If you see Alex Ross layouts,you´ll they´re good enough for the page.BUT he uses reference because he wants it to be perfect.He doesn´t trace the photos because he doesn´t copy the photo.He just uses it as reference.The models don´t look like the characters in the pages.Scott Campbell don´t draw from the imagination,nor Frazetta did.Theys used/use to meke sketches and sketches based on photos or live models befor they go to the final draw.
yes reference is an aspect of art as is imagination, but to when it comes to the talent of putting it to paper or canvas is what you fail to look at is that he has mastered it. I am an illustration student and to tell you every artist used reference to some extent if only u look at a broom or an animal and draw it to some degree to transform it. The man dose what alot of us yes even artist wish we could do and that is draw and paint with the abiltity to look flawless.
@trexx32@trexx32 Hes not a cartoonist, im pretty sure thats what he means, hes a painter and so his work looks great in covers but in interiors at times feels a bit forced, which is something natural if someone draws realistic(like ross). When applying that style to interiors they look stiff because we are used to see such realistic images moving, not static and juxtaposed one to each other. He a great draftsman but hes not a cartoonist.
amazing talent! as for the people complaioning because hes using reference material, are you serious?? get a clue you could have all the reference u wanted u still couldnt achieve this kind of work it takes great talent, fools :P
using references is not a fault....if every artist used the same reference you would get as many different outcomes as there are artists. they each have their own style. Alex Ross is the cat's meow (i.e. the sh*t)
@356designer For inspiration, for an idea, to give their own interpretation. Everybody views the world differently. Why did impressionist painters need a reference? They rendered nature in their own style, and viewed the world differently and therefore interpreted it differently in their work. If you look at any artistic movement throughout the centuries, from Classicism to Modernism, artists have typically used a reference. As I said, in my opinion it is not a fault.
@SFO14 using ref is totally fine, just as long as u are upfront and admit it and acknowledge that u are not a real artist. if craftsmen that use photos and ref would do that i would have no problem with them. its the charade of artistry that turns people off.
As much as I like the photorealism of the stuff that Alex Ross does it's seems like he mainly tries 2 do a golden or silver age feel.I liked the stuff he did with Jim Lee ( I remembering seeing Batman and Superman next 2 each on a building & 4 identity crisis Batman holding the dead Ted Kord).I would like 2 see more stuff like that &/or darker Alex Ross like work.
I personally prefer Mauro Cascioli and Travis Charest over Alex Ross. I'm not saying Alex Ross isn't good, quite the contrary, I just like the style of the other two over Ross's.
Gouache master, refined the style for contemporary work, incredible when seen in comic book format... He revolutionised comic book art far more than people may realise. Genius.
@j0ssymonster Sure, the end result is what counts.. However this requirs a whole lot more skill. You gotta do it right the first time or put in a lot of extra work to fix mistakes. Plus he can sell the original art work for 20,000 dollars or something... People in the end wanna be able to feel the art and look at it from upclose. We can all see a rembrandt in book of art, but seeing it for real is a thousand times more impressive.
This guy is amazing,,, reminds me of those spoofs of rockers selling thier souls for unbelievalbe guitar talent... except in this case it would be for artistic talent....
I'm also do sequential art and I use photo refs. Why? So we would know the lighting and the shade would take place especially if your illustrations tend to be more realistic than fantasy. But I have to give credit to Ross. I would like to see him work more on the X-Men his ideas and illustrations are fantastic.
@dovenouveau so you would be happy to see less amazing art? For thats what it would mean, if artists switched from computers back to paper and canvas.
Alex Ross is one of the few people in this planet that can make you choke and die with your own saliva out of the awesomeness of seeing his hand made work.
John Buscema never used photo reference, Frank Frazetta didn't either, I think it depends some artist are good enough where they have learned to draw from there head. Jim Lee draws from imagination as well many artist do and can. I believe Alex Ross could draw without the photo reference but the thing is he is also coloring and painting. Where Jim Lee is only penciling. But I have seen some color paintings of Jim Lee where he is imitating Ross and there without reference.
@Dalen77 As much as I love those other artists. Ross is on a musch higher level. He chooses to do comics but he could have done restoration work on classical museum peices. He is a brillant storyteller too.
@Dalen77 incorrect dalen (kool name by the way never heard of it sounds movie like original like jack bauer or jason bourne very kool) but go to jim lee site theirs a pic on myspace and his website where he uses many toy and model ref for his art batman all star, and u see him doin it, u dont know much about artist!!!! 95% of them use refrence, but many of them can free draw think like a rapper they can freestyle but free style dont sale records, writting songs do...
@MsGlory777 Actually I went to school for this stuff, all artist study anatomy and the world around them for inspiration. But there is a difference between studying and learning and referencing slavishly. For every signal drawing you see in Ross's paintings he photographs a live model complete with costume in his studio. Where as Jim Lee and people like Scott campbell make up the drawings from there imagination, they don't have anybody pose. You can google alot of Campbell's roughs.
