My personal favourite (and master) is Sergio Toppi. His compositions, portraiture and mark-making are off the charts! I would like to propose him for a master study :)
I've been a fan of Finlay forever. The detail in his work, and his patient stippling, are even more astonishing when you realize the time constraints he must have been under. I've seen issues of Weird Tales where he provided almost all the art and spot illustrations. Thank you for these cool masterclass vids. They are such an inspiring idea. I especially appreciate how you choose a small section to explore.
I tried Finlay’s techniques, replete with scratchboard but not slavishly wiping the needle down between each dot. I often see people trying his stippling techniques, but they just kind of jab the paper randomly rather than place each dot carefully and precisely, and it shows. It’s painstaking, and I’ve always suspected that he used those flat elements to give himself some techniques just to get the piece finished quicker. All that texturing is brilliant, but tedious - trying it made me appreciate Frazetta’s bold brushwork on his inked pieces.
Hat bounced light brings attention to his face and connects him to her. If you drew the light on the other side he’d get lost and the tension would be gone. He might have benefited from lighting from both sides.
So glad i found your channel, my favourite master is masashi kishimoto who made naruto. His city background renders are so beautifully rendered and he has such a effortless grasp on perspective
Thanks for subbing and welcome aboard! I'm a bit behind on featuring Mangakas (my list is way long, so many great ones!). Kishimoto is on my list and will be featured for sure!
The thing you're largely overlooking is not the horror/fantasy, but that in the majority of Finlay's work, he was working for pulp magazines, smaller and more compressed spaces (& frankly shitty reproduction) which meant that despite his meticulous technical practice, he was working for an overall boldly graphic effect, and distinctly NOT for overly realistic representation of the play of light. Plus, apropos of nothing, his stuff is a freakout to observe closely or try to emulate.
oh, I did mention that the effects were appropriate for pulp horror illustrations, though you're right I didn't emphasize that point. @petebeard did an entire video on Finlay that covers everything I've left unsaid (to keep my video short, I just referenced his video for those interested). The key takeaway from my video is to practice observation skills when doing master studies, aiming to understand how they made decisions. I agree, Finlay's focus had to be more on the narrative because of the constraints of the creative brief and limitations of production, and he made it work brilliantly.
It reminds me of early cinematic lighting too, where the light sources made no real sense given the environment (eg faces w multi point lighting.. in a doorway in a dark alley)
Fun fact, Finlay was HP Lovecrafts favorite illustrator and he would request him by name for his works. Thats probably why his work is so strange and off putting as hes doing illustrations for stories set in alien worlds and other dimensions
I am curious of a technique of getting plain flat black without streaks, tried brush and various inks but still get can you show how you would get that on an actual drawing that is similar to finley's work. where the blacks are mixed into the light but also with transitions, as I noticed your blacks for this example are a little streaky -assuming that the finish was not the focus of the master study.
My blacks are streaky because I forgot to shake the large bottle before refilling my smaller one. A bit oversight, though as you mentioned was not the focus on this sketch. It would have been nicely opaque otherwise, my fault. To get transitions that blend and fade, masters will use a texture gradation, usually some kind of crosshatch variation.
Thank you for your informative and entertaining way of talking about the techniques of the masters you cover. I really enjoy it but the best parts are your explanation and thoughts going throgh the process of your study. I bet you have heard this many times but I was wondering if you have considered studying Aaron Horkey? One of the greatest ink- artists in my opinion. Thank you again for all your hard work!
I did! Student reviews are great so far. Thanks for asking. It's called "dip pens for realistic drawing: get the results you want" and here is the (affiliate) link to my class page: www.skillshare.com/en/r/user/chloegendron?gr_tch_ref=on
New subscriber. Thank you for making these videos. I am a beginner and learning pen and ink. What do you think about medium size nibs ? I am starting out with Sheaffer pop fountain pen with medium nib ? sometimes i am not able to produce thin lines with it.
Welcome to the channel! Fountain pens are convenient for sketching in a sketchbook, work well for practice exercises, and depending on the quality of the ink you're using - can also work for final artwork. The Sheaffer pop fountain pen performs best as a writing tool, and as you mentioned, you'll find that varying the line weight is limited - you'd need to make your composition on a larger scale, as your only option is to go thicker in weight by going over the lines. Consider using fine liner pens or radiographs (sizes 01, 03, 05/08), as a beginner-friendly tool to get the effects that you want, and to develop technique.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the rebel inker. Booth is one of my top favourites. I've yet to do a dedicated feature, I'm pretty nervous about it, he's my hero really.
You seem to be making the argument that once you hit the level of rendering that Finlay did the "rules" don't matter anymore. He'd rather have his piece look cool than sweat it out with legit light sources. Maybe that's the real rule? It has to look good? Reality just gets in the way?
Hi... Hmm, sounds like there's a bit of a disconnect here. I invite you to re-watch the video to see if it clarifies your question. The key takeaway is to practice observation skills when doing a master study, and see what we can learn from the decisions the masters made. Having a thorough knowledge and control of the art fundamentals is the goal of mastering a skill ... art is subjective though in the case of illustration, ideally it communicates what the artist intended.
