I hear you knocking, 2012. Anyone else feel like 2011 was a zooming blur, even more than most years? From my humble corner of the art universe, this year was a helluva ride. I started it completing artwork for the 2012 George R. R. Martin / A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE Calendar and I’m ending it conceiving work for projects that are even more ambitious. The calendar was one of the greatest adventures of my life so far — exhilarating, grueling, enlightening — and in the end, amongst the most rewarding too.

Thanks to George, Parris, Bantam editor Anne Groell, and Bantam art director Dave Stevenson for sharing the journey. Thanks to all of the Brotherhood Without Banners and all of the GRRM fans worldwide who have been so emotional about the art, and championed it, since the July debut.

A note to the legions of ASoIaF and GAME OF THRONES fans, and especially my friends in the BWB — I didn’t know how you’d react to my artwork when I was busy drawing and painting. I didn’t expect the worldwide roar that followed the artwork’s debut. It meant the world to me, and I appreciate that the work connected with so many of you, even though the calendar was technically only available in North America. I spent a year in Westeros creating the art and I’d go back again in a heartbeat. Many of you have become my friends. We’re all on the same team. The 2012 Calendar was the highlight of my 2011.

And yes, I did plenty of cover artworks too this year. Many of them won’t be released until 2012. However, the highlights that were published in 2011 include ADMIRALTY: THE COLLECTED SHORT STORIES OF POUL ANDERSON (NESFA Press); the amazing YA debut from Ian McDonald, PLANESRUNNER (Pyr); and TIMES THREE by Robert Silverberg (Subterranean Press).

Karen Haber’s MASTERS OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY ART released in June and featured galleries and interviews with some of the world’s best sf/f artists, and yup, I was amongst ’em. If that cover art looks familiar, that’s me too. Ditto the UK cover of SCI-FI ART NOW, edited by John Freeman, which featured my artwork for FAST FORWARD 2 (Pyr).

Grateful to meet so many new friends and fans on the road this year: Capricon (Chicago), Baycon (Santa Clara), Leprecon (Tempe), Worldcon (Reno), Bubonicon (Albuquerque), San Diego Comic Con, and World Fantasy Con (San Diego, again) — you were terrific and I appreciated your hospitality and good times. Don’t be strangers in the New Year.

Was nominated again for the Hugo Award this year in the Best Professional Artist category. Seven consecutive years nominated — zero wins so far. Still no luck there. Very grateful to be nominated. We’ll see what happens in 2012.

Grateful as well to be nominated for the World Fantasy Award, the Locus Award, and three Chesley Awards — all in 2011, based on my 2010 published works. No wins this time, but I’m pretty proud of my 2011 body of published work. We’ll see how it stacks up in the New Year.

And what about that New Year? Besides more sf/f covers, I’m working on two major(!), mega-illustration projects that will likely be unveiled in the coming months. I’m grateful to have a terrific wife and fabulous, 17-month-old daughter. 2011 was one of my most successful career years, despite the publishing industry experiencing seismic shifts. I’ve seen this coming and been discussing it with friends for the last 2 or 3 years. This was a transition year toward my art appearing in more places than just book covers. The 2012 George R. R. Martin Calendar was the first step toward expanding the venues where my art lives. Thanks to that success, I’ll be pushing that envelope even more. I don’t plan to stop doing sf/f book covers but you’ll see my work in more places than just this field.

I’ve always thought artists worth their salt adapted and responded to their times. That’s what I’m currently doing with my 2012 works. Don’t be strangers and let me know what you think whether it’s here, on Twitter or via Facebook. Very best to you and your families, and I’ll see you online or on the road very soon. Happy 2012!

Already time to start holiday shopping? Here are ten art-centric ideas for you.

THE MAGIC OF REALITY
by Richard Dawkins / Illustrated by Dave McKean
(The Free Press)

This book’s a welcome sight in a time when science takes a daily beating from dogma and delusions. The blurb on the back says it all: “THE MAGIC OF REALITY provides a beautiful, accessible and wide-ranging volume that addresses the questions that all of us have about the universe, separating often too-little-known facts from too-frequently-believed fictions.” Can we please make this book required reading in elementary schools? (Note: US print cover differs from above.)