@Dalen77 don't kid yourself all artists use reference. the poses you see Jim Lee draw are ones he has done a thousand times. Good artists are just good at hiding their reference. Lighting is one of those things you can fake but it will never be as good as lighting done with reference. Reference alone doesn't make you this good.
@tddavis Maybe your in school I know when I was in art college the teachers were all reference crazy, they basically said it was impossible to animate or draw paint with out it. But the truth is, if you have a certain amount of talent this just isn't true. You can actually learn to draw from imagination, but with a photo always in front of you your mind gets trained to always rely on it, pretty soon you end up needing a photo for everything, even simple things you should be able to draw.
@tddavis So basically what I'm saying is you can even be really good great, like Alex Ross but if you had to create and draw without any reference at all you would absolutely stink. Julie Bell is amazing but her drawings from her head actually look pretty bad, but its funny that she is actually painting better then Boris. Ive studied artist that have drawn from there imagination, Hal Foster, Hayao Miyazaki, John Buscema, Frazetta, Don Bluth. They create more from inspiration than direct copy
@Dalen77 Man you have no concept of how art works. no artist learned to draw everything from their head. Do you know why they can draw from their head? its because they carry sketchbooks all day and draw from life, building up a memory of visual information. The study is one of the greatest tools used by an artist. I have never met a great artist who hasn't used reference. No one just knows how to draw something. Every person I have ever met that devalues reference never made it professionally.
@tddavis What I'm saying is that it is sort of a secret that a lot of artist don't know, I'm not saying you don't study and be inspired you have to, but what I am saying is you can learn if your talented as Ross to draw almost completely out of your head. What I'm saying is Ross is so used to reverencing everything that if didn't have that reference he may struggle a lot to complete the painting because he is trained that way.
Alex ross could pull out a half decent sketch from his head. looking at his work I know he can do that. He holds his art to a much higher standard than just drawing out of his head. If you actually watch his process he draws up his thumbnails and rough sketch out of his head and than shoots reference for the finished piece, like every great artist/illustrator does.
@tddavis Ive seen some of his drawing out of his head, I agree they look good, but I really just don't think its the same when you reference every panel with a model. John Buscema drew almost everything out of his head, at one point he even said he was so sick of drawing from his imagination he just wanted to copy something, even a still life. Frazetta drew almost everything from his head. Hal Foster drew all the figures out of his head, Miyazaki draws from imagination, Scott Campbell.
copying everything with models is not necessarily a higher standard, they look so similar to the photo he might as well just trace the photos. If you watch Hayao Miyazaki's movies he draws from experiences and imagination, he doesn't use models or reference and you can see stunning animation by him with life that some of the rotoscoped Disney movies don't offer. There is no reference to make Kiki fly and fall through the air on her broom, but some how Miyazaki did it.
@tddavis mmm, no necessary. it doesn't matter how realistic your art is, what really matters is the sensation that you feel when you watch it. this is the fucking problem with art, people think that something hyper-realistic is the best of the best. just look at james jean art, he is a complete genius, in his own way just like alex ross, but no one is better than the other, the different is that, without models, james jean draws incredibly awesome, in my opinion, he is more creative than ross
so if you don't like ross your comments get deleted so why are you even posting the videos on a public forum with comments available? kinda defeats the purpose don't you think.
dude I know one of his proffers from back at his days at the SAIC who had to kick him in the ass to get him to do any work and basically got him the job at marvel his work is okay but he's strictly a technician he can only draw from photo references which is nothing bad but when that's all you do it shows there is no real imagination behind it hes a smart business man but when it comes to art he's mediocre just a machine.
@dovenouveau dude I know one of his proffers from back at his days at the SAIC who had to kick him in the ass to get him to do any work and basically got him the job at marvel his work is okay but he's strictly a technician he can only draw from photo references which is nothing bad but when that's all you do it shows there is no real imagination behind it hes a smart business man but when it comes to art he's mediocre just a machine.
@drewswift There's nothing wrong with using photo references. Obviously you belong over on John Byrne's forum because you're a pompous know it all jackass. If you can produce better art than Alex Ross. Bring it on, show everybody, or shut your mouth.
@Serpo71 And its not like Ross doesn't have artistic talent. He works from photo references, but he doesn't 100% reproduce the photo. He draws the characters to look like the characters and not the people in the photos (hes even used a photo of himself as reference for The Flash). The photos are there to provide a reference for lighting more than anything. And then you get into composition, which the photos don't provide, only the mind does.
@dovenouveau So if pro illustrators want to create awesome painting with only photoshop(meaning, if they have a lot of time to kill), they can do it. but they wouldn't be called pro if they have that much free time...
3. most illustrators still use traditional mediums for base work and tweak in photoshop. again, it's faster than do entire work on photoshop.