1:13 So he broke the rule of value; her hair should have been brighter? The first 'broken rule' is having multiple sources of light and not putting the right value in some parts like her hair and the second broken rule is he puts the same value in different objects; hence he doesn't have a main character or object that he wants us to focus on? And the third 'broken rule' is that he didn't shade, tone properly (as usual) the far away objects: he didn't put the right value in far away objects? So normally artists put different value and shading in far away objects to make the viewers see depth and texture but this guy didn't do that so we can't say whether the woman is normal sized and close to the sleeping dude or a giant woman who is far away.? So all three rules had to do with.. value and shading? Am I correct?
Pretty much. This happens when the artist either 1) assembles pieces of references from various sources or 2) renders from imagination - without establishing the source (or sources) of light on the picture plane. Ill-executed lighting is disorienting for the viewer and looks "off". Masters like Moebius and Kim Jung Gi who render mostly from imagination are amazing at controlling the light - there might be 2-3 different sources on the picture plane (natural light, back lighting, reflected light) but they make it work in delightful ways.
@longstrideillustration From this I get that it is only a problem if it's done unintentionally, unlike the dude you covered in your video who must have (maybe not, idk 🤷🏽♂️) done it purposefully. In the first case the artist is inexperienced who doesn't know how to shade and value properly while in the latter case the artist is creative maybe xd.
The notion that Finlay had a "mishmash of rendering techniques" is laughable. Have you considered that his art is not intended to be representational? It's like saying de Chiricho didn't understand perspective.
My personal favourite (and master) is Sergio Toppi. His compositions, portraiture and mark-making are off the charts! I would like to propose him for a master study :)
Toppi comes up a lot and he is high on the list 👍 Coming soon!
I've been a fan of Finlay forever. The detail in his work, and his patient stippling, are even more astonishing when you realize the time constraints he must have been under. I've seen issues of Weird Tales where he provided almost all the art and spot illustrations. Thank you for these cool masterclass vids. They are such an inspiring idea. I especially appreciate how you choose a small section to explore.
I tried Finlay’s techniques, replete with scratchboard but not slavishly wiping the needle down between each dot. I often see people trying his stippling techniques, but they just kind of jab the paper randomly rather than place each dot carefully and precisely, and it shows. It’s painstaking, and I’ve always suspected that he used those flat elements to give himself some techniques just to get the piece finished quicker. All that texturing is brilliant, but tedious - trying it made me appreciate Frazetta’s bold brushwork on his inked pieces.
I agree, stippling is quite a commitment to execute well and a technique I'd prefer to use only sparingly.
I learned something new about one of my favorite illustrators. Thank you.
Happy to hear that!
Whoa! You answered my request for Virgil Finlay AND made a Ben Heck reference! I'm smitten! 🙂
My pleasure. Keep those requests coming, you guys make me look cool. 😄
Hat bounced light brings attention to his face and connects him to her. If you drew the light on the other side he’d get lost and the tension would be gone. He might have benefited from lighting from both sides.
Thanks for sharing your observations!
So glad i found your channel, my favourite master is masashi kishimoto who made naruto. His city background renders are so beautifully rendered and he has such a effortless grasp on perspective
Thanks for subbing and welcome aboard! I'm a bit behind on featuring Mangakas (my list is way long, so many great ones!). Kishimoto is on my list and will be featured for sure!
Always great work, Chloe!
The thing you're largely overlooking is not the horror/fantasy, but that in the majority of Finlay's work, he was working for pulp magazines, smaller and more compressed spaces (& frankly shitty reproduction) which meant that despite his meticulous technical practice, he was working for an overall boldly graphic effect, and distinctly NOT for overly realistic representation of the play of light. Plus, apropos of nothing, his stuff is a freakout to observe closely or try to emulate.
oh, I did mention that the effects were appropriate for pulp horror illustrations, though you're right I didn't emphasize that point. @petebeard did an entire video on Finlay that covers everything I've left unsaid (to keep my video short, I just referenced his video for those interested). The key takeaway from my video is to practice observation skills when doing master studies, aiming to understand how they made decisions. I agree, Finlay's focus had to be more on the narrative because of the constraints of the creative brief and limitations of production, and he made it work brilliantly.
It reminds me of early cinematic lighting too, where the light sources made no real sense given the environment (eg faces w multi point lighting.. in a doorway in a dark alley)
This is so amazing, thank you for sharing these techniques with us ☺☺
Fun fact, Finlay was HP Lovecrafts favorite illustrator and he would request him by name for his works. Thats probably why his work is so strange and off putting as hes doing illustrations for stories set in alien worlds and other dimensions
I am curious of a technique of getting plain flat black without streaks, tried brush and various inks but still get can you show how you would get that on an actual drawing that is similar to finley's work. where the blacks are mixed into the light but also with transitions, as I noticed your blacks for this example are a little streaky -assuming that the finish was not the focus of the master study.
My blacks are streaky because I forgot to shake the large bottle before refilling my smaller one. A bit oversight, though as you mentioned was not the focus on this sketch. It would have been nicely opaque otherwise, my fault. To get transitions that blend and fade, masters will use a texture gradation, usually some kind of crosshatch variation.
