M D Jackson Art

WORK IN PROGRESS

2011-06-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

I managed to get a little more done on this piece. You can probably see where it's going. It is progressing slowly because I haven't had much time for it between commissions, but that has been kind of satisfying in its own way.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

MONDAY MISCELLANEA - JUNE 6

2011-06-06T07:19:00.000-07:00

This will be the last MONDAY MISCELLANEA for a while. An issue with my computer forced me to get rid of a lot of files that I had spent years collecting. I was surprised to discover that my image morgue contained over 40,000 images and took up almost 12 gigabytes of space on my hard drive.

I saved back this baker's dozen of images.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

IT'S FRIDAY AND I HAVE A WORK IN PROGRESS...

2011-06-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, no prizes for guessing where this one is set. This is an increasingly rare personal piece. I've gone back to working with a Corel Painter brush (one that I swiped from Jason Chan!) and I'm hoping to do this all on one layer against this dark grey ground. There will be a main figure and originally I wasn't going to have a fantasy element, but then this idea hit me and... well you'll see.

I'm doing this while juggling a couple of other commissions, so it's not going to be done anytime soon. I'll be checking in on it a few more times before the final reveal.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

SWORDS OF FIRE ON AMAZON.COM!

2011-06-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

It's finally there! The sword and sorcery anthology SWORDS OF FIRE is finally available at Amazon.com.

Head on over and buy a copy! Buy two! Buy three! Buy as many as you want! There's plenty for everyone!

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

MONDAY MISCELLANEA - MAY 30 -- ADDENDUM

2011-05-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

I had to add this picture. I just saw it. It's by artist David Palumbo and I am absolutely in love with it (or maybe it's with her).

Either way, she knows her enemy and looks pretty handy with that big knife.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

MONDAY MISCELLANEA - MAY 30, 2011

2011-05-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

Hey! Here are a random sampling of awesome pictures from my image morgue!

DARK WORLDS 6 SNEAK PEEK 3!

2011-05-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

Here's another sneak preview of finished artwork from Dark Worlds #6 coming this summer! It's going to be an exciting issue!

See more here!

ALL PULP INTERVIEWS ME!

2011-05-25T12:27:00.000-07:00

Joshua Reynolds, author of Dracula Lives! Has posted an interview with me at ALL PULP.

His questions were impudent and irreverent and I tried to answer them accordingly. Swing by and experience the wit and brilliance as Josh and I go back and forth. Leave a comment and tell Josh what you think!

UPDATE: You can't actually leave a comment at ALL PULP so just leave a comment here and I'll pass it on to Josh.

BATGIRL...?

2011-05-24T06:37:00.000-07:00

Pre WW1 print by A. Penot

A. Penot, Bat Girl, 1925

Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, The Enchanted Forest by Grenbry Outhwaite, 1921

Germany, 1892. Artist unknown

Mae West in the "Belle of the Nineties", 1934

Margaret Brundage, 1933

MONDAY MISCELLANEA - VICTORIA DAY EDITION

2011-05-23T20:42:00.000-07:00

I know Monday is almost over but here in BC it is a holiday. It is Victoria Day where we celebrate the birth of the great unamused monarch herself.

So in honour of Victoria Day I present a special edition featuring my favourite Victorian painter John William Waterhouse.

DO YOU LOVE MONSTERS?

2011-05-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

If you're like me (and a surprising number of people are) then you love monsters. And where would you have come by your love of monsters? Well, I think perhaps this little magazine might have something to do with it:

That's right, FAMOUS MONSTERS, Forrest. J. Ackerman's beloved magazine which featured covers that featured wonderful portraits of famous monsters most of which were painted by Basil Gogos. So let's read what Wikipedia has to say about Basil Gogos:

"During the 1960s, Basil Gogos provided a steady stream of illustrations for a variety of New York-based publications. The majority of his work during this period was for men's adventure magazines for which he painted many scenes of World War II battles, jungle perils and crime as well as cheesecake portraits of beautiful women. However, Gogos' greatest impact as an illustrator was the work he did for Warren Publishing.

Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, created by publisher James Warren and editor Forrest J Ackerman, premiered in 1958 and was aimed at young readers who were then discovering the classic horror films of the '30s and '40s on television. The magazine's covers were usually eye-catching close-ups of horror movie characters. Gogos' first work for Warren was the cover of Famous Monsters of Filmland #9 in 1960 featuring an impressionistic portrait of Vincent Price from House of Usher painted in shades of red, yellow and green. Over the next two decades, he created almost 50 covers for Famous Monsters, many of which have become iconic images of that period. Gogos also provided cover art for several other Warren magazines including Creepy, Eerie, Spaceman, Wildest Westerns and The Spirit.

