Friday 30 October 2009

Dragon Warriors Elves

So I gather copies of Prince of Darkness for Dragon Warriors are making their way into the eager hands of the punters. Which is always good! So for this book I got a true treat - to make the first images of elves for the new edition. Elves in Dragon Warriors are something of a conundrum. The game's 1980s roots demand elves as a player race in line with D&D. But the authors were never so hot on that idea. The elves of Dragon Warriors are the Shi, the Tuatha de Dannan, the people of the Otherworld, The Erl Kings, rather than the shield-surfing pointy eared uber munchinkins we've all become a bit too familiar with.

The original elf drawing by Bob Harvey in the first Dragon Warriors book was, whilst a typically masterful pen and ink piece, a little... odd. The elf noble pictured seems to be wearing speedos. Looking at it just now, I actually appreciate it a lot more than I did as a kid, when it made me feel a bit repelled. I was a proto-hippy even aged 11, and basically wanted to be an elf. I didn't really picture that involving black swimming turnks with a big belt. Maybe that was Bob's take on the other-worldly quality. I have no idea how the art direction went back then, so maybe he was just doing what Corgi Books told him to do? On the very slim chance Bob should ever read this I should just add I have been consistently in awe of his work since I was yea big, so I hope my mild mickey taking of his elf doesn't offend. I can rest safe in the knowledge that my interpretation of DW elves will get worse, no doubt.

Anyway. Every now and then I see a film and think "Dammit!" as an idea I had already had gets used on the big screen, and is then completely lost to me. When I was a kid running roleplaying games we always had our elves as these terrible, otherworldly creatures who were bleached white like those earwigs you find in ancient blanket. And when I saw Hellboy 2 some 17 years later I felt (happily) robbed. Their Tuatha De Dannan were precisely the elves from my imagination, right down to the bronze age influence in some of the costuming.

So some of that went into these. I reclaim it, or at least my share of the common idea floating in idea-space that we all tap into. Tackling elves is always a difficult one. But without breaching any confidences handling my beloved DW elves did at least prepare me a little for a much bigger, more daunting elf-related task that was to fall into my lap some months later...

Enough talk.

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(C)2009 Jon Hodgson and Magnum Opus Press.

Tuesday 27 October 2009

Jewel of Empire cover

Hey! Here's a recent cover - Jewel of Empire for Victoriana by Cubicle 7 Entertainment.
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(C)2009 Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd

Something of an experiment in stronger colours.

Friday 23 October 2009

Twitter Madness: #EPICBLOGRT

Hey everyone. Over on Twitter a few of us started a thing called #EPICBLOGRT. Wherein if you tweet your blog with that tag, everyone else involved will retweet your blog, and you retweet theirs. Its spreading like wildfire, is wildly out of control, is being taken up by complete strangers, and fills my heart with joy to see artists and photographers (so far) joining the dots and engaging in unfettered mutualism. So if you're over on Twitter join in! And of course repost this or something similar on your own blog!

I'm jonnyhodgsonart on Twitter. Feel free to chuck me a follow, and I'll probably follow you right back!

Thursday 22 October 2009

Dragonmeet 2009

I'll be there. Check it out! I sound awesome! HAHAHA
http://www.dragonmeet.co.uk/index.php/guests/65-jon-hodgson-artist

Hope to see some of you there too!

Wednesday 21 October 2009

H2DFA: Sneak Peek One!

The first sneak peek at my instructional artbook for beginners, which hits the stores on November 1st:



Stay tuned for more sneak peaks in the run up to release!

"Fantasy Art for Beginners" is full of non threatening, easy to follow ways to draw and paint your favourite fantasy fings! The first half is gently introduced theory, aimed at absolute beginners, and then the second half is a series of step by step walkthroughs of 6 paintings of favourite fantasy subjects. All in an easily approachable art style for beginners. Rather than me just letting rip at it in my usual manner...

Here's some Amazon links!:

UK chums: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fantasy-Art-Beginners-STEP-STEP/dp/160061342X

US chums: http://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Art-Beginners-Jon-Hodgson/dp/160061342X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1255595696&sr=8-1-fkmr0

Canadian chums: http://www.amazon.ca/Fantasy-Art-Beginners-Jon-Hodgson/dp/160061342X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255595724&sr=8-1-spell

Thursday 15 October 2009

Dragon Warriors Internal Art

From the forthcoming "Friends or Foes" from Magnum Opus Press. After a long break from black and whites I really enjoyed these a great deal. And I think it shows a little bit.

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Images (C)2009 Magnum Opus Press and Jon Hodgson

Fantasy Art for Beginners

Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

On the First of November my book on creating fantasy art for beginners hits the streets. It is full of non threatening, easy to follow ways to draw and paint your favourite fantasy fings! The first half is gently introduced theory, aimed at absolute beginners, and then the second half is a series of step by step walkthroughs of 6 paintings of favourite fantasy subjects. All in an easily approachable art style for beginners. Rather than me just letting rip at it in my usual manner...

Here's some Amazon links!:

UK chums: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fantasy-Art-Beginners-STEP-STEP/dp/160061342X

US chums: http://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Art-Beginners-Jon-Hodgson/dp/160061342X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1255595696&sr=8-1-fkmr0

Canadian chums: http://www.amazon.ca/Fantasy-Art-Beginners-Jon-Hodgson/dp/160061342X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255595724&sr=8-1-spell