@@longstrideillustrationThanks for taking the time and the information
Very interesting!! Also you are very brave to decant ink with cats walking around lol 😅
I agree, they were more curious than usual. I guess they appreciate the good scent of a carbon-pigment mix.
Thank you for your informative and entertaining way of talking about the techniques of the masters you cover. I really enjoy it but the best parts are your explanation and thoughts going throgh the process of your study.
I bet you have heard this many times but I was wondering if you have considered studying Aaron Horkey? One of the greatest ink- artists in my opinion.
Thank you again for all your hard work!
Much appreciate the kind words. And yes, Horkey is high on the list 👍👌
I LIKE YOUR VIDEO. YOU ARE SO TALENTED .GOD BLESS
Wouldn't there light becoming from different directions. Its possible there is light behind him?
I love this "master study" videos. Thank you for bringing us such good teachings.
Can I recommend P. Craig Russell? I first came across his work in Epic Illustrated magazine and fell in love with it.
oh P. Craig Russell is a wonderful illustrator, on the list, thank you!
excellent job!
Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!
Would love to see you break down the comic artist gerhard, his ink stuff is rad
Did you create your Skillshare corse yet? If so what is the name of it?
I did! Student reviews are great so far. Thanks for asking. It's called "dip pens for realistic drawing: get the results you want" and here is the (affiliate) link to my class page: www.skillshare.com/en/r/user/chloegendron?gr_tch_ref=on
J'ai un livre de Virgil Finlay, ses livres sont très difficiles à trouver. J'adore son style et ses illustrations.
New subscriber. Thank you for making these videos. I am a beginner and learning pen and ink. What do you think about medium size nibs ? I am starting out with Sheaffer pop fountain pen with medium nib ? sometimes i am not able to produce thin lines with it.
Welcome to the channel! Fountain pens are convenient for sketching in a sketchbook, work well for practice exercises, and depending on the quality of the ink you're using - can also work for final artwork. The Sheaffer pop fountain pen performs best as a writing tool, and as you mentioned, you'll find that varying the line weight is limited - you'd need to make your composition on a larger scale, as your only option is to go thicker in weight by going over the lines. Consider using fine liner pens or radiographs (sizes 01, 03, 05/08), as a beginner-friendly tool to get the effects that you want, and to develop technique.
@@longstrideillustration thank you for guiding me.
finlay also used scratchboard to get some of those hatching techniques
Yeah, Pete Beard goes into it more, be sure to check out his feature on Finlay (if you haven't already).
These earrings look so beautiful on you.😍
Maybe we need to change the way we look at looking and start seeing….😉
great vid, rules are made to be broken! have you considered doing a master study on Franklin Booth?
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the rebel inker. Booth is one of my top favourites. I've yet to do a dedicated feature, I'm pretty nervous about it, he's my hero really.
❤🏆
You seem to be making the argument that once you hit the level of rendering that Finlay did the "rules" don't matter anymore. He'd rather have his piece look cool than sweat it out with legit light sources. Maybe that's the real rule? It has to look good? Reality just gets in the way?
Hi... Hmm, sounds like there's a bit of a disconnect here. I invite you to re-watch the video to see if it clarifies your question. The key takeaway is to practice observation skills when doing a master study, and see what we can learn from the decisions the masters made. Having a thorough knowledge and control of the art fundamentals is the goal of mastering a skill ... art is subjective though in the case of illustration, ideally it communicates what the artist intended.
1:13 So he broke the rule of value; her hair should have been brighter?
The first 'broken rule' is having multiple sources of light and not putting the right value in some parts like her hair and the second broken rule is he puts the same value in different objects; hence he doesn't have a main character or object that he wants us to focus on?
And the third 'broken rule' is that he didn't shade, tone properly (as usual) the far away objects: he didn't put the right value in far away objects? So normally artists put different value and shading in far away objects to make the viewers see depth and texture but this guy didn't do that so we can't say whether the woman is normal sized and close to the sleeping dude or a giant woman who is far away.?
So all three rules had to do with.. value and shading? Am I correct?
Pretty much. This happens when the artist either 1) assembles pieces of references from various sources or 2) renders from imagination - without establishing the source (or sources) of light on the picture plane. Ill-executed lighting is disorienting for the viewer and looks "off". Masters like Moebius and Kim Jung Gi who render mostly from imagination are amazing at controlling the light - there might be 2-3 different sources on the picture plane (natural light, back lighting, reflected light) but they make it work in delightful ways.
@longstrideillustration From this I get that it is only a problem if it's done unintentionally, unlike the dude you covered in your video who must have (maybe not, idk 🤷🏽♂️) done it purposefully. In the first case the artist is inexperienced who doesn't know how to shade and value properly while in the latter case the artist is creative maybe xd.
The notion that Finlay had a "mishmash of rendering techniques" is laughable. Have you considered that his art is not intended to be representational? It's like saying de Chiricho didn't understand perspective.
It is a matter of perspective indeed ;) Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.