New Cover...
This is a cover-30x24 inches- for a Phillip Jose Farmer collection called THE OTHER IN THE MIRROR. It'll be a Subterranean Press book in Spring. The story I did here, was for one called JESUS ON MARS in which a Mars recon crew finds a crashed alien ship in the side of a Martian valley. The imagery was astounding and immediately inspiring and I was able to do a landscape painting, and incorporate the scale of a huge spaceship, or part of it. It will be a semi-wraparound cover as well, with the diagonal fin of the ship leading around the back. I really liked the misty and ethereal feel to it...posted by Bob Eggleton (Zillabob) | 10:14 PM
21 Comments:
I just had a question and was hoping that you would answer it. I was wondering what technique you use to get the texture on your stone formations and trees. Thanks, I am a big fan.
Sure. Alot of it is underpainting. Lettung a random and thin transparent coat of color dry, and then working a more opaque and cooler color back over it. The forgeground rocks are more or less not too detailed, but using a palette knife and picking out highlights, I sculpt them out.
Thank you. I didn't realize it was a layer process or that you'd use a palette knife, thanks again for the tips.
Love it, Bob. This has the golden age feel that I always look for in a painting!
P.
Thanks Patrick. It was alot of fun to do. I spent alot of time wondering what would be the image and then..it just "happened" in my head.
This is a gorgeous painting...but you probably already knew that. :-)
Thanks Michael!!! If you are at Boskone, you can see it "live" as it were!!!
We'll be at Boskone on Sunday, and I'll make a point of taking a look.
Fantastic! I can't wait for this book.
Just a couple of days ago I read a chapter about Farmer in a book on religion in SF that made me want to hunt up some more of his books (up til now I've only read TO YOUR SCATTERED BODIES GO).
The sense of wonder this painting captures so well makes me even more in the mood to read his stories.
awesome bob!
dave t
think I'm going to have to read a few of mr Farmer's books
dave t
When I saw your earlier post, I guessed it was probably for the SubPress book. Their Farmer books have all been great. I've had this one on order since it was first announced. Actually, I really should just have Bill automatically sent a portion of my paycheck, I buy so many of SubPress' books.
In this cover, I really like the lack of straight vertical lines - everything's set at an angle, which gives the whole piece a slightly off-kilter, disturbing feel to it.
Wow, this is truly awesome, Bob!
WOW! Thanks ALL on these comments. I think this is a winner!
I wanted it slightly disturbing.The diagonals bring up a sense of quiet chaos and unease.
I tend to use them as a trademark in this sense. I feature alot of them in my work in one way or another.
Did you consciously debut this on Phil's 91st birthday, Bob, or was it a case of morphic resonance? In any case, what a wonderful tribute.
You captured the ethereal and I am fascinated by the subtle rusty texture on the fin. I'm sure it's even more spectacular in person.
Thanks, Bob, both for the painting, and bringing up some great memories of Phil Farmer. (I'm originally from Peoria, and was part of his Sherlock Holmes Society for a couple of years, back when he was still writing the last books in the Riverworld series.)
I've always been drawn to scenes like this, where the mysterious alien artifact is found and investigated. Probably why I loved "Planet of the Vampires," "Alien" and "Galaxy of Terror." Also why I find so many of the illustrations of the supposed Roswell crash so enthralling. It's just a fun and enticing image.
Is it just me, or does the alien ship in your painting look a little like one of the new Cylon Raiders?
Chris-WOW! Really? I'd forgotten it would be his 91st! His stuff turns into magic for me.
Chris J-Thanks-the idea is it is supposed to be encrusted dust but it still looks like it has been there a long time.
Joe-you just named three of my favorite "alien planet" films!
Really great! I love this one, beautifully done. It gives that sense of wonder feeling, discovering something on an alien planet. Can't wait to have the book with this cover!
Thanks Rias! It's a great story too! Often a great writer will inspire me in such a way. PJF did just that.
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