whimsical illustration

Step By Step Art Progression For The Grand Vizier's Garden Party

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Here's the step by step art progression of my new fantasy art piece "The Grand Vizier's Garden Party". It is my interpretation of a Pink Floyd song. Check out my descriptions for each step below. If you have any questions, just post a comment or email me from the Contact Me section of www.fian.com.

These are the tools I used to create "The Grand Viziers Garden Party". They are Arches watercolor block of 30 sheets of 140 lb cold press paper, Winsor Newton watercolors, Pilot Namiki Falcon fountain pen, Pilot Metropolitan animal fountain pen, Noodlers fountain pen, Noodlers ink, Pedeo drawing gum, Winsor Newton Gum Arabic and various brushes.

Rough sketch with doodles from my sketchbook added. Getting our cast of characters into their places. Places everyone!!!

Transferring the sketch to the watercolor paper block. I print out the sketch then rub the back of it with a graphite pencil and trace the image onto the paper.

Starting the inking process. It is always a rush to get to this stage and to make it start to come to life.

The outline inking. The main line work right before the detail comes in. The grand vizier is getting ansy...he wants to see how he will look in color.

Details to the outline inking. The last stage before I apply color...then the real decision making comes into play.

Masking the characters with Pedeo Drawing gum (blueish color) so I can paint the sky with a watercolor wash. Its easier to get a fluid wash without having to worry about getting color into unwanted places.

The sky wash is added....now I'm ready to bring the characters to life.

Starting to add color to the characters. I started with the grand vizier himself and made him a reddish color to make him the center of attention like he always demands.

Bringing more of the characters to life. Bringing this party into full view.

Detail of the painting process. Gotta make sure the Vizier is done right...he's kinda fussy that way.

The finished art. A glimpse into what goes on at The Grand Vizier's place on weekends and what goes on in my head all the time. Enjoy!

My New Email Campaign

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Check out this email campaign I am doing through Agency Access that is sent out to folks in the advertising industry. It is the first installment in a series I have in capturing the challenges art buyers face in a humorous way. I decided to use a fun B/W doodle illustration style which incorporates use of already existing color images I have done in my digital airbrush style.
I wanted to do something more than just show an existing illustration to attract work, I wanted to create something that is designed for this particular campaign and have art buyers relate to it.

I have included the ad in its entirety which includes the copy I had written for it.  

Waddayathink? All comments and/or suggestions are welcome. 

-Fian

 

How Fian Arroyo Art Has influenced Others

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A childhood friend Chris Maggio, who is now a successful medical illustrator wrote me these kind words on how my art had influenced him early on...makes me feel good to know when my talents have helped others. Thanx Chris! Check it out:


You might laugh at this, but your name actually came up many years ago when I was in college... I was doing a paper in an art history class and was tasked with writing about artists through the ages, people that strongly altered or influenced our artistic direction. I had Giotto, Brunelleschi, some of the other ancient standards, and... Fian Arroyo. The instructor assumed I was pulling names outta my ass and questioned me on this "Arroyo fellow", as he couldn't find him in the books, and inquired to which century did he live, and who were his contemporaries. I explained that you were an 8 year old childhood friend... and we lived in a now-lost paradise. He raised both eyebrows, so I described watching you curl simple gesture lines with a paintbrush on brown butcher paper, how the quiet strokes of the cheap brush soaked in dark smelly poster paint became a cougar with extended claws and long swooping body. How I went home and painted for hours trying to get that simplicity to work, and how frustrating it was to not get it right the first time, (or the thirtieth time), as I saw you do. How, Fian, sitting on the hardwood floor in the hallway of his dark house easily breath out lively images while I mimicked. The professor's response was "Oh, I meant classical artists, but I guess that works." Don't let that go to your head! HAHA But I did soon find my own niche and have been making my mark ever since. But, thanks for the free lessons! I owe you a beer.