New website online July 1st!

Things have been pretty hectic over the past couple of months in preparation for the launch of the new website. Right now I'm just finalizing some of the finishing touches which, of course, is the part of the creative process that takes the longest. But it'll all be worth it once everyone gets a chance to check out the bigger and better Marketplace complete with new prints and merchandise, a new gallery section complete with new and exciting artwork and new free downloadable content. Also don't forget to catch the launch of the trailer for Solstice, the newest illustrated artbook from Lamin Illustartion & Design, along with the launch of the new website on July 1st. August 27th will then mark the day that the Solstice artbook will debut at this years Toronto Fan Expo.

See you then!

Lamin

Elements Workshop: Narrative Textures

Here's the latest workshop that I put together that explains how important I feel it is to ground your fantasy worlds in some sense of reality by combining digital painting with photographic texture reference to make the unbelievable, believable. Download the free PDF HERE and please don't hesitate to leave feedback and suggestions for future workshops.

Take care!

Lamin

Preview sketch for upcoming new book!

Here is an image that is a work in progress for my upcoming new artbook that will explore and tell the story of combining dragon anatomy with human anatomy. I haven't decided on a title yet but I'm always open to suggestions. I'll be posting more sketches as the weeks and the months go on until the debut of the book in August. Stay tuned!!

Lamin

Decorated Valour

Here is a new digital painting done using the line art from the pages of LEATHER WINGS. I love the idea of soldiers so heroic in their actions on the battlefield that their armour is decorated with commendation after commendation, each medal marking the survival of another conflict. The large main ribbon has an inscription that spells out the word "peace" using the Elvish runic alphabet in the hopes that, one day, through their efforts peace will finally be achieved.
I'm working on the tutorial for this painting so check back soon!

Lamin

Tutorial - Fantasy Renaissance

Hello everyone!

With the year coming to a close I feel now would be the best time to say thank you to all of the supporters who helped to make it possible for me to do what I love most which is draw. Thank you to everyone who came out to the shows and picked up a print or a book and thank you for all of the great feedback from all of my friends, new and old, who were most helpful in providing the necessary feedback to take my illustrations to places I probably wouldn't have gone. Without the right people around you, you will never achieve the right results. So instead of sending out a greeting card I decided to put together a tutorial that I hope will be helpful to anyone else who may be looking for an alternative creative process that they may not have thought of.
I'm a huge fan of the Imagine FX magazine publication and the website so to pay homage to all of their great work and helpful content, I put together this workshop in the Imagine FX style. Let me know what you think!


Click here to download the free PDF.


Take Care and Happy Holidays!

Lamin Martin

Dragon Lily - Leather Wings Semblance

Here is an image that will be the first of many that will be taken from the linework found in Fields, Decorum, Leather Wings, Apocrypha and Leather Wings Semblance and brought to life in full colour. If there are any suggestions as to what images you'd like to see coloured before others or if there are any helpful tips you'd like to pass along to help improve the colour work please feel free to send me your feedback. I'll be posting the process images of how I coloured this image in the next few days. So check back soon!

Lamin

Sorceress Colour Process

Above is the line drawing used as a guide for the digital painting that I worked on. Notice that the background is very sparse in terms of detail 'cause I wanted the colour to handle most of the detailing for me.



An overall wash of a dark turquoise was the base colour that the rest of the painting was built on.



Next I build up the figure ensuring that the lights and darks across her skin play well with the lights and darks found in the background.



The cloak is a very simple colour scheme of rich dark blues and deep reds. I orginally wanted her to be draped in a white cloak but found that her figure got lost due to the fact that there wasn't enough of a contrast between her and the cloak to really make her body and face stand out. Instead I went with the dark cloak painted with cool blues that pushed itself further into the background while at the same time forcing her figure forward.



The light from the staff comes into play now creating a warm contrast of light on a cool colour palette.



Here is the final with all of the fun flourishes highlights and shadows needed to give an a image that little extract push towards believable.

Thanks for checking out the first of many "process" blog entries that I'll be posting!

Check back soon!

Lamin