Here's a recent book cover I was commissioned for by Permuted Press. It's a sequel to a book which I illustrated the cover for in 2006, 'Twilight of the Dead' by Travis Adkins. Now with two additional years of experience, I was given an opportunity to paint this cover to be published by the same people. The book is 'After Twilight' by, again written by Adkins.





Critique is very welcome. I'm really trying to step up my game as always. But now that I'm out of school, the weight of how crucial a professional portfolio is finally hitting me.
Peace.
-Noel

This was done for the Conceptart.org annual Last Man Standing challenge. I had originally submitted it a few weeks ago before the competition deadline got bumped back so it was displayed prematurely (whoops). So when that happened, I decided to take the opportunity to work back into it and I'm really glad that I did.

The competition theme was simply "Underneath it All." I've been into all the great pulp comics (like Doc Savage, Hellboy, the old Capain America, ect.) and the old Lovecraft horror anthologies lately so I decided to mix the two. So... Clandestine Nazi seamonsters seemed like a fun no brainer. As WWII raged on the surface of the Atlantic, a secret battle was being waged 'underneath it all...'

Let me know what you think.
Peace
-Noel

Here's a quick self-portrait. I was inspired by one of the greats, Mr. Andrew Jones.

Peace.
-Noel

This is a follow up to that painting I did last year of Beowulf tearing off Grendel's arm. I recently decided to carry on with the next part.

My idea behind Grendel and his mother is that they represented the last in a lineage of an old, isolated shamanistic clan that still worshipped the Northern European pagan deities. Their continued survival and propagation (and monstrous appearance) has since depended on a combination of inbreeding and black magic. It makes for good motivation for me as the interpreter of these characters but I don't think I could instill all that in one painting. So I've dropped hints such as the burning alter which depicts the Venus of Willendorf and Grendel's body lying on a mound of the skeletal remains of his stillborn siblings. Let me know what you think.

Peace.
-Noel

My latest piece.

In other news, life outside the protective walls of academia really sucks. Turns out shit costs money. I'm racked over trying to figure out how to finnish out my undergrad degree which means juggling a non-paying internship, one last studio elective, no financial aid, find a full time job, find place to live and get accepted into a grad program which will probably mean traveling expenses and application fees. All this while trying to find free lance illustration work to broaden my portfolio and keep me sharp. bah. Shit, I've become another whiny melodramatic myspace bitch... Did I mention I got a pretty kick-ass slightly used office chair for free?

Peace.
-N

Here's some oil and acrylic work from Spring 2007 through the present. It's good to get in a healthy balance between digital paint and the analog tactile world to keep myself grounded. All though I definitely miss that undo command that's made digital mediums so appealing to me. Not having to live with your mistakes is priceless... Bit so is getting my hands dirty.

Peace.
-Noel

Acrylics. Painted from live model.


Acrylics. Painted from live model.


Acrylics. Still-life.


Oils.


Oils


Oils. Self-portrait.

The final installment to my BFA series.

Feedback is more than welcome.
Peace.
-Noel

Here's my latest piece for my "Pulp Mythology for the 21st Century" series. As always, your thoughts are most welcome.

Peace (because who wants to live in a world without it?)
-Noel

Here's the latest addition to my Pulp Mythology series that I'm creating for my BFA show this coming April. Please let me know what you think. I appreciate any and all feedback and constructive criticism.



Also, here's a quicker, more modernist brain-fart I cranked out.



Peace.
-N

My latest digital painting. This will be going into my BFA show at the end of the semester.