BLUE COLLAR • WHITE COLLAR
by Sterling Hundley
(Adhouse Books)

Sterling Hundley has created some of my favorite illustrations in recent years. This is his first art book. It’s a compact little volume — 6.25″ x 9.25″ — and yet the artwork doesn’t suffer from scale but feels all the more personal because of it. Nice job by Adhouse Books, especially with the little process booklet inserts containing Hundley’s thoughts on making art and being an artist. Inspiring.

REBUS
by James Jean
(Chronicle Books)

Is it any surprise that a James Jean art book produced by Chronicle Books is one of the most beautiful volumes of 2011?

MASTERS OF AMERICAN ILLUSTRATION: 41 ILLUSTRATORS AND HOW THEY WORKED
by Fred Taraba
(Illustrated Press)

Traci, if you’re reading this — I want this book for Christmas. Joe DeMers, Franklin Booth, Robert Fawcett, Andrew Loomis, Coles Phillips, Jon Whitcomb, Coby Whitmore — those are only a few that caught my eye when I saw this book at a con. Not just another big book of pictures, it’s an intensive discussion about these vintage masters’ working processes. Yes, please.

3-day membership to Spectrum Fantastic Art Live!

If you know anyone who doesn’t know the Spectrum Annuals, please wake them from their 18-year nap. Spectrum collects a yearly survey of some of the best art in books, comics, concept art, and more. For the first time, the editors of the Spectrum Annual are organizing Spectrum Fantastic Art Live!, a three-day convention event celebrating the best in fantastic art. It happens in Kansas City next May. Artists from around the globe will be attending to display, sell, create, discuss and marinate in all things drawn, painted, sculpted and otherwise, both traditionally and digitally. Three-day memberships cost a fan-friendly price of $40 right now.

Squid Ornaments
by Tom Taggart

What says ‘home for the holidays’ more than squid? Nothing. Tom Taggart’s an artist and object-maker, and he’s terrific. My wife proudly displays a Tom Taggart Pumpkinhead ornament when Fall arrives. This holiday season, Tom has unleashed new hand-crafted Squid Ornaments. They’re made of durable cold cast resin, spun-cast to be hollow and lightweight, hand-painted in acrylics, and sealed with spray varnish.

Tom says he’ll have the ornaments up on his Etsy shop page within a week or so. Until then, you can order direct from him. They’re $45.00 each plus $5.00 shipping. And he takes Paypal. Inquire at squirrelboy@optonline.net.

Alien Menagerie Original Art
by Bruce Jensen

For my money, Bruce has always been one of the most provocative American sf artists. Remember his classic Del Rey cover for Philip K. Dick’s DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? His cover art is cerebral, memorable and always resonant. It’s impressive to see the latest wave of his work — an ongoing series called “Alien Menagerie” — which is decidedly whimsical, but just as memorable as ever. Own an “Alien Menagerie” original (acrylics on Rives BFK, 8″x10″) for around $100 plus shipping. And in a ridiculous stroke of genius, Bruce is offering 3″x3″ original acrylics on Post-It Notes for around $10 plus shipping. Get both here.

MASTERS OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY ART
by Karen Haber
(Rockport)

MASTERS is a fantastic art book edited by art critic and reviewer Karen Haber. There seemed to be almost no marketing/advertising for it so a lot of aficionados may be surprised to know it exists. I love books like this — contains full-color galleries, interviews and art tips from 28 leading sf/f/ art professionals including Donato Giancola, Gregory Manchess, Dave Seeley, Brom, Bob Eggleton, Todd Lockwood, Bruce Jensen and more. Two notable things about this artbook — unlike similar US or UK-produced volumes, this one includes a worldwide gamut of artists (i.e. not just US and UK artists) such as Shaun Tan, Pavel Mikhailenko, Tomasz Maronski, Marta Dahlig and more. And the jacket folds into a full color poster containing imagery from all of the book’s featured artists. (Yup — that cover art is by me and I’m one of the 28 featured artists too.)

