MAHARSHI DAKSHIN - AN EPIC SAGA OF A CELESTIAL SAGE

Final artwork for Maharshi Dakshin - An Epic Saga of a Celestial Sage

Article coming soon!

Please visit maharshidakshin.com for more info!

ASH COSTELLO - THE ONE TRUE HARLEY QUINN

The final completed piece of Ash Costello in The One True Harley Quinn

   Embarking upon any new project, I often recognize that things are going to take a turn for the more elaborate somewhere along the way. Admittedly, when I contacted Ash Costello in early Spring of 2016 about creating a custom piece for her, my original vision, while not modest, was something I figured I could pull off in a few months. Surely a portrait/montage of her performing, much like my previous Black Veil Brides pieces would be the right idea.

Was I wrong... thankfully!

    And why I would think, for one moment, that the incomparable Ash Costello deserved anything less than a creation that spanned well over a year and spoke directly to and about her as an artist?

    So when Ash accepted and answered my inquiry with the suggestion of creating a Harley Quinn themed piece, it made obvious sense. It immediately allowed my imagination to run more freely and not be constrained by the trappings of a standard portrait- collage style.

  The good thing was that all the while, my original intention was to create something that communicated the visual "duality" or two sides of Ash as Harley Quinn, naturally divided visually due to her (as well as interpretations of Harley's) trademark red and black "half head" hair.  For one side of her I would choose a reference image that was intense and angry while the other more seductive and satisfied. Those references came rather easily, as I employed an earlier, intense close up photoshoot Ash had done as the inspiration for the piece.

   However, I began to struggle with how to create a two sided portrait with two entirely different expressions.  If both sides were placed against one another, the effect would look completely unnatural.  In order to do this effectively, I conceived splitting the two halves with some sort of imagery up the middle. Initially the concept was a tear, or some visual effect inherit to Harley's erratic and diabolical nature. None of them really worked. I struggled for a very long time attempting to decide how and what to do, and I must admit, there was a point where I began to question the concept altogether.

Side by Side comparison of Left Side artwork to reference photo. 

 Regardless of the overall concept challenge, I got to work immediately on the left side - facing observer - portrait, or the red side of Ash as Harley.  Here I cold concentrate immediately on Ash's portraiture and likeness, which required less of my imaginative skills versus the technical.  Often my art works this way. When I'm not able to conceive something fresh or innovative to the piece, I will work on areas that require little to no imagination. In other words I am replicating a skin texture, an eyeball, shadowing or worst of all, hair!

  The difference this time, to my portraiture in the past, was that I wanted to create the most photo-realistic painting I had done to date, all the way down to the most minute skin texturing. I intended the final effect, when art was put side by side to the original reference photo, to appear nearly identical.

  So painting began and proceeded rather smoothly and quickly on the "left box/right side" of Ash.  In order to recreate her skin texture and Harley's "New 52" style makeup, I worked at an extremely close level, painting textures and lines that, are nearly impossible to pick up from afar.  I added three streaks of smeared eye makeup as well as the indicative Joker smile, smears and streaks due to stress and sweat.  All the while, building a story behind the imagery.  This hyper-detail, while tedious, was exactly the look I was hoping to create.  The "Left Side" would be far more menacing, tougher, harder... I wasn't concerned with making Ash's skin texture smooth, as I wanted the makeup to convey the erratic and unpredictable nature of Harley Quinn in the midst of some taxing conflict.  The left side would contradict the right, and neither would need to be consistent, creating a frantic, broken series of moments.

   During the time, I continued to conceive ways to create the full composition.  It began to dawn on me that the subject matter presented the perfect opportunity to create something more authentic to the character of Harley Quinn, while playing off of the real life persona of Ash Costello.  Instead of just a split view of two separate close ups of Ash, a middle panel could present an opportunity to do a full bodied portrait in an an immersive environment.  Once this idea came to fruition, it made complete sense to create a three panel comic book style and an illustrated story excerpt for the entire piece.

  One of my first homages in the work to Ash Costello's career and influence, was a cleverly conceived means of recreating the New Years Day band logo, to which Ash is the popular group's extraordinary front woman.  Having no prior concept to do so, I thought it may be a great idea to recreate her hand holding a weapon of Harley Quinn's greatest foe, one of the Batman's Batarangs.  Upon the Batarang, inscribed in the (perceived) blood of Batman himself is written New Years Day. Ash's hand was actually created by taking a photo of my own hand in the position I wanted and illustrating it side by side. It took nearly three weeks alone to recreate every texture, crease, fingerprint, nail and tattoo, utilizing a number of textured brushes as well as entirely hand rendering and painting every single detail.

   With the left side panel primarily completed, I now began to turn my attention to the center panel, where I had concluded to create the full bodied portrait of Ash amidst a backdrop of Gotham City.  The first order of business was to recreate Ash's likeness and physique from reference. At the same time, I researched the "New 52" version of Harley Quinn, selected the outfit I wished to recreate her in, and began illustrating this portrait, which from top to bottom would take nearly four months to accomplish.

Ash's Harley Quinn, prior to adding face makeup, against the backdrop of Wayne Tower and the Bat Signal.

