Model Behavior II

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Jason Baca.

Jason is a model with a fondness for fantasy and superhero art who has, like Drakaina before him, served as inspiration for the work of a variety of artists.
Recently, I was given the opportunity to work with Jason on a set of character designs I was (and still am!) working on.  The timing was fortuitous, and I found Jason to be the perfect model for a pair of characters in that set.
Jason sent me a collection of reference photos that really showcased his versatility, ranging from bodice rippers to iconic superhero poses to grim and gritty pulp/noir shots.  In each case, I thought he captured more than just the pose by really bringing in the feeling of the character he was portraying.  I find Jason's photos to be dynamic and powerful, having that extra something that helps an artist bring a character to life.
Jason's got a well defined physique and clean cut features, which means his shots come out great under strong light and provide the kind of deep shadows an artist or colorist needs to work with.

I used the photos you see above as reference for two of the character designs I've been working on for German author Falko Kotter's series "Relegatia".  Falko hired me to work up concept drawings for a long list of characters that populate his world and it's been just about the most fun project I've worked on in a long time, mainly because I was largely given free reign in how I interpreted the characters.  Having some great photo reference like that provided by Jason has made the process even better and I think that enjoyment I took really shows in the drawings that resulted.  

The following two characters are a father/son team with armor designs based on paintings of traditional Russian knights and stills from the film Alexander Nevsky, with a concept inspired by this 1974 painting by Konstantin Vasiliev and, of course, with Jason Baca as the model for both.

More of Jason's work can be seen online at his DeviantArt page, or he can be reached via his modeling agency page.  Also, a quick Google image search will turn up some of the other pieces of art he's inspired.

Jason is also the author and subject of the books Journey of a Male Model and  Overexposed, both available on Amazon.  Although I haven't read them myself, from the descriptions I understand they're written to describe the process of becoming a success as a male model. 

If you're an artist looking to add an extra layer of realism to an iconic piece of work, or looking for inspiration for a superhero design, I strongly recommend getting in contact with Jason and seeing what he can do for you.  He seems to have a real love for and ability to represent the fantasy and heroic genres.

Raising Innsmouth...

Fund raising that is.

One of my favorite blogs and online magazines, Innsmouth Free Press, is doing another fundraiser, and is much in need of your support.  In addition to running a very fun and informative Lovecraft-based blog, IFP also regularly publishes a magazine of Lovecraftian fiction, which they foolishly give away for free. 
If you donate to IFP, not only do you help support one of the finest repositories of Lovecraftiana on the web, and one of the finest publishers of mythos-inspired fiction, but you also get several great perks, including the possibility of winning some gruesome grimoires of chthonic prose (i.e. free books).  So don't wait for R'Lyeh to rise from beneath the waves or for the stars to make the right formation for the Old Ones to return...head over to IFP and donate...NOW!

Meanwhile, Over at AIM Comics....

As of yesterday, my imprint AIM Comics officially went live with its first book, The Brutal Blade of Bruno the Bandit.  I can't say how happy I am to have finally realized this book.  It's a huge step forward for me creatively and definitely helps lock in my mindset of being a "real" artist, and not just someone who's doing this for fun (although that is certainly an important aspect of it).
With AIM Comics and Brutal Blade, I am taking the first steps to building a catalog of published work that I can grow over time, at my own pace and in my own way.  I've got a bunch of graphic novel ideas that I want to be able to share with the world, and this will be my platform for doing so.  I'd also like, over time, to involve other creative people as I have Ian McDonald.  I think there's a lot of fantastic comics out there that are not getting the attention they deserve, and I hope that if I can build enough of an audience, I can make it attractive for them to package their work through AIM.  Only time will tell on that score.
Meantime, here's the ad that Ian is currently running over at Bruno the Bandit to promote our first book.  It's available in a bunch of formats from a bunch of suppliers, all of which you'll see if you'll just head over to our site...right now!