2012 George R.R. Martin / A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE Calendar
Illustrated by John Picacio
(Bantam)

I couldn’t resist including this one for the George R. R. Martin / ASoIaF / GAME OF THRONES fans out there. This calendar is twelve months of my artwork inspired by George R. R. Martin’s epic A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE novels. And yes — the calendar has been selling like hotcakes since it debuted in July. As with most collectible calendars, once January 1st arrives, it’ll be out-of-print and hard-to-find. Get ’em before they’re gone. 🙂

2012 Literary Pin-Up Calendar
by Lee Moyer

And for those that want fantasies of a more female persuasion, Lee Moyer has twelve answers for you for 2012. These are available from Patrick Rothfuss’ The Tinker’s Packs.

Standard calendars are $20. A signed, limited edition is also available at $75. Sales of the calendar benefits funding of the Heifer International organization.

Baen has posted the cover for Mark Van Name‘s NO GOING BACK, the next book in his Jon and Lobo series. I did the cover art for this one. The book doesn’t release until May 2012, but Amazon is already taking preorders. Since Baen has posted the full cover there, I figure it’s OK to let you folks see the full cover art sans typography too.

Over the years, Baen has been well-known for a definitive brand of graphic design and cover art, but in recent months, they’ve been gradually expanding the look of their lineup, thanks to publisher Toni Weisskopf and designer Jennie Faries.

I’ll post about the process of this cover art closer to the release date next year.

Back home from Bubonicon 43 in Albuquerque, NM. Was Artist Guest of Honor there along with Stephen Leigh and Ian Tregillis. Bigtime regional sf/f literary con with as much major-league talent as any, including George R. R. Martin, Paul Cornell, Mario Acevedo, Connie Willis, Melinda Snodgrass, Daniel Abraham, Sam Sykes, Diana Gaboldon, Carrie Vaughn, Walter Jon Williams, Ty Franck, Steven Gould, Jane Lindskold, Suzy Mckee Charnas, S.M. Stirling, and more. Had quality time with friends Stephen Boucher, Janice Gelb, Parris McBride, Vincent Docherty, Anne Grey, Caroline Symcox, Harry O. Morris, and Derek Paret. Got to visit three Albuquerque eateries — the Flying Star Cafe, Los Equipales, and the Pope Room at Buca di Beppo, where GRRM traditionally brings Bubonicon guests for a big Saturday night Italian feast. That was a great evening, and a lot of laughs.

Terrific weekend all around — had big audiences for the 2012 A Song of Ice and Fire Calendar panel conducted by GRRM and me; for the State of the Art panel conducted by Tregillis, Abraham, Snodgrass, Acevedo, Sykes, and me; and for my Artist GoH slideshow. Bubonicon fans go all out on costumes and with Steampunk as the theme this year, there was a lot of quality in the house.

Attendance this year topped last year’s. The t-shirts featuring my artwork of their Perry Rodent mascot sold out. All of the 2012 AsoIaF Calendars in the Dealers Room sold out. Well done, Bubonicon. 🙂

Craig Chrissinger and Kristen Dorland were the co-chairs and they ran a terrific con. All of the pros I know have always spoken well of it. I now understand why. Was it a perfect con? No con ever is. But the measure of a good one is the energy and buzz during the events and after. This show had it in spades. Bubonicon is vibrant, vital and full of passionate people who care about sf/f books and arts. Hats off to the entire con com for a job very well done, and thanks to everyone who was there! 🙂

Sidebar Nation is my favorite podcast because it talks art, and nothing but art, and the interviews deliver the goods every time. Swain, Dwight and Adrian run the show, and they’re brilliant. They KNOW their stuff and they tell it like it is. I love the chemistry between these guys and often listen to their shows when I’m working. Sidebar has featured stellar interviews with Drew Struzan, Gregory Manchess, Brad Holland, James Jean, George Pratt, Mark Chiarello, Sterling Hundley, Stephan Martiniere and many, many more.

Well, it’s my turn in the chair this time around. Episode 162 features an interview with me. I had a short but very fun chat with the fellas at Dragon*Con last year (episode 136), but #162 is the most extensive podcast interview I’ve ever done.

When time allows (which isn’t often), I’m always happy to grant interview requests, but this one was a real honor because it felt like I was just talking to friends. Except it was being recorded for the whole world to hear. LOL

Check it out. Do me a favor — if you dig what you hear, holler at the fellas and leave a comment in the interview’s comment section. Let ’em know you’re out there.