4. Only concept artists work entirely on photoshop. and their job is not to create beautiful illustrations but to quickly visualize the scene so other artists can dig on it.
@dovenouveau It is VERY POSSIBLE to achieve high quality illustration by pure photoshop painting. but here are the reasons why illustrators don't do that.
1. it's easy to compose quick paintings in photoshop.
2. however, it's harder&take more time when you try to mimic traditional materials in photoshop. After all, you can just use traditional material instead of mimic them
I never liked how his stuff translates into actual comic book stories, but after seeing his creative process on this video, I have a whole new respect for him.
Alex Ross is a hark back to times before Frank Frazetta; when American illustration was photo-realistic and had a stillness about it. I think it's amazing that Alex Ross seems able to do anything with gouache - it's a hard paint to work in my experience. I'm a Frazetta fan so I regard Frank's work very highly ( I think you can hang pieces like the Egyptian Queen along anything in art), but Alex Ross is the guy who seems the 90's version: the Comic artist who is able to interest the wider world
In the beginning of the video, he's transferring the traced image onto a clean board, for which he's going to use for the final cover. anyone know how he's doing it?
Here's a question I hope someone knowledgeable out there can answer. I'm aware that Alex paints with designers gouache, which is a water soluble paint, and that he does a monochromatic underpainting before he goes to his final color. How is he able to paint over top of the underpainting without smearing it all over the place when the final, wet colors are laid in??
alex ross wants to draw them that way and he wont draw any changes to them. In the 90s he did the cover for the death of superman novel and he rejected to draw supermans long hair (which he had at the time)
Is till like his stuff even thoguh it would be nicer to see some modern designs
Here's the fact. Alex Ross can draw and paint realistic, but that doesn't make him the best. What make him the best is the ability to draw most dynamic and spectacular action ever seen. How many artists can draw realistic? Many of them, but all of them draw simple things. That's not the case with Alex. So, he IS the best artist of all time.
@BenHeffernan or when you are trying to have a realistic career in the art world. i have yet to meet a figurative artist (which most graphic novel artists are) that didn't use photographic reference at some stage of their process. learning how to work from photo is vital.
never separate the words "hard work" cuz they go together.
Also you have to have to train your eyes to see. and your brain to comprehend what they see, then tell your eyes to tell your hands what they had just seen. and hopefully your brain can extract that information from your hand, through the pencil, pen, brush, etc to the paper.
@lralbrecht Yes, a whole bunch of science and I think that's what turns off many budding artists. They often believe that magical gifts that are bestowed upon select children at birth but it just doesn't work that was for 99 percent of the population. I only know of a few children worldwide who can draw using the principals of linear perspective intuitively and all of them are autistic. One life drawing class taught by a skilled professor is worth ten years of self directed study
@ritter89 learning to see objectively. its tricky, but to ignore the rich history or art and the centuries of techniques is silly. we have the luxury to skip a million steps by enrolling in a proactive education.
i often see people fighting it out of laziness. its easier to accept that "one isn't gifted" vs. take on teh challenge of practice and study to become great.
If you see Alex Ross layouts,you´ll they´re good enough for the page.BUT he uses reference because he wants it to be perfect.He doesn´t trace the photos because he doesn´t copy the photo.He just uses it as reference.The models don´t look like the characters in the pages.Scott Campbell don´t draw from the imagination,nor Frazetta did.Theys used/use to meke sketches and sketches based on photos or live models befor they go to the final draw.
wgpencil 1 month ago
yes reference is an aspect of art as is imagination, but to when it comes to the talent of putting it to paper or canvas is what you fail to look at is that he has mastered it. I am an illustration student and to tell you every artist used reference to some extent if only u look at a broom or an animal and draw it to some degree to transform it. The man dose what alot of us yes even artist wish we could do and that is draw and paint with the abiltity to look flawless.
playamadetexan12 1 month ago
epic!
NorteRed206 2 months ago
Alex Ross is a great artist, but his style just doesn't fit comics one bit. i think he should be like a portrait painter or something
sharingancopyinninja 3 months ago
@sharingancopyinninja he dose portraits of super heros
trexx32 3 months ago
@trexx32 @trexx32 Hes not a cartoonist, im pretty sure thats what he means, hes a painter and so his work looks great in covers but in interiors at times feels a bit forced, which is something natural if someone draws realistic(like ross). When applying that style to interiors they look stiff because we are used to see such realistic images moving, not static and juxtaposed one to each other. He a great draftsman but hes not a cartoonist.
C4RL0Z479 2 months ago
@sharingancopyinninja I think hes studied Andrew Loomis but it still looks like classic comics thought.
Dalen77 2 months ago
Just finished JUSTICE! Gotta love the art!
uberbigbread 3 months ago
i love u
zhaddicerqueira 3 months ago
alex ross is god
aqwtg 4 months ago
Damn it, Alex! It's too real!
