Painting Commission

Commissions are a tricky business for me. I don't do many of them, mainly because my work load from my "bread and butter" clients is usually full. I can't upset my regular clients by turning down work to complete a commission. They are a long term relationship that will hopefully provide an income for as long as I'm doing freelance illustration. So the opportunity to take on private commissions is slim. I just don't like to promise a collector that I'll get a painting done when it could take several months if not longer.
I was approached by a collector who was commissioning artists to produce paintings based on a specific idea he had. There were already several artists who had produced paintings for him- Donato, Matt Stewart, Julie Bell, Raoul Vitale, and others. I felt honored he would ask me to be a part of such an elite collection of artists. The only requirements the collector gave was that the painting needed to have 3-4 women, a companion dragon, and a dog. It could be any setting, any story, and any culture of people.
I went with a fantasy Mongolian-ish culture in a snow scene where they are caught out in the open by a hungry dragon. Their companion dragon fends off the much larger and more powerful dragon giving them time to escape. The original is 30x40 oil on masonite. I will have the painting on show at Spectrum Live. If you're at the show, please stop by and say hi.
Here are some detail shots:

Vorstclaw

Here is the last image I did for the Avacyn Restored set. The final is 11x14 oil on masonite.

More From The Avacyn Restored Set

Here are a couple more images that were released from Magic's- Avacyn Restored set. Both are 11x14 oil on masonite.

Demonlord of Ashmouth

I illustrated this card for Magic the Gathering's new Avacyn Restored set. My description called for a winged demon with horns who wields a huge battle axe. It was originally titled "Fiend from the Hellvault". My buddy Tom, had just come into the possession of a horse skull and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to use it for reference in this illustration.

The original is 16x20 oil on masonite.

Watts Atelier 2012 Spring Schedule

The NEW Spring 2012 class schedule for the Watts Atelier is available. The Winter term is about to end and we recommend early registration to secure a seat. Classes will sometimes fill up quick. The new session starts April 9th. Here are the classes I will be teaching:


DRAWING HANDS AND FEET
Wednesdays 2:30pm-5:30pm







HEAD, FIGURE, QUICKSKETCH
Wednesdays 7:00pm-10:00pm







Click on a class above to be directed to the class page. Feel free to contact me with any questions. lucasgraciano@yahoo.com

Spectrum Awards Finalists!

The Spectrum Awards Finalists have been announced. My painting, Temple Guardian, was chosen as one of the five finalists in the Advertising category. The winners will be announced at Spectrum Live in May. Congratulations and good luck to all of the nominated artists! You can see the list of nominees and their work HERE.

Temple Guardian

ART OF THE DRAGON: The Definitive Collection of Contemporary Dragon Painting

Patrick Wilshire approached me about a year ago in regards to a book he was putting together about dragons. Well, it's finally been released! I've got a few pieces in it as well as fellow artists Jeff Easley, Larry Elmore, Clyde Caldwell, Keith Parkinson, Todd Lockwood, Donato Giancola, John Howe, Bob Eggleton, Don Maitz, Stephen Hickman, Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell, Greg Hildebrandt, Michael Whelan, and many more. It's an honor to have my work included alongside these Titans! The book is called THE ART OF THE DRAGON: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION OF CONTEMPORARY DRAGON PAINTING and can be picked up on Amazon for $26. Thanks Pat for thinking to include my work in this book!

Here are a few close up shots of some of the paintings I have included in the book.

Temple Guardian


Silverwing


Phara Dar

Forgotten Realms Cover - Spinner of Lies

Here is a cover I did for Forgotten Realms ebook, Sword of the Gods: Spinner of Lies by BRUCE CORDELL. The book is the sequel to Sword of the Gods: The Abyssal Plague. This was a fun one to work on. The art director gave me lots of freedom. The main parameter was the squarish layout of the image on the cover. I decided to go taller in the final painting for sake of a stronger original painting. Here is a link to the book on the Wizards site. SPINNER OF LIES


The original is 20x16 oil on masonite.

"Dark Ascension" Magic Card- "Vengeful Vampire"

Here is another card I painted for Magic's new Dark Ascension set. In this card a vampire seeks revenge on a town that shackled and tortured him. I went for the moment when the sun is just going down and the vampire is eager to start the massacre!



The original painting is 12x16 and done in oil on gessoed illustration board.



Here is a detail shot.

New "Dark Ascension" Magic Cards.

Here are a couple of Magic cards that were released on their SITE. The double faced cards is something new that Magic is doing with their sets. There's an article describing the thoughts behind the concept HERE.



Both original paintings are 12x16 oil on masonite.
Soul Seizer



Ghastly Haunting

Watts Atelier 2012 Winter Schedule

The NEW Winter 2012 class schedule for the Watts Atelier is available. The Fall term is about to end and we recommend early registration to secure a seat. Classes will sometimes fill up quick. The new session starts January 9th. Here are the classes I will be teaching:


20 MIN FIGURE LAY-INS
Tuesdays 2:30pm-5:30pm







PORTRAIT PAINTING IN OIL
Tuesdays 7:00pm-10:00pm







Click on a class above to be directed to the class page. Feel free to contact me with any questions. lucasgraciano@yahoo.com

Spectrum Miss-Credit

There was a miss-credit in Spectrum 19 this year. I was credited for a piece Chris Rahn did. I'd be more than willing to take credit for anything Chris painted,(man this guy can paint!)but I can't in good nature sit back to enjoy this one. He deserves to be rightfully acknowledged. Congrats on getting a full page in Spectrum Chris!