   The setting in which Ash's Harley would exist, took some time to conceive, where often I had a clear mind's-eye for what I wanted, yet couldn't quite materialize.  At one point, I had her at street level, in a narrow alley, with flashing police lights behind.  However, I quickly realized the perspective of this shot left a lot to be desired, with the walls of the facing buildings taking up far to much visual space in a very mundane way.  I often became discouraged at this stage, still concentrating on Ash's portrait, which took a great deal of time and effort to recreate small wardrobe details like buttons, lace and leather seams.

   Then I recalled, that I had started another piece some years prior, of Batman,  in which I had begun to develop a Gotham City backdrop.  The centerpiece would be Wayne Tower, of which I had partially completed.  I was confident, that this Batman art wasn't something I planned to finish any time soon, so I basically transported the background from there to this one!  From the vantage point and perspective of the city behind Ash, I wanted to place her up higher than ground level, so I conceived that she would be standing upon a rooftop with a short wall backdrop.  From there, I started to illustrate other buildings, some in foreground, that would make for a central storyline for the entire artwork.

Fire and smoke, created by airbrushing with various levels of color and brush effects

One of the most dramatic highlights of this central panel, which was now starting to take shape, would be the destruction of two of the main focal point buildings directly behind Ash's Harley.  I began rendering fire and smoke pouring from several building windows, eventually adding more and more until these structures were entirely engulfed. This work, of course, would be the responsibility of one Ms. Harley Quinn, and having some current vendetta for which she felt the need to send a message, setting an entire block of the city ablaze.

Nearly completed center panel prior to the addition of dialogue bubbles.

   The story behind this art was really starting to take shape. I would begin to question, how might I be able to correlate Ash Costello to Harley Quinn in the tale this piece was trying to tell?  I began to conceive that maybe Ash Costello was indeed the ACTUAL Harley Quinn, and while others were out there, they might be posing as her, and that, retribution for such was necessary.  Hence the idea behind "The One True Harley Quinn", which would eventually become the title of the piece.  On panel one, I had created a seething, angry Ash, who would be appalled by the fact that another were claiming to be her.  The middle panel would pan out, to reveal her actions taken, to apprehend the imposter and show her malice through destruction. Finally, the third panel would show Ash satisfied, cunning and resolute, where she would reveal the final play in her story.  So, in effect - conflict, action, resolution!  These tenants of storytelling translated perfectly, and while I hoped that the imagery would speak for itself, I realized that, while I am creating a comic book icon, I should turn the entire piece into a three panel comic, complete with dialogue.

This new idea led to the addition of the "other" Harley Quinn, to whom Ash would be referring to throughout the story, and would have apprehended.  I thought it would be clever to illustrate Margot Robbie as the "other" Harley Quinn character, in her reminiscent attire from the DC Suicide Squad film.  This was a difficult pose to create, as she would be hunched up, knocked out and in captivity. To further enhance the Ash Costello tie-ins, I conceived that, the means of bondage would be a microphone, who's cable would wrap around the wrists and ankles of her captive.

Months went on, illustrating and rendering more and more details and "Easter Eggs", which my recent work had become noteworthy for.  I added newspapers under Ash's custom NYD (New Year's Day) steel adorned thigh high boots, further creating the storyline.  To homage New Years Day even further, the story itself would take place on New Years Eve, where coincidentally, the band would be ushering in the year end festivities, which would culminate in a massive fireworks display over Gotham.  Of course, Ash would be taking this opportunity to create her own fireworks display, by not only setting the Narrows ablaze, capturing the "false" Harley Quinn, but taking out the Caped Crusader as well!

Depiction of a captured "Margot Robbie's" Harley Quinn.

  The completion of the center panel was truly an accomplishment, as I had labored countless hours trying to conceive a way to illustrate the idea I had floating around my head for a very long time. With some extra added touches, I was on to the final panel, which again, would be less about conceiving more story, but more about completing Ash Costello's likeness again, just with a different expression.

  This method, part concept and creative while part technical and mechanical, really helped to keep the project moving forward.  While nothing was. nor ever is "easier", being able to bounce back and forth between the big creative ideas and experimentation one day, while faithfully recreating imagery or rendering textures the other, provided a diversity of applications and a break from either one or the other.   To be entirely honest, as a conceptual artist, some days you have it and others you might not.  Coming up with clever ideas happen in big Eureka moments, so when they aren't revealing themselves, the things that need to get done help to keep the project constantly going.

Homage to both Joker and Jimmy Trigger, Ash Costello's husband.

   

BLACK VEIL BRIDES "FROM KNIVES AND PENS TO A LEGACY"

The completed From Knives and Pens to a Legacy

     In late December of 2014, I began to conceive a new and ambitious project inspired by and for the renowned rock band the Black Veil Brides, as well as their ever-devoted fan base - the BVB Army. At the time, I had absolutely no idea how life-encompassing the artwork would become, nor the magnitude of the reception it would generate over the course of it's creation.

