Latest entries

It's been hectic lately, and I've got a ton of really cool gigs I'm working on. I finished up a 4 page monster tutorial for Imagine FX that will be in issue #36. Also, I'm currently working on the Star Wars RPG. It's a childhood dream come true to be working on official Star Wars stuff. Also, Chris Seaman and I are working on another how-to book, this one on Vampires. Pile that on top of Magic cards, covers for White Wolf, Boom! comics, and Goodman Games and you're looking at one busy dude.

Gen Con was about a month ago. I had a blast seeing all of my fellow artists and colleagues. Gen Con is a ton of fun when you don't have to stress out about having a booth, and nobody died of alcohol poisoning, which was surprising to me.

Hey everybody,
I'll be signing Wreaking Havoc in Canton Ohio at the Borders on July 26th with co-autors Chris Seaman and Chuck Lukacs.
Busier than ever over here. Just picked up a new client, Boom! Studios. I'm doing a Warhammer 40K cover for their comic series.
Also got asked by Imagine FX, my favorite art mag out there, to do one of their muti page tutorials on monsters. They gave me so much freedom I almost couldn't figure out what to do, but I think I came up with something cool so keep an eye out for that.
On top of that I've got a Magic card, a White Wolf cover and full page interiors, as well as a huge painting for Goodman Games that is going to be split up over three book covers. That should be a fun challenge to design.
I don't know why I'm even writing this, I should be working

Mark your calendars! The signing for my latest book, Wreaking Havoc

(put together with fellow artists Thomas Manning, Chuck Lukacs, and

Chris Seaman) is coming soon.

WHERE: the Oak Park Borders on the corner of Lake and Harlem (free
parking for two hours in the parking lot directly behind)
WHEN: Friday, June 6th at 7pm

ps. here's a peek at the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Wreaking-Havoc-Fantasy-Warriors-Weapons/dp/1600610005

Get your signed Wreaking Havoc with a sketch for the same price as retail.

Get it on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/Wreaking-Havoc-signed-and-with-a-sketch_W0QQitemZ190218979457QQihZ009QQcategoryZ378QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

Or visit my ebay store
http://stores.ebay.com/Jim-Pavelecs-Colorful-Objects_W0QQssPageNameZl2QQtZkm

Wreaking Havoc
Wreaking Havoc, the kick ass how to draw fantasy weapons and warriors book that I worked on with Thomas Manning, Chris Seaman and Chuck Lukacs will be in book stores on April 24th, so make sure to get yours.


It's available on amazon now for pre-order
http://www. amazon. com/Wreaking-Havoc-Fantasy-Warriors-Weapons/dp/1600610005/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207756555&sr=1-2

Thanks,

JIm

Wreaking Havoc
Wreaking Havoc, the kick ass how to draw fantasy weapons and warriors book that I worked on with Thomas Manning, Chris Seaman and Chuck Lukacs will be in book stores on April 24th, so make sure to get yours.


It's available on amazon now for pre-order

http://www.amazon.com/Wreaking-Havoc-Fantasy-Warriors-Weapons/dp/1600610005/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207757123&sr=1-2

Thanks,

JIm

Wreaking Havoc
Wreaking Havoc, the kick ass how to draw fantasy weapons and warriors book that I worked on with Thomas Manning, Chris Seaman and Chuck Lukacs will be in book stores on April 24th, so make sure to get yours.


It's available on amazon now for pre-order http://www.amazon.com/Wreaking-Havoc-Fantasy-Warriors-Weapons/dp/1600610005/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207756555&sr=1-2


Thanks,

JIm

Fantasy Art China Magazine is doing a layout about me and my artwork. I'm very excited about it, and I'll let you know when it comes out so you can go to China and get yours.

I have held my tongue long enough. I can't take it any more. If I see one more major sci-fi/fantasy art book cover by Steve Stone I'm going to seriously freak out. I don't understand how an art director can look at that work and think it is worthy of a cover. It's all a horribly put together photoshop mess consisting of images and photos stolen off the internet and other clip images. Lay down a couple of filters and adjust some hues and BAM, it's done.

I used to love looking at genre book covers. That's where I discovered Frazetta, Whelan, the Hidebrandts, and lots of other greats. Now it makes me sick. It's about 75% photo montage bullshit. This isn't really even a rant against digital art. I love the covers Lockwood, Stawicki, and Justin Sweet do, and they're digital, but then again those guys can draw and paint. The funny thing is, I don't even want to do book covers, so this isn't a jealous rampage. I'm just totally pissed that one aspect of my visual inspiration has been ruined by AD's who don't know shit about what looks good. How the hell do these people get and keep their jobs? It's a mystery to me.

On a completely different note, if you are looking for some visual inspiration pick up Terada Katsuya's Rakugaking. He is my hero.

There's a four page spread of my sketchbook in issue 24 of Imagine FX. I'm sandwiched in between articles on Justin Sweet and John Howe, two fantasy greats and tremendous artists. That's a huge honor for me, and somewhat intimidating.

