This post is showing my process for the latest Red Sonja cover. I've included the 3 thumbnails I submitted in the beginning of the project. As you can see I took a few liberties with the one that was chosen but still stayed close to the original idea. Most of the line drawing and value were done traditionally with pencil on bond paper and Rives bfk paper. I drew a lot of it in sections and merged them together digitally. Because the values in the drawing were so strong, it made it very easy to color. It is mostly flat colors with a bit of digital painting on top, also taking advantage of the Burn and Dodge tool in Photoshop. The background was all digitally painted, then I added a bunch of scanned in textures on top. The final step was to flatten the entire image and refine values and add little bells and whiles here and there. And there you have it!

These are covers for the Pathfinder comic series These were done digitally, with scanned in ink wash textures that I created (That's how I did the stones and the clouds). The background, branches & skulls were done with ink and acrylic on Rives bfk paper. This digital process Ive been doing recently takes a bit longer but I'm really enjoying the polished look I'm getting from it

Hunger Magazine

Here are a series illustrations I did for Rankin's Hunger Magazine. It's a biannual music, fashion, culture and lifestyle magazine. A 500 page mag full of everything artistic + celebrities (actors, musicians). Pretty cool stuff. It's available all over Europe now and hits the States next week (late May, 2012) These are painted on Rives bfk paper done with: Watercolor, Prismacolor Pencil, Acrylics, Water-Soluble Oil Pastels, I did some digital stuff, including helping mask off painted shapes and color correcting. Really fun project Original photograph for reference provided by Rankin. creator/owner of Hunger Magazine

Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones) - Canvas Print

Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones) Canvas Print - 16 x 24" artwork (18 x 26" total) Limited to 6, Signed & Numbered $150 plus shipping, $10 US or $20 International Buy it here: http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=891429&GSub=128783

Little Red Riding Hood: Tattoo Commission

This was a tattoo commission I did recently for a client. I also ended up doing a really big mural of it at the cool little bar in the lower east side of NY called The Library Bar. More on that soon at: www.theirison.com This illustration is of the Little Red Riding Hood story. It's not my typical "style" so I started researching to get inspired and found some tattoo artist that I absolutely love! Rachi Brains, Cris Cleen, Richard Smith, and Regino Gonzales to name a few. Ive been doing a bunch of tattoo commissions recently and I'm gonna post a "commission" bottom on my site where you will be able to see them all, here" www.theirison.com If anyone is interested in a commission, let me know! email me: erik@theirison.com

Daenerys

This is a painting of Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones

It's 15"x23"
Watercolor
Colored Pencil
Water-Soluble wax pastel
Nue Pastel
Acrylic
On Rives bfk paper (white)

The frame for this is really cool.
It mimics the dragon scales on the eggs! You can see pictures of the original painting in the frame on my site, here: http://theirison.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12&Itemid=28
Prints are available in the commercial section and The original is available here http://cadencecomicart.com/art.php?page=15565 "

This piece was done for The Ashcan Allstars blog.

A weekly blog where some of the top comic artist in the industry come together and illustrate a common weekly theme.
Very cool stuff, I'm honored to be apart of it this week.
Check out the blog here http://ashcanallstars.blogspot.com/

Like me on Facebook please! :) http://www.facebook.com/ErikJonesArt

Blu Magazine Cover art

This is the latest issue of Blu. It features a lot of my newer work, including a new piece for the cover and has a great interview in there as well.

This was painted on Rives bfk paper
done with: Watercolor
Prismacolor Pencil
Water-Soluble Oil Pastels
Acrylics

You can check out a digital version of the mag here: http://issuu.com/blumagazine/docs/blu_14?mode=window&backgroundColor=%23222222

Here is where you can purchase it!: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/361361/

Also check out my new site: theirison.com
boom.