Basil Gogos' Famous Monsters cover art featured most of the classic horror characters such as The Phantom of the Opera, Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, King Kong, Godzilla and The Creature from the Black Lagoon and popular horror actors like Boris Karloff, Béla Lugosi, Vincent Price, Lon Chaney, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Gogos often captured his subjects in an array of vivid colors using a technique in which the artist imagined the character bathed in colors from multiple light sources. He enjoyed painting monsters more than most of his more conventional assignments because of the freedom he was given and because of the challenge of painting such unusual characters which he endeavoured to portray as both frightening and sympathetic.

In the late 1970s, Gogos gave up full time commercial illustration to devote himself more to his original goal of doing fine art. He produced personal art pieces in watercolor and other media, while earning his livelihood as a photo retoucher in the ad department of United Artists. While there, he also did occasional illustrations for movie posters. Gogos later moved into advertising where he produced presentation sketches and storyboards for commercials for a major ad agency.

Due to a resurgence of interest in classic horror films and collectibles, Gogos returned to the horror genre in the 1990s. During this time, new Gogos monster portraits appeared on trading cards, lithographs and the covers of Monsterscene magazine. He has also painted CD covers for rock stars Rob Zombie, The Misfits and Electric Frankenstein."

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?

www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

CATHERINE JEFFREY JONES

2011-05-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

More wonderful artwork from Catherine Jeffrey Jones who passed away yesterday.

CATHERINE JEFFREY JONES - January 10, 1944 - May 19, 2011

2011-05-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

One of the giants of fantasy illustration, Catherine Jeffrey Jones (Formerly Jeffrey Jones) died yesterday. Jones was an influential artist throughout the 70's and 80's, and was describes by Frank Frazetta as "The greatest living painter"

Born Jeffrey Jones 1944, the artist celebrated a long career whose highlights included a 1970s run doing cover paintings for major fantasy novels like Fritz Leiber's "Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser" and a number of comics including "Idyl" for "National Lampoons" and "I'm Age" for Heavy Metal.

While the world of fantasy illustration and comics proper intersect less than one might imagine, Jones was a figure whose work in both forms left an impression on her peers. Her work was notably praised by recently deceased fantasy legend Frank Frazetta as "the greatest living painter." Jones also shared space with a slew of legendary comics talent in the '70s under the name The Studio – a group which included Mike Kaluta, Bernie Wrightson and Barry Windsor-Smith.

Jones is also a rare example of a transgendered artist in the genre world. Though a string of personal and financial issues saw her fall on hard times in the early 2000s, recent years had seen stable living conditions and steady production of new work from the artist.

For more on Jones' life and work, visit her official website.

Jones was 67

WHAT ONCE WAS LOST...

2011-05-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

I found this hiding in a corner of my computer. It is artwork done for DARK WORLDS #4. It is an illustration for that issue's featuire stoiry THE BARON'S TRIBUTE by Derrick Ferguson. This was the one cover i did in Photoshop as opposed to Painter.

Here's how the cover ended up looking:

#4 was a great issue and you can still pick up a copy here.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

MONDAY MISCELLANEA - MAY 16, 2011

2011-05-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

Still trying to maintain a regular blogging schedule but between work, family and Dark Worlds Magazine time seems to be at a premium these days. Still, here are another set of completely random pictures from my image morgue:

DARK WORLDS MAGAZINE HAS A NEW BLOG

2011-05-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

I'm urging everyone to check it out here!

http://www.gwthomas.org/wordpress/

MONDAY MISCELLANEA - MAY 9

2011-05-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't been blogging much lately because I have been busy working on the art for DARK WORLDS 6, which will be out this summer, as well as rebuilding the DARK WORLDS blog, which will debut soon.

Nevertheless, here are some pictures, chosen completely at random from my image morgue.

DARK WORLDS #6 - Preview # 2

2011-05-05T08:25:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more previews of the artwork for Dark Worlds #6. It is going well, but that last one is very much a work in progress. Look for the book to be available sometime this summer!

MONDAY MISCELLANEA - MAY 2

2011-05-02T07:08:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting a lot lately because I have been working tirelessly to get the new DARK WORLDS MAGAZINE blog whipped into shape. It's being done in Wordpress and the learning curve is pretty steep., but I think we're getting a handle on it and will have it up and running soon.

