Grand Opening of my New Website. Check it out!

I'm pleased to announce the opening of my brand new website: www.bradwsimpson.com

Please visit and let me know what you think.  I've added a ton of new illustrations.

Check it out here www.bradwsimpson.com

How to Paint Fantasy Art

For me, and probably many artists, painting a picture is like a study in layers.  I almost always start with a basic sketch, usually not very detailed, of the painting I'd like to do.  I start with very basic ideas, but I allow my ideas to evolve as the illustrating process goes on.

If you look at my original basic sketch of this painting I just finished of a Barbarian Woman riding a grizzly, you see my original idea was to have the woman  in a very different pose.  But once I finished most of the background and added a few colors to the woman, I decided I didn't like her pose because it didn't look natural.  Therefore, I colored over it and did another very loose color sketch of a woman in a different pose.  In fact, I tried several poses before I finally landed on one I like.

Never be afraid to change a picture for the better, even if you've already put a lot of work into your picture.  I once scrapped a children's book I had worked on for months, just because I thought the main character didn't resemble herself enough throughout the book.  That was a painful decision, but one I don't regret.  I knew I would never feel comfortable publishing work that I hadn't put my very best into.

Remember, your audience, no matter what age, will appreciate your hard work and attention to detail.

Autumn Barn

Well, autumn is right around the corner, so in honor of that great season, I've painted a country barn scene.  This painting kind of reminds me of East Texas where I grew up, and where I return every chance I get.

Fantasy Art: Fairy Pond

Whew!  It took me two days, but I finally finished my latest illustration: Fairy Pond.

I'm not sure if I'll add this one to my website portfolio or not.  Sometimes I create art just for the fun of it.  By the way, you can check out my new site here:  www.bradwsimpson.com.

Why I Love Goosebumps, by R.L. Stine!!

I've really come to love the work of Tim Jacobus and Brandon Dorman, both illustrators who did the covers for the Goosebumps series by RL. Stine.  Here is my version of Tim Jacobus's cover for "The Werewolf of Fever Swamp."  I realize my version is not on scale with the original cover art. 

My version started off as just me playing around on my new Bamboo Pad in ArtRage and Gimp.  I just wanted to work with blending colors digitally for the fun of it, and since I've always loved the Goosebumps covers, I thought I'd give "The Werewolf" a try.  I had so much fun I decided to go ahead and do the entire picture, wolf and all. 

Below is the original art by Tim Jacobus.

The Haunted Barn

Lately, I've had a hankering to do a barn scene.  So here we have it.  I call this The Haunted Barn.  This is a first for me, as this painting was done completely digitally, using Gimp 2.6 and my Bamboo pad.  I probably still prefer watercolors, oils or acrylics, but I have to admit, doing it all digitally was a lot of fun.  And there is a lot to be said for digital painting.  No messy clean-up afterwards, for one thing. 

Colored Pencil Art

Here is one of the first paintings I ever did using colored pencils.  I call it a "painting" since it's more than just a drawing.  I suppose technically, it should be called a "coloring."

     I like how vivid your colors can get with colored pencils.  I use Prisma Color, with a colorless blender marker.  The blender marker really makes the colors come together, almost like watercolor paints.