Magazine Illustrator’s Spooky Painting
Scaring Up Inspiration for Halloween Art
See how this artist created this spooky painting
Creating great illustrations is not an easy thing to do. There’s the deadlines, getting the right inspiration, and finding the right models.
For this painting, Mark Giaimo, managed to entice his niece and nephew into posing.
My niece could only manage to sit still for two shots with the head of Olaf, but that’s all I needed.
Giamo admits to taking liberties with the facial features of all, including himself. He frequently uses his own mug in his illustrations. Easier and cheaper than finding a model, right?
Once he has the shots he needs, Giamo draws them up and then transfers the drawing to canvas. From there he creates the paintings in oil. We say “paintings” because that is how he refers to them. He does each portrait, and then completes the scene.
From start to finish he had 3 weeks for this project. 1-1/2 weeks to get the shots and drawings done and approved. 1-1/2 weeks to paint.
That’s a scary deadline!
Original article by Michael Cavna and mark Giaimo of the Washington Post
Illustration by Mark Giaimo
Photos from The Washington Post