Long live Sidebar Nation!

Today’s a big day. The 2012 A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE Calendar releases across North America, courtesy of Bantam. I created all twelve months’ worth of artwork. When Bantam hired me, they said they wanted my vision of George’s A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE books. Meanwhile, HBO was creating a TV series based on the books, and production had begun. I made a conscious effort to not look at what they were doing, so I could keep my vision independent. George himself felt strongly that these Bantam calendars should reflect the artist’s vision of his books, and should be their own entity, completely separate from the TV series. I’m grateful for that.

All of my artworks in this calendar are a hybrid of traditional pencil drawing and traditional paint, digitally composited together. I love drawing with pencils on a piece of good Strathmore illustration board. Working up those original underdrawings, through the buildups of color, and on to the final layerings, was a labor of love.

I lived in Westeros for many months while doing this work. It was one of the greatest trips of my life, to date. I learned a lot. I would return again in a heartbeat. Thanks to the family members and friends who were my reference models and helped me channel my visions into better drawings and paintings.

Today’s a day to celebrate. Feast your eyes on all twelve calendar images below – revealed for the first time — along with my brief thoughts about inspirations, insights, and makings. Enjoy!

Bran Stark (January)

I love when I see artists illustrate an unwritten moment in a story, or an unspoken beat between sentences. For this artwork, Bran Stark is completely at peace, at the blind side of the First Keep, high above Winterfell.

Jon Snow and Ghost (February)

It’s hard to say which one I enjoyed drawing more — Jon Snow or Ghost. They’re two of my very favorites in the series. Night’s Watch black, albino direwolf, and powder white snow – those elements never fail to reward simple picture-making.

Daenerys Targaryen (March)

The key challenge to drawing Dany is combining naivete and compassion with pride and strength. That’s a fine line to balance. For me, one of her most resonant scenes is what happens at the city of Yunkai.

Robb Stark (April)

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA is one of my all-time favorite films. I love the way David Lean could make a closeup feel both intimate and epic at the same time. I thought about that a lot when I was drawing this picture.

Arya Stark (May)

“Stick ‘em with the pointy end!” My daughter, Samantha Kate, was born during the making of this calendar. Her feistiness was my inspiration while drawing Arya. This one is dedicated to my 1-year-old little beastie, and to all fierce daughters everywhere.

Tyrion Lannister (June)

Tyrion’s my other favorite besides Jon Snow and Ghost. When I turned in my rough sketches, George noted that Tyrion’s beard and long hair were missing. He reminded that, by the time of the Battle of the Blackwater, Tyrion has not only grown out a scraggly beard, but has shaggy hair. Strangely, my reading had never pictured him that way, but it was true. Once I revised that, the important thing to me was conveying the inner Tyrion, not just his outer form. Tywin Lannister may not believe him a lion of Lannister, but I do.

Melisandre (July)

A tip of the hat to Gustav Klimt and Robert McGinnis — two very different painters, but I’ve always admired the way both of them paint women. Those paintings have timeless soul and power. I wasn’t interested in this picture looking like their work, but that strength of character was an aspiration.

Jaime Lannister (August)

The zodiac symbol for Leos is the lion. I couldn’t resist featuring a Lannister for this month. If you search the books for specific passages featuring Jaime in battle, there aren’t many. And yet, in our mind’s eye, we always know what a brash and fearsome warrior he is. If I was Eddard Karstark or Daryn Hornwood at the battle of Riverrun, I imagine this is what they saw.

The Mountain vs. The Red Viper (September)

Once I had assembled my initial grocery list of characters and ideas, George then contributed his own small wish list. The Mountain vs. the Red Viper was one of several good calls on his part. Thanks, George.

Sansa Stark and The Hound (October)

Beauty and the Beast! This one is for all of the fans who are passionate about these two. The Battle of the Blackwater is raging outside, and with the strange light of those wildfires, and this ghoulish face, what better time to feature the Hound than a season of fall leaves and Halloween?

