Vintage Movie Poster cards!

This is a new set from Breygent, the company that did the Wizard of Oz cards we worked on. Now, we're recreating old movie posters on 3.5" x 5" cards for such classics as "Creature from the Black Lagoon," "Mantis," "The Fly," "Rasputin," "Invasion of the Saucer Men," "Attack of the 50ft Woman," "Invaders from Mars," and a bunch of other ones.

*Click for larger images and more info on the set






Hope you enjoy those. Thanks for lookin'!

~Ray

Illo Friday "Thanksgiving" + catching up: Lord of the Rings, Marvel: Avengers, and more!

Hi, all!

First up, my entry for Illustration Friday's prompt: Thanksgiving:

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When I first thought of Thanksgiving, all I could think about was what I'm thankful for, and right now, the top of the list is my girlfriend and her son. They're everything to me. But, I've already done a few drawings of them and figured another might make the idea a little stale. I could look at sweet images of them all day, but you might not be as interested. Or maybe I was afraid of looking sappy. ;o)

At any rate, I decided to think beyond that. Only thing that I could think of wasn't too far from the original. I just spun the camera around on myself. This will be our first Thanksgiving together and my first time being "the man of the house." Which means I'll be carving the turkey for the first time. Must ... not ... mess up ... 0.0

So, anyway, this is what came out. A silly drawing of me being chastised by the turkey I'm attempting to carve. Whoopee! And done really quick with some rough tones thrown in to give it that autumn feel. Yay! ;o)

Hope you enjoy it anyway!

Now, onto other news...

It has been quite a while since my last blog. Four+ months, actually. I don't have time to get everything caught up, but here goes:

. San Diego was awesome! Sat at the Upperdeck booth, sketched and signed Marvel: Avengers cards. Met Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez (some of the many cool people there, Seth Green, comics folk, etc.)

. Disneyland was amazing. I really had no idea how magical the place really was. It astounded me. I'm so thankful to Renae for getting me to go.

. Broke down in California and ended up stranded for an extra week.

. Since that happened, I've been working my butt off to get back on schedule and stay there. Still butt-working...

Here are some of the main projecs I've worked on since last time: Marvel Heroes: The Complete Avengers sketch cards, Lord of the Rings: Masterpieces. There are quite a few others, but those are the big ones. They were a blast. You can see some previews here (click for more):

MARVEL HEROES: THE COMPLETE AVENGERS





Click for more!

And here's a HULK piece I did for an eBay auction. Click to check that out and see a silly picture of me:



eBay Auction | Larger Version

LORD OF THE RINGS: MASTERPIECES







Click for more!


And here's an LOTR piece I did for an eBay auction. It's already sold, but you can click to check it out anyway::



eBay Auction | Larger Version

Okay, so that's that.

I'm about to start work on a new sketch card set that are recreations of Vintage Movie posters from such classics as Invasion of the Saucer Men and Attack of the 50ft Woman!! Can't wait. Well, I can a little because I have a lot of other deadlines, but I'm anxious. ;o)

I guess that's all I'll blog for now. This is easily the most ridiculously long blog I've ever done, but I wanted to get it all in there. From now on I'll try to keep things updated more regularly, but it'll be tough.

So, thanks for stoppin' by. I hope it was worth your time. Have a great Thanksgiving!

~Ray

On Another Journey...

Hi, all! (if you're still visiting my blog with so few updates lately)-

I'm leaving once again for the West Coast. Oregon, San Diego, Disneyland (first time!), back to Oregon, then back home to Kansas. Going with Renae to take her son back for a visit with his family. Then, of course, we're hitting the San Diego Comic-Con!! That's going to be a blast. But, the most exciting thing is a trip to Disneyland. Like most people, particularly creators, I grew up on Disney cartoons. And being a poor kid half a country away from anything remotely Disney-oriented, I always dreamed of visiting. So, thanks to Renae, I'm on my way!

All-in-all, the trip will be 6,000 miles and take about a month. It's going to be crazy, but lots of fun.

I haven't been blogging much because I've been trying to get my mounds of work done before I leave. Got quite a bit done, but it looks like I'll be working my butt off on the road, too. Yeesh...