     The completion of From Knives and Pens to a Legacy finally came, nearly four years later in September of 2018. Four years of my life, (more or less the majority of my creative time), was dedicated to researching, developing, sketching, painting, networking and advertising, what would eventually become the ultimate tribute art to one of today's most beloved acts in rock.  It's finish marked an end to what felt like an era, touching off a wide range of emotions that, to this day I still feel with the same intensity almost a year ago.

    While on one hand I was ecstatic to finally step back and realize the art in it's entirety, I was also deeply melancholy. I was leaving behind, with no further need nor desire for embellishment, an intense relationship with what I considered (and still do), my greatest artistic achievement to date.  Without want to be over-dramatic, creating From Knives and Pens to a Legacy was, in all honesty, a monumental effort. And while I contemplated how many more stories this art could have continued to tell through it's details, homages and Easter eggs,  I simply had to be able to say... STOP.

   Throughout From Knives and Pens to a Legacy's course were numerous stalls for reasons both personal and professional, some that spanned weeks into months.  There were other all-consuming projects and diversions. Those of note: A project labeled The One True Harley Quinn created for Ash Costello, which took well over a year on it's own to complete. A satirical piece titled Ronnie Wants You! - created for Ronnie Radke and Falling In Reverse. An album cover contest entry for Motionless in White's Graveyard Shift. And finally, my first actual album cover created for Jacky Vincent's Life Imitating Art. All told each and every piece took incredible amounts of imagination, energy and dedication - and so, amidst From Knives and Pens to a Legacy, which sometimes forged and other times dragged endlessly on, I persisted.

     It seems looking back, even to others, that these works just occurred easily.  They did not. Often I advise and console other creatives, especially those with grand compositions in mind and meticulous techniques to get them there, that the creative block, while dreadful, is a natural occurrence and necessary to the process as a whole.  I went through many of these creative blocks on From Knives and Pens to a Legacy, some so intense the mere thought of sitting down to it made me nauseous. During some very long spans, I couldn't even bring myself to approach the art let alone paint a simple stroke. The cure to this ill came in two parts.

    The first and greatest benefactor to completing From Knives and Pens to a Legacy was sharing my progress of the piece on social media platforms.  That progress was always exciting to reveal, since many parts of the massive collage, adorned with details (some obvious, others subtle), could be completely independent works, telling a story entirely on their own. This technique - creating a portion of the art that stood on its own in order to share with fans, was a way of feeling accomplished for a short period of time until inspiration and imagination reignited to continue forward.

   Originally, From Knives & Pens to a Legacy's concept was rather modest.  I wanted to create a piece that featured the entire band in the midst of a live performance. The thought was, that opposed to the vertical oriented portraits of BVB, I would do this piece as a landscape, allowing a wider, panoramic perspective, much like an actual stage would.  This, of course, changed rather quickly.

Fallen Angels; these guardians of Ash, Jinxx and Jake.

  If you've read a prior article on my site, CREATING THE BLACK VEIL BRIDES BVB ARMY ARTWORK, you would have discovered the intent behind the conception of this piece as well as what inspired it. In that article, I mentioned the incredible experience of 2014. A gift to my wife Gayle spawned the creation of portrait collages for each of the band's members. We were honored to present and gift the art to BVB prior to a show on our Anniversary at The House of Blues, Walt Disney World. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience!

  And yet, throughout that year and continuing through to present day, one of the most satisfying experiences was and is, my introduction to so many good and passionate people that took real honest to goodness interest in my work of The Black Veil Brides.

  While I will not recount the details covered in that previous article, I would like to take some time to pay homage to those people - offering my heartfelt thanks to YOU - my extended family, friends and supporters... the entire BVB ARMY.


                                                                    • FOR THE BVB ARMY •

  I assume anyone reading this knows what the BVB Army is, but allow me to reflect from my own perspective.  Imagine the most intensely, loyal collection of fans you'll find anywhere and multiply that by the thousands and you're only coming close to what the BVB Army is.  The Army, millions strong, is an eclectic collection of all sorts of people - of all different ages, from all different walks of life. What is truly inspiring about their makeup is twofold.

BVB dedication to Chris Holley is one of several. 

  Many younger fans have been introduced and inspired by this genre of music through The Black Veil Brides - who can be explained as a band having one foot planted firmly in the alternative rock (insert sub-category here) scene of today while the other rests comfortably in the nostalgic glam and thrash metal scene of yesterday. The latter attracts the more mature fans - that number far more than you might think - to a group that made an indelible impact into re-introducing image and presentation, searing riffs, screaming solos, crushing dual-base beats and melodic, memorable choruses back into the current rock scene.

  In the midst of creating From Knives and Pens to a Legacy, I felt an overwhelming sense that I had to honor this fanbase in some special way. As the piece developed, I had planned for a fan section, albeit a traditional crowd, which naturally, would be turned toward the action and away from the viewer.  This didn't truly solve the issue and while I did create the foreground pit crowd, with plenty of homages, it wasn't as personal a dedication as I had envisioned.



