The winners of the Benoit Mandelbrot Fractal Art Contest 2007 have been announced and posted on their web site. The Honorary Chairman, Benoit Mandelbrot himself writes: “It was an astonishing event, both at the International Congress of Mathematicians and at the museum downtown. I am an inveterate optimist, but never expected to see a crowd standing in a long line to be allowed to admire mathematics in any of its forms.”

Source: computerarts

A revolution has taken place. The digital revolution has altered the nature of illustration beyond recognition – taking it from cottage industry to household phenomenon…

Things weren’t always this way. Before the digital revolution, life as an illustrator was fairly straightforward, or so it seemed – there was no Bill Gates, no Apple, no Photoshop, no Google, no internet, no email… no hassle. Looking back at life before the revolution, albeit through rose-tinted specs, the working day for your lone illustrator was a fairly simple affair. In fact, depending on just how far back you wish to peer, it’s clear to see just how much has changed.

Source: San Antonio Express-News
Written by Dan R. Goddard

John Picacio shopped at a local hardware store for the parts to assemble his starship — PVC plumbing parts, electrical workboxes and sprinkler heads.

But the clunky contraption appeared sleekly futuristic with rockets blazing against a sea of stars when the San Antonio artist incorporated it into his design for the cover of a science fiction novel, Mike Resnick’s “Starship: Mutiny.”

“I think you can see the influence of the found object collages of Robert Rauschenberg and Joseph Cornell in my work,” he said. “I like working from three-dimensional models, and I think it is important to draw from life. I have friends dress up in costume for my figures. I do my final composition on computer, but nearly all the individual elements are done by hand. It’s old-fashioned drawing and painting.”

Source: Computer Arts

The 1970s and 80s saw the emergence of graffiti culture, and its transition into a respected art form. Designer Ric Blackshaw traces the roots of his own passion for a whole new graphic language.

Source: Decatur Herald & Review
Written by Tony Reid

DECATUR – Krista Ward knows the color of the beast.

She mixes it up in her electronic computer cauldron and splashes it on via mouse clicks to create folks you really would not want to meet outside the pages of a comic book: take Marvel’s “Thanos,” aka the “Mad Titan,” for example. His ghastly lavender-tone skin has been shaded into ferocious life by Ward, along with the explosive and fiery worlds he terrorizes.

Jamie Caliri’s artistry flies to top spot

Source: Digital Animators
Written by Ko Maruyama

There were few outstanding commercials during this year’s Superbowl broadcast, but no one would contest that United Airline’s “Dragon” soars above them all.

Images by Maggie Taylor

Source: The Boston Phoenix Written By Christopher Millis

“Maggie Taylor: Then Again” + “John Chervinsky: CaCO3″
Griffin Museum of Photography | 67 Shore Road, Winchester | Through September 10

Source: CNET Missing Links Blog
Written By Edward Moyer

We recently discovered what Pixar storyboard artists do on their day off. And it’s shocking.

They draw.

At long last, you can spend a day with the photo realist genius of our times – Bert Monroy. While you may not be able to draw like Bert does (no one can, he’s truly the master) you’ll be able to learn the techniques he’s developed over the years to create realistic images that boggle the imagination.

Bert Monroy is one of the pioneers of digital art and co-author of the first book written on Photoshop, The Official Adobe Photoshop Handbook. His work has been seen in every major trade publication of the computer industry. Additionally, his work has been featured in scores of books including Making Art on a Macintosh, The Photoshop WOW Book, The Illustrator WOW Book, The Art of Digital Painting, The Grey Book and The Photoshop A to Z in Japan.

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