Victorian author at writing desk with giant cat - WIP stages

3 stages in the creation of the surreal author illustration.

Digitally painted in late winter 2021, this surreal illustration shows an author sitting at his writing desk while being spied upon by a large black cat.

In the picture above can be seen three stages of the completion of the illustration with the first stage showing the initial drawing using 'Auto Sketchbook Pro' software. The second panel presents the image with colour roughly indicated as well as tones and light values. At this stage the image is a small one, with a size of 1500px along the longest edge. After a time of development the image is then worked up to a final image as shown in the final panel. Here the image is now 6000px along the longest edge and the elements have largely been repainted with the earlier stage acting like a guide. More detail and finer painting is required at this larger size.

The finished surreal image of a author at his desk can be seen in greater detail on this link.

 

Cartoon Zombie Party

Cartoon Zombie Party

This digital image was done in September 2014 and illustrates a party being enjoyed by a number of cartoon zombies in a graveyard on Halloween. Originally the artwork was going to be drawn as 'vector' based drawn art with flat colours. In the end the whole thing was done in photoshop. The characters have a flattish, cartoony colouring to them but with some brushmarks. Unusually for me the background has not been painted but I have used photographs heavily treated for the trees, sky and grass. On top of the whole image 'grunge' effects have been placed to add some finishing sparkle.

I wanted the 'horror' to be as funny as possible to a general audience. The zombies have cartoony poses, worms coming out of them and eyeballs popping out. One zombie has had his head drop off while rising from the grave.

#zombie #art #painting #funny #cartoon #Halloween #party 

http://martin-davey.artistwebsites.com/featured/cartoon-zombie-party-martin-davey.html

Cartoon Zombie Party – digital art

Goth girl fairy with spider widow

Goth girl fairy with spider widow

Digital illustration of a Gothic fairy with a black widow friend in a graveyard. The goth fairy girl is dressed in Victorian attire with jewellery glistening in the moonlight, and has black wings. Beside her, on its web, is a friendly black widow spider, with distinctive red markings. Behind them on the horizon is a old haunted castle where they used to live but now the small hut provides accommodation for them and their friends. 
Painted in Photoshop to A4 size during late February 2014. 

http://martin-davey.artistwebsites.com/featured/goth-girl-fairy-with-spider-widow-martin-davey.html

Goth girl fairy with spider widow

Manga Sweet Ghost at Halloween

Manga Sweet Ghost at Halloween

This digital illustration depicts a little sweet manga ghost enjoying sweets and candy during Halloween night. In the background can be seen an old, haunted house, used by the happy ghost and shared with some bats, out for the night. The large moon lights up the scene. The illustration is designed to be bold and appealing, with the ghost as the main subject, and the sweets and candy adding colour.

It is output at A3 size and is drawn in a vector based art programme, during September 2013.

Manga Sweet Ghost at Halloween

Halloween Ghoul rising from Grave with pumpkin

Halloween Ghoul rising from Grave with pumpkin

 

This digital horror illustration was completed in the late summer of 2013. Shown is an old, neglected, creepy graveyard with a ghoul rising from a grave. The ghoul is holding and pointing at a pumpkin which appears to have a light source inside, allowing the carved face to have a sinister look to it. Beside the ghoul, sitting cross legged on the gravestone is a small red goblin, looking on with interest.

The painting was done to A4 size and created in photoshop. It is based on a photograph I took of myself, and added the vampire like teeth and horns obviously. Creative license has to be taken with the lighting so that one can see what is happening in a pitch black graveyard at night, and in addition the night sky is made quite blue to add interest. Originally I was going to paint the ghoul with more of a 'rotting corpse' design, but I decided to keep the illustration family friendly.

Halloween Ghoul rising from Grave with pumpkin

Sunset on the Solent

Sunset on the Solent

This sunset painting was based on a photograph taken in the summer of 2012, from a boat in the Solent, a stretch of water that goes from Southampton to the Isle of Wight, in the south of the UK.

It is a very busy area for shipping as all the freight, container and passenger cruisers use it to gain access to Southampton, a very busy port in Britain.

The sun is quite low in the sky and is hiding behind the clouds hanging around the horizon. The land on the horizon is lightly to be the Hythe area though seen as a silhouette.

The painting is created in oil paint on a canvas board sized at 10” x 12”. It is done in one sitting in about four hours. The oil paint is applied on a bright red acrylic painted base.

Sunset on the Solent

Graveyard diggers and ghost rising from grave

Graveyard diggers and ghost rising from grave

Another one of my 'pulp' horror images. Totally unoriginal but fun to do! Painted in photoshop in august 2010.

from website...
This digital illustration was painted in photoshop in 2010 at 10"x8" size. I do like Gothic horror and Hammer films and this painting of a ghost rising from the grave and frightening some grave workers/ robbers illustrates this. It is quite old fashioned in a way, much like the old book covers from decades ago I used to look at in shops. I posed for the 3 figures in the painting and took photographs, which were then used and traced within photoshop. An image like this is drawn on the computer, then painted in a traditional, layered way similar to conventional painting media. The rising spirit is the main source of light in within the image, the rest of the painting being quite dark and illuminated by the ghost's light.