                                                                      • ENTER THE "VIPs" •

  Then something struck me that would change the trajectory of the art completely. However, considering the idea meant adding months of work and asking for a level of collaboration that would require fans - the BVB Army, to be directly involved.  I thought it might be a really awesome touch if many of the people that supported me throughout this endeavor as well as BVB family and VIPs could in some way be included in the art.  That was when the "backstage" idea took flight.

   I thought, how cool might it be, if I could make it seem like there was a special VIP section backstage, where a collection of ACTUAL BVB Army - the fans themselves, could express their love for the band, while I expressed my gratitude back for their support and love for my work!  Logistically, it would be a real challenge.

The Biersacks, the Pitts, and the Ceras together in the VIP section.

  The first of which was... who should I include?  Sure, there were many I already had a spot for, the "BVB Brass" - the families and partners of the band members themselves, but how about making the majority of this section just for the fans?

   Then something else dawned on me. What if I began a series of contests in order to randomly pick BVB Army members to be included in the artwork?  This would make the selection of those lucky enough to win a spot, fair! Surely I could only include handfuls of the millions-strong, however, those that entered would all get an opportunity to be in this VIP section, cheering on their beloved Black Veil Brides, just as if they were at the actual "show"!


I knew I was on to a really great idea, one that would involve and invite so many more people along on this journey I had chosen to take.  Still, the idea of illustrating and rendering dozens more faces and somehow creating them to look like they were at the show was going to be daunting. And quite frankly, it was, yet all the more worth the entire endeavor "In the End"!

  Upon the first call for contestants, I knew this was going to be an undertaking all onto it's own.  Hundreds of fans entered as over a dozen individual contests were run for BVB Army members to join the VIP section.  With each announcement of winners, several were chosen. The response was overwhelming and ecstatic.  It transformed creating From Knives and Pens to a Legacy from a personal project into an ACTUAL fan-inspired event!


  Each winner would be asked to pose with their BVB gear on, acting as if they were cheering or looking generally pleased to be at this once in a lifetime BVB "show."  This was of course, another huge challenge.  Not only was I, essentially a stranger asking other strangers to send me photos of themselves, but I would also need to faithfully recreate their likenesses from, at times, low resolution selfies where many had a hard time pretending to act excited.  This was not easy to say the least and at times, I went through several revisions to recreate the likenesses enough to please the winners!



All told, the VIP section includes fourty-two portraits, and one of a very special pup. The addition extended From Knives and Pens to a Legacy by nearly four months! Within the backstage crowd, thirteen members are front row VIP, including the Biersack family, the Pitts family, the Cera Family, Mama Jinxx, Moggy Katz and Anna Sherman with the late, great Callie Coma.

All of the participants were so entirely gracious and appreciative for the opportunity to appear on From Knives and Pens to a Legacy and were I able to have found more room I may have considered adding to the VIP section. With some, I had the opportunity to share personal stories, especially their love for the Black Veil Brides and the work I was doing. It was an incredibly special moment in time, where I knew that my creative abilities were speaking directly to so many. I wouldn't trade the experience in a million years, and I thank, from the bottom of my heart, each and every one of you who attended the greatest Black Veil Brides show ever - From Knives and Pens to a Legacy!

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE ALBUM COVER CONTEST

Entering contests has never been my bag. Yet, when I was informed that Motionless In White motionlessinwhite.net , one of my favorite contemporary bands was holding a contest to create the cover for their upcoming fourth album Graveyard Shift, I jumped at the opportunity! The contest, hosted by Creative Allies creativeallies.com (contest - miw.creativeallies.com ) and judged by the band themselves, opens the doors for hundreds of artists and creative people looking to break into a very difficult industry.

The creative idea for my entry was to tell a story without words, that exemplified MIW's macabre, gothic metalcore style. As opposed to utilizing their logo in a standard format, I wanted to actually involve it within the artwork, making it part of the story itself. My concept happens upon a graveyard at midnight, where someone has intentionally unearthed something of terrifying nature from the fiery depths below. As with all of my work I enjoy homaging my subject in subtle ways, as shown upon the gravestone at top left appears the name Abigail - the fourth title off MIW's first album Creatures and the subject of the intentions of the would be gravedigger. Where the title Graveyard Shift can be taken literally, possibly a scorned cemetery keeper working the overnight or a non-literal shift - a change - that erupts from the graveyard itself.

Nearly a month of intense day to day work digitally illustrating and hand painting each and every nuance, blade of grass and detail has resulted in the above. I'm honored to be among a wide variety artists whose submissions are nothing short of incredible. I wish all who have entered the very best of luck!

Below is the link to my submission on Creative Allies:

http://woobox.com/zv5z6c/gallery/tkUw8jKqCr8

- Russ

CREATING THE BLACK VEIL BRIDES BVB ARMY ARTWORK!

Our Anniversary with the Black Veil Brides! Pictured are my wife Gayle and daughter Juliet! 

  Recently I decided to do a Question & Answer blog based on submissions regarding the progress of my current art project of The Black Veil Brides.  This piece is intended for possible distribution to the BVB Army, with part of it's proceeds going to a charity. A big Thank You to all of you that submitted questions and I hope this answers some of the who, what, when, where and why I'm doing this.  Please follow me on Twitter or Instagram @rceracreations for the latest updates on this artwork and pass the word along, share, retweet... help support me making this artwork available to you, the BVB Army and all Black Veil Brides fans alike!