Also, finally got my 10th edition and Lorwyn whitebacks from WotC, so you can order some up on ebay at the link below.

http://stores.ebay.com/Jim-Pavelecs-Colorful-Objects_W0QQssPageNameZl2QQtZkm

Work has finally been completed on Wreaking Havoc, another how to book I did in conjunction with Chris Seaman, Chuck Lukacs, and Thomas Manning, (The book is dedicated to his life and work). The work that the others did is phenomenal (you can be the judge of how my work is). It will be out in the spring of 2008. When I get an exact date I will post it here.

Lorwyn is out for Magic and I am very proud to have worked on it. Working on Magic is the best freelance gig there is for a fantasy illustrator, and I hope to keep working on it for a ling time.

On a different topic, I saw 30 days of night today, and my disgust with the state of horror movies has reached an apex. It had some OK shit in it, but other than that it was lame. I have several complaints in general about horror movies today.

1. Stop jerking the camera all over the fucking place every time there's action. I can't tell what in the hell is going on. It's a gore movie, so show me the goddamn gore. Every time some action starts up the camera man has an epileptic seizure. Whatever effect the directors are trying to achieve with this technique, it is not working.

2. Don't fuck with the stories. The comic 30 Days of night was fine the way it was, why screw with it. And while we're on the subject, quit remaking classics. There didn't need to be a Halloween remake because it was perfect the first time. I'm sorry you are unoriginal and can't come up with your own shit, so just go back to making crappy music. Did we really need an Omen or Psycho remake. No.

3. Spend the money on a good editor, and someone to check on your film's continuity. For that matter hire someone to make sure the shit in your movie makes an ounce of fucking sense. You can't just put up on the screen that it's day 7 of something, without explaining how they made it that far with no food or water. (that's just one small example from 30 Days)

You all get the point. Horror movies suck now. I am time and time again let down and annoyed. If someone knows of a good horror or gore flick made within the last 15 years, please let me know, and don't say Donny Dorko, because that sucked too.

I've had a news article and a review of Hell Beasts in the last two Imagine FX magazines, and now I'm doing a four page sketchbook section for them and some Q&A's which you can see in upcoming issues, so keep an eye out for that. I'm very excited about it because Imagine FX is my favorite art magazine out there right now, so I feel really priveledged to have my work grace their pages.

Also, I thought I might occasionally put the names up of artists whose work I really admire and find myself looking at a lot.
At the time those artists are (in no particular order)

Wayne Reynolds
Steve Prescott
Greg Staples
Daarken
Francis Lenil Yu
Jim Cheung
(please forgive any spelling mistakes)

Farewell Thomas

On July 27th, 2007, one of my best friends died. Thomas Manning. He was only 40 years old. He didn't do drugs, he didn't drink, he lived a clean life, and now he's dead. He was a tremendous artist and a great friend. I was inspired by his skills and his creativity. Every day I am amazed at the amount of human shit on this planet, almost overwhelmed by it, and now there is one less human being who was actually worthy of life.
Thomas new that humanity as a whole was worthless, and getting worse all the time. I would say that at least he was spared the daily suffering imposed by the weak and wretched, but that is bullshit. The world, or that infinitesimally small part of it worth struggling for, has been robbed of one of its purest entities.
He would have done anything for me, and I for him.

You can see his work on Myspace under the username one eye open or visit his website at http://www.thomasmanning.com. His work speaks volumes about the kind of person he was. I am horribly saddened by his passing, and at this point can't really even believe that it has happened. If anything I will charge forward with his memories as my willpower to discourage and humiliate the idiots of this world. That is what he enjoyed the most.
There are so few people worth a crap, why did he have to be taken. It wasn't "his time" and "his number" wasn't up. It's wrong and unjust. I have never shed tears over the death of a human being, but I have today. Thomas is worthy of every tear and every bit of rage and angst that I am feeling. He is worthy of admiration, respect and honor, which I will pay to him every day.

Farewell friend. Life is less enjoyable with your absence. I wish you had not left.

Jim

With Hell Beasts hitting the stores next week, some reviews are beginning to come out.

Beau Smith, the last real man of comics, had this to say about the book http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/busted/118349734390515.htm

Also, one of my favorite art magazines, Imagine FX will be running an article on the book in an upcoming issue, so keep an eye out for that.

Finally, I'm doing the final edits on my second book for Impact, Wreaking Havoc, which I did in conjunction with Thomas Manning, Chuck Lukacs, and Chris Seaman, who are all tremendous artists.

UPCOMING SIGNINGS AND APPEARANCES

Borders, Oak Park IL. Weds., July 25th, 7:30PM
Wizard World Chicago, August 9th-12th
Gen Con in Indianapolis, August 16th-19th
Borders, Creve Coeur MO. Sat., August 25th, 2PM.

See you there

Got another Hell Beasts signing lined up. Saturday, August 25th at 2 P.M. at the Borders in Creve Coeur on Olive a few blocks East of 270. I expect all my home town people to be there.

All you other people can catch me at Wizard World Chicago and Gen Con in early August.