Rose Systyla

Here is the final piece along with some of the process.
(you guys said you like seeing those shots so I'll try to show more of it from now on)
I used water-soluble wax pastels, prismacolor pencils, nue pastels and acrylics, on Rives bfk paper.
In the process shots, you're seeing more of the flower process.
I hadn't intended on painting the bees in there until the last minute. So I made some in photoshop, printed them out, cut them up and moved the cut out bees around the painting to try and find nice spots for them to be painted in. When I found a fitting place, I took a yellow pencil, sketched the bees in and used mostly the wax pastels to paint the bees on there. In the 4th panel of the process shots you'll see the cut out and the painted bee
I used Prismacolor nue pastels and acrylics to dirty up the flowers.
I really enjoy that process, it feels good to "mess up" the painting after spending so many hours trying to make everything perfect.
This and the other painting "the Pride" will be shown at the Supersonic Electronic show at Spoke Art Gallery on the 5th of January. If you're around those parts, check out the show, it will be a good one for sure!

Follow me on twitter( http://twitter.com/#!/theIRISon )to see more process shots and to watch me mess up more pieces in the future. You know what I'm talking about if you followed me on this piece for the last week.... uuuuhhh so frustrating but it all turned out well... both pieces.

More Process

Here is another piece coming at you.
So far it's just colored pencil and I'm super happy with how rich it's coming out
Follow me on twitter to see more progress: http://twitter.com/?lang=en&logged_out=1#!/theIRISon

The paper I used is Rives bfk printmaking paper.
So far it's only prismacolor pencil, just Poppy Red on top of the paper.
Then white for the highlights and Rouge Toscan (red) for the darker values.
All nicely blending with that blending stump.
I went trough about 3 Poppy Red pencils to get that base down.
I usually would start with a watercolor background.... but I forgot, ha. seriously.
The next step is adding Water-soluble wax pastels (Caran D'Ache) on top of the color pencil.
This is a new step in my process.
The pastels are freakn amazing though, I strongly recommend using then over your pencils

I'll keep you guys posted on more process.
I wanted to try and do a video for this one but had to start it faster then I intended.
Soon though guys, soon!!

The Sea Widow

I was in an oval mood for the last two pieces I did for the POP-OP show at Redletter in Hyde Park
This piece is 24"x39"
Watercolor
Prismacolor pencil
Acrylic
NuPastel
Water based oils
On Rives bfk paper

Perspective

A piece I did for the RedLetter show that opened last weekend 6/3/11
The show was awesome! People really seemed to like this one a lot, so I'm excited to show it!

Its 24"x36"
Watercolor
Prismacolor pencil
Acrylic
Water based oils
acid free, trimmed artist tape, bight white
On Rives bfk paper
(By the way, those lines....not fun to do)

more to come from this show!

POP-OP

Here is all the info for my show coming up June 3rd.
It is also the opening of the NEW RedLetter 1.
Very excited about this show! Did a bunch of new work for it and will have high end Giclee prints available there.
I you can t make it to the event I'll post the new works after the show.
Keep your eyes open!

34"x39"
Done with
Watercolor
Prismacolor Pencils
Acrylic
Water Soluble Oil
Prismacolor Nupastel
Artist tape (for the thin white lines)
On Rives bfk paper

BIG Thanks to the model ,Sara Hnatiuk!!
Hope you like it Sara

New piece in Progress

This is a new piece (In progress)for the show coming up in June 3rd at RedLetter Gallery in Hyde Park, Tampa FL.
So far it's watercolor, nupastel, prismacolor pencil on Rives bfk paper. 25"x40"

Patriot

40"x40"
Watercolor,
Pencil,
Acrylic,
Nupastel,
Oil, Rives bfk paper.
This is the first piece completed for a show that's coming up June 3rd in Tampa. More to come on that soon!!

DOMINGO

Working with 2 other guys and writing and illustrating a graphic novel called Domingo.... Ba Ba BOOM
This is a concept "sketch" of the main character, Jackson.
The background is done with ink, the character is digital.

Oh!! by the way, just completed a DVD digital tutorial for ImagineFX.
if you guys want to get a good perspective on how I do my digital work, check that out.
I believe it will be for issue 71
COMING SOON!!

New Work

Here are a few new pieces.
All of them are done with:
Watecolor
Prismacolor pencils
Prismacolor Nupastels
Acrylic
Oils (Holbein Duo Aqua Water Soluble Oils)
On Rives BFK paper
Got a few more coming.

