DougCowan.net News

Burma

2012-01-18T12:57:00.002-05:00

This is an illustration I did of Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi, the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy.

I used elements of the "fighting peacock" flag in the drawing. This piece was used in a themed promotion for Richard Solomon focusing on this political leader.

Thanks,
Doug

Snowscape

2011-11-10T15:32:00.001-05:00

"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show."

-Andrew Wyeth

This is a new drawing I did that was used in Richard Solomon's latest promotion, focusing on landscapes.

Thanks,

Doug

The Dodo

2011-10-03T11:19:00.002-04:00

"The Dodo never had a chance. He seems to have been invented for the sole purpose of becoming extinct and that was all he was good for."

-Will Cuppy

This is a new illustration I did for Richard Solomon's latest promotion focusing on ecology and conservation.

The subject is the Dodo bird of Mauritius, which is well-known for becoming extinct in the mid-to-late 17th century. For this reason, I drew the bird in a historical context.

Above is the black and white version, which shows the original gouache and ink drawing.

Thanks,
Doug

Animals and Mankind: A Steadfast Companionship...

2011-08-17T17:31:00.001-04:00

This is a new illustration I did for Richard Solomon's "Animals and Mankind" theme.

The subject is famed sled dog racer Leonhard Seppala, and his lead Siberian Husky, Togo. They are pictured in Alaska, during the 1925 Serum Run to Nome.

Seppala and Togo completed the most treacherous leg of the race, helping to deliver medicine. In doing so, they saved the city of Nome, AK from an epidemic.

Thanks,
Doug

New Artwork

2011-08-08T16:25:00.002-04:00

This summer, I have been working on a new body of work through my illustration rep, Richard Solomon.

The subjects are pretty diverse, which has been great to do. I'm putting just a few up for the time being (pictured: Zenyatta, Gaddafi, Reagan), but will be adding more soon along with some additional changes to the website.

Hope summer is going well for everyone,
Doug

Heavy Metal Magazine

2011-06-06T10:51:00.004-04:00

I am the "Featured Artist" in the current issue (July 2011) of Heavy Metal Magazine.

My artwork appears across the table of contents as shown. Kevin Eastman and the staff at Heavy Metal went the extra mile and I really have to thank them.

Thanks,
Doug

Star Wars Galaxy 6: Ewok

2011-03-22T15:40:00.000-04:00

This is one of my three new base card artworks done for the recently released Topps Star Wars Galaxy 6.

The featured character is Wicket the Ewok, a childhood favorite of mine.

For this image, I chose to create a new scene with recognizable elements from both Return of the Jedi as well as the Ewok Adventure spin-off films.

Above is the sketch that was selected and later used on the cardback.

Thanks,
Doug

Jeffrey Kaplan for The Deal

2011-03-18T13:16:00.002-04:00

A portrait I recently drew of Bank of America's Jeffrey Kaplan is in the current issue of The Deal.

The full-page portrait appears in the feature article "A Deal Guy's Goodbye." Although the deadline was really quick with this, it was great to do a portrait and I was pleased with how it turned out.

This was drawn on watercolor paper with a brush. The original by itself is here.

Thanks,
Doug

Star Wars Galaxy 6: Aayla Secura

2011-03-09T08:30:00.042-05:00

This is one of three new base card artworks I did for Topps' Star Wars Galaxy 6. The featured characters are Jedi Knight Aayla Secura, shown alongside her Clone Troopers, the Star Corps.

These characters are briefly shown in the Episode III film. There is an exceptional write-up about it on the back of the card provided by Topps.

I first explored this scene in these two sketches below. The one on the left was printed beside the cardback text. These were enjoyable characters that I'd really like to revisit soon.

Thanks,
Doug

Topps: Star Wars Galaxy 6 Autographed Sketches

2011-03-04T08:02:00.006-05:00

I was recently included in a small handful of artists to work on autographed sketch cards (called "Sketchagraphs") for Topps' Star Wars Galaxy 6 card set.

These cards feature my artwork accompanied by an actor's autograph. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Ray Park, and Jake Lloyd, among others, all signed for their well-known Star Wars characters.

These are considered very rare. They were all done in ink, pencil and the occasional watercolor.

Thanks,
Doug

Topps: Star Wars Galaxy 6 Prelims

2011-02-28T11:12:00.003-05:00

Below are just a few of my preliminary sketches that were done for Topps' upcoming Star Wars Galaxy 6 card set. I believe these were all approved by Lucasfilm at the time.

The release date is March 3rd, so I'll post the final art shortly.

Thanks,

Doug

Topps: Star Wars Galaxy 6 Sketch Cards

2011-02-03T14:30:00.004-05:00

I've done a lot of new artwork for Topps lately, involving their upcoming Star Wars Galaxy 6 card set due in March.

