Massimo Carnevale

http://sketchesnatched.blogspot.com

The website of the above artist, The Italian Comics artist Massimo Carnevale. He paints scenes and characters from movies from all over the world, and updates nearly daily. It's fun to wake up and see if there's anything new.

Oh, and go see Rango, I've yet to, but I here it's good.

Blacksad

My first introduction into comics was with Archie's "Sonic the Hedgehog", so you could say I was always enamored with the "Funny Animal" tradition, anthropomorphic, of comics and animation. Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Rodger Rabbit, big influence on my childhood. But I grew older and out of it.

Then, somewhat recently after a semester abroad I came across my love for funny animals again. I picked a volume of Blacksad.

The creators, writer Juan Díaz Canales and artist Juanjo Guarnido, are both spanish, but the

story originally was published in French, later translated into Spanish, and recently Dark Horse has put out a english translation (with I'll be picking up whenever I find it). But even

with my french edition, the storytelling is so clear and engaging I can simply "read" the pictures.

It's a great comic and if you ever have the chance of getting you hands on a volume (you can start from anywhere), I highly recommend it.

The Night of All Fears

A one minute short film done for the "B-Movie" challenge over at CGsociety about a year ago. I you have already seen it, it's a treat. The short was directed by Cyril Corallo and a group from the French studio, Rheo freelancers association.

The Night Of all Fears, CGsociety challenge. from Corallo Cyril on Vimeo.

S.Britt

I literally squealed a bit the first time I saw this image.

http://www.sbritt.com/

An illustrator who combines draughtsmanship (I think) with the playful imagery of the old board games and pop up books that gather dust in the attic. Check out his work!

Vik Muniz's "Waste Land"

I just got done watching Vik Muniz's 2010 documentary "Waste Land", it was pretty amazing watching this man's journey from Brazil to Brooklyn and back again. A synopsis from the official website:

Filmed over nearly three years, WASTE LAND follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world's largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There he photographs an eclectic band of “catadores”—self-designated pickers of recyclable materials. Muniz’s initial objective was to “paint” the catadores with garbage. However, his collaboration with these inspiring characters as they recreate photographic images of themselves out of garbage reveals both the dignity and despair of the catadores as they begin to re-imagine their lives. Director Lucy Walker (DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND, BLINDSIGHT and COUNTDOWN TO ZERO) and co-directors João Jardim and Karen Harley have great access to the entire process and, in the end, offer stirring evidence of the transformative power of art and the alchemy of the human spirit.

I highly recommend it, it's a great watch about a great artist and his roots.

Illustrators: Howard Pyle

I've first heard about Howard Pyle visiting a library in Delaware, which consequently has a lot of american illustrator art. His illustrations for children's books were amazing, especially for "Treasure Island".

Photography and a Changing Art landscape

William Henry Talbot (1800-77) was frustrated with his notion that he was unable to draw, and on a whim he invented photography, and helped established photography as the medium of mimesis. While it wasn't considered an art form in his time, it would soon become a medium that would popularly be called "fine".

And soon, take the place of the illustrator, as the prime provider of depiction of life. With it's ease, accuracy, and economical solution to visual communication, the Artists were largely ushered out of publishing and advertisement. The advent of the industrial revolution made human input obsolete on a practical scale.

Talbot, in his pursuit of depicting life change forever how it's depicted in society.