FREE RESOURCES RISING OVER 8 HOURS OF  VIDEO TUITION 148 CUSTOM STARS PHOTOSHOP BRUSHES HOW TO FIND YOUR ART STYLE DISCOVER YOUR VISUAL SIGNATURE GENERATE IDEAS FROM CHAOS REVIVE AN OLD ART CONCEPT NE W SERIES MATTE PAINTING IN PHOTOSHOP TRADITIONAL CROWD SCENES IN SILHOUETTE ART SKILLS  USE COLOUR IN SUBTLE TONES BEAT REJECTION HOW TO TURN A NEGATIVE ART CRITIQUE INTO A POSITIVE Editor’s letter  to art in ascendence   Don’t laugh, but it was only relatively recently that I realised people actually read this bit. I just assumed that you’d leap straight into the glorious innards of the mag: the art. Please turn to page 39 immediately to see the 11 astonishing artists we’ve chosen as our Rising Stars of 2013. It’s much better than reading this. If you’re still here, there might be a few of you who didn’t submit  your art to this year’s contest. Was it for fear of rejection? If you’ve had your fingers burned when previously showing your art, turn to page 16 where you’ll find kindred spirits who share their rejection stories and reveal how they overcame the hurt that it brings. It happens to the best of the best, so don’t be disheartened.  The voyeur in me always looks forward to our Artist in Residence feature. I love a guilt-free snoop around peoples’ art spaces to see what tools and art books they’ve chosen, or to discover what paintings fill their studio. But this issue’s featured artist – Tom Kidd – takes the prize for best open-mouthed gawping ever (by me, I might add). I warn those prone to jealousy to avert their green eyes from page 22.  To further fuel my addiction to nosiness, I’ve created another feature  where I get to look at people and art. Yes! If you’re part of a traditional art group (whether it be a school or college class, or a get-together in a bar) who meet to create art, take a look at Creative Space on page 104. If you think we should feature you, then please get in touch. Just try not to make me gawp too much… Our     sp e cia l   cov  er   fo r     sub   s cri b  e  rs   th   is   i s su  e. Claire Howlett, Editor [email protected] Contact us Email: [email protected]:+44 (0) 1225 442244 Art submissions: [email protected] Web:www.imaginefx.com @imaginefx www.facebook.com/imaginefx Subscription queries UK, Europe and rest of the world US and Canada Web: www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Phone (toll-free): 1-800 428 3003 Email: [email protected] Web: www.imsnews.com/imaginefx Subscribe and save!  See page 28 January 2014   3 Now you read the digital version of ImagineFX on a range of devices!Find out more on page 28 Contents FXPosé 39 8  Reader FXPosé   This month’s artwork includes RISING a female warrior from hell, a sci-fi heist, a Norse god and a STARS massive monkey! ImagineNation 2013 16  News 26  Letters 30  Artist Q&A  An angry giant, silhouettes, a damaged wall, improvisation, characters, tension and more. Features   16  Beat rejection Everyone has their art rejected – even the great artists. The key See page 8 for the best new art  is to use critical feedback to improve your work. 31 39  The winners! Rising Stars 2013  After an enjoyable trawl through some amazing entries from artists around the “John Petersen brings the best  world, we proudly announce of comic style into the land of 2013’s Rising Star winners. illustration, spicing it way up” 54  Sketchbook Rising Stars judge Jon Schindehette Q&A: subtle colours  We take a look at the doodles of artist Kim Jung Gi, whose 54 33   35 timelapse videos have become a YouTube sensation. 