Monday, December 6, 2010

CALVIN'S CANADIAN CAVE OF COOL!




This is the header art that I did for the blog CALVIN'S CANADIAN CAVE OF COOL. I am a long time follower of Cal Heighton's entertaining blog and in that time I have gotten to know Cal fairly well. So when he asked me to do artwork for the blog I was quite excited about it.

Cal's interest range widely and creating a single image that encompassed it all proved a challenge. I wanted it to be loaded with awesome stuff, just like the blog, but at times it threatened to become so overloaded as to be incomprehensible.

I chose to depict Cal as a mythic figure with a vaguely "steampunk" flavour. Like King Arthur on his way to Avalon, Cal needed to be surrounded by female figures. I chose two of his favourites: Selena Gomez and Kat Dennings. There is a third in the background. The tiny figure of Christina Hendricks waits patiently for Cal to return to the Cave of Cool.

Like any action hero he had to have a commanding presence in the exact center of the image. I did base the facial features on a picture of Cal but obscured them with the goggles and the aviator's hat. The epic whiskers are all his, though. The leather coat he wears is based on my daughter's bomber jacket. She calls it her "Adventurer's Coat" and I am only slightly jealous of it despite the fact that the thing doesn't fit me at all.

I had so much fun making this image from scouring through literally thousands of references to blocking out the perfect composition to painting all of the tiny details. I was very pleased with the way it turned out and I was very happy that Cal liked it so much. It has been vary well received over at his blog. Check it out.



I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

6 comments:

TS Hendrik said...

Love Kal and his blog. I saw the header and thought it was wicked cool. You do awesome work.

Kal said...

It really takes my blog to the next level. It turned out better than I ever dared to hope for. The outfits, the cats, the backgrounds...perfect. I asked for busy and I got busy. I couldn't be prouder to own this.

Paladin said...

Outstanding, M.D.! True greatness. My favorite parts are the leather jacket and the badassed whiskers, but its ALL wonderful.

M. D. Jackson said...

Thanks for all your kind comments everyone, both here and over at Cal's blog. And if anybody needs any artwork I'm open for commissions. My rates are most reasonable.

Pat Tillett said...

I love Cal's blog. If you can't find something you like there, then it's just meant to be found.
This header is one of the absolute best out there.

Your amazing artwork is PERFECT for Cal's blog!

Jeremy [Retro] said...

cal is the king of blogs... you did a very nice thing for him... i bow to the greatness that is both of you!
:)
iZombie

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