Progress on LEGION as of 9.1.2015. 

• What inspired you to do this piece and what are your intentions with it?

Early progress on Legion's face

   In 2014, I created a series of Black Veil Brides portraits intended exclusively for the band members themselves and/or their immediate families.  These portraits were considered "fan-art" as opposed to being officially licensed and therefore were not available nor intended for public distribution.  Many fans and followers inquired about how to acquire one or more of these pieces, to which I had to decline due to the reasons above.

   In response while in the midst of that project, I had a brief discussion with Chris Biersack about the possibility of creating a separate piece, that I hoped to propose to management, as an officially licensed poster intended this time for the BVB Army (official fans of BVB) with part of it's proceeds going toward a charity of the band's choice. Upon contacting management, we (myself and wife Gayle) were given the green light to photograph the band during performance and further given a loose game plan for the project. As it stands, upon completion of the art, I am asked to again approach an opportunity with management to offer this artwork officially in some way or another to the public.  The artwork is being created at a standard wall poster size (24" x 36") yet it can be reproduced on any material at an even larger size, say for a banner or wall mural.

The background wall and logos with textures begun inside of the Photoshop environment.

• Can you share the concept and some details for this piece?

   Basically, the piece is intended as a sort of cornucopia of all things Black Veil Brides past, present and future, homaging their career, personal lives and legacy. The theme will resonate that which Black Veil Brides has always stood for - rising up, standing strong in the face of adversity or oppression, celebrating individuality... being different. Focal point background we have Legion presiding over a performance of the Black Veil Brides below within a massive post-apocalyptic deserted monument. (Legion sits it the same position on throne as does Abraham Lincoln within the Lincoln Memorial).  Accompanying him are a host of recognizable allies and adversaries both real and imagined; fans, family members, objects, imagery, maybe even a couple notorious pets here and there! The scene pays homage to the settings, concepts and artwork of Richard Villa III's album and singles artwork as well as key imagery from videos and tours over the span of BVB's career.  Five "Fallen Angels" each a (non-literal) representative to the members of the group, act as stewards ushering in their entrance.  Several details will be indicative of each of the band's members and many fans should recognize those things both hidden and apparent!

The humble beginnings to CC's "Flying Drums" 

  One of the really interesting details I will share is the concept for CC's drum kit! As we all know CC has spoken on past occasion of taking things to another level.  We will in fact be taking his kit to another level by being the first of it's kind - a sort of hovering craft platform. Yes, CC's drum kit will fly! Amidst the destruction and rubble below one might also look for many more interesting details.   I would like to have Andy emerging out of the coffin from the Coffin video and look for Juliet to be involved in some way. Jake may or may not, I won't say for sure, be accompanied by Ernie and Trixie, decked out in battle gear! A completed background scene depicts Ash as a fallen angel about to crash into a recognizable landmark from the Fallen Angels video.  As for Jinxx, I'd love to homage his love and respect for history while playing both guitar and violin at the same time! Is that even possible? All throughout the piece you'll find details like this and I really hope the attention to it will be very apparent.  Finally I am mulling around the idea, if I have space, to include amassing fans to the "show" in the backdrop with a few faces from friends, family and followers!

• How long does it take to complete a piece of artwork like this?

   It's difficult for me to determine an actual "time" it takes, although if I was really concerned about it I could probably document the time. I typically work around one to two hours a day, five days a week, sometimes more on the weekend if I'm so inspired to.  While some artists can stay at it for hours at a time on a daily basis, my schedule just doesn't permit that with a family, full time job, freelance work and my other equally consuming hobby - playing guitar.  Additionally, I suffer from what I call a self-induced anxiety over creating artwork of such intensity. I rarely can work for more than an hour or two at a time without having to walk away from it.

I decided the wall logos needed more pop, so I went with a hot flowing lava effect.

• When will this art be done?

As of right now, considering my current progress and when I began, I don't foresee completion until mid to late 2016.  This piece has to be the very best example of what I do, not so much to prove it to others but to myself that I can do artwork of this intensity and caliber. Time is not my main concern, quality is.

• Will the Black Veil Brides be involved or affiliated in any way with the creation of this artwork?

   That would be awesome! As previously stated, my plans for this piece are to include countless details that pay homage to BVB's legacy and each of it's individual members, so any input from the guys themselves would serve my concept much better! I'd like to include easter eggs that fans as well as the band will have to discover, that may well really surprise them. Overall I want to create a sense of awe while injecting a little levity and humor here and there. Any details from wardrobe, to experiences, to personal nods that any of the guys might suggest through collaboration would be a real bonus for myself and fans alike.  While I don't expect it, considering their schedules, I have the wherewithal to approach each of the members with a request. There is never hurt in asking. I suppose we will have to see!

This scene depicts the Fallen Angels video homaging Ashley Purdy.

• Why are you sharing so many images of your progress instead of waiting until it's done?