Meanwhile here are a baker's dozen worth of completely random pictures from my image morgue:

SWORDS OF FIRE AT AMAZON.COM!

2011-04-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

Rage Machine Books anthology SWORDS OF FIRE will soon be available at Amazon.com! Look for it!

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

NAZI BIKINI GIRL POW's!

2011-04-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

...and even more great old pulp cover art by various artists.

DARK WORLDS 6 SNEAK PEEK!

2011-04-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

We're working to put together issue #6 of Dark Worlds as we speak. We have some great stories, particularly our lead story THE MORNING EDGE OF IRON by Everette Bell.

Here are a few previews of illustrations for that story:

MONDAY MISCELLANEA - APRIL 25

2011-04-25T06:50:00.000-07:00

A NOTE BEFORE WE BEGIN: My cold is pretty much gone now. It went from my head to my chest and when you have a big barrel chest like I do that can be as noisy and violent as a storm at sea. I thought I'd coughed up a lung at one point.

So it's back to our regularly scheduled programming for now, but there are some changes coming to my blog world fairly soon. I will detail them later when I have a firmer grasp of what's what.

So here we go, random pictures from my image morgue:

MONDAY MISCELLANEA - APRIL 18, 2011

2011-04-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

Despite waking up to 4 INCHES OF SNOW on the ground, (!) I have persevered and here present my weekly completely random collection of pictures from my image morgue.

SKETCHBOOK TUESDAY - WARMING UP THE DRAWING MUSCLES

2011-04-12T13:56:00.000-07:00

Sunday I was feeling kind of uninspired. I needed to recharge. So that evening I got out my sketchbook, which is a low-tech pad of paper and some old fashioned 2H pencils and I started working.

I managed to come up with several images that I will hopefully later resolve into full fledged paintings. But the point of it wasn't the results, it was the exercise. That's why these pages that I occasionally do are so important. It's like warming up your muscles before a sporting event (so I've been told by people who are far more athletic than I am).

So the above page is kind of like artistic calisthenics. I empty my head and just start moving the pencil around and what comes out is what comes out. I try to fill up a whole page with anything, just to get the fingers working.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

MONDAY MISCELLANEA - ALL FRAZETTA EDITION!!!

2011-04-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

A random selection of my painting hero, Frank Frazetta's paintings from my image morgue.

Rare photo of Frank at work.

THE PHANTOM!

2011-04-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

THE PHANTOM?

2011-04-10T17:26:00.000-07:00

UPDATE -- APRIL 11, 2011: Thanks Cal from the Cave of Cool whose post about the Phantom inspired this picture and whose comment further inspired me to actually take this picture to a finished state.

Thanks, Buddy!

You know I have had no motivation to do anything lately. This whole week has been a bust. I've tried to start some projects and this one was the only one that actually got semi-finished and that was only because I got tired of looking at it.

I think I need to recharge.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

CAVEGIRLS

2011-04-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

This has been a week for finishing stuff that's been hanging around.

I started this about a year and a half ago with an eye towards entering it into a contest. The contest deadline came and went and this hung around unfinished. I would pull it up now and again, make minor adjustments and then abandon it again.

This morning I took another whack at it and after about an hour I decided it was done. Time to move on to something new.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

SUMMER FAERY

2011-03-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

I wanted to do a sunny, happy, pretty picture -- particularly one that captured that exuberant feeling that one gets from a summer day.

I'm impatient for summer to start where I live. It's still really chilly in the mornings and wet and rainy. There's still little bits of winter hanging around in fields and some lawns.

Bring on the sunshine!

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

AFTERMATH

2011-03-31T08:49:00.000-07:00

This is a picture I first did years ago. I recently tried to re-vamp it but never quite finished it to my satisfaction. Just this morning I pulled it up and added a background and some colour.

Fuck it. It's finished.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

WIP WEDNESDAY - Betty Page

2011-03-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

I meant to post this last week shortly after I'd posted the final artwork. Better late then never.

Here's the initial sketch, done in Painter 11 in a sepia tone.

Here I've set the sketch to multiply mode and put in a neutral background

Working the background

Here I've added a neutral flesh tone between the background and the sketch

Added a blue tone to the background

And I begin shading with a darker value of the flesh colour.

