Sketching away...

Here are some loose and breezy colored sketchbook pics I did this week.

The Evolution of Tim Curry

If it's been a while since you thought about what a badass actor Tim Curry is, here is your reminder. I love this guy. He hasn't done that many movies recently- he's now doing a ton of television, theater and voice over work, but jeez, what a talent. His performance of Pennywise in It left me permanently afraid of clowns. (In case you were wondering, 1993 is actually an episode of Tales from the Crypt, where he played each member of a murderous family.) What's your favorite Tim Curry performance? Clue? Congo? The Wild Thornberrys?

Sketchy sketch

Here are some quick sketches I did this week. Drawn in pencil, with an underlay of tone in Photoshop.

The Evolution of Gary Oldman

When you think of amazing character actors, one leaps to the top of the pack: Gary Oldman. Incredibly versatile, he is utterly convincing in whatever role he plays. The late 80's/early 90's were an especially ripe period where he zig-zagged from playing Sid Vicious to Lee Harvey Oswald to Dracula to nearly stealing the show in his few minutes of screen time as a drug dealing pimp in True Romance. In the late 90's he was well known for his villainous roles, but in the 2000's, he endeared himself to a new generation of fans by playing both Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films, and Commissioner Gordon in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. Only one question remains: why hasn't this man won an Oscar yet?

Harold and Maude

This Harold and Maude print will be an exclusive for New York's Bottleneck Gallery show, "Get a Room" opening Feb 15th.

"Double dumbass on you!"

This exclusive Star Trek IV print will be available to buy starting Feb 16th at QPop's Star Trek show in LA

Morning Warmup/Let the Right One In

Taking a break from doing some gallery pieces to do this sketch of Eli, from Let the Right One In

The Strange, Beautiful Evolution of Guillermo Del Toro

One of my favorite directors has to be Guillermo del Toro. No other director can create a more intriguing mix of horror and humor than del Toro. I remember being incredibly impressed with Mimic when I first saw that in 1997, then a few years later, being overwhelmed with the beauty and suspense of the Devil's Backbone. Pacific Rim, as of this writing, hasn't come out yet, but you bet I'll be there opening night to check it out! As a side note, I would kill to visit his "man-cave" called Bleak House, where he keeps all his horror themed art, toys, and trinkets. If you haven't seen it, you can sneak a peek here: 

Myths Left Behind

1 hr of playing around in Photoshop

The Evolution of Jim Carrey

Allll-righty then! For my newest 'Evolution', I thought I would tackle one of my favorite comedians, Jim Carrey. I tried to draw his most iconic roles, though picking just 9 was a challenge. (Truman Burbank and Count Olaf were SO close to being included.) I hope you guys enjoy my tribute to one of the funniest people on earth.

Creature 20 min sketch

Sometimes when I'm in a bad mood, it helps to draw some kind of disgusting monster. I feel much better now.

As You Wish...

A tribute to one of my favorite movies, The Princess Bride. Doing these tribute pieces is a good way to try and improve at digital painting. I included screenshots of my process below. I thought it would be fun to give this one a slight Tangled vibe, since Princess Buttercup could, in another life perhaps, have been a Disney princess. If you guys are interested in more of these process demonstrations, please let me know!

Animation Insider Interview

If you'd like to know a little bit more about me and my work, please read this interview I did with Animation Insider! Thanks! http://www.animationinsider.com/2012/12/jeff-victor/

Have yourself a very Kubrick Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you! My newest evolution is is a little different. It's a tribute to some of the best films by legendary director Stanley Kubrick. I recently saw the LACMA exhibit of Kubrick's films here in LA, and it was stunning. The original props, the annotated screenplays, his original director's chair- what a treasure trove of film geek goodies! If you guys like these "director" evolutions, let me know. I've got a couple more ideas for future illustrations, but if you have any ideas for filmmakers you'd like to see, please leave them in the comment section, or on my facebook art page (link to the right). They have to have at least 5 iconic movies to their name. The more recognizeable the characters, the better. Thanks, and have a great holiday!

30 years on, and I still love Masters of the Universe

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Masters of the Universe, one of my favorite toy lines as a kid. I watched a few of the cartoons in the early 80's, but never really got into them. I made up my own personalities and voices for each of the characters that was totally at odds with how the cartoon made them out to be. The toys were the the things that captured my imagination. The designs of the characters were just hilariously over the top, yet perfect. A giant bee man, a skull faced guy, an elephant guy with a metal head? What more could you ask for at 6 years old?! I hope someone finds a new way to reboot the franchise, because I'd love to see He-Man brought back to the big screen using today's special effects. I hope you enjoy my tribute to the manliest hero of the 80's.

The Evolution of Charlize Theron

One of my favorite actresses has to be Charlize Theron. Obviously I didn't include every one of her memorable roles, but I tried to choose some of her most iconic ones. Who could have predicted the icy blond temptress cat-fighting with Teri Hatcher in 2 Days in the Valley would be in a few short years, become one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation with her utterly fearless and terrifyingly intense performance in Monster? I hope you enjoy this tribute to the evolution of this incredible actress.

Night Glow

This is a piece of development art for an independent project I'm working on. I'm having a lot of fun exploring this world, but also practicing Photoshop painting as well. It's not my strength, but I feel I learn something new each time I do one of these pieces.

The Art of Jeff Victor Store is Live!

Hi guys, and thank you so much for the past few weeks of enthusiastic support for my art. It's been wonderful. A lot of you have inquired about buying my prints. I'm happy to announce that I started an online store for your print needs. I am featuring some of my most popular illustrations. I will be adding more art as I do it, so keep checking back.  At this time, I'm only going to start shipping to US customers, but International customers, please be patient, I will get to you-Promise! Thanks again for all your support. It means a lot to me, and I hope you enjoy all the art that is yet to come!

Quick link to my online store is here

Welcome to Skull Island

King Kong-one of the all time great time monster movies. Even the Peter Jackson version, while overly long, was a fantastic adventure film. This is kind of a blend of the two versions, done in my style. I hope you dig it.

The King of Pop

With all the scandal and controversy surrounding him, people seem to forget what an unbelievable entertainer Michael Jackson was. One of my favorite musicians, this piece is a tribute to his legacy.