I was recently invited to give a talk about my work and my process over at the Dominican University of California. It’s always such a pleasure to get to talk to students about my work and journey thus far. There’s always one question that I tend to freeze up on when asked though, which is: “Which artists have inspired you?” You’d think this would be a no-brainer but I tend to forget everyone’s name when asked the question. I suppose I feel like there are a select group of artists I should name. I’m not sure what it is! It’s always so frustrating and then, of course, I think of everyone after the talk has ended.
So I thought in an effort to perhaps grind these names into my head, (or to at least have a handy list I can refer to later) I’d write a blog post about who has inspired me as an artist. I have to admit that my inspiration map is a bit “all over the place” with people showing up in all sorts of professions. Either way, I look to these individuals for inspiration and guidance regularly.
Let’s start at the beginning…
Disney. Like most American children in the early 90′s, I grew up on a steady diet of Disney cartoons and movies. It was Disney who really inspired me to draw. I remember copying characters out of books and video tape boxes. Disney movies and cartoons from my childhood are still a huge source of inspiration for me.
Bill Watterson I also grew up in a regular dose of Calvin and Hobbes. My father had all of the books and I’d pour over them every weekend. They are hilarious but they are also so expertly drawn and painted!
George Lucas and ILM. When I was 9 or 10 I saw Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. The scene where Luke fights the Rancor blew my mind. Ever since I had found out that you could draw Disney Cartoons for a living, I wanted to work in film and animation but it was the rancor that really inspired me to focus most of my attention on creatures. I had always loved animals and fantasy growing up and so creature design seemed like the perfect marriage.
Stan Winston (Studio). Of course! This man and his studio created some of the most memorable creatures, monsters, dinosaurs and aliens to ever be on screen. His studio can do anything: computer graphics, puppetry and prosthetics. This studio has been inspiring me since I was a kid as most of my childhood was spent reenacting scenes from Jurassic Park.
Weta Workshop. The work this studio produced for Lord of the Rings and King Kong changed my way of thinking about concept art. The attention to detail and dedication to research in their design and work inspires me everyday.
David Attenborough. I grew up watching David Attenborough documentaries long before I actually knew who he was. Sir Attenborough isn’t an artist (at least to my knowledge) but his influence on my work is profound. I was always one of those kids who’d rather learn about the migrations patterns of birds instead of hanging out with friends. This man has done so much for the natural world by exposing us to the amazing animals and places of the earth. I admire the fact that he’s always out in the bush with the animals, narrating alongside them.
Norman Rockwell. My parents really appreciated Rockwell’s work so I was exposed to it pretty early on. I never thought someone actually painted these. Rockwell’s work has always amazed me with its expressiveness, honesty and just all out skill. He was quite the draftsman and painter and I know seeing his work often really influenced my decision to study art through school.
Sabrina Ward Harrison. I became aware of Sabrina’s work through a good friend of mine when I was a Senior in high school. Her work is very different from what I do but I love it. I love what she talks about in her journals. I love her honesty. I had the honor of taking a workshop with her when I was 18 and it really changed how I worked.
Nick Bantock. I was exposed to Bantock’s work about the same time as Sabrina’s. His book series Griffin and Sabine captured my imagination. I love his collage work and his found object art is amazing. He can do everything – paint, draw, write, collage. Somehow he makes his work look like it all comes from different places but I always know it’s his.
Heinrich Kley. I’ve always loved to draw the most. Kley’s work is masterful. I especially love is elephants but all of his figures, human or non-human, are full of life and expression. The way he handles pen and ink looks so spontaneous and yet so planned out.
Winslow Homer I was originally trained to paint in watercolor though high school and I’ve always loved the medium. Homer could work in a variety of media but his watercolor studies were incredible to me. The piece above (is actually done in oils) has always really stuck with me.
N.C. Wyeth illustrated some of the most famous and well known fantasy/adventure books such as Treasure Island and editions of Robin Hood and Robinson Crusoe. His works have been with me since I was a kid.
Terryl Whitlatch. Obviously. I didn’t really learn who Terryl was until I was in college but I had loved her work through Star Wars and the other countless creatures she had created for other films. Her creatures exhibit what I really find great about creature design: evolution, reference, research and believability. She’s been one of my heroes for a long time.
Crash McCreery. Again, this is another concept artist I knew about only because I was glued to the screen watching the movies he helped create. I didn’t know who Crash was until college. I got my paws on a Stan Winston book that is filled with his work. Crash’s ability to explain the form with just his pencil has always been a huge inspiration to me.
Frank Frazetta was always epic to me. This man could paint! I always wanted to paint like Frazetta. I love the way he blocked in color and made things feel so full of volume while still leaving bits of the original drawing exposed.
Ralph McQuarrie. Who we unfortunately lost this year was an incredible concept artist best known for his work on Star Wars. As I mentioned before, Star Wars really influenced me when I was a kid and his paintings were a huge part of it. I love that you can really see the scenes in his concepts. He drew everything out and never left you to you guess.
Jean (Moebius) Giraud. Another legend lost this year, Mobieus was an incredible designer and artist. His ideas were incredibly original and his work was elegantly simple. His draftsmanship was beautiful. He brought so much to film and comics with his work and I love how alien his worlds and characters feel.
Hayao Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli) Miyazaki creates magic through animation. I really didn’t get into Myazaki until early college but I instantly fell in love with his storytelling. His worlds are whimsical and his characters are unforgettable.
Pixar who isn’t inspired by Pixar? This animation studio is incredible. The art and the technology that come out of it are remarkable. They achieve such a perfect fusion of story, art and technology in their work.
Tolkien. Any kid who was into fantasy was influence by this man. Tolkien was one of the best world builders. He created languages and vast histories that felt ancient and real. I read The Hobbit in Jr. High and it’s been with me ever since. His dedication to his world has always inspired me.
Alton Brown. I always include Alton in my list of inspirational people. It might sound sort of weird (him being a chef) but I find him really inspiring. He’s so passionate about cooking and food. Not to mention he’s a science guy which is awesome! I just admire that he’s so willing to be completely thorough about something as basic as boiling water. In art, the basics are everything.
Neil Degrasse Tyson has been inspiring me lots lately. He’s a a brilliant astrophysicist but he’s also a dreamer. He upholds an unrelenting passion about his work and what he thinks of the space program. I love that he’s not afraid to show how emotionally involved he is in field. He really, truly cares about what he does and he fights for it constantly.
John James Audubon is the master of birds. I’ve always loved his illustration work and have tried to emulate it in my own creature design work. Not only was he as accurate as possible, he was a designer. His pieces are beautifully composed, it’s a wonderful fusion of natural science and art.
Of course, there are too many inspirations to count but this is a short list of some of the most important people to me. I am lucky enough to be surrounded by lots of inspiring people everyday through friends and online. I’ve linked to them all on this blog on my links page. I try to keep my links list current but it can be touch to keep track of everyone.
I’ve updated it and I urge you check these people out. They are friends and colleagues that push me to work everyday. Find the full list here -> http://www.fishhookstudio.com/links/
Special thanks to Eugene Randolf Young for inviting me to come and speak to his class! :)