I drew some sketch cards at the end of the project, featuring various Star Wars characters from the films, videogames, television and novels.

These are ink/pencil on a 2.5 by 3.5 inch card. Hope everyone likes them!

Thanks,

Doug

Rafflesia Factoid

2010-12-03T12:19:00.003-05:00

I recently finished the artwork below for Richard Solomon's "Factoid" poster project.

My illustrated fact concerned the Rafflesia, the world's largest flower. Found in and around Malaysia, the flower gives off an unusual odor - hence its nickname the "meat flower."

The assignment was for black and white, but I originally envisioned this as a color piece as some of my submitted sketches show. This project was a lot of fun from the very start.

Thanks,
Doug

Darth Vader/Padmé

2010-11-05T15:33:00.001-04:00

Currently, I'm working on a few new pieces as well as a Star Wars project. I will post everything as soon as I can.

In the meantime, below is new Darth Vader artwork. The original is now located in Cyprus, which is a cool thought.

Thanks,
Doug

X-Men Archives: Wolverine Artist Proof

2010-10-06T13:46:00.006-04:00

Last summer, I did sketches for the Marvel / Rittenhouse Archives trading card set X-Men Archives.

This watercolor sketch is one of three oversize, 4x5 inch Artist Proofs. It features the character Wolverine, shadowing his rival, Sabretooth.

Thanks,
Doug

The Clone Wars: Season Two

2010-09-22T09:00:00.005-04:00

During the first week of the month, I did 32 sketches for Topps' The Clone Wars: Rise of the Bounty Hunters trading card set.

These drawings include characters from the second season of the Cartoon Network series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Each one measures 2.5x3.5 inches and was done in pen & ink, along with the occasional pencil.

Thanks,
Doug

The Lord of the Rings

2010-09-08T12:28:00.004-04:00

Although this The Lord of the Rings artwork isn't new, much of it has not been shown before. The finished Legolas artwork was published by Topps as part of their "The Lord of the Rings: Masterpieces II" card set.

Before being assigned the character Legolas, I did many preliminary sketches. Most of these involved Gandalf, who had been my first choice.

Below is the final art; both the original watercolor and the finished image, colored in Photoshop.

Thanks,
Doug

Website Additions

2010-09-08T12:27:00.001-04:00

I've added a few new features to the website.

The first is a button on the lower right to a Facebook page about my artwork. New art and updates are posted roughly every week there.

Secondly, you can now subscribe to my posts (link at bottom). Also, the archived posts are now much easier to navigate through.

Lastly, I have added a store (link at top right). It's secure, managed through Paypal (not required), and at the moment features many of the prints I have available:

Thanks,
Doug

Print available at StarWarsShop.com

2010-08-28T11:14:00.002-04:00

For a limited time, my Star Wars Celebration V exclusive print is available to order at StarWarsShop.com: Star Wars: Celebration V Artwork Print by Doug Cowan

The print ships worldwide and is now $34.99, to compensate for shipping costs. Print Details:

Exclusive to StarWarsShop after debuting at Celebration V in Orlando
Hand signed and numbered, limited edition of 250
Measures 29 x 13.5 inches
Printed on 80 lb. gloss cover stock

Thanks,
Doug

Topps: Empire Strikes Back 30th Anniversary Auction

2010-08-26T16:59:00.000-04:00

These two pieces of original Star Wars art are available. These hand-painted cards measure 2.5x4.75 inches. They were produced for Topps' Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back trading card set.

The Boba Fett is currently listed on Ebay:
Ebay Doug Cowan Boba Fett Card

Thanks,
Doug

Star Wars Celebration V: Convention Artwork

2010-08-23T18:48:00.015-04:00

I had an incredible time in Orlando at Star Wars Celebration V. I didn't get a shot of everything, but below are some photos of the artwork I completed at my booth during the convention.

9x12 inches - Darth Maul, R2-D2, and droid bounty hunter 4-LOM:

2.5x3.5 inches - Sketch Cards of Captain Rex, Darth Vader, Royal Guard, Ahsoka, Hasbro's Build-A-Droid, and Padmé:

Print Remarques - These sketches were done on my exclusive print, beside my signature:

These examples include Boba Fett, droid bounty hunter IG-88, Han Solo (frozen in carbonite), Commander Cody, and Han Solo (carbonite slab):

Also, I did this artwork of the fearsome General Kael from the Ron Howard/ George Lucas movie Willow (1988) just for fun before leaving:

Thanks,
Doug

Star Wars Celebration V

2010-08-11T09:41:00.004-04:00

I'm currently exhibiting at Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, FL, from August 12 - 15. I'm located in the "Celebration Art Show Presented by Acme Archives" area in the main exhibit hall.

Below is my featured lithograph of bounty hunter Boba Fett. You can read more about this art print in my previous, in-depth post here.