I'm working on some cool new projects that I want to go in depth about. Marvel: Complete Avengers sketch cards is definitely the one I'm most excited about. I'm also coloring some books, lettering some, illustrating a graphic novel, and inking, coloring, and lettering a Dark Horse-hopeful mini-series.

So, I'm busy, but enjoying the heck out of life.

Oh, speaking of which, I turned 24 on June 28th. Forgot to mention that. This is, indeed, the best year ever for me. Can't wait to see where the rest of them are going. ;o)

I'll try to update more and post more art while on the road (after I get some of that work done... yikes ...)

Thanks for stopping by!

~Ray

Illustration Friday - "Cake"

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Here's the latest for Illustration Friday. The prompt was "Cake."

One of the most beautiful things I've seen is a mother baking with her son.

I didn't have a lot of time for this one, but I wanted to convey that feeling. The warm light coming in, the closeness of mother and child, and just the happiness of the moment that would become a memory they both cherish.

Oh, and, yes, I realize that poor diaper-clad boy is dangerously high up. That was for the sake of composition. And, hey, momma's got a hold of him. Never safer than that. ;o)

Thanks for stoppin' by. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

~Ray

Illustration Friday - "Sorry"

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Here's the latest for Illustration Friday. The prompt was "sorry."

I drew this a month or so ago. Couldn't think of a better example of when I've felt sorry. Can't tell ya the story behind it (too personal), but you can use your imagination. ;o)

And, as you can probably tell, I'm back from the trip to Oregon. Along the way I drove across the Golden Gate Bridge, saw Alcatraz, drove through a tree, visited Trees of Mystery, and all sorts of fun stuff. I'll post pictures when I have the chance. Some great ones.

I'm back in Salina, Kansas now in the new house and office. Life is good. Busy, but good.

I'll get back to posting more frequently soon. Thanks for stoppin' by.

~Ray

Illustration Friday - "Robot"

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Here's the latest for Illustration Friday. The prompt was "robot."

Oddly enough, Renae and I were just talking about this concept earlier today. Those automated lines that sound like real people and you have to talk to them instead of just pushing buttons. Very strange.

So, this was the first thing that popped into my head when I first saw this week's prompt. And a quick photoshop paint sketch is what followed. Fun working in this style (or what this style would be if I spent more time on it).

I will be gone for a week or so starting Monday. I'm flying out to Oregon to help Renae move back here to Kansas. Excited am I! ;o) Should be back around the 1st of May, but I'll be busy, so it might be a little while before I get back to bloggin'.

Anyway, I'll see ya when I see ya. Thanks for stoppin' by to check this out!

~Ray

Wild Isle! : step-by-step!

Here's a piece I just finished for the game Wild Isle (nothing on their site yet).

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All Photoshop 7 and an Intuos II Wacom tablet.

Here are the steps:

Sketch
First Pencils
Second Pencils after getting some great critiques from Renae De Liz
Inks in progress
Close on Tiger
Close on Mad Scientist
Inks in progress 2
Close on Elephant
Inks in progress 3
Close on Bear
Final Inks
Flat Colors
Colors in progress
Colors in progress 2
Colors in progress 3

Let me know what you think and thanks for stoppin' by!

~Ray

Illustration Friday - "Spotted"

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Hey, all!! It's been a while since I last blogged. I've been hard at work. Finished up the Wizard of Oz sketch cards yesterday and sent them in.

Gotta color another 12 pages in the next 7 days before flying out to Oregon to move Renae here to Salina, KS. YAY!! Happy, happy! ;o)

Anywho, this piece to the left is for the latest Illustration Friday exercise. The prompt was "Spotted" and for some reason, this goofy little guy (who ... of course ... looks like chubby little ol' me) popped into my head. I was really burnt on coloring, so I decided to take the rest of the night (it was 3am here, I've been going to bed around 5 or 6am) to work on this and relax. I'm happy with 'im. ;o) All Photoshop 7 and Wacom tablet. Feels good after doing so many cards with pencil and marker.

Alrighty. Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate the feedback in advance. ;o)

~Ray

Sketches Galore!

Hey, all!

Been trying to sketch a little every day after meeting my Wizard of Oz card quota and keep up with the scanning.

You can see the whole sketchbook so far at this link: Ray Dillon's 2006 Sketchbook

Here are some of the sketches so far. Drawing some characters I've never drawn before and goofing around:

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Thanks fer lookin'!

~Ray

Published! - My first prose short story...

Hey, all-

Most of you know me as an artist, but, if ya didn't know, I also write.

Wanted to let you know that my first prose short story has been published by the online literary magazine, Angel Atrophy Magazine on MySpace!



And the accepted story is here:

"Hot and Cold" by Ray Dillon
- 2861 Words; Thriller/Adult -
Synopsis: Brian's conscience teaches him a lesson he'll never forget.

This is the first recognition I've gotten for my writing since the literary magazine "Papercuts" back in High School and ... well, I hope none of you track that down. ;o)

I feel pretty good about it even if it's not ink on paper, because it feels like a good start. Someone out there liked it enough to highlight it, so someone down the line (if I spend more time submitting...) might like it enough to print it.

I've written 4 novels, three children's adventure, one adult thriller, an all ages graphic novel, and several short stories in prose, comics, and film. Working on editing and developing them.

Anyway, go check it out if you have some time and let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading!

~Ray

New Sketchbook!

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Not a whole lot to look at. Just got a new sketchbook (that's always fun!) and since I had my scanner out anyway for the Oz cards I took the time to scan this.

So, yeah, for a change this is done with pencil on paper instead of Wacom tablet and PS. OoooOoO. ;o)

Renae told me to draw Batman looking like "What the--?" So, I gave that a try. Just goofin' around.

Let me know what you think and thanks for stoppin' by!

~Ray

RayDillon.com | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | DeviantArt

Batman Cinematic!

Hey, all!

Got an extension on one of the projects that has been kicking my butt, so I decided to take some time to relax and just draw for fun today. Kinda give me a restart for tomorrow morning (and the upcoming week).

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This just kinda came out when I started sketching. Going for a classic Batman in cinematic style. Wanted to do something quick and thankfully this only took a couple of hours, especially since I sketched the background and relied on colors. ;o)

As usual, it was done entirely in Photoshop 7 with my trusty Intuos II Wacom tablet.

Batman Wallpaper 1024 x 768

I also did my first writing today since finishing NaNoWriMo back in November. I wrote a flash fiction (under 1,000 words) story for my online writing group. I'll have that posted up soon as well.

Anyway, it's gettin' late, so I will say goodnight and have a wonderful tomorrow.

Thanks for stoppin' by.

~Ray

Illustration Friday - "Monster"

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Just a quick digitally painted sketch for the latest Illustration Friday; prompt of "Monster."

Anyone who takes their anger out on a child, physically or verbally, is a monster.

Listening to Gary Jules "Mad World" (from the Donnie Darko soundtrack) while drawing this:


Gotta get back to the Wizard of Oz sketch cards. Still a couple hundred to do.

Thanks for lookin'.

~Ray

Wizard of Oz sketch cards!

Yippee!! My newest project (the one I've been hinting at) is Wizard of Oz sketch cards for Breygent and Warner Bros. And I'm psyched!



I'm hard at work on 'em, as there's very little time left to get through them all (not sure if I'm allowed to say how many). The best part is that a bunch of the Golden Goat Studios members are working on them, too. Mark Winters, Renae De Liz, Josh Ross, and Brent Engstrom are all wizarding up some cards alongside me (actually, I think they're all beating me).

So, go to this link for more info: http://OZ.GoldenGoatStudios.com

In other news, we've inducted a new Goat into the studio:



Renae De Liz, an incredibly talented artist with a flare for making her characters live and breath. Go read all about her and help us welcome her to the studio.

Thanks for stoppin' by!

~Ray

Jeremy Fiest's "8 a.m."

This is the film we shot on John's boat in Marina Del Rey right before the San Diego Con last year. Jeremy (director) and Jordan Gray (editor) did a great job in taking it in a different direction than anticipated and it gave it it's own flavor. John Robert Johnson, who also produced, gave a fantastic performance. This is our first glimpse of something from their new film production company, Tornado Alley Entertainment. It's not quite finished (some sound tweaks and whatnot), but close:



I'm credited for sound. I pretty much just held the boom mic and tried not to fall asleep (I was exhausted). Oh, and I ran around town buying props (which were incredibly difficult to find in LA). Think I maybe ran the camera for a few shots. Anyway, it was a blast.

Check it out and let me know your thoughts. You should also visit the Tornado Alley Entertainment MySpace page or the GGS message boards to let Jeremy and John know what you thought!

Thanks for stoppin' by!

~Ray

Illustration Friday - "Feet"

Okay, I'm kinda taking the easy way out this week, but there's a lot going on around here so I don't have time right now to do up a new image. And besides, the first thing that popped into my head for "Feet," the latest prompt for Illustration Friday, was this image of one of the Proudfeets, part of the familiy of Hobbits from the Lord of the Rings. And this is one of the sketch cards I did for Lord of the Rings: Evolution, the latest LOTR series from Topps cards. You can view the rest of my cards on that site by clicking my name from the list.

In other news, I'm working on another fun sketch card assignment for a well-known film and book. I'll have more news on that soon. Gotta get 300 done in a couple of weeks on top of my other coloring and lettering projects. Just busy, busy, busy.

Thanks for stoppin' by!

~Ray

Holy cow, I'm on ebay! - LOTR Sketch Cards

RAY @

This is nuts! The LOTR cards are starting to arrive in stores and already they're getting up on ebay: Me on ebay

So far most are only set for $.99, but here's one for $24.99: Me on ebay for $24.99


There was another one on there under Ray Dillion (extra I), but they corrected it as I was posting this. But, if you're interested in getting one, you might keep that in mind.

And this is pretty cool. The highest priced card so far is from one of my favorite LOTR Sketch Card Artists, Rafael Kanyanan, for $311: Artist selling for a lot more than me no ebay

This just makes me feel cool. ;o)

I don't get any of that money, but it'd be cool to see those bids going crazy.

Anywho, thanks fer lookin'!

~Ray

Illustration Friday - "Tea"

Hey, all!

Whipped up a quick sketch-painting for Illustration Friday using Painter. Still only the third thing I've ever done with the program. Used the acrylics function. Worked alright. But, yeah, pretty rough and quick. I'm kinda loopy from cold medication right now. Trying to fight it. Airborne works nicely, but it's been pretty persistant.

When I think of tea, I think of my dad. Growing up, he used to always carry around an old Nestea jar with the label partially ripped off, filled with tea. I think his jar was even taller than the one shown here. It was like a liter of tea! ;o)

*Click for larger version in new window*


Didn't have a reference or anything and I want to again remind you of my medicinal loopiness. ;o)

Also, tea is a hard color to pinpoint.

I'm going to see if I'm coherent enough to get some more work done ...

Thanks for lookin'!

~Ray

Best Mom Ever!!

Renae De Liz is the best mom ever! She puts so much work and passion into making things special for her son, Tycen. She built and painted him a cardboard castle for his room, made him a awesome Spider-man suit for Halloween, and now this for his birthday:

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She doesn't think it's all that big of a deal. No matter what, she thinks she could have done a better job or done more to make it even more special, but I (and everyone else that's seen what she does) find it absolutely amazing.

Click to see more of his birthday

I did the colors on the Incredi-Tycen piece that got printed on his cake and made the little sound fx bursts, which is why I'm posting about it here. You may have seen the previous post about it here.

I'm happy to say she will also be here in Kansas visiting next week. Can't wait!!!

Thanks for letting me help with all this, sweetie!! ;o)

*UPDATE* -- Here's the lucky little guy:



Wow. That is one happy boy. Ha! ;o)

~Ray

Lord of the Rings: Evolution Gallery!

Hey, all!

My entire gallery of 306 sketch cards is now up on the LOTR Sketch Cards Website. Just look down the list of artists on the left and click my name. I'm about the 10th person from the top. Here's a little sample of some of my favorites (they aren't all in that painted style, though):



Here are a few favorites in various styles:







Click here for full gallery: http://www.LOTRsketchcards.com

The cards are supposed to be in stores in February. They sell them just about everywhere. Look for them in the checkout lines at grocery stores, Wal-mart, Target, etc. Also in most gas stations. There's only one sketch card per box, but you might get lucky.

Thanks for checking them out, everyone! And your comments are very appreciated!

~Ray