WE’VE MOVED!

Hi Everyone!

I’ve decided to move to Blogger because I feel they are easier to use and have neater features (even if the templates aren’t as varied or beautiful).

We've Moved

If you’re reading this, know that I’ll keep this blog open indefinitely. If you followed this blog regularly (thank you!), please continue to follow us at its new home.

Welcome to my blog!

Hi Everyone!

Right now, I like computer game art, because many games let you outfit your character and take screenshots in scenic locations. It’s like a really easy way to enter someone else’s artisic vision and play around with what you can create there too. I feel that computer game art is a neglected area of fantasy art and deserves to be showcased, just like “regular” art.

So, I’ve made a website to show it off — Fantasy Art and Portraits. I don’t sell art. I just show it. I also try to make it relevant for writers and players of role-playing games. Check it out! And do let me know what you think of it!

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There’s a blog on Fantasy Art and Portraits, but it deals strictly with site updates. I want to keep it that way, so that if you subscribe to the RSS feed there, you’ll only receive site-change updates. Everything else, like my thoughts and experiences about building the website, and other things that happened to me on my website-building journey, I will post on this blog instead.

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Want to talk to me about Fantasy Art and Portraits? Add your comments to this blog post!

Romantic or R-Rated? The “erotica” of Franco Accornero

Hi Everyone!

As you know, my website Fantasy Art and Portraits presently showcases the fantasy art of computer games. So, there’s a lot of art out there that I “not able” to provide links to on my site. I can, however, introduce it to you on this blog:

Today, I’d like to introduce the art of Franco Accornero.

Kendon Polak, editor-in-chief of Inside Entertainment Canada, introduces his art as “High-Voltage Erotica”, the “steamy, trashy, windswept romance covers are literary icons of the highest high-camp order.”

Whatever you may think of them, though, Polak points out, “… many romance-novel enthusiasts readily admit to making purchases based entirely on the quality of the cover illustrations”. Accornero does, however, have “regular” art that’s worth a look at. Curiously, you’ll find none of the sexy stuff on his website (unless there’s more than one fabulous artist of the same name).

Polak’s blurb appears in the October 2008 issue of Inside E Canada, and directs interested readers to Chronicle Books where Accornero’s art is available in a collection (And I noticed Chronicle Books offers 20% off-next-order if you sign up for their e-newsletter: bottom right on this page).

"Unbridled Passion" Postcard Book

Vietnamese Fine Art

Hi Everyone!

As you know, my website Fantasy Art and Portraits presently showcases the fantasy art of computer games. So, there’s a lot of art out there that I “not able” to provide links to on my site. I can, however, introduce it to you on this blog:

Today, I’d like to introduce some Vietnamese art! I stumbled across the Green Palm Gallery recently, and the main reason it stood out was because it featured Vietnamese artists (and even has an address in Hanoi, despite being a .com). Most of the art has a “fine art” type look, and each artist has a very specific style of their own.

If you’re looking for heroic poses of left-handed heroes wielding big swords against fearsome foes; or hot babes with big “guns” and more skin than clothing… er… you might want to wait for the next blog post. (-_^)

(Click on the picture to be taken to the source site).

"Moving House" by Nguyen Manh Hung

"Young Girl II" by Nghiem Xuan Hung

Arts and Life – A gorgeous fantasy art blog

Fantasy Art on "Arts and Life"

Hi Everyone!

As you know, my website Fantasy Art and Portraits presently showcases the fantasy art of computer games. So, there’s a lot of art out there that I “not able” to provide links to on my site. I can, however, introduce it to you on this blog:

Today, I want to recommend the “Arts and Life” blog. It’s pretty much a purely picture-oriented site. While it has gorgeous fantasy art portraits, while you’re there, do consider dropping by their other sections, such as the one on Sidewalk Art.

Do you need to go to copywriting school?

Hi Everyone!

I just saw this story on Yahoo! Canada. It’ll be gone tomorrow, so I’ve grabbed the screenshot.

Answer honestly now: Would your first attempt at writing a blurb for this story include what they found? I would have. That’s why I need copywriting school. (^_^)

Appeared on Yahoo! Canada, Nov-7-2008

Also, if you’re curious about what the doctors FOUND, read the story–then look at the news release again. (-_^)

Revealing the Fantasy in Photographs: The Digital Art of Catherine Somerlot

Hi Everyone!

As you know, my website Fantasy Art and Portraits presently showcases the fantasy art of computer games. So, there’s a lot of art out there that I “not able” to provide links to on my site. I can, however, introduce it to you on this blog!

I recently came across Catherine Somerlot on Twitter and found her lovely work that turns photographs into fantasy art. IMO, the best results occur when the components are virtually indistinguishable in the final composite:

Halloween, 2008

You can view more of her compositions from her collection, “Maidens of the Otherworld“. And don’t overlook her photography, which you may find trumphs her fantasy art — such as this “Mystic Woodland”

Mystic Woodland

Qualifications for Dell Online Customer Care position: Reading not required.

A recent encounter with Dell Online Customer Care has me convinced that only two skills are required for that position: Copying Text and Pasting Text.

In late August I had to repair my Dell laptop because one of the hinges decided it no longer wanted to turn, and just opening and closing the lid caused the case to pop open. After over $250 spent (it rather inconveniently happened after the warranty period), even more problems cropped up.

I was so upset that I asked the Technical Support person on the phone where I could send a written complaint about the quality of Dell computers. After some confusion (he apparently could not find an e-mail address for hardware quality feedback), he suggested I e-mail Customer Care.

This is my obviously upset letter:

Dell Online Customer Care e-mail, lower half

This is the response I got:

Dell Online Customer Care e-mail, upper half

Clearly just a Cut-and-Paste “not-my-problem I-don’t-know talk-to-someone-else” form letter. More than that, Customer Care sent me right back to Technical Support, who asked me to e-mail Customer Care in the first place!

The Fantasy Art of Final Fantasy XII

Hi Everyone!

As you know, my website, Fantasy Art and Portraits, is focussed on the fantasy art of computer games. So you can imagine that I often run into tons of great art… but “can’t” use it. Here’s a sample from the PS3 (gaming console) roleplaying game, Final Fantasy XII.

Final Fantasy XII is a gorgeous game which you’ll probably never see unless you’re into console gaming.

Pay attention to the clothes, which have excellent and beautiful detail, not just in patterns and decorations, but in the natural-looking way that baggy clothing bends and folds, and how light and shadow falls on them.

Also have a closer look at the adversaries, like this serpent:

Serpent from FF-XII

While the rest of the game looks quite tame fantasy-wise, the adversaries have a very alien touch to them, like the four-eyed flippered snake (above). Want more? Here’s another link of excellent screenshots (too bad you can’t click for a bigger picture, though).

(For all of you out there just looking for babes (-_^) try Top 5 Attractive Final Fantasy Females.)

WASP #4 – The Fantasy Art of Heroes V

Wednesday Art Showcase Presents – The Fantasy Art of Heroes V

Ever since Tolkien (was there fantasy before Tolkien?), orcs have been a mainstay of fantasy as a generic and conveniently not-human-enough adversary. Their biology has been variously cast as fallen elves, pig-men, and even a fungal lifeform that sprouts from spores (WH40K).

Today’s fantasy art showcases Orcs from Heroes of Might and Magic, where they are cast as backward and exploited half-human half-demon barbarians, with a basic sense of honour and spirituality. The half-human and unpredictable demon angle lets them be mirrored strongly off the Heroes 5 demon units, and yet retain a lot of variation and individuality. On the surface, the wide variation may seem to make the overall Stronghold faction a mishmash, but I think if you compare them with demons’ Inferno faction, you’ll see a “method to the madness”.

Click image for full-size image at Flickr. Link to Flickr is mandatory per Flickr terms of use. All images are copyrighted by their respective owners.

Fantasy Art and Portraits: A showcase of the fantasy art of computer games

Heroes V Unit Models added!

Hi Everyone!
Screenshots of unit models from Heroes of Might and Magic V, and the expansions “Hammer of Fate” and “Tribes of the East” have been added, and the gallery guide page reorganized slightly.

Enjoy!