   To be honest, I truly enjoy sharing the creative process, from concept to finish. I also like teaching and giving advice to aspiring artists. I don't share the imagery about this piece or others for fanfare or recognition although every compliment and word of support is entirely appreciated! That being said, I'm also looking to generate a buzz about this artwork with the BVB Army and fans of Black Veil in general. I'm not doing this as a personal gift this time around and I believe that with support and interest, it may be that much more convincing when proposing the finished piece to management as well as the band.

Step by step creation of the "Fallen Angels"

• All we've seen are images of the background. When will you start painting BVB?

   I currently plan on trying to take care of all of the other elements before working on the portraiture of BVB.  That's a whole other animal! Those plans might change though.  I have begun on CC's drums and they are very tedious, with a good deal of parts to recreate. It would only be natural then to complete CC prior to the other guys so I'm sure he'll go first.  Each of the five gents will probably take several weeks to illustrate and paint.

• Why the Black Veil Brides when they already have many other fan-artists doing artwork for or about them?

  Doing artwork about (or for) the Black Veil Brides wasn't pre-conceived nor do I currently view it as ongoing, because quite honestly, I can't usually afford doing artwork as a personal expression or a portfolio piece. Knowing full well BVB is not, nor will they be in the market for a professional illustrator, it is however, my admiration for the band and their craft that serves as the driving force for this above all!  My wife and subsequently myself (and kids) became admirers of their music, image and persona rather recently. Gayle has always been eclectic in regards to music, never settling on one particular genre or time frame. Where some people get "stuck" in an era or with a particular artist, she never has. Additionally, she was a big part of the rock scene and made personal connections with many bands from the Big Hair 80's through to today. I might never have really told her until right now but she's undoubtedly one of my idols!

The Fallen Angel stewards to the entrance of Ashley, Jinxx and Jake.

   Upon her revelation of BVB among others, it was an immediate connection to the style of rock we loved and grew up with - showmanship, image, metal mixed with melody, dueling guitars, blistering percussion, the lights, the big show, the killer album art... all told they were immediately captivating. The first piece of BVB related artwork (Ash) I did was created as a gift to Gayle. Subsequent contact with members of the band and their families spurred me to create portraits for them personally, culminating in presenting each portrait to BVB on our Anniversary at the House of Blues in Walt Disney World!  All told it was a great experience that I had no idea would continue to build!  Now with this new piece, I wish to share more of that kind of experience with the fans.  

   As for being labeled a fan-artist I've never really been fond of the term, but much of my subject matter over the years can be considered as such.  It's literal but somehow feels as though "fan-artist" isn't on a professional level. Let me tell you there are hundreds of fan-artists out there that absolutely should be doing it professionally! I've met several BVB fan-artists doing some truly incredible work! If you're doing Black Veil portraits or pieces because of your love for the band, hell I say go for it. Do what you love!

Throughout the work will be imagery based on the incredible creations of Richard Villa III

• The art you are currently doing sort of looks similar to Richard Villa III's (Exhibit A Gallery and official artist of the Black Veil Brides) work.  Is this intentional and are you concerned that you're copying some of his imagery?

   The concept for this piece was always to encapsulate everything that is, was and may one day be  the Black Veil Brides.  There would be no way to do this sort of thing if I did not include much of the imagery and artistry that Richard created for BVB.  A huge portion of what shapes them as more than just great musical artists is in fact Richard's vision through collaboration with Andy and BVB.  His dark fantasy themes, characters and style are reminiscent of album cover artwork of yesterday, created for some of the metal greats from another era. In a few words, when album cover art really kicked some ass! This piece, when completed is, nor was ever intended to contend with or copy Richard's work.  I greatly admire him!  I can only hope the parts that mimic Richard's creations are viewed as a tribute to his creativity and style as much as it is to the Black Veil Brides themselves.

• Aren't you too old to be a fan artist of Black Veil Brides? Why aren't you doing artwork about bands like Metallica, Ozzy or Judas Priest?

  You're never too old or too young for that matter to love music, regardless of the genre, classic or contemporary. Anyone telling you otherwise is childish themselves.  I love bands and music for that matter from many genres and time frames. Just remember that everyone gets older, including the bands and yes, you! For a band to be truly successful beyond their years, they have to transcend both the genre they are associated with as well as the current fan base. People grow up. People change. The band changes. I personally believe that, if the Black Veil Brides can continue to work together for years to come, they may well carve out the type of legacy and longevity artists like Motley Crue, Kiss, Metallica and Ozzy have. BVB's vision and track record are consistent with that moreso than a lot of bands because they have the interest in reinventing themselves. As for doing artwork about other bands, I've always wanted to be an album cover artist, for as long as I can remember. I idolized Derek Riggs (album artist for Iron Maiden) and his intricate work and advent of Eddie. I've considered doing more music industry related art and I may well turn my attention to other artists but I have no immediate game plan short of finishing this piece. Unless of course, I get a call from Metallica, Ozzy or Judas Priest! ;D

• What is your artistic process like?

