TODAY'S FEATURED POST

The Idea Map

Wylie Beckert

The prevailing wisdom is that a painting starts with a sketch. My own methods are a little less direct; usually the beginning of one of my paintings looks something like this: I've found this sort of written concept exploration is damn near essential to making a good painting - first and foremost because it helps me avoid making the kind of rote images ("girl standing badassedly with sword; flames optional") with which the fantasy art…

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EVERYDAY ORIGINAL

Lover’s Eye Portrait: The Pale Man’s Eye

YESTERDAY’S POST

Image

The Argonath

Donato Giancola

July 2, 2025 - Last year I was approached by an art collector, Luca Schroeder, to see if I was interested in pursuing a new commission along the theme of The Argonath, a rendering of the Fellowship as they pass beneath two large statues flanking the River Anduin from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Given that I had not yet illustrated this moment from the novels, I was more than happy to explore and see what kind of composition and landscape we could arrive at as a solution.  As scale was a primary factor in conveying the immensity of these statues it likely meant for very small figures in the artwork. [caption id="attachment_81178" align="aligncenter" width="1227"] Abstracts, sketchbook,11" x 8.5" Watercolor Pencil and Chalk on Toned Paper[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_81152" align="aligncenter" width="1264"] Rough Drawing, sketchbook, 11" x 8.5"…

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