The Others (November)

Not many artists have tackled the Others yet. Some versions tend to depict them almost like Tolkien’s Ringwraiths, which never matched the images George’s words conjured in my head. Instead I saw them as more ghostly and ethereal. I knew I was on the right track when George asked the comic book artist for GAME OF THRONES to seek out my version for inspiration.

Eddard Stark (December)

Winter is coming. ‘Nuff said.

George and I will be appearing all weekend at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. We’ll be appearing at AA21 from 3p-5p on Friday. Calendars will be available at my booth #4600 all weekend, as well as Random House’s booth #1515. All ASoIaF and Game of Thrones fans should stop by and visit.

San Diego Comic-Con 2011 is almost upon us. I’ll be boothing along with fellow artist Dave Seeley at #4600 all weekend at the show. On Wednesday, July 20th (Preview Night), I’ll be at the booth from 7pm to 9pm only. From Thursday onward, I’ll be there most hours from open to close. At the start of each day, I’ll post on Twitter and Facebook the detailed daily hours you can find me there.

Dave Seeley will have a full arsenal of his big, beautiful archival prints for sale.

As for my own goodies, I’ll have the following merchandise:

* 2011 Limited Edition 4-panel accordion booklets: Brand-new items debuting at SDCC! Only $2 each, or free with purchase.

* 2012 George R. R. Martin / A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE Calendars! Debuting next week. I’ll have a limited supply. Get ’em before they’re gone!

* MASTERS OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY ART: A beautiful new art book featuring galleries and interviews with artists such as Donato Giancola, Charles Vess, Brom, Shaun Tan, Greg Manchess, Stephan Martiniere, Dave Seeley and myself. Limited supply! Get yours signed, as many of the artists in the book will be at the show. 🙂

* COVER STORY: THE ART OF JOHN PICACIO: A few remaining warehouse copies of my 2006 Hugo-nominated art book.

* Archival prints of my artwork on thick Hahnemuhle paper

* Original interior artworks for sale from ELRIC: THE STEALER OF SOULS and ELRIC: SWORDS AND ROSES

Mark #4600 on your SDCC survival map. (Diagram below is last year’s floor plan, but we’re in the exact same location next to the SPECTRUM booth.) We’ll see you there!

Just got these in this week, hot off the press — a 4-panel accordion fold-out that will debut at Booth #4600 at San Diego Comic-Con next week. It’s 14″ unfolded and folds neatly into 3.5″ x 5.25″ booklet, containing all of the above — front, back, and interior. Price? Tiny. Only $2 each, or one free with purchase. Come and get ’em, while they last.

And what else will I have for you? I’ll have limited supplies of the 2012 George R. R. Martin / A Song of Ice and Fire Calendar. You’ll also find limited supplies of the brand-new MASTERS OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY ART, which includes interviews and galleries with stellar artist Dave Seeley (my boothmate at #4600), and Yours Truly. I’ll have archival prints of recent works for sale, as well as some of the last warehouse copies of my 2006 art book COVER STORY: THE ART OF JOHN PICACIO. I’m planning to bring some original Elric interior artwork for sale too.

Take note — Dave and I will be offering discounts on Preview Night. I’m offering 25% on the MASTERS and COVER STORY books. During those select hours, Dave will be discounting much of his merch, including his gorgeous giant prints. Swing by #4600 on Preview Night and save money.

FYI — my merchandise will be available at the booth from 7p to 9p on Preview Night. I won’t be there between 5:30p to 7p, as I’ll be taking my teenage nephew around his first SDCC. I’ll post my Thursday thru Sunday schedule once I get there, but I’ll be around the entire weekend.

Shoutout here if you’re gonna be at SDCC, so I don’t miss you! See you there! 🙂

Melisandre fans — today’s your lucky day. Here’s a cropped, closeup detail from my 2012 A Song of Ice and Fire calendar art featuring the priestess of R’hllor.

And for those who missed the previous ones, here’s a detail from the Arya Stark art. Here’s a cropped detail of Bran Stark. And The Hound. And of course, the cover features Ned Stark. Only three more weeks ’til the calendar releases! It’ll be available the week of San Diego Comic Con.