  It all begins with an idea and a basic mental picture of the concept or certain elements of a design.  I'm a firm believer that artistic processes can be learned and applied, however the ability to envision something from nothing and then translate that imagination to media is what some might call a gift. I feel more comfortable doing and enjoy concept artwork more so than these full color worked up pieces. Translating my imagination to a visual is something I'm very good at. It's like making a discovery, bringing something to life. It's fun! I tend to get anxiety rendering, painting and finishing art, it's the more tedious part of the process.  This is why I have so many unfinished pieces. Ideas are constantly happening.  

The original quick sketch of the entire piece

  I've had to really discipline myself to finish the work that I start because I'd much rather be conceiving the next idea.  Just like any creative form you can run into a rut... an artists block. I get very down on myself when this happens and I just want to walk away. Honestly, I really had no idea that I would be able to get as far as I have with this art! It took me a long time to get from a mental picture to the progress you see and even then I wasn't sure I could recreate the level of intricacy and accuracy I'm currently achieving. If things go as my mind sees it, this Black Veil Brides piece will (IMO) stand as my greatest artistic achievement to date.

   As for a "process" to this art, I began illustrating a very loose sketch of the entire piece. With digital art, I will sometimes draw directly on paper and scan or sketch directly on a blank layer with a Wacom pen tool at a very light pressure. Once I have a manageable sketch to work from I will usually go right to rendering a particular element and work up the levels of detail in steps to build confidence. 

   I rarely can work on one area for too long.  When I've finished it to an acceptable level, I'll move on to another area of the art. With much of this BVB piece, I am working from imagination and when necessary, reference material.  Where creating new and interesting elements is the spark, rendering say for instance CC's drums is more tedious but necessary work. I bounce back and forth from the imaginary to the real so as not to get bored.  My "process" doesn't follow a procedure! It's more like anarchy and chaos! I know that if I am intrigued by an area I am rendering or conceiving I will more than likely want to continue.  So some areas I may begin might not see attention until much later if I've found another element to focus more clearly on.  No doubt you'll recognize the image you see today may change entirely by the time the piece is finished!

• What is your favorite Black Veil Brides album?

   Wretched and Divine. While the band may have considered their process and camaraderie to be less fulfilling, W&D stands as a very sophisticated melodic-metal composition.  A concept album is a very difficult thing to pull off, but each song, tied together by narration, Jinxx's violin interludes and special vocal cameos, creates a truly original and at times very haunting piece of work. It's a special album, one which probably hasn't received the recognition it deserves. Overall, I feel Wretched & Divine coupled with the Legion of the Black film adaptation truly showcases the full capacity of Black Veil's creative vision.

• Why digital art and are you just Photoshopping parts of this?

Legion's Heart of Fire takes shape

   Digital artistry is a difficult thing to explain to most people. Most that do not understand get the idea that it in some way means cheating. The word Photoshop alone can represent a composite photograph with a massive shark attacking the Golden Gate Bridge all the way up to incredibly intense hand rendered and illustrated art.  The piece I am working on, as well as the previous BVB portraits are all examples of the latter - hand illustrated and hand painted digital artwork. In other words, NO I am not just Photoshopping this. Each portion began as a sketch, each line illustrated, the flesh tones and textures all done by hand painting.  Just like an oil painter has tools to create all sorts of different effects, so does a digital artist through a program like Photoshop and a pen tablet.  For painting flesh textures I utilize special brushes that aide in creating an uneven surface, much like an oil painter would use a fan brush for a particular effect. If I had my choice, I would much rather paint in oils, however they are very expensive and I don't have the space.  I've been using a Wacom pen tablet for nearly two decades and Photoshop for the same. If you have the program and computer to run it, there's really no need for supplies, paints, pencils and so on. It's no muss no fuss. It's also very efficient and much easier to make corrections and additions to say, traditional airbrushing. However the big downside is your true original art is in fact a digital file that needs to be printed. 

   • How do you achieve the level of detail and realism you do?

   Detail and realism takes patience and practice to achieve. For the high level of detail, I usually work one to two zoom levels over the actual size of the art.  In other words, with programs like Photoshop, an artist can zoom into an image to levels impossible for the naked eye to perceive.  This can be both a good and bad thing. Zooming too far in to add detail or fix corrections can really waste a lot of time if your intended art isn't going to be large enough to see it!  

   Realism comes by way of understanding and rendering light and shadow. Since I do not use live models nor do I have a studio with a lighting rig, I more or less imagine how light coming from any number of directions is going to affect the surface. I also utilize reference material as a basis for the type of effect or surface I am trying to emulate.

   Both the detail and realism take shape over a long period of time.  I will often take a break from an area and return back to add more detail or reevaluate how to make something look better several times.  Many beginning and intermediate artists get frustrated feeling their finished art doesn't achieve a sense of realism or maturity.  Most of the time it takes that extra effort - taking a step back and figuring out how to reach a higher level of realism.  It doesn't need to come in leaps and bounds. With practice and exposure to subjects you wish to render your ability to recreate them will increase.

Progress as of 9.1.15 to the top half of the 24" x 36" BLACK VEIL BRIDES artwork. 

 • You recently mentioned a contest for a piece of this Black Veil Brides artwork?

