The “Lounge Lizard”

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artist as brand, Beverly Hills, booze, illustration, illustrators journal, innovation, levinland, lon levin, lounge lizard, movies, starlets

The Lounge Lizard is a guy we all know. He’s a expert at everything, wealthy, sexy and full of enough hot air to float the Good Year blimp. He’s that guy who hangs around the Beverly Hills Hotel calling attention to himself and his next fictitious movie deal. He’s fashionable and knowledgable about the type of BS that drives “real” people crazy.

Concept Art And Illustration: From Russia With Love

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artist as brand, gaming, illustration, illustrators journal, innovation, lon levin, movies, social media, sony playstation

Ivan Laliashvili is concept artist and illustrator studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Ivan is currently working at a small studio that creates computer graphics for games. He is a great example of the type of artists that are evolving out of the film and gaming industry.

In the past twenty years, video games have evolved from relatively simple screen representations to complex 3-dimensional worlds where the characters seem to leap off the screen. Along with more complex imagery, the job of video game artist has evolved into a number of different roles, each with its own distinct tasks: concept artist, 2-D animator, 3-D animator, and 2-D texture artist.

The competition is fierce and global in nature so those looking to enter this world do so  knowing that the odds are against you. There are plenty of digital painting techniques that can bring awesome effects to your art but unless you have the core drawing and painting skills it won’t matter. As my ex-wife used to say “it’s like powdering a pig’s nose”

Ivan’s work is an example of what can be done by a super talented artists with core skills.

What About Imagination?

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abstract art, artist as brand, Belle Isle, illustration, imagination, innovation, islands, levinland, lon levin, Morgan Freeman, movies, sketching, technology

An Imaginary Place That is All Too Real

I saw the “Magic of Belle Isle” on ON Demand the other night and it was quite a good film, especially for those who have lost their imagination or just can’t get their imagination mojo moving in the right direction. I’m not going to review it save to say a young girl in the film asks western writer Freeman where do stories come from? His answer is something like look around, they are everywhere. It got me thinking about imagination. Where does that come from and how do you tap into it? Same answer to me. Keep looking and building one thought on top of another until something forms into an idea. Then act on that idea and see what happens. Here are other thoughts on Imagination

Imagination Quotes

The imagination exercises a powerful influence over every act of sense, thought, reason, — over every idea. Latin Proverb Solitude is as needful to the imagination as society is wholesome for the character. James Russel Lowell Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead. Louisa May Alcott Imagination is more important than knowledge. Albert Einstein He who has imagination without learning, has wings and no feet. Joseph Joubert Hope is the dream of a man awake. French Proverb A strong imagination begetteth opportunity. Michel de Montaigne Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions. Albert Einstein