13.5x30 inches
Limited to 250 editions
$40.00

Thanks,
Doug

Captain Rex of The Clone Wars

2010-08-11T09:27:00.006-04:00

This artwork features Captain Rex of the television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I painted this in preparation for Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, which I will be exhibiting at from August 12 - 15. I'll have a free postcard available of this artwork at my table in the Art Show.

The original art is watercolor, measuring 8.5x11 inches. You can see my underdrawing by clicking here.

Thanks,
Doug

Avatar

2010-08-02T11:03:00.014-04:00

Earlier this summer, I did a few color pieces and some drawings involving James Cameron's Avatar. These were done for a potential licensing project with 20th Century Fox and Lightstorm Entertainment.

Thanks,
Doug

MassMutual Artwork

2010-07-19T15:47:00.003-04:00

In May, I completed four pieces of art to be shown at the MassMutual Financial Group headquarters in Springfield, MA.

This was a refreshing project to be a part of and I enjoyed it very much. The two corresponding artworks below are watercolor and ink on paper, measuring 14x14 inches (20x20 in. framed). I believe these will be displayed throughout the summer.

The larger of the pieces below is watercolor, also measuring 14x14 inches (20x20 in. framed). The smaller ink drawing below is roughly 8x10 inches (14x18 in. framed).

Lastly, these are some photos I took of the framed images before delivering them.

Thanks,
Doug

Salmagundi Club

2010-07-13T14:41:00.006-04:00

This past May I was notified that one of my paintings was accepted into the "33rd Annual Juried Painting & Sculpture Exhibition" at the Salmagundi Club on 5th Ave & 11th St. in New York. The exhibition is currently on display through July 23rd.

The artwork is acrylic on paper, measuring 8x24 inches.

Also, I have a small quantity of 11x17" prints remaining of this artwork. Email me if interested.

Thanks,
Doug

Star Wars Celebration V: Concept Sketches

2010-07-07T08:02:00.005-04:00

Although I was only able to select a single concept for the Star Wars Celebration V approval process, I did many preliminary sketches exploring potential themes. Some of the more colorful ones are shown below:

The following sketch and study led to the final Boba Fett artwork.

Again, I will update with the details on this project once they've been finalized.

Thanks,
Doug

Topps: Empire Strikes Back 30th Anniversary Card Images

2010-06-29T14:37:00.003-04:00

Below are some of my card drawings for Topps' The Empire Strikes Back 30th Anniversary card set. Each drawing roughly measures 2.5 x 4.5 inches.

Thanks,
Doug

Star Wars Celebration V Artwork

2010-06-21T11:34:00.012-04:00

"... The idea of a bounty hunter means someone who will never give up. Also, a bounty hunter has lots of experience. When you think of a bounty hunter you don't think of someone starting out in the business. That's why we made him look like he had been through hell."

-Irvin Kershner

Currently featured on the starwars.com homepage, this artwork will be sold as a limited-edition lithograph at Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, from August 12-15. I'll post the process and final print details once they've been finalized.

The image shows bounty hunter Boba Fett and his ship, Slave I , shortly before the events of The Empire Strikes Back. He's tracked a fugitive to the desolate Outer Rim - essentially the ends of the Earth - and like the bounty hunters of the Wild West, he is looking to bring them in "dead or alive."

Thanks,
Doug

New Work

2010-06-16T15:52:00.001-04:00

I've been waiting for a few release dates to arrive, but I have a lot of new work to post soon.

Thanks,
Doug

Topps: Empire Strikes Back 30th Anniversary

2010-04-30T11:11:00.003-04:00

I recently completed a number of drawings for Topps' The Empire Strikes Back 30th Anniversary card set. These are scheduled for a release come late June.

Thanks,
Doug

Clinique Commercial

2010-04-27T10:23:00.003-04:00

A commercial that I worked on for Clinique is currently on national television. The 30-second ad is for their "Even Better" product line and features many shots that were drawn by me.

It's been really great to be a part of these projects. I've posted a couple of example frames below the video.

Thanks,
Doug

Commissions

2010-03-31T12:38:00.023-04:00

April is looking to have some projects similar to this past month's as well as a few different ones. In the meantime, below are a few commissioned sketches of various characters I've recently done:

Thanks,

Doug

Star Wars Galaxy 5: Darth Vader

2010-03-11T11:02:00.001-05:00

This is the third and final illustration I did for Topps' Star Wars Galaxy 5 card set. Like my previous Luke Skywalker card, this is an off-screen scene that occurs during The Empire Strikes Back.

The sketch Topps and Lucasfilm initially approved is below. I made only minor changes to the image when working on the final art.