More shading

And here is the finished product again. pushed the shadows darker and added softer highlights, did a lot of blending and added a yellow highlight to the right edge of the figure. Viola! Betty!

THE MAGNIFICENT BETTY PAGE

2011-03-21T07:05:00.000-07:00

Well, Betty was magnificent -- I just hope this rendering does her some justice. Nevertheless, now that I have done a painting of Betty I can now call myself a real and true pin-up artist.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

BETTY BEHIND

2011-03-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I just completed the BIG PROJECT (I will post it once I get the okay from the publisher) and I was looking for something else to do when it occurred to me that I had never done a picture of Betty Page.

Now, as you likely know, you can't call yourself a real artist unless you've done a picture of Betty Page. So I am determined to rectify that shortcoming in my CV and I have decided I'm going to post the work in progress.

So this is the first step. Using one colour, a brown (It would be a Van Dyke Brown if I were painting with actual instead of virtual paints). I have just got the outlines down (or the "cartoon" in painter parlance) and had some real fun with her hair.

More as I get it done.

WEDNESDAY WIP

2011-03-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

I'm still working on the same project as last Wednesday. You may recall this section. I said it would likely change and sure enough, it did!

It's a big picture and I will likely be at it a while. Here are a few completed sections and one figure that is incomplete but might give you an idea about how I work (for anyone who cares about that sort of thing).

FRANCES AND THE DRESS

2011-03-09T11:05:00.000-08:00

Monday morning my wife went to work in this dress. I've drawn as close an approximation as I can manage but I fear I have completely failed to capture how really really devastatingly good she looked in it. She could have fit right in on the set of MAD MEN. She looked fantastic.

Since I didn't take a photo (which she would not allow me to upload, anyway) this is as good as I can do.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

JUNGLE WARRIOR

2011-03-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

A quick sketch -- not even really serious about it -- just pushing pixels around.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

INNSMOUTH FREE PRESS

2011-02-23T06:15:00.000-08:00

Innsmouth Free Press is an independent Canadian publication and they are having a fundraising drive this month. In order to raise funds to keep the magazine going they are offering anumber of perks including a free novella by author Joshua Reynolds to which I have contributed an illustration.

As Joshua puts it:

So, February is Fundraising Month at Innsmouth Free Press. They're attempting to raise the modest sum of $1,500 CAD and because I enjoy the magazine (seriously, check out issue 4), I decided to help out in my own small way (yes, I have indeed also donated cash but this is more fun).

FREE STUFF, that's the point I'm trying to get across here.

Specifically, a free 10,000 word novelette. "The Black-Winged Ones" follows occultist Harley Warren and former-inspector John Raymond Legrasse as they investigate a series of bloody murders and stumble upon a hideous conspiracy in turn-of-the-century New Orleans.

Tthere's only a few days left to donate to the Innsmouth Free Press fundraiser and to acquire the "The Black-Winged Ones". Remember, a donation of ANY AMOUNT (be it a buck, be it a hundred) gets you the novella when the fundraiser ends on March 1st, so even if you're strapped for cash, a token donation will get you some sweet-sweet occult detective action. Oh, and to those of you who HAVE donated, thanks!

The ilustration looks a little like this:

If you want to see the rest of it and read the terriffic story by Josh then head over to Innsmouth Free Press and make a donation and support independent publishers.

THE GANTLET BROTHERS

2011-02-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

I feel pretty secure talking about these guys now.

These are the Gantlet Brothers. Who are the Gantlet Brothers?

Well according to author Joel Jenkins:

There are five Gantlet Brothers, which is five more than the world’s assorted espionage agencies think there needs to be! Join Fritz, Sly, Matthias, Mitz and Otto as they lie, cheat, steal and shoot their way through concerts and conspiracies alike!

This artwork was for the cover for an upcoming collection of stories featuring the Gantlet Brothers. It's not available yet, but you can find the Gantlet Brothers previous novel, THE NUCLEAR SUITCASE at the Pulpwork Press website.

STRANGE GODS

2011-02-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

I can post this picture now as it's publication has been announced here.

This is the cover art for STRANGE GODS OF THE DIRE PLANET by Joel Jenkins. It is the fourth novel in his Dire Planet series. It's a cracking story with lots of action.

Here are some of the sketches just for the heck of it.

SNOW WARRIOR: FINAL

2011-02-02T08:24:00.001-08:00

I finished it this morning. Well, finished is probably too strong a word. It would be closer to reality to say that I decided I'm just not going to work on it anymore. I've learned what I needed to learn and now it's time to move on.

