I’m loving your commentary and your astute observations. Corben boggles my mind as well. I would love to watch his process start to finish. I did learn a little about his four color process printing he did at home. Such a prolific master. Great channel , cheers!
Not an expert, but I have that Flights into Fantasy book, which is the closest to a big Corben art book we've got. He self-published two slim volumes of Richard Corben's Art Book. From those sources, I have a little info. The thing about Corben is that the medium doesn't matter that much. A lot of the covers in the 70's that look like paintings are actually gray scale paintings/drawings that he colored using an insanely laborious hand-constructed overlay technique. His interior art is often made with Sharpies, Microns and pencil modelling. He definitely did a lot of airbrush in the 1970's. As others have mentioned, he built models and also used living models when he could. He also is a restless experimenter; in that piece with the big-headed elfin girl, the texture of the tree and background was created (quoting) "by applying the oil paint mixed with a lot of mineral spirits. It flowed down the surface for about half an hour before setting up. I then accentuated the forms and painted the figures." Corben is 79 years old, and still a badass.
Corben used a cell build up and layering, also early computer and mirror distortion stuff, also sculpture as ref..most of his early stuff is streight up traditional, I still have his Den from ariel book of fantasy from the 70s..he is an oddball artist with some different styles, very offbeat, a true original..he used lot of bodybuilding influences and became a master anatomist.
Ha ha! You are not tripping! But yeah, we all thought the same thong. It looks like 3-D art. Only, 3-D art didn't exist yet, so we just thought it looked... AMAZING!!! Computer art at the time was extremely basic and couldn't come close to this. In fact, the number of artists who could even come close was very small, not like today. Waaaay before cell phones or the internet or personal computers. That's what made Corben such a giant. Airbrush was still a relatively new and mysterious thing, and he was breaking barriers with it.
I grew up on Richard Corben. From the movie Heavy Metal when I was 12 I've been following his work. Yes, my parents let me buy and watch adult material as a kid. I bought Den GNs Neverwhere and Muvovum before I was 15.
Rich! Yes his good stuffs good. Definitely an artists artist, I can relate there I know I make stuff that even I cringe at but people love. And there are times I look and say wow I did that... when I look at his body of works I’d be lost and assume it’s not all the same guy, but in reflection there are a lot of us striving to find our style/ genre ... to sum it all up he has a little of something for everyone... I live my career in state of being an oxymoron. I like to do wetf I want but also need a payday 🥺
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I’m loving your commentary and your astute observations. Corben boggles my mind as well. I would love to watch his process start to finish. I did learn a little about his four color process printing he did at home. Such a prolific master. Great channel , cheers!
thank you for posting this. corben is an artist quite like no one else I’ve ever followed, admired or collected.
Corben would often make sculptures and light the sculpters as a shadow reference. R.I.P the sad news just hit today. 12-10-20
Not an expert, but I have that Flights into Fantasy book, which is the closest to a big Corben art book we've got. He self-published two slim volumes of Richard Corben's Art Book. From those sources, I have a little info. The thing about Corben is that the medium doesn't matter that much. A lot of the covers in the 70's that look like paintings are actually gray scale paintings/drawings that he colored using an insanely laborious hand-constructed overlay technique. His interior art is often made with Sharpies, Microns and pencil modelling. He definitely did a lot of airbrush in the 1970's. As others have mentioned, he built models and also used living models when he could. He also is a restless experimenter; in that piece with the big-headed elfin girl, the texture of the tree and background was created (quoting) "by applying the oil paint mixed with a lot of mineral spirits. It flowed down the surface for about half an hour before setting up. I then accentuated the forms and painted the figures." Corben is 79 years old, and still a badass.
Corben is the man. He's been working since the 60's.
He used an airbrush and colored under grayscale art on a transparent acetate, old 70's technique but was more common in Europe.
I've been waiting for this for ages
Corben used a cell build up and layering, also early computer and mirror distortion stuff, also sculpture as ref..most of his early stuff is streight up traditional, I still have his Den from ariel book of fantasy from the 70s..he is an oddball artist with some different styles, very offbeat, a true original..he used lot of bodybuilding influences and became a master anatomist.
Ha ha! You are not tripping! But yeah, we all thought the same thong. It looks like 3-D art. Only, 3-D art didn't exist yet, so we just thought it looked... AMAZING!!! Computer art at the time was extremely basic and couldn't come close to this. In fact, the number of artists who could even come close was very small, not like today. Waaaay before cell phones or the internet or personal computers. That's what made Corben such a giant. Airbrush was still a relatively new and mysterious thing, and he was breaking barriers with it.
I keep getting so into this that I'm hitting the back arrow on YOUR screen lol
What a monster
Thanks for the vid! I'm a huge Corben fan. Just shot a Corben video of my own today.
My F god, my idol, my master! there is a before and after in my life after seeing his art
I grew up on Richard Corben. From the movie Heavy Metal when I was 12 I've been following his work. Yes, my parents let me buy and watch adult material as a kid. I bought Den GNs Neverwhere and Muvovum before I was 15.
Just getting into Corben recently myself, I feel like it's an acquired taste, my younger self wouldn't appreciate, but now it's like top top.
He says what materials he uses in vol 1&2 of the Corben art books. The textures on the trees at
@
Rich! Yes his good stuffs good. Definitely an artists artist, I can relate there I know I make stuff that even I cringe at but people love. And there are times I look and say wow I did that... when I look at his body of works I’d be lost and assume it’s not all the same guy, but in reflection there are a lot of us striving to find our style/ genre ... to sum it all up he has a little of something for everyone... I live my career in state of being an oxymoron. I like to do wetf I want but also need a payday 🥺
As I understand it, Corben used to sculpt figures of his characters to use as reference. I'm not sure if he still does.
your content is incredible!