58  Studio profile  With artists from all over the  world, Taiwan’s LikStudios has a democratic ethos and a determination to succeed. Reviews Sketchbook: Kim Jung Gi Q&A: bubbles Q&A: characters 90  Hardware 92  Software 16 22 37 94 Books 96  Training Regulars 3 Editor’s letter 6  Resources 28  Subscribe today 74  Back issues Beatr ejection TomK idd’ss tudio Q&A: night scene 87  Next month  4 January 2014 Issue 104 January 2014   DOWNLOAD RESOURCESTurn over the page for this issue’s art assets orkshops 64  Advice and techniques from pro artists… 64  Let your artistic voice be heard Jennifer Healy is inspired by her surroundings. 68  Generate ideas out of chaos  Angela Otto ignores composition conventions. 70  Get to grips with matte painting Create quick environments, says Rasmus Berggreen. 75  Apply comic sound effects PJ Holden adds bangs and crashes to his comic art. 76  Discover your visual signature Rafael Sarmento channels his inner art mythology. 80  Portray a warrior in mid-flight  Alex Chaudret concepts an armoured scout character. 82  Travel back to a lost world Simon Dominic brings an Let your artistic voice be heard old concept back to life. 104 114 Inspiration and advice from the best traditional artists Urban Sketchers 100 FXPosé Traditional 104 Creative Space 112 NEW Urban Sketchers: Barcelona. SECTION 106 Draw a frog princess Chris Seaman crafts a portrait.  Turn to page 99 for more… 112  Anatomy advice Shading to define form. 114  First Impressions  We talk to Rebecca Guay.  106 Figure shading Rebecca Guay Frog por trai t January 2014   5 Resources Resources Getting your hands on all of this issue’s essential OVE  R  resources is now easier than ever. Just go to our new 8 HOURS  dedicated web page at http://ifxm.ag/ste104llar of  wo rk s hop and  Q& A  vi deo  to    wa tc h   and  COVER VIDEO lea rn   fr o m! Find your artistic style  Watch Jennifer Healy paint this issue’s stunning cover art, and see how she employs Photoshop’s Lasso and Liquify tools, and Blur filters in her painting process. HOW TO GET  YOUR FILES How to find the video and workshop files in three simple steps… 1Go to the website Type the URL into your address bar:http://ifxm.ag/ste104llar. 2Find the files you want Search through the list of resources to watch or download. 3Download what you need Click the asset download button or watch the videos online! ADVERTISING +44 (0) 207 0424124 CONTACT US CHARLIE SAID advertising sales director PHONE +44 (0) 1225 442244 [email protected] EMAIL [email protected]  jJaAsS.r aRi@AIf ustaulerse nmeta.ncaogmer ART [email protected] ECclDLaiAIrTeIO.RhREoI wHAlOLet Wt@LfEuTtuTr eEnDeITt.cOoRm  jJSuUUliLZaInAA.tNNoNz TeEOr @SZMfEuRItTuHarceacncoecuto.ncuton mmt amnaangaegre r  WTFWAECIBTETwBEOwROw @K.imiwmawaggwinin.efaefxcfx.ecboomok.com/imaginefx DdaAnNieIlE.vLin VcIeNnCt@EfNuTtu AreRnTe Et.cDoITmOR sVuICzaTnOnRe.IsAm [email protected] msales executive  PF30uOt MSuTroe nI mPmuaobguliisnthhe iFSnXtgr eLMetadt,g ,Baaztinhe, B,A1 2BW, UK CLIFF HOPE OPERATIONS EDITOR [email protected] [email protected] SUBSCRIPTIONS  BbeErReEn.Nne NaEleA@LfEu tDurIGenITeAt.cLo EmDITOR MPHAILRIPKPEAT INNEGWMANgroup marketing manager UUKK, PEHUORONPEE O &8 R4E4S 8T4 O8F 2 8TH52E WORLD © Future Publishing Limited 2014. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine GgaArRy.Yev EaVnAs@NfSu StuTrAenFeFt .WcoRmITER PSTREINPHTA &N PIER SOMDITUHC pTrIoOdNuction co-ordinator OEMUATSILID cEo nOtFac Ut@K m+4y4fa (v0o)u 1r6it0e4m 2a5g1a0z4in5es.co.uk mFanuadtyu W rbeea P lueussbe. lTdish hoeirn rrgee gpLirismoteditrueecdde (docf wofimcitehp ooafun Fty ut hntueu rmwe brPietutreb 2nli0s ph0ei8nrmg88 Lis5ism)i oiistn er odefg i stish ateet rpBeuedba iulnisf ohEerndrg.land MARK CONSTANCEproduction manager WEB www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW. All information contained in this CONTRIBUTIONS  NOLA COKELYad production manager magazine is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time Rasmus Berggreen, Alex Chaudret, Simon NATHAN DREWETTad production co-ordinator SUBSCRIPTIONS  of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or DFHLMRSRSetcriiioucclaegolm,rkope tarPe mtlaiTsenJ tWypott iaHc,soi rn,A,,a rno ME,Ret n,lDe mdsaaJgr,aefor sreRakmnah,l e oaHM,hn ilCs a O eESoSsnonl alttTm nrtrrHrmroyiamkaaa r,Wes anl,Del l,J,ci, n ,AaJiCa VnJtrekloocoreanee,hrxur n CrndMe gaSi fhasPhdueutnrhnorremi,sr i r HElTa VlmSimyoepae,aems neaSl,re yrmsEe sKl,ba ldoRiai,ynd nwnAi, cd, A,Pa nhPS, nratCaeadhcdrhtmodorerenriswy MmLRdFDiIEUEIraCCeGCnTcEHaILUtNNEgoARAeLrSNrLE I EEGN PR OGRUAUOBKGGLliHEIcSeRhHnSesIaoiNndpgG eo a rLfa ncItdMrioe sInaTytaniElv dpeDi ucaranctdhio adnseinsiggn UPWHSE OABNN wED w (CtwoAl.lNi-mfArseDneeA):w 1-sPD8.ricgi0noitt0 am15l  4,23/,623im5781 a3g0in0e3fx iatFmfasnohunlutaaribhdstmcgu co mcraroaueueztangtr iaagtanthhri caell aeireizc,eoc rviiesnstnueno cedgirncrly.ihu sre I sf eodcs utycauhioncotrta lgeh pyultl h u ilibwssinecbu efti eltowba ilhnsirkmaho smerbe reiyntlalddge o,ut .n aiue fnoAroerdsdn inrsoti. t hylutliRoiooe bcmsen ritmst ashFae od ietduwsree st p morrduioisrarari alnceladm te y riewnne oaoro igiuwdafar e dlepsih t.tuv rsooaoib slne edumedm sudo i,citp r nyt tilio ososna / u ysncpse eoyaeane nurrptsvttt ,haaoi icanytcmeg styas eialomc lrnt aueeitaclrdfs na eo riotlurirlsiyr rofkdea ng dicagsr tna tiuotodnarf ,etl itnrhse group PDSRTHOAEONBVTI ONEO LGAGIVOBREBATROOPHeTBdTYEiDt cForugre-tariunotri-uvecpe hp dsiheeiofrne ticootgro rarar pt hedy istoturdio NtMeIAcAhRLnK oF WlEoRgOGyO,U fDiSlmOc hNainemdf e agxnaeamcgueintsigv edirector, Taf1onh7rde J ,Aad7niBg-CiD3ta ecl6c op m2u0bb1li2inc eiasdti opnr inctir, cduiglaittaioln JIM DOUGLASeditorial director NEXT ISSUE ON SALE FRIDAY 3 JANUARY AmemberoftheAuditedBureauofCirculations CIRCULATION PDrisintrtiebdu itne dth bey U SKe byym Pouhril tDoinsetr (ibcuotvioenr) LWtdil lia+m44 G (i0b)b 2o0n7s (4in2s9id 4e0)00 DANIEL FOLEYtrade marketing manager 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1 9PT RICHARD JEFFERIEShead of international ImagineFX is the registered trademark of Future newsstand Publishing Ltd. All Rights Reserved. 6 January 2014 Issue 104 January 2014 EXCLUSIVE VIDEO TUITION!  Watch our videos to gain a unique insight into how our artists create their stunning art   WORKSHOP VIDEOS VIDEO SAMPLE Rafael Sarmento Chris Seaman James Paick  Discover how this illustrator expresses his  A frog princess is the unusual subject of  View a clip from the second volume of inner art mythology through his work. this traditional art portrait workshop. Environment Design for Games and Film, Plus WIPs, brushes and textures Plus WIPs and final image from Concept Design Workshop. Q&A VIDEOS Mark Molnar Sean Andrew Murray Peter Stapleton Discover how it’s possible to subtly Create small silhouettes of people to help Learn how to depict water in motion by enliven a painting with colour. fill out your crowd scenes. paying attention to your light sources. Plus WIP and final image Plus WIP and final image Plus WIP and final image Corrado Vanelli Emrah Elmasli Paco Rico Torres Find out how shadows will help you to Quickly generate a range of convincing Introduce a single light source to your night realistically illustrate cracks in interior walls. character concepts with this expert advice. scenes and ramp up the atmosphere. Plus WIPs and final image Plus final images Plus WIPs and final image PLUS Videos on differentiating between fur and velvet, creating tension in a scene and painting bubbles underwater, along with extensive WIPs and final images from Angela Otto, Rasmus Berggreen, Alex Chaudret and Simon Dominic. 