2006. 3ds max, Photoshop.

Raphael Lacoste is a Canadian artist.

Born in Paris, he attended fine arts school while studying photography and film at the same time. When working with a theatre company, he became very drawn to the scenery, mood, and lighting. He then studied for and earned a MA in 3d animation, and his movie Niumb was screened at Siggraph 2000, Imagina 2000, and Anima Mundi 2001.

After that, Lacoste has worked as an art director on video games an cinematics for over seven years. He has been involved on projects such as Prince of Persia and Assassin’s Creed.

His focus now is as a concept artist for film, specializing in environments, moods, picture composition and lighting.

Kari Christensen has years of experience working in the games industry and has done work for a number of RPG and TCG publishers, including Eden Studios, Bastion Press, Alderac, Sabertooth Games, Games Workshop, Malhavoc Press, Goodman Games, and Wizards of the Coast. To see more of his work, visit his web site.

2009. Photoshop.

Phil McDarby is an Irish Digital Artist, Photographer & Composer.

He has been drawing and painting fantasy and sci-fi characters and environments for most of his life, and made the jump from traditional to digital around 1998. At the heart of his work is a desire to capture a sense of magic and wonder – that feeling of child-like excitement and discovery that we can lose touch with as adults.

He uses a number of methods to create his imagery, from 2D painting using a Wacom tablet to 3D modelling in Maya, Bryce and 3DStudio Max, from digital sculpting in zBrush to matte work using his own photography as textures in his scenes.

He has won over 50 international awards, including multiple CG Choice Awards from the CGSociety and the Golden Torus Award. His work has featured in many publications, including Expose 6 from Ballistic Media and many international magazines, and he has composed music for film and television.

In 2004, Phil left MediaLab Europe to co-found Vyro Games, where he oversees the creative process, while also taking a hands-on role in all aspects of content production.

For more of his life and work, visit PhilMcDarby.com

1903.  Oil on canvas.

John William Waterhouse (1849 — 1917) was an English Pre-Raphaelite painter most famous for his paintings of female characters from mythology and literature. He belonged to the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

2007. Photoshop.

Kirsi Salonen is a Finnish artist.

Salonen focuses mainly on fantasy themes, although her subjects are often very unique. She views art as a form of storytelling, and seeks to constrain a narrative to a single frame. Key to her style is effective use of light and color schemes.

View more of her life and work at kirsisalonen.com.

Frank Frazetta is an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for work in comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, record-album covers, and other media. His cover for the sword-and-sorcery collection Conan the Adventurer by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp caused a sensation—numerous people bought the book for its cover alone. This interpretation of Conan essentially redefined the genre of Sword and Sorcery visually, and had an enormous influence on succeeding generations of artists

2007. Photoshop, Poser, XSI.

Silvia Fusetti is an Italian illustrator and animator.

For more of his life and work, visit Aivlis Home.

Oil on canvas.

Luis Ricardo Falero (1851-1896) was a Spanish painter of surprising capacity. Born in Granada Spain and schooled in Paris, Falero earned his living as a portraitist. He was the student of Gabriel Guerin, Charles Goutzwiller, Michel Drolling and Picot. He cut a striking picture in life, with black eyes and a fiery expression; his long hair and beard were styled in the fashion of the old Spanish portraits.

Much of Falero’s work is mythological or fantastical in nature. His work explores many subjects from the secret world of fairies to the ancient Egyptians.

Falero was a very intelligent man who engaged himself in various pursuits. Aside from painting, he studied mathematics and was known in several scientific circles. Yet, he also practiced astrology and was very drawn to occult matters. Like his art, he was a man of many dimensions. He immigrated to London during the 1880’s, where he died at the age of 45.

2005. Photoshop, Sketchbook Pro.

Bobby Chiu is a Canadian artist.

1993. Ink on paper.

Frank Frazetta is an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for work in comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, record-album covers, and other media. His cover for the sword-and-sorcery collection Conan the Adventurer by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp caused a sensation—numerous people bought the book for its cover alone. This interpretation of Conan essentially redefined the genre of Sword and Sorcery visually, and had an enormous influence on succeeding generations of artists