out more of his work at his blog.

I really want this to become a weekly series. So I plan on starting to highlight art from “The Stars Were Right” fans and readers and sharing it with all of you! If you have any submissions please email them to me at: hello@kmalexander.com with the subject line: “Stars Art Highlight.” Include any links to a website showing your work so I can share that as well and let me know if people can buy your piece/prints/etc.

February 12, 2013

beauty in the mundane

I saw this project over on Swiss Miss and I had to share. Windows of New York is a weekly illustration project by José Guizar and I absolutely love it. There’s a peace to be gained browsing the site and seeing how much attention to detail is spent recreating mundane objects most of us take for granted. There’s a beauty there. It makes me wonder how many things I walk or drive past on a daily basis that are often forgotten; bits of beauty that remain unnoticed.

You can follow Windows of New York on Twitter.