art

Legend Of Zelda Art – New Artworks For Linktober’s Zelda Creator Con 2021

Legend of Zelda

It’s strange to think that it’s been a year since I last put pencil to paper in the act of creating some Legend of Zelda art and true to last year’s inspiration, I’ve stuck with my favourite game of the series: Ocarina of Time.

Linktober’s Zelda Creator Con is almost upon us, running from Friday 18th – Sunday 20th June and in the same vein as its founding last year, featuring an abundance of creatives including artists, cosplayers, gamers and more.

It’s not just an online convention, it’s a legendary one.

Legend of Zelda Art – 2020

Here’s a selection of the artworks that I created last year for the convention, it was great fun to get stuck in and this small series started me off on a venture to discover a new illustration style that I’m still working on polishing to this day.

It was also insightful to produce a more realistic drawing on Princess Zelda on toned paper, this idea is one that I’ll carry on into every year.

There will always be a Princess Zelda charcoal portrait from me at a Zelda Creator Con!

Princess Zelda - twilight princess - Charcoal - Portrait - Drawing - Illustration - Renaissance - Fine Art - JGlover
Link legend of zelda navi ocarina of time illustration art
Link legend of zelda ocarina of time navi sword deku stick illustration art
Link legend of zelda ocarina of time great deku tree illustration art drawing

Legend of Zelda Art – 2021

This year I managed to focus in on the classical realism style and work on toned paper, this is another method of working that I’ve been getting stuck into over the past year or so and working towards polishing up and refining.

Charcoal drawing of young link playing ocarina of time lake water trees art illustration legend of zelda
Charcoal drawing of adult link playing ocarina of time legend of zelda art illustration
Charcoal portrait drawing of Princess Zelda Legend of Zelda Art Illustration

Ocarina of Time Art

As I previously mentioned, Ocarina of time is my go to Legend of Zelda game and the convenience of having it on the Nintendo 3DS makes it even more so, it’s my favourite of the series and one that I’ll always return to creatively.

I chose to depict both Young Link and Adult Link thoughtfully playing the ocarina, the contrast of the two differently aged Links playing their ocarinas was an interesting subject to explore and made all the easier with the access I was given to some incredible reference photos.

For the two link pieces, I was granted permission by the two exceptionally talented cosplayers:

I would strongly recommend any Legend of Zelda fan, and any fan of cosplay in general to check out their amazing work!

For the Princess Zelda herself, I was also provided with some amazing reference photos to work with, and my depictions of this Princess Zelda are not coming to an end here, I will be working on several more drawings and an oil painting over the coming weeks and months.

The talented Ilka Cosplay took on the role of Princess Zelda for this year’s portrait.

I’ll be getting to work on the following drawings and painting pretty much immediately after the Zelda Creator Con.

So, what’s next?

Tickets for Linktober’s Zelda Creator Con are on sale now and a mere $1 a piece, so by all means, join us all there at the weekend and explore Hyrule through the creative lens of some of the franchise’s biggest fans.

My creative exploration of Hyrule will continue with my continuing work on the Princess Zelda portrait, working towards an oil painting, every step will be documented, I’ll be recording video and posting lots of behind the scenes content too.

Feel free to subscribe to my monthly studio update so as not to miss anything!

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Leonardo da vinci - painting - frescoe - art - renaissance - florence - hall of the five hundred - horses - warriors - soldiers

Studying The Masters To Find Creative Inspiration

Articles, How To Find Creative Inspiration

There is an age old methodology for learning, increasing technical skill and finding creative inspiration that has proven by its use that it can effectively stand the test of time and consistently achieve great results. That methodology is studying the masters. In this article, we will look at how you can use the process of studying the masters as a way to find creative inspiration.

Masters studies have been informing and teaching artists not only for centuries, but for at least a millennium. If you were to sit down and write out an exhaustive list of all of your favourite artists from any time period, you can be certain that at some point in their lives, they have studied a master and learned something from that study that has informed their own work.

A great tool that you can use to aid you in your master studying journey is Pinterest, you can even using Pinterest to create a board for old master study inspiration. I recently wrote an article explaining how to create inspiration boards and how to use Pinterest to find creative inspiration.

Back to the subject of studying the masters, this method of learning and finding inspiration truly is one of the most accessible, rewarding and enlightening processes you could possibly undertake.

Some of the points covered throughout this article will be:

  • The definition of studying the masters
  • The history of old master art studies
  • The master study community
  • Tools and equipment necessary
  • How to choose an old master to study
  • Where to find the works of masters for studying
  • 8 Steps to study the art of an old master artist
  • How studying the masters can inform your personal artwork
  • Where to find more creative inspiration
Continue reading →

Urban Sketching To Find Creative Inspiration [Using Google Maps For Virtual Travel]

Articles, How To Find Creative Inspiration

Overcoming a creative block and finding inspiration can be a real challenge, there are times when each and every creative will fall into such a rut but there is a series of techniques that can be used to break out of the block. In this article we will look at how you can use Urban Sketching as a way to find creative inspiration.

The way of the Urban Sketchers have been overlooked by many creatives and not given the attention and credence deserved by the humble, yet incredibly rewarding act of simply getting stuck into documenting your surroundings using whatever tools are at your disposal.

Another great tool that you can use to aid you in the virtual travel journey is Pinterest, you can even using Pinterest to create a board for Urban Sketching inspiration. I recently wrote an article explaining how to create inspiration boards and how to use Pinterest to find creative inspiration.

Back to the subject of Urban Sketching, we all know that for most of the world it hasn’t been quite so easy as grabbing your equipment and heading out over the past year, that being said though it shouldn’t be written off or viewed as a limitation, we have Google Maps.