SNOW WARRIOR: FINAL PAINTING

2011-02-02T08:23:00.000-08:00

SNOW WARRIOR

2011-02-01T16:37:00.001-08:00

I don't usually post works in progress, but I've posted so little the last little while. This is just a personal piece I'm doing in between assignments. I'm trying out different techniques.

Here is the underpainting that I've started with. I worked right overtop of a sketch that I scanned from my sketchbook.

Here I've added a colour layer overtop and done a quick colouring job. I'm not happy with these results and I am still working on the final piece which I will post in a couple of days when it's done.

As with most things like this where I'm deliberately trying to avoid falling back to my usual techniques it can be quite frustrating. But it's not the finished artwork that's important but the things you learn along the way.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

SNOW WARRIOR

2011-02-01T07:27:00.000-08:00

I don't usually post works in progress, but I've posted so little the last little while. This is just a personal piece I'm doing in between assignments. I'm trying out different techniques.

Here is the underpainting that I've started with. I worked right overtop of a sketch that I scanned from my sketchbook.

Here I've added a colour layer overtop and done a quick colouring job. I'm not happy with these results and I am still working on the final piece which I will post in a couple of days when it's done.

TOMB OF THE AMAZON QUEEN

2011-01-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that this is an illustration for a story called The Tomb of the Amazon Queen by Michael Ehart. which was published in Dark Worlds #3. The story was a Harper's Pen Award nominee and Ehart is a fantastic writer. Even Michael Moorcock says so!

PLEASE COME IN! RED OR WHITE? BREE, GOUDA, CHEDDAR...?

2011-01-21T09:39:00.000-08:00

So as you can see I've made a few changes around here -- spruced things up a bit, rearranged the furniture, put on some mood lighting. I hope you like it. If I can figure out how to do it I'd like to have some nice quiet music playing when people arrive, perhaps some ambient waterfall signs (note to self: make sure the bathrooms are clean and there's plenty of hand towels and toilet paper). If I could manage it I'd install and app that offered continental breakfasts for all visitors. Wouldn't that be nice? "Welcome to my blog. Have a coffee or tea -- we have a nice sampling of herbal teas. Do you want a danish? How about a muffin?"

Honestly, that's how I feel. If my blog were a real place in the physical world there would be snacks and comfy couches. Flowers would perfume the air. I would make my library and music collection available to all visitors (I only ask that you wash your hands after eating a danish before you pick out a book) (Note to self: Make sure there are moist towelettes and/or plenty of hand sanitizer available.)

I've also cleaned up at my other place, Skylarking. Again if I could manage it there I would serve snack, perhaps some nice cheese and some wine while people wander around looking at the artwork which would be framed nicely and hanging on the walls. The room would be temperature controlled so that it would be nicely warm but not too much so.

The internet is wonderful for reaching so many people, but I sometimes miss the personal touches that make interaction with others so wonderful. How can this virtual blizzard of electronic pulses that go from my computer to yours ever replace a warm handshake or a welcoming smile? How can pixels, no matter how artfully arranged, replace a genuine laugh at a well-told joke or amusing remark? How can it stand in for the genuine warmth and conviviality of a face-to-face gathering?

It can't at all and that's the truth of it. Having this blog has allowed me to meet and interact with so many wonderful people and I can imagine what it would be like to meet all of you in person, to swap stories and laughs, to break bread together. If I had a bucketload of money I'd throw a big party in a wonderful location and you all would be invited. The party could go on for days with people dropping in, leaving for a while then coming back. What fun we would have!

Until then that is just a dream, albeit a wonderful one. And even though I can't offer drinks or hors d'oeuvres, I will try to be as welcoming and courteous a host as I can to all visitors here.

WHO ARE THESE GUYS?

2011-01-20T15:47:00.000-08:00

Click here to find out.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

UNUSED ILLUSTRATION

2011-01-20T06:38:00.000-08:00

Just a quick sketch today. I did an illustration for a magazine and was so excited about the assignment and the story that I did two drawings. They only wanted one. This is the one they didn't use.

NEW POST-IT NOTE ART FOR 2011

2011-01-04T10:56:00.000-08:00

One of the gifts I got from our office's Secret Santa was a stack of post-it notes and a black pen perfect for doodling. Thank you, Secret Santa!

