With artworks that turn awesome landscapes into beautiful visual poetry, and gallery shows all around the US, John Burton is a California painter that fantasy and sci-fi artists are sure to find inspiring. His incredible use of colour and ability to capture the ruggedness of the landforms and the nuances of light, climate and atmosphere have been honed over decades of plein air painting using oils on canvases five to six feet wide. Looking at his paintings, it’s not hard to imagine a dragon coiled around a rocky crag to the side of a great mountain, or a star cruiser alighting at a distant desert base.
The artist has seen this too, and one of the things that makes him so interesting is that his latest mission is to take the understanding of light, form and colour learned over three decades painting outdoors and turn it to his advantage in the world of concept art. Things are all a bit hush-hush still, but soon John’s creativity will be seen on the silver screen.
“I’m currently working for a production company for two upcoming feature films,” he explains. “I can’t discuss details, except that they’re both in the science fiction genre, and the worlds have been very inspiring to explore.”
This exciting new strand to John’s career began in 2017, with an event called the Art Summit, held at a mansion by the sea in San Diego. Organised by John and the concept artist Dylan Cole, the summit brought together leading artists working in the entertainment industry and traditional artists who have shown in museums and galleries around the world. Attendees included Bryan Taylor, John Park, David Dibble, Jonathan Bach, David Levy, Joe Pepe and Jonathan Berube. The event opened John up to a whole range of new creative opportunities.
This story is from the January 2020 edition of ImagineFX.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2020 edition of ImagineFX.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
A Tribute To Akira Toriyama
Remembering a legend Artists from across the world pay homage to the influential manga artist and genius creator of Dragon Ball
First Impressions
The illustrator reveals his journey through the world of art
DEVELOP 3D SKILLS FOR CONCEPT ART
Gaëlle Seguillon creates a breathtaking fantasy environment by combining a selection of techniques within her workflow
DRAW FUTURISTIC VEHICLE DESIGNS
John A. Frye uses just a single brush to transform his messy thumbnail into a bold and colourful hard-surface creation
PART 5: SIMPLIFY THE VALUE SCALE
Charlie Pickard introduces his top advice for achieving strong values in your artwork to create clear and powerful imagery
Charles Ratteray
Page-turner Library meets laboratory in the artist's studio, packed with inspiration and a mix of media
How to tell a story in an image
Narrative masters Tanya Combrinck talks to four artists about using visual elements to imbue their work with personal and universal human stories
ILLUSTRATE A MAGICAL CHARACTER
For this illustration, I was asked to create a fun, bright image with the theme of making artwork magical by the developers behind the digital drawing app Clip Studio Paint.
First Impressions - Glenn Arthur
Influences from Disneyland shape the artist’s work
THE ART OF BRIAN SUM
Dominic Carter talks to the mech master about honing his cyberpunk visions, character designs, and his new artbook