This new "thing" that I'm doing is really just about experimenting.
Though the figures tend to be "attractive", the new direction places less emphasis on sexuality. I simply start out with a loose line drawing of a figure and experiment with building up and breaking down color and shapes in and around said figure. It is not only a salubrious experimentation with the figure but also an exploration of mediums. This process is more sporadic and embraces imperfection, rather then focusing mainly on rendering "perfect" realistic skin.
...It's also a lot of fun.

Hope you guys enjoy it,
and be on the look out for more work coming soon.

HI FRUCTOSE write-up

COOL COOL!!!
http://hifructose.com/the-blog/1420-erik-jones-salubrious-experimentation.html

FFFFOUND

So I took today off from working mainly because my wrist has been bothering me slightly. So I spent most of the day on the web finding inspiration in various places.
I some how ended up designing a fan FFFFound poster.
Now I know I said I wasn't supposed to be working but... design is rather therapeutic for me.
I found the images used on the top of the poster in ffffound and thought they represented the site in a well rounded way (especially Voyage, ha)
I did the hand type with a Japanese Pentel color brush (awesome!)

just thought I'd share

Wolverine, just for fun

You know when you can't sleep and just start messing around on the computer trying to get ideas.... well that's what is was. About 3 hours of nothing and this came out.
Inspired by an artist named Jeff Depner http://jeffdepner.com/ I actually ended up making a painting of this for a Superhero show but give it to a friend before I could scan in the painting.
Well anyway, here is the digital version of it.

More...

Air Candy

OK, FINALLY A NEW IMAGE!!!
I cant wait to post all the new stuff I'm doing but I cant till they are published, so stay tuned.
In the mean time here is a piece I did for the Tata Gala!!
I did it the night before the Sarasota show. I actually hung the show then rushed to my dad's house and cranked this out in the living room. It was actually really challenging to do, not being in my studio. I had nothing!! I had to go to a local art store and buy all my supplies....for one piece, ridiculous.
Fortunately, it turned out rather nice.
It's done with a watercolor base, colored pencils and acrylics.
Its 24"x36" on Rives bfk toned paper (great stuff)

I also included the drawing process, dont on 11"x17" bond paper with prismacolor Col-Erase pencils

I actually just finished the poster for the NYC Tata Gala so look for that in the next day or two. I used this piece for it. That show starts February 5th at Sacred Gallery in Manhattan. More on that soon.

Give-Up the Ghost

Finally got around to finishing this piece. Super happy with the way it turned out.
I'm gonna keep at this new thing I'm doing. So look for a lot more of this to come!

GFT HALLOWEEN SPECIAL 2010 # 2 B

Halloween cover I did for Zenescope.
I never show my drawings for some reason?! Well here is the drawing without the moon and bats. I'll try to remember to show my drawings more.
Hope you guys like it, and thanks Lilith for modeling for me!

Paranoram

This is a piece I did for a zombie show back in October. if you buy the print it comes in the actual size of the piece, 3 pieces.
This is a limited print, only 100 available. Ill be putting it on my site in like 8 hours so buy the shit out of it

The original is done with watercolor, prismacolor pencil, acrylics and copic markers
I did it as one piece but didn't like it as one piece......
so I chopped the fuck out of it, and then it made sense to me.
I hope you like it to, but if you don't go fuck yourself

P.S. thier hair makes a skull

ImagineFX

Here is a view of my ImagineFX interview I did. I also made the back cover.
Pretty cool stuff, I'm really happy to be apart of that magazine, Ive been digging it for bit now, ever sense my buddy Sean Chapman did a few freelance jobs for them. SO you can imagine my surprise when they contacted me out of the blue to have me in the magazine!
Anyway, go check it out, it should be in the states at any time now (if it already isn't)

So here ya go, my 3rd Hack / Slash cover. I really like doing these because Tim just lets me go crazy and I feel like good things come from crazy people.... Im not sure what I mean by that, haha
The ideabehind this cover was Structured Chaos.
To put this beautiful girl and a chaotic setting. Its pretty much the essence of the book, this sexy bad ass girl killing killers.
I also wanted to do something different, something your not use to seeing when you walk into a comic store. I wanted you to be able to take the final piece and hang it on the wall.