148 CUSTOM BRUSHES, INCLUDING… SMOKE BRUSH 66 PINCEAU BROSSE POIL 1 SKIN SOFT Angela Otto uses this smoke brush to This brush helps Alex Chaudret Jennifer Healy paints soft-looking help generate figures in her digital art. achieve a traditional look in his art. skin with this custom brush. January 2014   7 THE PLACE TO SHARE YOUR FANTASY ART  Tim Löchner 1 LOCATION: Germany WEB: www.timloechner.com EMAIL:[email protected] MEDIA: Photoshop “When I paint something,” Tim says, “I put myself into the world I’m creating. I experience it like it’s real. When I draw a character, I see it moving and talking. I see its feelings and how it would interact with me.” Berlin-based Tim says it’s his competitive streak that drives him on. Whenever he sees fellow members of the concept art community showing improvement in their work, it encourages him to sharpen his own skills. And it seems to be working. His gallery shows an artist with a good eye for character and environment design. His images are full of backstory, too. 1THE FINAL BATTLE“This shows the final battle of Maria against her insane son G.Sus, who’s about to eliminate humanity. After I designed the two characters I wanted to put them into action, so I painted this scene. I chose a dramatic and dynamic angle to show the tense nature of the battle.” 2WARRIOR FROM HELL“This demon uses her female charms to confuse male opponents, which enables her to strike them down with her deathly blade. In this illustration I focused on the figure and tried to keep the background simple to support the character.” ARTIST OF THE MONTH Congratulations, Tim – you’ve won yourself a copy of Exposé 11 and d’artiste: Character Design! To find out more about these two great books, go to www.ballisticpublishing.com. 8 January 2014 FXPosé submissions to: [email protected] 2  Tim’s Warrior From Hell warms the cockles of Paco Rico Torres’ heart  “Here’s a perfect example of how good lighting can make a simple illustration stand out.  The illumination is so accurate and the colour palette is so pleasing, that I can’t stop looking at it!” FXPosé submissions to: [email protected] January 2014 9 Amanda Kihlström 1 LOCATION: Sweden WEB: http://ifxm.ag/kihlström EMAIL:[email protected] MEDIA: Photoshop Amanda draws inspiration from an unlikely source: 16th and 17th century clothing. The Swedish artist is particularly keen on dresses from the era, which feature heavily in her work. Amanda’s been working as a professional game artist for the past two years, specifically on mobile and Facebook social games. “I’ve always loved to draw and play video games,” she says, “so trying to find a career in the game industry just felt natural. Fantasy is my absolute favourite genre, and I love painting anything set in a fantasy world.” Indeed, the Swedish artist is working on a fantasy strategy game, which will be released on mobile platforms. 1FOXY “A personal piece I did just for fun. She has Maori-inspired tattoos, which I thought complemented the rest of her tribal look very well.” 2WITCH “I wanted to draw a witch, but in a subtle manner. I worked in complementary colours, trying to achieve a good symbiosis with the green fog and her red dress. The lantern in her hand is used the same way as cultures have done so through the ages: as a focal point for the dead in their search for guidance in the afterlife.” 2 10 January 2014 FXPosé submissions to: [email protected]