Sunday, May 18, 2008

5.18.08
The Mysterious Mr.Spines : WINGS


Here is a cover I recently did and got the OK to show it now.
The Mysterious Mr. Spines: WINGS, was written by Jason Lethcoe, and is being published by Grosset & Dunlap/ Penguin Group USA.
I think this story is really going to appeal to fans of (the later) Harry Potter Books, The Golden Compass, and others of that sort, while still being original. From the manuscripts I was given, it has wonderful imagery and will really fire up a child's imagination.

The art direction was very clear cut, and they already had a definite direction they wanted to go in, but sometimes working in those limits can bring about creative result. Below are the sketches, and after submitting the first 3, it was decided they would like a combination of sketch #1 and sketch #3, with the central character sitting.

The painting was done almost entirely in oils, but I added some elements and tweaked the face in digitally. I really enjoyed working in a mix of traditional and digital and when time allows, I think I 'll be pursuing that in my future works.

Thanks for stopping by!
-s*a-

oil on board / digital, 20" x 28"

12 comments:

Rob Rey said...

Fo' real!
Yay oils. Awesome, I love the foot. Nice illumination in the ear too.

Mike Dutton said...

Scott, yer gone be a superstah! I'm calling it now - full page Spectrum on this one.

Beautiful, beautiful piece. I'm always impressed by your use of diffused and ambient lighting and the subtle palette even when using a dominant color scheme. Sorry to get geeky on you - that's the only way I know how to express my love sometimes. ;)

Julien alday said...

Every rough is gold and the final is truefully your best illustration I saw from you so far. There's everything a great book cover should have. Bravo, maestro !

I want be Scott Altmann when I grew up ! !!! ^^
J.

robin_chyo said...

excellente! althought, personally, i would've gone with the second thumbnail. only cause i love clouds and the people floating :P

Marcelo Braga said...

The final piece is wonderfull. I really liked the sketches too, they all would do the job! Congrats!

Joseph Lee said...

Beautiful painting! Love the composition!

Joshua James said...

Thanks man! I believe we are kindred in the flavor of art we dig. Cool stuff and the paint on that Bunny/Deer is most extreme! ^ ^

Brandon said...

I dig your stuff. Every piece has many great strengths.

Brandon

Elephantiasis said...

BEE_youtyful, Mr. Saltmann. I adore that bluey-green light! You went way more punchy than in your thumbnails. Was that a demand on the part of the publisher or a choice on your part?

And my nose is HUGE. You just can't see it from that angle. It's massive. Trust me. You could use my beak as an icebreaker.

Ryan Wood said...

This turned out great! Really nice color and composition going on. Thanks for showing the comps too, it's nice to see your process and approach.

Rodrigo Martin Campo said...

this work is amazing... i want to know if you have published something in Argentina... please answer me in my blog i will apreciate it...

Leslie Sealey said...

That is stunning-pure magic!