Art Appreciation - October Edition

If you've been coming to Posterocalypse for any length of time, you've probably noticed that I review posters, sometimes at great length, in addition to providing their corresponding pricing, availability and edition info; this is both good and bad. On the one hand, this gives me time to wax philosophic about my love of poster design and steadily increase my dependence on sites like thesaurus.com and IMDb. On the other hand, I spend so much time writing my posts (keep in mind I have a full-time job outside of Posterocalypse) that I often don't have time to promote other prints or posters that I feel deserve the same level of love and affection - and that's exactly what I plan on remedying with my "Art Appreciation" column.

"Art Appreciation" will feature all of the prints that I've taken a liking to recently, but for some reason or another haven't found the time to write about in detail. These posts will be light on text (minus this lengthy introduction) and heavy on artwork and release info. I plan on doing at least one of these posts every month, maybe even twice a month, and hopefully introducing Posterocalypse readers to some great artists and some beautiful artwork. Let me know what you think!

"The Lords of R'yleh" Art Print
Godmachine
16" x 24" - Numbered
$35 - Limited to 150

Another beautiful print from the artist Godmachine, this time celebrating the Dark Lord, Cthulu. The print is currently available through the Nakatomi storefront for a very affordable $35. "The Lords of R'yleh" print measures 16" x 24", is limited to 150 and costs $35. Head over to Godmachine's website at godmachinedesigns.blogspot.com or follow him @godmachineuk on Twitter.

Salem's Lot Movie Poster
Rodolfo Reyes
16.5" X 23.5" - Numbered
£40 - Limited to 50

I'm not too familiar with artist Rodolfo Reyes, but I do really dig this Salem's Lot print, although I have to admit I've never seen the film OR read the book. Rodolfo's Salem's Lot poster is available through Dark City Gallery for £40 (or roughly $65). The print measures 16.5" x 23.5" and is limited to an edition of 50. You can check out Rodolfo's website at rodolforever.com and follow him @rodolforever.

RIFFRAFF Movie Poster
Tim Doyle
18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
$25 - Limited to 100

While I'm not head over heels in love with the artwork, it's well done, and the idea behind the poster is a really cool one. You see, this print was commissioned by the people who made RIFFRAFF in order to promote the film as well as fund the next level of its distribution. That's pretty cool, right? I've yet to see the film, but evidently it's pretty good (Variety review, Chicago Tribune / Metromix review). The RIFFRAFF movie poster is currently available through the film's website at riffraffthemovie.com for $25. The print measures 18" x 24", is signed and numbered, and is limited to an edition of 100. For more information on the artist, Tim Doyle, checkout his portfolio at mrdoyle.com and his storefront / print shop at nakatomiinc.com. You can also follow Tim @NakatomiTim on Twitter.

"The Big Lebowski" Art Print Leslie Ditto 12" x 22" - Signed and Numbered $60 - Limited to 100 Inspired By: The Big Lebowski

"The Princess Bride" Art Print Leslie Ditto 14" x 20" - Signed and Numbered $60 - Limited to 100 Inspired By: The Princess Bride

Leslie Ditto, another artist I didn't really have any familiarity with prior to this post, has put together some really cool film-inspired prints for The Big Lebowski and The Princess Bride. Both posters are currently available through the Metro Orange Art website at metroorangeart.com. Leslie's "Big Lebowski" art print measures 12" x 22", is limited to an edition of 100 and costs $60. "The Princess Bride" print measures 14" x 20", and similar to the "Lebowski" print, is limited to 100 and costs $60. You can visit Leslie Ditto's website by going to leslieditto.com and follow her on Twitter @dittoart.

Drive Movie Poster Luis Fernando Cruz Multiple sizes Multiple prices - Open edition

Drive Movie Poster Luis Fernando Cruz 7" x 10" $16 - Open edition

The Red Shoes Movie Poster Luis Fernando Cruz Multiple sizes Multiple prices - Open edition

The Walking Dead TV Print Luis Fernando Cruz Multiple sizes Multiple prices - Open edition

I'm a huge fan of Luis Fernando Cruz (please refer to my first "Concept Corner" post), so it should come as no surprise that I'm telling everyone to buy his posters. He recently set up a Society 6 shop, where you can purchase all of the prints pictured above in a variety of sizes and prices. I predict big things for this guy. To learn more about Mr. Cruz I'd recommend checking out his Tumblr page and following him @Fernando_TMC.