Everything is traditional except the type.
the mediums are in this order
Rives BFK paper 18"x24"
Watercolor
Prismacolor pencil
Acrylic
Artist tape
Prismacolor Nupastel
and water based oils

ok, is a drawing on 18x24 Rives bfk paper, great stuff, takes dry mediums and wet mediums.
The purple is my watercolor base
The model is my friend Mirisa, she poses for all the hack/slash stuff I do.


After the watercolor base is dry I lay white prismacolor pencil down to create a wax build up on the paper surface. This makes the pencils blend much better.
As you go down you can see that I just keep developing the drawing, laying down color and blending it.
I blend with paper towels and a blending stump, google it if you don't know what that is.
The picture on the right is a picture I found in a magazine and I wanted to use that as a reference for the skin color. I like the browns and greens in it. I use photography a lot for inspiratio


Now I have the figure pretty much done, so I begin the background. I wanted this cover to look crazy chaotic but still be very appealing and easy to look at (I've been in this ridiculous fine art mode recently).
The paint is acrylic Behr house paint. I used that medal thing (black plastic thing next to the paint) to get all the straight lines and I painted artist tape to give it even more texture.
The last process is smoothing out the skin with water based oils. sorry i forgot to take of pic of that :(

COMING SOON

It feels so good to be using pencils again, I feel like its been forever sense I worked traditionally
Anyway, This piece is kicking off a serise of fine art paintings.
They are going to be similar to the shapes painting I did not to long ago, but I'm going to make these extremely realistic, but still the same concept. I really cant wait to finish this but its 3 in the morning and I'm fighting a cold. Hopefully if my body allows me Ill have this finished by the morning, otherwise keep an eye out for it, it's gonna be a good one!!
(I hope)

The Sound of Glass Falling

Hello to all!!
This is a cover for a brand spanking new novel called
The Sound Of Glass Falling, so new it isn't even out yet.
You can go to the site and read an excerpt from the book though.
A few of my friends are actually making a trailer for the site based on the likeness of my illustration, should be really cool when it's done.
you can check out the site here www.TrinityScalari.com
I'll post again when the trailer is done
The author, Trinity Scalari, plans on making this into a series and having me do all the covers. So keep your eye out for the new ones and go read the book....when it comes out :)

Also check out my new site. If you like this piece you can get this and others here: www.theirison.com

SheKills is here!!!

OH MY GOD!!! It's here!!!!
She Kills for everyone (and you thought you'd never get one)
My new site is up too http://theirison.com/

Just click the SheKills button when you're on the new site and you're there!!

NOTE:

the unisex shirt (white shirt) does actually fit dudes, I wear it in an XL
(I wear a Medium or Large in "normal" shirts)
It's a shorter waist and shorter on the sleeves
Ladies: you might have to do some modifications to the shirt if you like it super tight, otherwise, buy the shit out of it!!!

the shirts are limited so get-em while the gitten's good!
Happy Hunting

Pups

So I bought this crappy Crayola sketchbook at CVS today, because I refuse to buy another moleskin Sketchbook. I hate those freakn things, there is to much pressure to do something great, and your constantly bombarded by people wanting to look through it.... awwwhhh. I feel so much safer with a little piece of crap.
You know when you get a new sketchbook and you just have to draw something in it right away??? Well I for some reason wanted to draw dogs. I don't think I've ever drawn a dog in my life but let me tell you, they are really fun to sketch out.
try it some time
OH.. and make them look sad, way more fun when they are sad.....I don't know why .
Sketched out with a pencil then slapped into the computer for tint and color

Little Red Face

here is fun little piece I did for a show at an awesome gallery called Bear and Bird.
http://www.tatescomics.com/bearandbird/
it's a little piece at about 8"x11" + frame size
It's acrylic and copic marker done on rives bfk paper.