5 New Horror Illustrations Looking for a Home
filed in Book Cover Illustrations and Artwork on Feb.01, 2012
Thrice Told Tales - Duncan Long
From time to time, I create new illustrations “just for fun” with the hope that eventually they’ll find a buyer. This generally proves a good investment of my time with most such pictures eventually finding a home on a book or magazine cover. The plus of these self-directed illustrations is that they’re produced more quickly since only my mental vision is in play rather than that of a publisher or art director. Basically these do-it-yourself pieces of art cut out the middle man.
In doing such work, I am often reminded of the old story that Michelangelo, when asked how the statue of David was carved, replied, “It’s simple. You just chisel away the marble that doesn’t look like David.”
Basically I start with the vision I want to see, and then push electrons around on my digital tablet until that picture appears on the monitor.
Since my online horror gallery needed to be replenished, this round of painting was done with an eye toward that genre. Confession: I always feel a little guilty about producing horror illustrations, in part because they are so far removed from the beauty around me and the joy I have in life. Also, such illustrations seem almost obscenely easy to create since anything a little out of the norm starts to seem ugly, horrifying, and/or troubling to the human mind. We each have a mind’s eye conception of beauty, and when that ideal is a little off the mark, the brain starts to feel fear and revulsion.
So horror artwork is basically a job of creating things that aren’t quite right. Anti-perfectionism, if you will.
That said, polishing the rough draft of such artwork so it looks “real” is the flip side of this coin, so in the end the illustration must have the same polish and reworking that would go into a beautiful face or scene. I’m not sure what the moral of the story is, but the process is perhaps a little strange at best.
Precious Ties -- Duncan Long
The Pig God - Duncan Long
Strange Lights In the House - Duncan Long
Will You Still Love Me? - Duncan Long
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Duncan Long loves creating book cover artwork but feels guilty painting horror illustrations. His artwork appears on book cover designs from HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Moonstone Books, and Enslow Publishers. You can see more of his illustrations in Duncan Long’s Portfolio
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February 2nd, 2012 on 1:28 am
Awesome illustrations!!!!!
February 2nd, 2012 on 7:56 am
What fantastic artwork. Each would be perfect as a book cover. I have explored your other illustrations and they are consitently brilliant. Thanks for sharing them with the world.
February 2nd, 2012 on 9:29 am
Serious creep factors, all. Well done, Duncan. Will share around the net. I hate to see homeless art. :(
February 2nd, 2012 on 11:56 am
You have five terrifying pieces of artwork here. I fully expect to seem them used as book cover illustrations in the future. Anything this good can’t remain unexploited. Such a special blog. I’ll be returning regularly to see your artwork.
February 2nd, 2012 on 12:19 pm
Karen, I find this article absolutely mesmerizing. It caught my eye because Barbara Watkins and I just commissioned Matt and Danielle Drake to do six horror/paranormal illustrations for our upcoming collaboration of six creepy, short stories.
Duncan, you are a gifted artist. I especially enjoyed your “guilt” confession. When I wrote my first darker book and had to describe murder scenes in “my own way,” I felt rather guilty (and out of character), so I actually ran the scenes by two of my pastors. Both said, “That’s not you doing that, Betty. It’s your characters.” So with their blessings, I felt relief.
Wonderful article. Thanks for sharing.
Betty Dravis
February 2nd, 2012 on 12:27 pm
Thanks, Betty. It is easy when being creative to feel as if characters have lives of their own, or that the muse is guiding your hand. I am convinced that these things are all a part of our brain rather than spirits or other beings.
And to my mind at least, that makes it all the more amazing that our brains were created with such capabilities.
Appreciate the kind comments. And appreciate Karen sharing the post.
February 6th, 2012 on 3:59 am
Whoa! fantastic artwork. I could be inspired to write the book to go with these covers. Thanks for shairng them.