Some of the points covered throughout this article will be:

  • The definition of Urban Sketching
  • The history of Urban Sketchers
  • The Urban Sketching community
  • Tools and equipment necessary
  • How to choose a location
  • How to use Google Maps
  • 4 Steps to begin an Urban Sketch
  • Where to find creative inspiration
Continue reading →
scrabble - tiles - pinterest - wood - wooden - table - diagonal - photo - stock

How To Use Pinterest To Find Creative Inspiration [Step-By-Step Tutorial]

Articles, How To Find Creative Inspiration

Overcoming a creative block can be a challenge, but whether you’re stuck in a creative rut or not, you can always use Pinterest to find creative inspiration and explore a world of ideas, imagination and possibilities. It is a great tool for artists, designers, writers, content marketers and more!

It’s easy to get inspired on Pinterest as it’s absolutely full to the brim with great examples of art, design, wall art, interior design, photography, drawings, paintings and ideas as well as diy tutorials and helpful step-by-step guides.

Pinterest actually sells itself on inspiration and it certainly lives up to that reputation as a ‘visual discovery engine for finding ideas’.

Speaking of inspiration, this article is part of a series of articles being written in advance of an upcoming ebook exploring the world of ideas and finding creative inspiration and the many places and ways in which to do so.

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Japanese - Ink - Brush - Drawing - Gollum - Cave - Lord of the Rings - Ring - Water - Light - Sumi-e

Gollum In His Cave – Gollum’s Cave – Limited Edition Art Prints – The Lord Of The Rings – Ink Drawing

Middle Earth, Paintings, Sketchbook

Middle-earth has been calling yet again and never one to ignore the call of adventure, I decided to explore. My journey took me deep into the passages of The Hobbit and far under the Misty Mountains to the dark depths of the caves and subterranean lakes of forgotten times.

Let’s see what JRR Tolkien himself had to say about the place:

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woman in tights laying on chair reading book in library

Best Type of Art Books for Beginners & Experienced Artists

Articles

Whether you’ve only just started feeling the itch to enter the world of artistry or you’ve been a part of that world for many years you have one specific area of common ground. This transcends the medium you use, whether you work traditionally or digitally. This common ground is shared by painters, sculptors, concept artists and all.

Art books.

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japanese geisha fine art drawing model reference original

Kneeling Geisha Charcoal Drawing on Toned Paper

Sketchbook, Uncategorized

I decided to kick this new year off by diving straight back into the Geisha theme that I’ve been working around over the past year. The first UK lockdown gave me the chance to really delve into Japanese culture and pore over various books, articles, blogs, etc. Studying the art, culture and history of Japan and much of Asia has well and truly captured my attention, and my imagination.

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National Geographic - Cormorant - Fishing - Fisherman - Drawing - Charcoal - Fine Art - Moonlit - Water

Cormorant Fisherman – Original Charcoal Drawing

Sketchbook
Cormorant Fisherman – Charcoal Drawing – 8″ x 11″

It felt like high time to get back onto the blog and post a new artwork.

This Cormorant Fisherman is one of the first of many to come; I’m currently working on a series throughout which I intend to work with different styles media, exploring the life and traditions of the dying trade of Cormorant fishing.

Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method in which fishermen use trained cormorants to fish in rivers. Historically, cormorant fishing has taken place in Japan and China.

It is first attested as a method used by the ancient Japanese in the Book of Sui, the official history of the Sui Dynasty of China, completed in 636 CE.

This original artwork is currently available to purchase with free worldwide shipping –

Cormorant Fisherman Original

Don’t Miss The Journey!

Be sure to follow/subscribe to my blog to stay updated and not miss a single step!

To be the first to see my art and works in progress, as well as behind the scenes exclusives –

Follow me on Instagram

@JGloverArt

If you’re interested in bagging yourself an original artwork or a fine art print then check out my Etsy Shop and treat yourself or a friend to a unique gift –

Etsy Shop

Until next time, farewell!

JGlover

Sea of Japan – Charcoal – Sumi-e Style – Japanese Landscape Drawing – Traditional Art

Sketchbook, Uncategorized

In light of getting myself stuck into Japanese culture and history as of late, working on my Geisha art project and working part time as a Sushi chef; I decided to venture into another area of Japanese tradition.

Sumi-e is the name given to a style of East Asian brush painting that uses black ink; this method was commonly employed by the master artists of the past in East Asian traditions to create calligraphy and landscapes drawings/paintings.

I absolutely love the look and feel of sumi-e landscape paintings and the atmosphere they evoke; I also love working with charcoal. That was enough reason for me to fuse the two things and work at creating a Japanese landscape piece that has a sumi-e look to it but the smoky, soft magic of a charcoal drawing.

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Nocturnal Sun – Original Oil Painting – 30% Discount & Free Worldwide P&P – Only 1 Available – Ends in 5 Days!

Paintings, Uncategorized
Nocturnal Sun – Oil on Canvas – 11.75″ x 15.75″
Click Here To Buy!

This original fantasy landscape was painted from imagination using palette knives and painting in a think impasto technique.

Don’t Miss The Journey!

Be sure to follow/subscribe to my blog to stay updated and not miss a single step!

To be the first to see my art and works in progress, as well as behind the scenes exclusives –

Instagram @JGloverArt

@JGloverArt

If you’re interested in bagging yourself an original artwork or a fine art print then check out my Etsy Shop and treat yourself or a friend to a unique gift –

JGlover – Etsy Shop – Fine Art & Illustration

Until next time, farewell!

JGlover