Logan's Run Movie Poster (Regular) Tim Doyle 16" x 26" - Signed and Numbered $33 - Limited to 200

Logan's Run Movie Poster (Variant) Tim Doyle 16" x 26" - Signed and numbered $53 - Limited to 60

Another Doyle masterpiece. It's got color, it's got camp, but most importantly it's got Box (that's the name of the robot above the title)! These wonderful prints were commissioned by the always awesome Tommy Good and are somehow still available. While both versions measure 16" x 26", the regular edition is limited to 200 and costs $33, and the variant is limited to 60 and costs $53. For more Doyle-related shenanigans you can visit his portfolio at mrdoyle.com and his storefront / print shop at nakatomiinc.com.

Suspiria Movie Poster
Derek Gabryszak
24" x 36" - Numbered
$40 - Limited to 40

If you've never seen Supiria, you're really doing yourself a disservice. It's a GREAT film and integral viewing when it comes to Argento's filmography. Unlike the majority of prints listed in this "Art Appreciation" post, Derek Gabryszak's poster doesn't officially go on sale until tomorrow (10/31). The poster will be available through Derek's storefront and will cost $40. The Suspiria print measures 24" x 36" and will be limited to an edition of 40. To see more of Derek's artwork be sure to visit thatsthewayitgoes.com and follow him @derekprints.

City in the Sea Art Print Jon Smith 8.5" x 11" - Signed and Numbered $50 - Must be purchased as a set Limited to 50

Dreamland Art Print Jon Smith 8.5" x 11" - Signed and Numbered $50 - Must be purchased as a set Limited to 50

Eldorado Art Print Jon Smith 8.5" x 11" - Signed and Numbered $50 - Must be purchased as a set Limited to 50

Spirits of the Dead Art Print Jon Smith 8.5" x 11" - Signed and Numbered $50 - Must be purchased as a set Limited to 50

Jon Smith created some really creepy and stylish tributes to the poems of Edgar Allan Poe. I'm not sure I could think of a better fit for this Halloween. Smith's Edgar Allan Poe art print sets are currently available through the Poster and Toys website. The regular edition is limited to 50 and costs $50, while the variant edition, also still available, is limited to 20 and costs $65. To visit Jon Smith's website head over to smithbellcraft.com or follow him @Jon_Smith.

"Captain Kirk Cobain" Art Print
Alex Pardee
16" x 20" - Signed and Numbered
$65 - Limited to 50

"Kool Irony" Art Print
Alex Pardee
11" x 14" - Signed and Numbered
$35 - Limited to 35

Tasteless? Sure. Gross? Definitely. Hilarious? For sure! Alex Pardee's "Captain Kirk Cobain" and "Kool Irony" prints tickle that darkest of funny bones and are definitely some of my favorite new releases. Both prints are signed and numbered, and are currently available through Gallery 1988's store at gallery1988.com. "Captain Kirk Cobain" measures 16" x 20", is limited to 50 and costs $65. Pardee's "Kool Irony" print measures 11" x 14", is limited to 35, and costs $35. Check out Alex Pardee's website at eyesuckink.com, where you'll have the option to visit his blog or his store. Mr. Pardee is also on Twitter @alexpardee.

"Hell Split Wide Open" Art Print Close-up

"Hell Split Wide Open" Art Print
Sam Octigan
1140mm x 387mm (40.9" x 15.2") - Signed and Numbered
$80 - Limited to 80

I HIGHLY recommend clicking on the close-up image above to see the entirety of this thing - it's just jaw-dropping! Sam Octigan's "Hell Split Wide Open" was initially created to be album artwork for his band's LP, but thankfully he also decided to create a print (a really wide print). Sam's "Hell Split Wide Open" art print is currently available at Sam Octicagan's store for $80. The print measures 1140mm x 387mm (roughly 40.9" x 15.2") and is limited to an edition of 80. To see more of Sam's work you can visit samoctigan.com and follow him on Twitter @samoctigan.

And that's it. What did you think? Anyone interested in future "Art Appreciation" posts? Have a Happy Halloween!

Concept Corner - Luis Fernando Cruz

This is a completely new feature that I've been wanting to try for a while. The vast majority of my writing is about artwork that has already been printed on paper stock and is available for purchase, but what about the insanely talented folks who don't make their living off of print work and yet pump out some of the coolest cinematically inspired art to date? Well, that's what "Concept Corner" is all about - giving attention to some of the people I feel are right on the verge of breaking through. Tonight's "Concept Corner" will be shining that light on Puerto Rico-based artist Luis Fernando Cruz.

I'm kind of new to this whole Tumblr / Twitter / social networking thing, but I've found that these are all incredible way to discover talent. Let me paint a quick picture for you: I've just set up an account with this odd and amazing thing called Tumblr and I start following as many movie artwork-themed blogs as I can find when I happen upon the Drive image below. Needless to say I was blown away by this stylish minimalistic masterpiece and there began my quest to learn more about Mr. Cruz and his impressive body of work. To my delight, Luis was receptive to my somewhat stalkerish attempts to see more of his art and here we are.