   Yes! I thought it might be a cool idea to take a portion of this finished piece and offer it as a high resolution digital image that can be used as a computer desktop or device background!  The artwork is not licensed at moment, nor complete, nor will I make any profit from doing so.  So yes three BVB fans, so long as they agree not to share the work, will be given a finished portion of the artwork before the entire piece is complete.  The portion I'll give away to these three folks is still a ways from being done. I'm not sure of the details and how I'll choose the winners but do stay tuned to this blog or follow me on Twitter or Instagram and I'll announce further information!

  

RONNIE RADKE WANTS YOU FOR FALLING IN REVERSE!

Adore him or not, Ronnie Radke is THE quintessential rock star through and through and better yet, he makes no excuses about his ills, rests not on his hardships, falls not to his struggles, but is a continuous force of lyrical and melodic energy that never repeats the conventional norms of the categorical musical genre.

Late in 2014, while in the midst of completing my fourth piece for the Black Veil Brides, I thought I might give it a shot and contact Ronnie Radke - the notorious "King of the Music Scene" and front man for Falling In Reverse, proposing the idea of doing a portrait for his home.  I was absolutely thrilled to receive his acceptance shortly thereafter. However, it wasn't until early 2015 that I could truly wrap my imagination around what to do for Ron. While I thought it would be perfectly fine to do a piece in the same vein as the BVB work, I was leaning toward something a little more original that would reflect who this truly extraordinary artist is.  For those reading this article that know all about Ronnie Radke, his life as well as career, anything I might say here comes as no surprise. In fact I wish not to use this space to recount it as Ronnie himself is an open book.  And yet, to put things simply, Ronnie has been through more triumphs and tragedies in his young lifetime than many people put together.  Where any one of his past struggles might defeat another, Ron has overcome (or continues to do so) with unmatchable ability, strength, will, determination, loyalty, brutal honesty and best of all a scathing and infectious sense of humor.

While we and countless others are tenacious admirers of Ronnie Radke and his many talents, he is not without his detractors as well. Although the majority may just be teen kids behind keyboards looking to push Radke's buttons for a moment of his attention, often such behavior from his critics peaks his emotions.  For, as Ronnie speaks plainly through his music, his tough exterior is wrapped around a broken heart and rightfully so.

My collaborator and inspiration Gayle with the final piece

So when contemplating this piece for Ronnie, I wanted to reflect everything he is in one way or another. While I knew I could not say it all, I opted to appeal to Radke's personal life as well as his persona more so than do a static serious minded portrait with on stage poses. Pouring over countless photos and articles, I became really fond of photoshoots for Alternative Press where Ronnie was depicted as the President of the United States.  I loved the tongue in cheek humor of the imagery and felt, that if I were to do something that Ron would truly appreciate, it would come by way of this style.  The iconic propaganda poster of Uncle Sam immediately came to mind.  What better way to depict Ronnie Radke than this stalwart image of strength and yet how amusing to make it a mock promotional poster for Falling In Reverse as well?

The final canvas piece lays out to dry.

My original sketch began on paper where I worked to depict Ronnie with much the same expression as the brooding Uncle Sam. Naturally, the first attempt looked nothing at all like the final piece shown above. After much difficulty with his pointing right hand, I was satisfied enough to scan the sketch in and begin hand drawing and rendering the artwork using a Wacom pen and tablet through Photoshop. Countless resource photos were researched to create Ronnie's likeness and after a couple months I finally settled upon the final details of his face, turning then to the difficulty of recreating his hand and tattoo work.

All the while I contemplated how to add special touches that would make the piece truly personal.  Rips and tears in the hat were added to subtly depict Ronnie's hardships and struggles, resulting in a "battered but not beaten" message.  Initially, I thought it might be interesting to have Ron breaking through the background, with the opposite side of the "poster" revealing several lines of his lyrics from FIR's albums.  Later, I then added the logo as the catalyst for this effect. Feeling there needed to be more homages, I created Ron's left hand holding a contract, upon which the "Falling In Reverse" pledge of allegiance is inscribed. I intentionally signed the left side of the art, providing space near the bottom of the contract, should Ron himself sign it. Three political buttons on Ron's lapels depict the latest FIR album Just Like You, Ronnie's HOODS UP clothing line and finally a dedication to Ron's daughter Willow.

Myself and daughter Juliet - Ronnie's biggest little fan!

After completing the image in late March, I reached out to Ronnie again to gain his approval on the work. His response was enthusiastic and graciously offered a guest list opportunity on his Three Ring Circus tour to present the canvas piece directly to him.  More updates will follow!

I would first like to thank Ronnie Radke and Falling In Reverse, not only for two amazing shows on the 2014 Black Mass tour, the aforementioned opportunity and  the honor to do this piece for his home.  A huge thank you goes out to Gayle, my wife and collaborator, who introduced Ronnie's music to our own home. To my kids Tristin and Juliet - Ronnie's biggest little fan, who have Falling In Reverse on constant replay on their stereo.  Finally a big thank you to the fans of FIR and my followers who's kind words and praise is a constant source of inspiration!

So what will my next Ronnie Radke piece be?  To take a cue from the man himself, it won't be anything like the one that came before it!