The reverse side of the card features my sketch and a short quote that describes the scene:

Thanks,
Doug

Star Wars Galaxy 5: Darth Maul

2010-03-05T12:16:00.005-05:00

The painting below is the second of three done for Topps' Star Wars Galaxy 5 card set. The scene depicts Darth Maul, standing before the rear loading bay doors of his ship.

I did a lot of preliminary work for this piece in particular, with the sketches below contributing the most to the final art.

The reverse side of the card features an earlier sketch and a short quote:

Thanks,
Doug

Star Wars Galaxy 5: Luke Skywalker

2010-03-01T11:44:00.009-05:00

This is one of three new illustrations I did for Topps' Star Wars Galaxy 5 card set.

Below is the initial sketch selected from the group in my previous post. I've also included a second, refined version that was done before I painted the final image.

The reverse side of the card features a detail of my first sketch and a short quote:

Thanks,
Doug

Colossal Squid

2010-02-25T15:02:00.004-05:00

I recently completed the drawing below between projects. This is the fourth image in a series I've been working on for fun, focusing on a deep-sea diver.

To vary themes, I introduced some action this time around. My initial pool of sketches has two remaining images, both of which I will finish when time permits.

These are the pencil drawings I used as a basis for my final ink drawing:

Thanks,
Doug

Star Wars Insider #115

2010-02-22T13:34:00.020-05:00

Two of my Star Wars Galaxy 5 sketches are published in the current issue of Star Wars Insider ( issue #115).

Other artists included in the feature are Cliff Chiang, Adam Hughes, Stephane Roux, David Rabbitte, Jerry Vanderstelt, Katie Cook, Grant Gould and Bruce Timm.

Thanks,

Doug

Star Wars Galaxy Prelims

2010-02-16T14:03:00.016-05:00

I recently did three new pieces of art for Topps' Star Wars Galaxy 5 trading card set. This series is set to go on sale later this week, so I'll be posting my final art shortly.

In the meantime, below are some of my preliminary sketches that were submitted to Topps and Lucasfilm.

Being that I was only able to do three of these, it would be fun to finish up some of the discarded ideas down the road.

Thanks,
Doug

Figure Drawing

2009-11-12T09:42:00.005-05:00

This sketch was done at a figure drawing session last week in Brooklyn. My favorite drawings of the night ended up being of the others around me, rather than those of the model. It was drawn in ink with a very small, No. 0 brush.

I am in the middle of new projects at the moment, so I will update again shortly.

Spider-Man Release

2009-11-04T08:58:00.003-05:00

The Spider-Man Archives card set that I worked on in August was released this past week. I've added 28 of the images to the site. They are shown in my "sketch" section.

These were painted in watercolor and ended up being a lot of fun to do.

Pan's Labyrinth

2009-10-29T12:02:00.001-04:00

This is a drawing I recently did of the Faun from the Spanish-language film "Pan's Labyrinth." I enjoyed the design and mysterious nature of this character. Below are some of my roughs including the initial pencil sketch.

Formula 1

2009-10-23T09:12:00.003-04:00

I've been working on some new drawings between projects; the first to be completed is shown above. For awhile I've wanted to do some F1- themed work, so this was a lot of fun.

Because I wanted to avoid specifics about a driver or team - while still having a touch of personality - I painted the nose with the P-40 "shark mouth." I think the pose parallels that of a pilot as well.

Commission

2009-09-18T09:15:00.014-04:00

This was a Star Wars commission I painted for a collector not too long ago. They requested an off-screen scene, involving the characters Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. The finished watercolor is 9x14 inches.

I've also included some of my thumbnail sketches above, which I enjoyed doing just as much as the finished art.

Spider-Man Archives

2009-09-01T09:22:00.006-04:00

Another project that I worked on in the month of August was the Marvel/Rittenhouse Spider-Man Archives card set.

I completed 150 painted sketches. The four examples above include Spider-Man, Black Spider-Man, Venom and Spider-Woman.

I look forward to showing more, hopefully before their October release.

Clinique

2009-09-01T09:05:00.002-04:00

One of the projects I worked on during the month of August was a storyboarding job for Clinique.

This involved illustrating five separate sequences, all within a very short timeframe.

I did a total of 60 or so drawings. Some example frames are shown above.

Public Enemies

2009-08-06T17:25:00.000-04:00

This illustration was drawn for the current issue of the Indypendent, accompanying the newspaper's review of the film "Public Enemies." The text focused on Johnny Depp's portrayal of John Dillinger.

Update

2009-07-27T17:35:00.001-04:00

I've updated the "Painted" section with these two images.

Christian Bale

2009-07-21T07:02:00.001-04:00

Ink drawing of actor Christian Bale.

New Website

2009-07-07T08:00:00.004-04:00

Welcome to my redesigned website.

Among the improvements, I have included a "NEW" section. This will allow me to display current projects and recent work, making updates much more visible and easier to follow.