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

2010-12-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

We're simply having a wonderful Christmastime.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

SHE-HULKIE

2010-12-23T09:01:00.000-08:00

This is the fourth piece in my series of twisted super heroine costumes. As I've said before the idea is a prostitute trying her luck at a comic-con event. This lady is making sure that a fanboy knows that she is green all over.

Corel Painter X. four hours.

SWORDS OF FIRE

2010-12-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

While I am in the self promotion mode I want to also remind you about SWORDS OF FIRE a sword and sorcery anthology featuring four great stories including a doozy by Jack Mackenzie and illustrations by MD Jackson. Here's what it looks like:

Open publication - Free publishing - More swords

You can purchase a print or an electronic copy by visiting Rage Machine Books`storefront.

Okay. Self promotion accomplished again.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?

www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

DARK WORLDS 5

2010-12-12T11:17:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to remind everybody that Dark Worlds Issue # 5 is still for sale. It's a great issue and it has some teriffic stories including one by Jack Mackenzie that is pure exciting space opera.

Here`s a preview:

Open publication - Free publishing - More noir

You can purchase a print or an electronic copy by visiting Rage Machine Books`storefront.

Okay. Self promotion accomplished.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

CALVIN'S CANADIAN CAVE OF COOL!

2010-12-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

This is the header art that I did for the blog CALVIN'S CANADIAN CAVE OF COOL. I am a long time follower of Cal Heighton's entertaining blog and in that time I have gotten to know Cal fairly well. So when he asked me to do artwork for the blog I was quite excited about it.

Cal's interest range widely and creating a single image that encompassed it all proved a challenge. I wanted it to be loaded with awesome stuff, just like the blog, but at times it threatened to become so overloaded as to be incomprehensible.

I chose to depict Cal as a mythic figure with a vaguely "steampunk" flavour. Like King Arthur on his way to Avalon, Cal needed to be surrounded by female figures. I chose two of his favourites: Selena Gomez and Kat Dennings. There is a third in the background. The tiny figure of Christina Hendricks waits patiently for Cal to return to the Cave of Cool.

Like any action hero he had to have a commanding presence in the exact center of the image. I did base the facial features on a picture of Cal but obscured them with the goggles and the aviator's hat. The epic whiskers are all his, though. The leather coat he wears is based on my daughter's bomber jacket. She calls it her "Adventurer's Coat" and I am only slightly jealous of it despite the fact that the thing doesn't fit me at all.

I had so much fun making this image from scouring through literally thousands of references to blocking out the perfect composition to painting all of the tiny details. I was very pleased with the way it turned out and I was very happy that Cal liked it so much. It has been vary well received over at his blog. Check it out.

CALVIN'S CANADIAN CAVE OF COOL!

2010-12-06T12:10:00.000-08:00

DRACULA LIVES!

2010-10-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

Hey! Cruise on over to Joshua Reynold's blog and check out the first chapter of his novel DRACULA LIVES! Cover looks great, doesn't it? Wonder who did the artwork? ;) ;).

Then head on over to the Pulpwork Press website and buy a copy because it is a fabulous book!

Tell 'em M.D. sent ya.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

WUNDER BABE

2010-10-29T08:47:00.001-07:00

This is the third piece in my series of twisted super heroine costumes. As I've said before the idea is a prostitute trying her luck at a comic-con event. This one looks like she has found a paying client.

Corel Painter X. Five hours

POLAR

2010-10-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a piece of interior art for Encounters #4. It illustrates a story called POLAR.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

SWIMMING WITH SHARKS

2010-10-27T09:16:00.001-07:00

I figure it's okay to post this now that the book has come out. Here is the cover art for Encounters #4. It illustrates the issue's feature story Swimming With Sharks.

SWIMMING WITH SHARKS

2010-10-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

I figure it's okay to post this now that the book has come out. Here is the cover art for Encounters #4. It illustrates the issue's feature story Swimming With Sharks.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

ENCOUNTERS #4

2010-10-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

The PDF edition of this magazine has just been released. I know the thumbnail is small but guess who did the artwork for the cover? You guessed it! I also did all the interior illustrations. The stories are really good especially "I Regret That I Must Eat You" by Tom Barlowe.

Pick up a copy if you can. It's well worth it. You can find out more about it here.

Or check out the preview here:

Open publication - Free publishing - More fantasy

BATGIRL HO!

2010-10-18T11:34:00.001-07:00

The second in a series. My wife says these ladies look like prostitutes trying their luck at a comic-con event, which struck me as really funny. I will probably do more as I get time between assignments. They're fun. This one was done in Corel Painter X and took about four hours.