George R. R. Martin and I will be signing calendars at SDCC. I’ve heard rumor that we might both be signing Friday in the autograph area, but I haven’t heard confirmation yet. I’ll have calendars for sale at my own booth (#4600) that I’ll be sharing with Star Wars artist Dave Seeley. If you can’t make it to SDCC, no problem — Amazon is already taking preorders.

Alright, Melisandre fans — what do you think?

(Art by Worldcon Artist GoH Boris Vallejo.)

I’m stoked about this year’s World Science Fiction Convention in Reno. Kudos to Colin Harris, Anne Gray, Laurie Mann, Jannie Shea, Laura Domitz, Joni Dashoff, Patti Wells and company for working overtime to make this the best Worldcon for sf/f artists in years.

If you’re an established pro, an aspiring pro, or anywhere in between, this is the year to do Worldcon. Don’t wait ’til next year. Don’t wait ’til the year after. This one. Why? Because Worldcon is offering new opportunities for registered, participating Worldcon artists and there’s zero guarantee these features will be carried on in future years.

Check ’em out:

1. FREE Artist Tables in the Dealers’ Room: Worldcon has reserved two free tables in the Dealer’s Room for artists to interact with fans and the con at-large. Artists can chat, sign and sell artwork (other than what has been placed in the Art Show), sculpt, sketch, or whatever. This space will be in the section of the Dealers’ Room closest to the Art Show, which will be set up as an Artist Alley. Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell and others will have tables there; details here. ONLY Art Show participants are being offered this opportunity to reserve an Artist Alley table for two hours at a time to promote their work – at no cost to the artists (although Nevada sales tax rules apply). Email art@renovationsf.org to schedule a time slot or two at these special tables in Artist Alley.

2. ‘Meet the Artist’ Events: There will be two Meet The Artist events in the Art Show during the convention. The first is part of Art Night and runs from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM on Thursday. Some artists will be scheduled to do demos and panels at 8:00 PM. The second event will be Saturday morning at 11:00 AM. Should be a lot of fun as it gives Art Show artists and art lovers a chance to visit and hang out.

3. Artist Showcase Booklet: For the first time, Worldcon will print a full-color collectible booklet for sale at the convention, featuring artist info and galleries. Only registered Art Show artists will be featured. Brilliant move by this year’s Worldcon art committee folks. I’m really looking forward to seeing this.

4. Illustration Masterclass taught by Richard Hescox: Learn from a Chesley Award-winning painting master. This opportunity is worth the price of admission by itself for aspiring artists. Spread the word about this one. I think this is a very cool opportunity on the part of Richard and Worldcon. Space is limited. Don’t miss out!

5. Art Portfolio Reviews: Another invaluable opportunity for all job-seeking artists. Portfolio reviews by Guest of Honor Boris Vallejo and a range of industry Art Directors including Jon Schindehette, Lou Anders and David Palumbo. Again, space is limited. Tell your friends, but if I were you, I’d apply as soon as possible.

6. The Chesley Awards: Of course, the Chesleys are not new to the Worldcon effort. They’re a tradition, especially when Worldcon is stateside. And they’ll be the highlight of Worldcon’s Art Night festivities on Thursday evening. The Chesleys are the awards administered by the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists and ASFA will again host the Chesleys this year.

I love what Worldcon is doing this year. Amongst the art stars attending: Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell, Dave Palumbo, Bob Eggleton, Richard Hescox, Lee Moyer, Vincent Villafranca, Martina Pilcerova, Alan Beck, Anthony Palumbo, Winona Nelson, Irene Gallo, Lou Anders, and Jon Schindehette. And many more besides them. Not too late to join the fun. This is gonna be an amazing show. 🙂

(pictured: ELRIC AND STORMBRINGER: REVENGE / full-page interior illustration for Michael Moorcock’s ELRIC: SWORDS AND ROSES. Pencil, acrylic and wash on illustration board. 11″x17″. $1000.)

My pal Sean Lackey has been kind enough to help me post some of my original Elric artwork available for sale. These are my original interior drawings for Michael Moorcock’s ELRIC: THE STEALER OF SOULS and ELRIC: SWORDS AND ROSES. Thanks to all at Moorcock’s Miscellany and elsewhere who have already inquired about, and acquired, pieces. Feel free to comment here if you’re interested or send me an email directly. Thanks very much!

