The Blog has Moved!!

I wanted to update the template of this blog and to avoid headaches and potential problems I've put the blog on the blogspot server (instead of hosting it myself).


The new URL is: http://arkadyroytman.blogspot.com. Please update your links.

Spectrum 14 - The Book

With the deadline for Spectrum 15 (January 25, 2008) fast approaching, I'd like to write about #14 (another post that is a long time overdue).

In late October 2007, Spectrum 14 (Amazon link), The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art came out. With every passing year, the annual has been getting progressively better.

Check out that awesome Andrew Jones cover:


After 5 years of trying, someone actually thought my work was worthy of the book.


And best of all I was put on the spread facing Alexi Briclot's piece that was used on the back cover of the Paperback version of the book.


Charlie Parker, wrote about #14 on his "Lines and Colors Blog" featuring Alexi's page. And Spectrum's website write-up about #14 has the foldout with my piece on it (even though the image quality is poor). Look Ma, I'm Famous.


For those looking to enter this year here is the Spectrum 15 entry info. Good luck to everyone!

Society of Illustrators - Jazz Sketch Group Show 2008

I have a piece up on the Members Wall at the Society of Illustrators (right across from the bar on the 3rd floor). It is part of the Jazz Sketch Group Show. This is the only time the Members Wall is opened up to non-members who participate at the life drawing sessions at the Society on Tuesday Nights. The Show will be up for the next 2-3 weeks so if you're in New York stop by the Society to check it out.

This is the piece that's up:


It is also featured on my Nude of the Day blog - 12.25.2007 post

Once I get a shot of the piece wall I'll post it in this blog post.

This is my 3rd year participating in the Jazz Sketch Group Show.

Here is the painting that was up May 2007

Nude of the Day blog post


And the first one from January 2006

Nude of the Day blog post

Happy New Year - 2008 Resolutions

Happy New Year!!!
WOW! it has been exactly 6 months since my last post!!!

I know I said I would not neglect this blog after starting my "Nude of the Day" blog, and then in my typical slacker fashion went on to neglect this poor thing for half of 2007! Hell, I'm even slow with the New Year's wishes. I'm so bad, I waited until the new year started to begin thinking about my New Year Resolutions (I'm still formulating them). My generic Resolution every year is to create more art, particularly Portfolio-quality Illustrations. I failed miserably, in 2007 even after promising myself not to repeat the failures of 2006. Well my first New Year's Resolution is to post new work in this blog at least once every week of 2008. I may not post finished work every week (or every month), but Works-In-Progress and Sketchbooks are fair game.

And to start of this New Year here's a detail of something that's currently on the easel:

Small Update and New Blog

sorry i've been so MIA from this blog. I'm trying to focus on portfolio work for the upcoming San Diego ComicCon and i've fallen behind photographing new sketches.

I did spend a little time creating a new blog called Nude of the Day. I'm jumping on the "painting-a-day" bandwagon and forcing myself to post a nude per day and making them available for sale. Some are oldies and some are new. The blog will focus more on what i've been posting here. And this blog will become more of a documentation of my current projects and sketches that don't fit in the "nude category.


And to not post without having new work, here is a sketch i did on location at Trinity Church in lower Manhattan:


I've been taking a location class with Jeff Fisher over the summer. We go out to different places in the city and draw and then have our loud critiques. Jeff usually busts my balls and sometimes uses "violence" to get me to leave my comfort zone. He always tells me "I know you can draw, but i want you to play", but this time he leaned in and whispered "destroy the page". So i did, and the drawing above is the end result. I was ready to give up on it the first 10-15 minutes into it, but forced myself to spend more time on it and every time i messed something up and thought of stating over i forced myself to fix it.