Drive Movie Poster
Luis Fernando Cruz

The poster that prompted me to start this feature seemed like the appropriate jumping off point in my voyage through Luis' portfolio. I think what I admire most about his work is how he's able to balance the minimalist aesthetic that has become so popular over the last few years with a distinctly unique and stylish approach that is wholly original and seems to be coming from a very real passion for film.

The Red Shoes Movie Poster
Luis Fernando Cruz

I think this may be my second favorite of Cruz's work (with his Drive art being my first), and a resounding confirmation of his excellent taste in film. Cruz's take on the classic Red Shoes is simply stunning and deserves to be hanging on the wall of every cineaste in the world (or at the very least mine). I asked Luis more about about how he created his Drive and Red Shoes posters and how long his process takes:

"The Drive poster took me around two-and-a-half to three hours and Red Shoes around four to six; this is the approximate time all together because I don't think I finished them in one day. The shoes took a while to make because I had to grab a still from the movie and then find the light and dark areas and start patching it up on Illustrator. The colors and noisy effect accentuates in my opinion the surrealist style and mystery inducing color palette from the movie. The Drive poster is meant to look rough and messy but at the same time it has bright colors and a pop look like the character in the movie. Most of the inspiration and ideas just strike me when I stop to remember what stayed with me the most after watching the movie. I usually like to show something that will strike your memory immediately after watching it - stuff that takes you back to that unforgettable imagery, that stays with you long after the movie ends. I usually go for simple and minimalist traits, most of them time I find them more effective and lasting without having to fill everything with unnecessary stuff. The more clever and striking the poster is, the faster it resonates with the viewers and what they actually remember from the movie. The point is to create a visual representation that sums up the whole movie with just a single look."

And in my opinion, Luis completely nails it.

V for Vendetta Movie Poster
Luis Fernando Cruz

American Psycho Movie Poster
Luis Fernando Cruz

Luis' artwork reminds me what's so great about the Internet and the reinvigorated poster community; you've got this whole new generation of artists who are able to take something old and create something completely new and amazing while respecting the property / film / source. I'm being completely serious when I say nine times out of ten I'd much rather a marketer use something resembling Luis' work over the floating head campaigns we so often see on billboards and outside theaters.

Trainspotting Movie Poster
Luis Fernando Cruz

Submarine Movie Poster Luis Fernando Cruz

True Grit Movie Poster Luis Fernando Cruz

Leon: The Professional Movie Poster
Luis Fernando Cruz

Another thing that completely caught my attention when I finally had the chance to see the majority of Luis' movie-based artwork was his film selection; the man has great taste in movies (at least in my opinion). Sure, there's no denying people are going to love a film like Trainspotting or Leon: The Professional, they're classics after all, but to do a Submarine poster (one of my favorite films of the year by the way)? Now that's an artist I can get behind! And how gorgeous is that Trainspotting image? Like the film, it's practically bursting with kinetic energy.

Woody Allen Art Luis Fernando Cruz

Natalie Portman Art Luis Fernando Cruz

If his movie poster work wasn't enough, Luis has also done some really great portraits as well.

Source Code Movie Poster
Luis Fernando Cruz

No Country for Old Men Movie Poster Luis Fernando Cruz

The Truman Show Movie Poster Luis Fernando Cruz

Inglorious Basterds Movie Poster
Luis Fernando Cruz

After looking through the myriad of film-based art in Luis' portfolio I was curious about what his process looked like. Not being an artist in slightest, this sort of thing always interests me, and thankfully Luis was willing to talk a little about that:

"First of all, I don't consider myself very good; I wish I could have the talent to make half of the amazing stuff I see on the Internet. There's a lot of really, really talented people, so props to them first. I do try my best to represent a movie in a graphic composition with the stuff that I've learned. I mostly use Photoshop & Illustrator CS5 for my work. I make the art in vectors unless it already exists in some form then I only retouch it or trace it. After the most time demanding part is done (tracing, vectors) I move all the set pieces to Photoshop and start playing with the composition, the fonts, the colors or any detail to bring the work to life. Usually some time goes in to mixing everything together in the most effective way, sometimes it takes even longer than making the art. I use a Wacom tablet for drawing and incorporating hand-drawn sketches or to make better use of color in the posters. My methods are fairly simple but I like simple and for the most part it works."

Yep, it definitely works. To find out more about Luis Fernando Cruz there are a number of places to check out including his Tumblr (which is how I initially found him), his Facebook page and you can always follow him @Fernando_TMC.