Here's the previous one.

SUPERTRAMP

2010-10-05T11:31:00.001-07:00

DARK WORLDS ISSUE 5

2010-10-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to remind you all that Dark Worlds Issue 5 is still available for purchase. Here is a sampling of the excitement that awaits you between its pages:

Open publication - Free publishing - More noir

You can purchase a print copy or an electronic copy by visiting www.lulu.com/ragemachinebooks.

YOU'RE MY ALTERNATIVE BATGIRL*

2010-09-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

And here, just for shits and giggles (as my wife says) is the original pencils.

*with apologies to the Barenaked Ladies

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

BALLET BATGIRL

2010-09-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

MY WIFE RE-DISCOVERS THE '80'S

2010-09-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

I came home for lunch yesterday and found my wife wearing this outfit. It started out as just something comfortable to wear around the house but I told her it looked like some of the clothes she used to wear back in the '80's. I told her to try on some of the boots that she had and we both thought these just made the outfit.

I wish I could say that she wasn't wearing the outfit for long, but you know we're a respectable middle-aged couple and don't engage in that sort of spontaneous activity the way young people do. ;) ;).

Nevertheless I was inspired to paint it. Had to to it from memory as the outfit is now in the wash.

DARK WORLDS CLUB MASCOT

2010-09-17T14:20:00.001-07:00

He doesn't have a name, our mascot, but he certainly is cute, isn't he?

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

POST-IT NOTE ART #6

2010-09-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted these in a while so here's two:

Like I said before; There's some weird shit goin' down in the suburbs.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

GENERIC COVER ART

2010-09-09T14:08:00.001-07:00

Two new images in my Generic Cover Art Series.

I think I'm gonna give these a rest for a while as I have commissions that I need to get to.

RANDOM PICTURES

2010-09-03T08:56:00.003-07:00

Here is some random artwork I found lurking in a folder. They're in my galleries but I don't think I've posted any of them here so...

Cover art for Flashing Swords Issue #12 (The last issue before it folded, unfortunately)

This picture became the cover for something or other... I can't remember.

Did this one for the wife.

DARK WORLDS MAGAZINE Isuue #5

2010-08-31T15:32:00.003-07:00

Just want to remind people that this is really cool and still available!

It's been a long time in the making but it is finally here! Dark Worlds issue number 5 is now available for purchase right here.

We've changed up a few things from previous issues. The magazine is now in quarto size. (More pulp-like) and secondly we're doing full covers without ads on the back.

And that is my artwork gracing the cover. I was fortunate enough to be able to illustrate a very exciting scene from a very exciting story, OF KINGS AND SERVANTS by C. J. Burch.

The line-up for issue five is:

"Of Kings and Servants" by C. J. Burch (Sword & Sorcery)

"The Hook" by J. F. Gonzalez (Horror)

"The Black Grave of Deception" by Peter J. Welmerink (Sword & Sorcery)

"Body of Work' (Mythos Horror) -- A Book Collector story!

"The Cryo Game" by Jack Mackenzie (Space Adventure)

"Black Destiny of Ys" by David A. Hardy (Historical Fantasy)

"Against the Gathering Darkness" by Joel Jenkins (Historical Horror/Adventure)

"An Interview with C. J. Burch: A Chuck the Barbarian Cartoon"

Go, buy a copy and enjoy! And, hey! Don't keep this news to yourself! Pass it on!

And while you're at it check out Rage Machine Books' other titles:

GENERIC SCI-FI COVER ART

2010-08-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

First in my Generic Genre Cover Series.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

DARK WORLDS ISSUE #5

2010-08-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time in the making but it is finally here! Dark Worlds issue number 5 is now available for purchase right here.

We've changed up a few things from previous issues. The magazine is now in quarto size. (More pulp-like) and secondly we're doing full covers without ads on the back.

And that is my artwork gracing the cover. I was fortunate enough to be able to illustrate a very exciting scene from a very exciting story, OF KINGS AND SERVANTS by C. J. Burch.

The line-up for issue five is:

"Of Kings and Servants" by C. J. Burch (Sword & Sorcery)

"The Hook" by J. F. Gonzalez (Horror)

"The Black Grave of Deception" by Peter J. Welmerink (Sword & Sorcery)

"Body of Work' (Mythos Horror) -- A Book Collector story!