Venku16 4 months ago
He is the superhero!!! He's got super talent, way to go :D
Cthulhuized 4 months ago
Holy sh*t...!!! Superb art by the superb alex ross
aldyshinwa 5 months ago
alex ross is an artist deity, i feel ashamed to call myself an artist
Phntm27 5 months ago
Alex Ross master of photo refs.
drewswift 6 months ago
14 people cant paint
17darkmaster1 6 months ago
@17darkmaster1 No, they can paint, but they can only finger paint
VizzyJizzyChizzy 6 months ago
do we all agree that Alex Ross is TOO amazing? ...ya, i thought so :0
RedBlueBlurForever 7 months ago 9
wow
animeviejoart 8 months ago
what is he covering his work with? plastic? and then what is he doing after that? brush it with some kind of what?
can anyone explain this?
bravo1212 8 months ago
@bravo1212 It's called frisket Paper
MegaHuddleston 8 months ago
What sort of paper is he using? Is it watercolor paper?
tedsxtradry 8 months ago
does anyone know where I could get a book that shows his art?
THEDARKKNlGHT1939 9 months ago
@THEDARKKNlGHT1939 most comic book shops will have lots of his books
MrClark86 9 months ago
@THEDARKKNlGHT1939 Look for Kingdom Come and Marvels, they're both very good books,
philipmarie1854 4 months ago
@philipmarie1854 Thanks
THEDARKKNlGHT1939 4 months ago
amazing talent! as for the people complaioning because hes using reference material, are you serious?? get a clue you could have all the reference u wanted u still couldnt achieve this kind of work it takes great talent, fools :P
silentstreets 9 months ago
VIADINHOOOO
araujo1desing 10 months ago
Oh por Dios.... hasta donde llega el talento..WTF!!!
alexpernett 10 months ago
i hate him now >.<
Rufflesguy 10 months ago
THE FUCK!!!??
Rufflesguy 10 months ago
AWESOME!!!
Love how inking a drawing makes it really "POP!"
wagemeister 11 months ago
Always love Mr. Ross! Amazing! :D
neumn13 11 months ago
is this bob ross son?^^
sheiscontagious 11 months ago
@sheiscontagious Nahh . Alex Ross & Bob Ross, No Relation. Otherwise Alex will be Paintin Happy litte Trees Instead of Happy Little Superheroes.
BLACME24 11 months ago
oh man... just look at how much care and attention he puts into his work... i weep rivers for this kind of dedication
even the least spectacular superhero of all time, aquaman isnt left behind...
981407036x 11 months ago
Being an beginning artist this is truly awe inspiring i have never seen anything like it, this makes me want to try even harder thank you Alex Ross.
xxanimefanxx1000 11 months ago
You are the Man Alex Ross!!!
efrenstudios 11 months ago
using references is not a fault....if every artist used the same reference you would get as many different outcomes as there are artists. they each have their own style. Alex Ross is the cat's meow (i.e. the sh*t)
SFO14 1 year ago
@SFO14 If they all have different styles and can make it look unique why do they need a reference?
356designer 10 months ago
@356designer For inspiration, for an idea, to give their own interpretation. Everybody views the world differently. Why did impressionist painters need a reference? They rendered nature in their own style, and viewed the world differently and therefore interpreted it differently in their work. If you look at any artistic movement throughout the centuries, from Classicism to Modernism, artists have typically used a reference. As I said, in my opinion it is not a fault.
SFO14 10 months ago
@SFO14 using ref is totally fine, just as long as u are upfront and admit it and acknowledge that u are not a real artist. if craftsmen that use photos and ref would do that i would have no problem with them. its the charade of artistry that turns people off.
mittROMNEY666 9 months ago
As much as I like the photorealism of the stuff that Alex Ross does it's seems like he mainly tries 2 do a golden or silver age feel.I liked the stuff he did with Jim Lee ( I remembering seeing Batman and Superman next 2 each on a building & 4 identity crisis Batman holding the dead Ted Kord).I would like 2 see more stuff like that &/or darker Alex Ross like work.
yoyoyoy500 1 year ago
This is so AWESOME!!
NeoGaMeXprt 1 year ago
@NorthernSoul31 I dont think its a fault
I just mean that I appreciate better a artist that does not use references,like Adam Hughes for exemple.
But I didnt pretend to ofend anyone,he is a great artist,especially a awesome painter.
and yes familiar with the artistic process,as im studing it.
pgf95 1 year ago
@pgf95
LoL, Adam Hughes uses reference all the time you fool!
deadzone 9 months ago
@deadzone no,not all the time,but he does,mostly in job stuff.He says he does it because he has dificulty drawing the same faces many times.
pgf95 9 months ago
2 things I dont like about Ross:
-too realistic
-uses references(like always)
pgf95 1 year ago
that is so badass!
IAOfilms 1 year ago
woow. his art is GREAT!
Diego1999ist 1 year ago
What kind of idiot dislikes this?!
DrunkenRonin 1 year ago 24
@DrunkenRonin, someone who's not into realism.
RexBlazer1 9 months ago
@DrunkenRonin I think you just answered your own question....only and idiot would dislike this.....
AtomicLameness 9 months ago
@DrunkenRonin Same idiots who actually like Rob Liefeld
jackedsamurai772 4 months ago
YOU ROCK MY SOCKS!!!!
22stylz 1 year ago
I personally prefer Mauro Cascioli and Travis Charest over Alex Ross. I'm not saying Alex Ross isn't good, quite the contrary, I just like the style of the other two over Ross's.
GoodTreeMedia 1 year ago
F--K YOU PHOTO SHOP FAGS. THIS IS AN ARTIST. A DYING BREED.
SCORNDOGGMELACH 1 year ago
This is beautiful, Him and Jim lee keep me drawing constantly.
azuzaj1 1 year ago
What is this artwork called because I searched for it and I can't find it.
Steelersfandesai 1 year ago
@Steelersfandesai Want a link?
356designer 1 year ago
very good
felipemmoura 1 year ago
Gouache master, refined the style for contemporary work, incredible when seen in comic book format... He revolutionised comic book art far more than people may realise. Genius.
preacherZer0 1 year ago
like the norman rockwell of the DC universe.
lralbrecht 1 year ago
Comment removed
lralbrecht 1 year ago
@j0ssymonster You must learn to draw like this before you talk about. Or else you don't understand anything.
356designer 1 year ago
@j0ssymonster Sure, the end result is what counts.. However this requirs a whole lot more skill. You gotta do it right the first time or put in a lot of extra work to fix mistakes. Plus he can sell the original art work for 20,000 dollars or something... People in the end wanna be able to feel the art and look at it from upclose. We can all see a rembrandt in book of art, but seeing it for real is a thousand times more impressive.
AWGMJANS 1 year ago
This guy is amazing,,, reminds me of those spoofs of rockers selling thier souls for unbelievalbe guitar talent... except in this case it would be for artistic talent....
MrOzzybrent 1 year ago
SIMPLY WOW
rieruru 1 year ago
reading Alex Ross's comic is like watching blu-ray in HD tv......
HydrostaticsZ 1 year ago 27
@HydrostaticsZ .....in 3D :P
SuperJimmie3000 3 months ago
I'm also do sequential art and I use photo refs. Why? So we would know the lighting and the shade would take place especially if your illustrations tend to be more realistic than fantasy. But I have to give credit to Ross. I would like to see him work more on the X-Men his ideas and illustrations are fantastic.
SBACRU 1 year ago
@dovenouveau so you would be happy to see less amazing art? For thats what it would mean, if artists switched from computers back to paper and canvas.
puppeli 1 year ago
Alex Ross painted the whole graphic novel of Kingdom Come like this for 15 hours a day, everyday, for one year and half. Amazing.
BrandonNielsen87 1 year ago
i wanna have kids with u man, im so gay right now
TDuD3 1 year ago
stunning
saddosaur 1 year ago
wow
shadowofbat 1 year ago
Alex Ross is one of the few people in this planet that can make you choke and die with your own saliva out of the awesomeness of seeing his hand made work.
Zero2026X 1 year ago
@Zero2026X, thank you for understanding his work. One moron said he wasn't a good artist. Man, he was just stupid.
BrandonNielsen87 1 year ago
Simply amazing.
jurgislv 1 year ago
man this man creates beautiful pictures my inspiration as im a 15 year old lad who is looking to go into the arts industry.
connorjs14 1 year ago
hes the most genious of anatomy drawing.
arthasbr 1 year ago
John Buscema never used photo reference, Frank Frazetta didn't either, I think it depends some artist are good enough where they have learned to draw from there head. Jim Lee draws from imagination as well many artist do and can. I believe Alex Ross could draw without the photo reference but the thing is he is also coloring and painting. Where Jim Lee is only penciling. But I have seen some color paintings of Jim Lee where he is imitating Ross and there without reference.
Dalen77 1 year ago
@Dalen77 As much as I love those other artists. Ross is on a musch higher level. He chooses to do comics but he could have done restoration work on classical museum peices. He is a brillant storyteller too.
snakespot 1 year ago
@snakespot I'm not so sure hes as good as Frazetta, its hard because all of his work is photo reference.
Dalen77 1 year ago
@Dalen77 incorrect dalen (kool name by the way never heard of it sounds movie like original like jack bauer or jason bourne very kool) but go to jim lee site theirs a pic on myspace and his website where he uses many toy and model ref for his art batman all star, and u see him doin it, u dont know much about artist!!!! 95% of them use refrence, but many of them can free draw think like a rapper they can freestyle but free style dont sale records, writting songs do...
MsGlory777 1 year ago
@MsGlory777 Actually I went to school for this stuff, all artist study anatomy and the world around them for inspiration. But there is a difference between studying and learning and referencing slavishly. For every signal drawing you see in Ross's paintings he photographs a live model complete with costume in his studio. Where as Jim Lee and people like Scott campbell make up the drawings from there imagination, they don't have anybody pose. You can google alot of Campbell's roughs.
Dalen77 1 year ago
@Dalen77 don't kid yourself all artists use reference. the poses you see Jim Lee draw are ones he has done a thousand times. Good artists are just good at hiding their reference. Lighting is one of those things you can fake but it will never be as good as lighting done with reference. Reference alone doesn't make you this good.
tddavis 1 year ago
@tddavis Maybe your in school I know when I was in art college the teachers were all reference crazy, they basically said it was impossible to animate or draw paint with out it. But the truth is, if you have a certain amount of talent this just isn't true. You can actually learn to draw from imagination, but with a photo always in front of you your mind gets trained to always rely on it, pretty soon you end up needing a photo for everything, even simple things you should be able to draw.
Dalen77 1 year ago
@tddavis So basically what I'm saying is you can even be really good great, like Alex Ross but if you had to create and draw without any reference at all you would absolutely stink. Julie Bell is amazing but her drawings from her head actually look pretty bad, but its funny that she is actually painting better then Boris. Ive studied artist that have drawn from there imagination, Hal Foster, Hayao Miyazaki, John Buscema, Frazetta, Don Bluth. They create more from inspiration than direct copy
Dalen77 1 year ago
@Dalen77 Man you have no concept of how art works. no artist learned to draw everything from their head. Do you know why they can draw from their head? its because they carry sketchbooks all day and draw from life, building up a memory of visual information. The study is one of the greatest tools used by an artist. I have never met a great artist who hasn't used reference. No one just knows how to draw something. Every person I have ever met that devalues reference never made it professionally.
tddavis 2 months ago
@tddavis What I'm saying is that it is sort of a secret that a lot of artist don't know, I'm not saying you don't study and be inspired you have to, but what I am saying is you can learn if your talented as Ross to draw almost completely out of your head. What I'm saying is Ross is so used to reverencing everything that if didn't have that reference he may struggle a lot to complete the painting because he is trained that way.
Dalen77 2 months ago
Alex ross could pull out a half decent sketch from his head. looking at his work I know he can do that. He holds his art to a much higher standard than just drawing out of his head. If you actually watch his process he draws up his thumbnails and rough sketch out of his head and than shoots reference for the finished piece, like every great artist/illustrator does.
tddavis 2 months ago
@tddavis Ive seen some of his drawing out of his head, I agree they look good, but I really just don't think its the same when you reference every panel with a model. John Buscema drew almost everything out of his head, at one point he even said he was so sick of drawing from his imagination he just wanted to copy something, even a still life. Frazetta drew almost everything from his head. Hal Foster drew all the figures out of his head, Miyazaki draws from imagination, Scott Campbell.
Dalen77 2 months ago
copying everything with models is not necessarily a higher standard, they look so similar to the photo he might as well just trace the photos. If you watch Hayao Miyazaki's movies he draws from experiences and imagination, he doesn't use models or reference and you can see stunning animation by him with life that some of the rotoscoped Disney movies don't offer. There is no reference to make Kiki fly and fall through the air on her broom, but some how Miyazaki did it.
Dalen77 2 months ago
@tddavis mmm, no necessary. it doesn't matter how realistic your art is, what really matters is the sensation that you feel when you watch it. this is the fucking problem with art, people think that something hyper-realistic is the best of the best. just look at james jean art, he is a complete genius, in his own way just like alex ross, but no one is better than the other, the different is that, without models, james jean draws incredibly awesome, in my opinion, he is more creative than ross
eljuli1003 3 weeks ago
so if you don't like ross your comments get deleted so why are you even posting the videos on a public forum with comments available? kinda defeats the purpose don't you think.
drewswift 1 year ago
this guy is my favorite artist. to allt hose who think he's bad because he uses foto reference, obviously dont understand good art and hard work!
Skeliton920 1 year ago
Wow! this Guy is out this planet!!!! Amazing Artist
shadowduelist96 1 year ago
who can mark this video as UNLIKE? omg!!!! are u jealousy? or stupid!
simona7 1 year ago
damn thats amazing how does he do it
MetalGearSolidNick1 1 year ago
A genius and very hard worker.
metacosmos 1 year ago
What's the last thing he was doing? He put a sheet of something over the picture, then...? What's that for?
iamoctavian 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
dude I know one of his proffers from back at his days at the SAIC who had to kick him in the ass to get him to do any work and basically got him the job at marvel his work is okay but he's strictly a technician he can only draw from photo references which is nothing bad but when that's all you do it shows there is no real imagination behind it hes a smart business man but when it comes to art he's mediocre just a machine.
drewswift 1 year ago
@dovenouveau dude I know one of his proffers from back at his days at the SAIC who had to kick him in the ass to get him to do any work and basically got him the job at marvel his work is okay but he's strictly a technician he can only draw from photo references which is nothing bad but when that's all you do it shows there is no real imagination behind it hes a smart business man but when it comes to art he's mediocre just a machine.
drewswift 1 year ago
@drewswift There's nothing wrong with using photo references. Obviously you belong over on John Byrne's forum because you're a pompous know it all jackass. If you can produce better art than Alex Ross. Bring it on, show everybody, or shut your mouth.
SERPO
Serpo71 1 year ago
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drewswift 1 year ago
@Serpo71 Seriously. Photoreferences are an ESSENTIAL ELEMENT of Photorealism. Look it up.
62SG 1 year ago
@62SG I agree
Serpo71 1 year ago
@Serpo71 And its not like Ross doesn't have artistic talent. He works from photo references, but he doesn't 100% reproduce the photo. He draws the characters to look like the characters and not the people in the photos (hes even used a photo of himself as reference for The Flash). The photos are there to provide a reference for lighting more than anything. And then you get into composition, which the photos don't provide, only the mind does.
62SG 1 year ago
@62SG He is a virtuoso artist. And anybody who thinks he is just an unimaginative "technician" is stupid and a bit jealous.
SERPO
Serpo71 1 year ago
@Serpo71, right on! You go! Alex Ross is amazing. He doesn't get as much respect as he deserves.
BrandonNielsen87 1 year ago
@drewswift i'd agree if i had never seen one of his drawings.
lralbrecht 1 year ago
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lralbrecht 1 year ago
EPIC!!!!
OldSkoolJason 1 year ago
meticulous and amazing work
HandyMan817 1 year ago
what kind of paper are this?
alamahao 1 year ago
@dovenouveau So if pro illustrators want to create awesome painting with only photoshop(meaning, if they have a lot of time to kill), they can do it. but they wouldn't be called pro if they have that much free time...
rottenapplese 1 year ago
@dovenouveau
3. most illustrators still use traditional mediums for base work and tweak in photoshop. again, it's faster than do entire work on photoshop.
4. Only concept artists work entirely on photoshop. and their job is not to create beautiful illustrations but to quickly visualize the scene so other artists can dig on it.
rottenapplese 1 year ago
@dovenouveau It is VERY POSSIBLE to achieve high quality illustration by pure photoshop painting. but here are the reasons why illustrators don't do that.
1. it's easy to compose quick paintings in photoshop.
2. however, it's harder&take more time when you try to mimic traditional materials in photoshop. After all, you can just use traditional material instead of mimic them
rottenapplese 1 year ago
Oh my Gosh,That is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1MarvelFan 1 year ago
i love this guys work, i have read some but not all. this guy is like the master of comic pencilling/painting.
Holygiant 1 year ago
I never liked how his stuff translates into actual comic book stories, but after seeing his creative process on this video, I have a whole new respect for him.
AndroidBattleTrooper 1 year ago
He must have so much patience to draw this
THEDARKKNlGHT1939 1 year ago
holy crap...I'll never draw again....
juriaan13 1 year ago 3
It dosn't get any better than that.
connormac1234567 1 year ago
he's like a surgeon what a talent.
isacloboz 2 years ago
He is a God of art!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
actarusmlt 2 years ago
it look's like a photo .
corpseboogs 2 years ago
what kind of collors is he using????
pojo222 2 years ago
gouache
SpectralViral 2 years ago 2
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pieguy07 1 year ago
I can never get enough of his work. I marvel (no pun intended) at his vision and his gift.
UandMeKid 2 years ago 5
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356star 2 years ago
alex ross is f'ing amazing
shreddedbeats 2 years ago
Alex Ross is a hark back to times before Frank Frazetta; when American illustration was photo-realistic and had a stillness about it. I think it's amazing that Alex Ross seems able to do anything with gouache - it's a hard paint to work in my experience. I'm a Frazetta fan so I regard Frank's work very highly ( I think you can hang pieces like the Egyptian Queen along anything in art), but Alex Ross is the guy who seems the 90's version: the Comic artist who is able to interest the wider world
Almuric7 2 years ago 2
In the beginning of the video, he's transferring the traced image onto a clean board, for which he's going to use for the final cover. anyone know how he's doing it?
Artisan1979 2 years ago
WOW!!
the process looks fun..
nelsonsilk 2 years ago
Here's a question I hope someone knowledgeable out there can answer. I'm aware that Alex paints with designers gouache, which is a water soluble paint, and that he does a monochromatic underpainting before he goes to his final color. How is he able to paint over top of the underpainting without smearing it all over the place when the final, wet colors are laid in??
JohnnyS001 2 years ago
why did he cover it with a sheet of plastic near the end?
hydell 2 years ago
It's called Paper Frisket and it serves as a mask to cover the areas he doesn't want the airbrush to affect.
MrClark86 2 years ago
@hydell It was a mask for the airbrush to keep the sharp edges while doing the background.
tddavis 1 year ago
He is a silver age fanboy so... yeah... he paints as if he were in the 50's which is really cool!
SpectralViral 2 years ago
Its a nice Drawing and all....But Why Does All the superheros look like their in there 50's you could tell alex ross like it old school......
Hackexpess 2 years ago
alex ross wants to draw them that way and he wont draw any changes to them. In the 90s he did the cover for the death of superman novel and he rejected to draw supermans long hair (which he had at the time)
Is till like his stuff even thoguh it would be nicer to see some modern designs
C4RL0Z479 2 years ago 2
Yeah, I wondered Why all the characters look like George Clooney...
Hackexpess 2 years ago
this is insane!!
in the good form
XD
SamvoltS 2 years ago
Oh Dear Gawwddd!!!! Is he the messiah!?!?!?!
ivillacortaav2009 2 years ago
unreal.
straube819 2 years ago
Here's the fact. Alex Ross can draw and paint realistic, but that doesn't make him the best. What make him the best is the ability to draw most dynamic and spectacular action ever seen. How many artists can draw realistic? Many of them, but all of them draw simple things. That's not the case with Alex. So, he IS the best artist of all time.
356star 2 years ago
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356star 2 years ago
Maggot.
MrMemagNeman 2 years ago
I See This Cover for the book In Barnes and Noble all the time
lxFullMetal 2 years ago
omfg !
Mr Ross, i salute you !
hellb 2 years ago
Having photographic reference helps a lot when you're trying to do truly realistic stuff.
BenHeffernan 2 years ago 4
@BenHeffernan or when you are trying to have a realistic career in the art world. i have yet to meet a figurative artist (which most graphic novel artists are) that didn't use photographic reference at some stage of their process. learning how to work from photo is vital.
lralbrecht 1 year ago
@lralbrecht Amen, amen.
BenHeffernan 1 year ago
he's one of my fav comic book artists,,,hes da shitttttttttt
310thegame228 2 years ago
ANyone know how you can get to be as good as that ? :P
flyingVesp 2 years ago
how about Hardwork, and Practice?
never separate the words "hard work" cuz they go together.
Also you have to have to train your eyes to see. and your brain to comprehend what they see, then tell your eyes to tell your hands what they had just seen. and hopefully your brain can extract that information from your hand, through the pencil, pen, brush, etc to the paper.
walkinrock 2 years ago 5
@walkinrock its science, passion and a little of black magic.
lralbrecht 1 year ago
@lralbrecht
nice pun lol. he has probably went through a whole lot of black magic.
walkinrock 1 year ago
@lralbrecht Yes, a whole bunch of science and I think that's what turns off many budding artists. They often believe that magical gifts that are bestowed upon select children at birth but it just doesn't work that was for 99 percent of the population. I only know of a few children worldwide who can draw using the principals of linear perspective intuitively and all of them are autistic. One life drawing class taught by a skilled professor is worth ten years of self directed study
ritter89 1 year ago
@ritter89 learning to see objectively. its tricky, but to ignore the rich history or art and the centuries of techniques is silly. we have the luxury to skip a million steps by enrolling in a proactive education.
i often see people fighting it out of laziness. its easier to accept that "one isn't gifted" vs. take on teh challenge of practice and study to become great.
lralbrecht 1 year ago
your art looks so real.your realy good with shades and color
dragonworld2008 2 years ago
WHAT AN AWESOME POST!!!
paulsimage 2 years ago
this video blows my mind every time I see it, great motivation to paint and draw for the rest of my life
MrClark86 2 years ago
This literally makes me want to never draw again
loonerspacecraft 2 years ago 2
LMAO! Me too.
"I will never be that great"
Skeletonwitharaygun 2 years ago
@dovenouveau i totaly agree!
the smell of paper and paint.......photoshop is a new dimension to painting,but should never replace craftsmenship in this form!! just great!
gerald470 2 years ago
este pelado la tiene re clara
redjotchilipepe21 2 years ago
insane 100000000000/5
induru1 2 years ago
ross is definitely on my top 5 fav comic book artists.
ycw0cfcw 2 years ago
this rocks
fun012345 2 years ago
GOD!!!
FadeToBlack181 2 years ago 3
mis respetos a alex ross desde mexico yeah!!!
te la rifas
gallo9413 2 years ago
umbeliveable
dAMOtheELUISENIST123 2 years ago
I'm thinking... shall I spend my whole time doing Yoji style, Amano style, etc
I really would love to do some painting liek his. it would give JUSTICE to my character designs. :)
MegaMan123ABC 2 years ago
what the fuck! make a step by step with good ass quality, thats fucking AWESOME!
hongs420 2 years ago
MUito Show.....espero q um dia eu tenha ...uma habilidade como a usa!!
*Parabéns
yago31sds 2 years ago
what is the name of the song that begins on 1:09?
I love it!!