Check out Sakura’s Bordin Mark Marsinkul draw a caricature of IMPACT editor Kelly Messerly!

North Light Books, IMPACT’s sister imprint, congratulates author Lisa Cyr for her “Artist Spotlight” on The Alternative Pick, a website for cutting-edge artists, photographers and designers.

In addition to seeing some of Lisa’s awesome art, the article takes you in depth on her inspiration, technique, passion and painting philosophy. You’ll also learn a lot about her latest North Light Book, Art Revolution, and get a hint of things to come…

Click here for Lisa Cyr’s article on The Alternative Pick.

Megan Groves, IMPACT Books’ editorial assistant for the summer, forwarded this article to me. For the record, I think D & D is cool. But seriously guys, it sounds like someone needs a nap.

For a no less real, but slightly more reasonable look at the Dragon in D & D, check out William O’Connor’s new book, Dracopedia.

IMPACT co-authors Chris Seaman and Jim Pavelec both received high praise and awards for the awesome work they presented at Gen Con this year. Chris won Best in Show for his entire body of work, which means that he gets to judge the art show next year. Jim won third place for a Star Wars cover he created for Dark Horse earlier this year.

Jim and Chris along with Thomas Manning and Chuck Lukacs are the authors of Wreaking Havoc: How to Create Fantasy Warriors and Wicked Weapons. Jim and Chris also co-authored How to Draw Blood-Sucking Monsters and Vampires (available soon), and they are currently working on Ink Bloom (available in April 2010). More on their latest project will be coming out soon.

Chris and Jim at Chris’s booth.

You can see some of their award-winning art and follow their progress on Ink Bloom at their blog.

Check out this badass Lamborghini inked entirely with Sharpie markers. In 2007, Brett David, 19-year-old CEO/owner of Lamborghini Miami, commissioned local graffiti artist Jona Cerwinske to blanket the $240K vehicle in Sharpie as an edgy promotional stunt. Brett had recently taken reins of the dealership after the passing of his father, and he wanted to assert himself in his new leadership position as well as the exotic automobile industry. He prepped the artist with a backbone of inspiration including “memories of his father, the dealership, and his aspirations for the future,” ending up with a statement that has garnered global publicity and praise ever since.

Click here for the full story about the Sharpie car

Click here for a Flickr gallery of Sharpie snapshots

*Special thanks to Billy Brune for this IMPACTastic post idea.

Gen Con Indy–the place to go for gaming…and art! 

I’ve been to conventions for the fine art and decorative painting fields, but never to one for gaming. Walking to the convention center we mingled on the streets of Indy alongside various wizards and manga characters–fun! And once we got there, wow! People playing card and dice games in the hallways, videogames everywhere, row after row of dice and miniatures for sale, tables overflowing with plushies, booths stuffed with games and books and costumes.

But my favorite was all the art! IMPACT author Stephanie Pui-Mun Law had her Shadowscapes booth set up and filled with ethereal art prints, original paintings, painted tiles–I couldn’t pass it up without buying a tile, which she so nicely signed for me. I was starstruck for sure! Check Shadowscapes art out here.

Featured artist, Omar Rayyan, had a space in the art gallery section at which I could easily have spent the whole day perusing through sheet after sheet of original work he had just scatted about on the table–he jokingly told me he’d charge a fee if I stayed more than an hour Check out Omar’s Studio Rayyan art here.

Never did I dream that I would be gaga over trading card art, but seeing it there, in person, and meeting the artists was an experience I would not have missed. For those of you who love gaming or who just appreciate super cool art, be sure to check out Gen Con soon!

Rainbows aren’t just for leprechauns. They’re the perfect place for you favorite elven character to dance or glide. Follow along with artist Barbara Lanza as she shows you how to paint your own rainbow using acrylic or watercolor paints in just 3 simple steps.

Before you get started, you will need:

Surface: Watercolor paper

Brushes: 1/2-inch flat brush and a no. 000 round

Watercolors: Quinacridone Red, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Yellow, Permanent Sap Green, Cobalt Blue and Winsor Violet (Dioxaznie).

Step 1: Grab a pencil and lightly sketch your rainbow. Wet the area with your 1/2-inch flat brush and let this dry briefly. Load the flat with Quinacridone Red and apply your first arc at the rainbow’s top. (see below)

Step 2: Clean the 1/2-inch flat, and while the red is still a little wet, overlap its bottom edge with Cadmium Orange.

Step 3: Follow steps 1 and 2 to add Cadmium Yellow, Permanent Sap Green, Cobalt Blue and Winsor Violet (Dioxazine). Let this dry briefly, then use the no. 000 round to adjust any areas that need it.

Find out how Barbara used the rainbow she created in her new book Enchanting Elves, available now.

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If you are interested in gaming, Gen Con is the place to be! Gen Con Indy has been going on for over 40 years and features some of the newest games on the market, sneak peaks at up-and-comings, and booth after booth of game-related FUN, and runs this year August 13-16, 2009.

The IMPACT staff will be walking the show floor on Friday, August 14, visiting some of our favorite IMPACT authors (Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, Bill O’Connor, Chris Seaman, and Jim Pavelec to name a few), and just seeing what there is to see. We hope to see some of you too!

I usually like vampire-themed movies and TV shows (love Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel), but I have yet to jump on the Twilight bandwagon (too much teenage angst?). However, I have wondered, what if Buffy and Edward existed in the same world? Turns out I’m not the first to consider what might happen if the snarky slayer and the brooding vampire met up. This remix is, well, pretty awesome.

Whether you’re into blood-sucking monsters or suave, debonair counts, check out Scream by Steve Ellis. It’s sure to have a vampire to suit your fancy. Scream will be available in early September, and you can pre-order your copy here.