"The Cryo Game" by Jack Mackenzie (Space Adventure)

"Black Destiny of Ys" by David A. Hardy (Historical Fantasy)

"Against the Gathering Darkness" by Joel Jenkins (Historical Horror/Adventure)

"An Interview with C. J. Burch: A Chuck the Barbarian Cartoon"

Go, buy a copy and enjoy! And, hey! Don't keep this news to yourself! Pass it on!

And check out some of Rage Machine Books' other titles:

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

POST-IT NOTE ART #5

2010-08-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

There's weird shit going' down in the suburbs, I'm tellin' ya!

My Youtube Video

2010-08-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

I guess everybody's gotta have one. Here's mine:

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

POST-IT NOTE ART #4

2010-08-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

POST-IT NOTE ART #3

2010-08-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

POST-IT NOTE ART #2

2010-08-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

SPEAR GIRL

2010-07-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

I have just finished one commission (two in a row, actually) and am about to move on to another. In between I decided to cleanse my palate (but not my palette) with a quick painting. You'll probably recognize the figure as my Minimalist Fantasy Pin-up drawing I posted a while back. Here it is in full colour with a background.

Done with Corel Painter X. About two hours' work.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

POST-IT NOTE DRAWING #1

2010-07-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

Inspired by artist John Kenn (johnkenn.blogspot.com) who produces beautifully creepy pen-and-ink drawings on post-it notes, I have begun a series of quick drawings on my own pad of post-its. I think John Kenn works on a larger post-it note than I do, but so far it has been a fun exercise.

I will post more in the coming weeks.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

FOOLISH GODS

2010-07-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

I just finished this cover for C. J. Burch's re-issue of his novel Foolish Gods.

You will be able to buy the book here.

THE STAR OF KALEEL

2010-07-09T12:11:00.001-07:00

THE STAR OF KALEEL by C.J. Burch is a wonderfully fast-paced Sword-and-Sorcery novel with two very interesting (and rare for that genre) female lead characters. The book has been available at Amazon for a while but Burch recently asked me to come up with new cover art for the re-issue. He has given me permission (actually he actively encouraged me) to post it.

Without further ado...

Click image to see the full size

You will be able to buy the book here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=cj+burch&x=0&y=0

ROBIN, THE GIRL WONDER

2010-06-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

A while ago Cal over at the Canadian Cave of Cool thought that we needed a new female robin. I had to agree and. since there wasn't one around I had to come up with one.

On another note, my other personality, Jack Mackenzie, is writing. He is contractually obligated to write a story for an upcoming anthology and he finds my blogging and commenting on other folks' blogs distracting.

So If I am unusually quiet in the next two or three weeks, blame Jack.

UPDATE: Despite Jack's insistence to the contrary I have made updates to this image. I re-inked it using ink pen rather than Photoshop and then I took it into Painter. I like the results much better.

ARTWORK FOR REALMS #2

2010-06-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

The magazine has been available for a while so it's about time I posted the cover art.

You can buy a copy at: https://www.createspace.com/3451218

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

BATGIRL

2010-06-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so here's that Batgirl Picture I talked about in an earlier post.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

THAT'S REALLY SUPER, SUPERGIRL

2010-05-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

Not too happy with this one but thought I would post it anyways.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

INTERSTELLAR AGENT IN COLOR

2010-05-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

Here it is scanned and worked over in Photoshop and Painter X.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

INTERSTELLAR AGENT

2010-05-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

What a difference a day can make. I sketched this pose one day, then abandoned it because I thought it wasn't working. Went back to it the next day and saw something in it. I kept working at it and this came out.

I've been thinking a lot about Barbarella. I guess this is my version of that kind of character. She doesn't have a name as yet but she has to have a quirky sidekick and a robot. Maybe I'll find them soon as well.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

BATGIRL

2010-05-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

Preliminary drawing for a painting I've a mind to do.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

THIS MAKES ME DELIRIOUSLY HAPPY

2010-05-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

Richard Curtis (writer of Blackadder, Bernard and the Genie, Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral), Stephen Moffat (creator of the amazing series Jekyll and now producer of Doctor Who) and Neil Gaiman (if you don't know, it will mean nothing to you). Gaiman is holding up the script that he has written for an upcoming episode of Doctor Who.

Joygasm!

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

ON THE FLOOR

2010-05-19T06:58:00.000-07:00

This just kind of happened. Hmmm. That could be either an explanation of the process or an apt description of the picture.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio