Lugosi Lives Eternal!

Just because I felt like it. Bela Lugosi, rendered in vine charcoal, as Count Dracula from my favorite movie of all time, ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN. I consider Bela's performance in this film to actually be superior to the original 1931 DRACULA.

New Limited Edition Prints!

As the Rondo Awards draw closer and Wonderfest looms, I have just made available two new limited edition prints.

The first is The Sketchy Things Monster Party, featuring over 30 caricatures of favorite film fiends, from the tiny (THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN) to the gigantic (THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS).

The Sketchy Things Monster Party is 11" x 17" and professionally printed on 100 lb. glossy stock. This is a limited edition of only 100 pieces, each signed and numbered. How many monsters do you recognize? The cost is only $25.00, including U.S. shipping.

The next is a very limited edition of the Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein Castle, the oil painting that I chronicled in this blog several months ago. This print is full color, printed on heavyweight glossy stock and measures 13" x 19" with a clean white border.

The A&C Meet F Castle costs $35.00, U.S. shipping included. This print will be shipped rolled in a mailing tube. I only have 10 of these right now.

To order either of these prints, drop me an e-mail directly at fdietz@sbcglobal.net, and put "Monster Print" in the subject line. I can accept personal checks, money orders and Paypal.

In the meantime, don't forget to vote in this year's Rondo Awards, as time is running out, with the deadline set for March 21st! www.rondoaward.com

Building The House Of Dracula Part 5

After giving myself a day away from the painting, I came back to it with a fresh perspective - a new set of eyes, if you will. I noticed a couple of small changes I wanted to make and took care of them. You'll notice these if you compare the two images. I am now satisfied with the painting and have signed it.

In the end, I am much happier with this version than I was with the first attempt at this same image. This one is moodier, richer in atmosphere than the previous painting. I want to thank Kirsten Perez for giving me the opportunity to reimagine this iconic image, one of my favorites from all the Universal horror classics.

There is one more step involved, but isn't worth posting here. Once the paint is thoroughly dry, a thin coat of retouching varnish will be applied, which will enhance the paintings luster in the tones and colors.

Now, back to the drawing board!

"I believe you're in the house of Dracula right now!" - Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) from ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN.

Building The House Of Dracula Part 4

Now I begin to really breathe life into the painting. I start with the larger areas and work my way down to the more detailed parts. I try to use thicker paint on in the "foreground" areas, thinner paint in the background. This adds to the illusion of depth.

For those interested, these are the colors I used: Ultramarine and Prussian Blues, Veridian Green, Sap Green, Cadmium Orange and Yellow, Alizarin Crimson, Raw Sienna and Titanium White. I did not use black of any kind, and the fact is that I never do. I don't even own a tube of the stuff. I always prefer to "create" my own blacks, which are never really true black but a mix of colors that have a similar effect. Pure black from the tube always looks "flat" to me. It's a personal choice that I have stayed with since I started oil painting.

So this piece is just about finished. I don't want to over-work it, I want to keep it "painterly" - meaning a little loose and not quite so illustrative. I am actually liking this new painting much better than the first piece I did of the same subject.

The next step: The Final Step!

Building The House Of Dracula Part 3

Now I've begun to apply thicker paint to each area of the painting. The colors are stronger and more defined, but I'm still holding on to the tones I created in the previous step. I work my way around the entire piece, never spending too much time on a particular area. This keeps the painting consistant, and keeps me from "finishing" one area while the others are ignored. I finished this session by taking a fan brush and lightly softening everything.

Fanning sets up the next step, which is to dig into the more detailed areas. I'll be using smaller brushes from this point on.

The next step: Finessing!

Building The House Of Dracula Part 2

After the sketch has been sprayed with fixative (an important step, otherwise the sketch will be destroyed by this phase!), I begin painting in the tones - light, middle and dark values - which will help me keep the depth of the painting throughout the process. Again, no details required at this point, they'll come later.

I've added just a hint of dulled-down color here, but the real goal of this step is getting those tones in. As I progress, the paint will be applied thicker and the true colors will be introduced.

The next step: Thicker paint!

Building The House Of Dracula Part 1

I've been commissioned to recreate an oil painting I did several years ago, the castle from ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN. This is a perfect opportunity to show you the process, step by step. So first up is the charcoal sketch, done on the canvas. I use vine charcoal, which is very easy to correct - that is to say that it erases easily. It also smudges easily, so one has to be careful not to rub an elbow or palm against it until it is sprayed.




You'll notice that the sketch is rather rough. Details are unnecessary at this point, because later I'll be covering all of this with paint. The sketch is just the foundation on which to build. It's important, however, to get the proportions correct at this stage. They're easier to fix now rather than later.


The next step: Painting in the tones...

Count Charcoalula

Charcoal can be a tricky medium. It takes practice to master the gentle touch required to create delicate middle tones. These are the tones that create the most depth, which is what you want if your piece is going to have the illusion of three dimensions. The lightest and darkest tones create the "punch" - the eye-catching drama - but without those vital variations of middle tone, the piece can end up looking flat.

This charcoal sketch of Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula from ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (my favorite Lugosi performance) has strong lights and darks, but it is those middle values that really give it life.

"I have other ways of securing your cooperation...Look into my eyes..."

How To Make A Monster (Again!)

Here's another example of the three main steps in creating a glaze oil painting. Luckily I "documented" these steps while creating these paintings, so that I can actually show the process instead of describing it. A picture is worth a thousand werewolves. I mean words. The subject this time is the iconic, craggy features of Glenn Strange as the Frankenstein Monster, specifically from ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN.

The sketch and simple tones are the most important steps. This is the time to make corrections regarding proportions in particular. It's a lot easier to fix drawing errors during these early stages than it is to fix later.


Next is the application of thicker paint - just Burnt Umber and Titanium White - to create a tone painting. Since it will be glazed, we'll keep the middle and dark tones about two shades lighter than normal. Corrections can still be made at this point, but you'll wish you had done them earlier!

Once this monochromatic stage is completely dry, the glazing stage can begin. Using "transparent" colors such as Ultramarine Blue, Alizarin Crimson and Indian Yellow with a glazing medium, the color is layered on the existing tones. The result is quite striking, and very different from a traditional oil painting.

If you're wondering why my signature is so big...it is because the painting was so small! The actual canvas was only 5 x 7 inches, and was sold during my Gallery Show in October 2006.

Marker Monster Madness!

In my ongoing quest to expand my artistic boundries, I recently invested in a set of Prismacolor markers. My friend Jeff Preston is an astounding talent who produces vivid, eye-popping visuals with these often maligned tools. Classic horror fans may remember his beautiful cover illustrations for magazines such as MONSTERSCENE and LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. I was shocked when I discovered these stunning pieces were created with design markers, which are as challenging as watercolor to work with, if not more so. Below is one example of Jeff's mastery of the marker...

Impressive, isn't it?

So, without fear of humiliation, I have taken the big leap, and started experimenting with this arduous medium. Here are two first attempts, Boris Karloff from BLACK SUNDAY, and Glenn Strange from ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN.

The fall 2008 issue of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS will feature a Jeff Preston cover and a Frank Dietz back cover. I'm honored to be working with the master.