Arya fans — you’ve been clamoring for this. Here you go. You’re looking at a closeup detail from my 2012 A Song of Ice and Fire calendar art featuring Arya Stark.

And for those who missed the previous sneak peeks, here’s a cropped detail of Bran Stark. And The Hound. And of course, the cover features Ned Stark. The calendar will be available the week of San Diego Comic Con. George R. R. Martin and I will be signing calendars at SDCC and I’ll have some for sale at my own booth (#4600) that I’ll be sharing with Star Wars artist Dave Seeley. If you can’t make it to SDCC, no problem — Amazon is already taking preorders for it.

Alright, Arya Stark fans — let me know what you think. 🙂

Was cleaning up the studio and sorting through some Elric artworks for future sale, and found this.

My artwork for Harlan Ellison’s 35th Anniversary of DANGEROUS VISIONS first appeared way back in 2002. Seems like a lifetime ago. Back then, I was still experimenting with photography and collage combinations for my final illustration results. These days, I don’t use photography in my finals but instead rely on drawings and paintings for all of my work.

The piece was selected for inclusion in SPECTRUM: THE BEST IN CONTEMPORARY FANTASTIC ART #10, and in fact was included in the first Spectrum Exhibition. The framed print you’re looking at it here was a one-of-a-kind that was exhibited in that show.

It’s an archival print, professionally framed with UV-resistant museum glass. Signed and dated on the back, with the SPECTRUM Exhibition tag still attached.

I don’t really have a use for this piece as it doesn’t even feel like what I do anymore. Willing to part with it for a mere $325 to the first taker, shipping included if you live in the continental United States. Either email me or comment here. Have at it. 🙂

Attention sf/f art lovers: there’s a new feast of fabulous art for you in stores now. It’s called MASTERS OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY ART by Hugo-nominated sf/f art critic, journalist and author Karen Haber. It’s loaded cover to cover with amazing artists, genius art tips, techniques, insights, and of course, brilliant artwork. Here’s the list of artists featured inside:

Combined Traditional & Digital Tools (Hybrids)

Jim Burns
Shaun Tan
Dave Seeley
Avi Katz
John Picacio
Pavel Mikhailenko
Ken Wong
Brom
Greg Spalenka
Bruce Jensen
Scott M. Fischer
Todd Lockwood

Digital Tools and Techniques

Stephan Martiniere
Tomasz Maronski
Camille Kuo
Galan Pang
Marta Dahlig

Traditional Tools and Techniques

James Gurney
Kinuko Y. Craft
Charles Vess
Donato Giancola
Rebecca Guay
Dan Dos Santos
Petar Meseldzija
Terese Nielsen
Bob Eggleton
Don Maitz
Gregory Manchess

There’s a lot to love, but one of my favorite things is that this book’s perhaps the first sf/f art volume to cohesively document the dynamic combinations of traditional and digital methods. It doesn’t treat them as an ‘either/or’ proposition. Some of the most fertile ground in today’s art is found in those combinations and experiments.

This is a book to savor slowly page by page. Very honored to be one of the twenty-eight featured, and especially honored that my artwork was chosen for the cover. 🙂

Behold Sandor Clegane — the Hound! You’re looking at a closeup detail from my 2012 A Song of Ice and Fire calendar art featuring him with Sansa Stark (not pictured here). This sneak peek’s for the legions of rabid Sandor Clegane fans. The Hound beat out Arya and Melisandre in this past weekend’s fan poll, but fans of the latter shouldn’t fret. I think there’s an excellent chance you may see sneak peeks of both before the end of June. Keep your eyes peeled to my Twitter feed for when that might happen.

And for those who missed last week’s preview of Bran Stark, here it is. And of course, the cover features Ned Stark. The calendar will be available the week of San Diego Comic Con. George R. R. Martin and I will be signing calendars at the Bantam booth at SDCC and I’ll have some for sale at my own booth (#4600) that I’ll be sharing with Star Wars artist Dave Seeley. If you can’t make it to SDCC, no problem — Amazon is already taking preorders for it.

Can anyone guess what month Sansa and the Hound will be in the calendar?

Can anyone guess why the green and orange light on his face?

Lemme know what you think of Sandor here!