new guy, personal pieces of 2009

**rickardwestman** · November 26th, 2009, 04:27 PM

Hey

so, my first post in here. finally worked up some guts

this is some of my personal works from 2009. would be cool to get some comments from you guys and girls. so, i like to think i am better at drawing than typying so.. over and out, for now...

**The Fritz** · November 26th, 2009, 06:11 PM

Funny, interesting, different, weird (a bit), cool - my first thoughts!

**Lotet** · November 26th, 2009, 06:39 PM

some really awezome stuff there, love the envoes

**Ludi** · November 26th, 2009, 07:04 PM

The first shot is so colorful and crazy at the same time, really great. I wish I had the talent do create such shi$/%& with my own hands

**laxon** · November 26th, 2009, 07:54 PM

Beautiful

Some of the best stuff I have seen recently!

**nauvice** · November 26th, 2009, 10:57 PM

ammmaaaaaazzzzinnggg

brings great joy

love the colors

**CircusRobot** · November 27th, 2009, 02:41 AM

Good stuff! I think the way you painted the environments are stronger then the characters. Not the design or concept but just the painting technique. Maybe too much of the dodge tool, but that might be just a personal preference.
Out of curiosity, what do you want to do with your art and style?

**Mah ' Crub** · November 27th, 2009, 09:58 AM

I love the moods that you set! The painting with the huge { trolls?} climbing up to the tiny house at the top of the stairs is just killer, killer, killer!!!
I could write a story to go along with that. And I think that is the true mission of any artist, to make the viewer's mind continue the story of the art.
Keep slinging paint. Its really good stuff.

**rickardwestman** · November 27th, 2009, 02:35 PM

The Fritz - hehe, all good words to me. thanks!

Lotet - thanks! yeah, have had more fun creating environments than characters lately

Ludi - thanks! and Ludi, just keep practicing and you will most defenetly get as good as any other artist in here. i could not have done that one the way i did it a year ago. if you practice hard you wil get some nice progress! just keep at it!

laxon - thanks a lot!

zwarrior - thanks! i'll change my name to joybringer from now on!

CircusRobot - thanks! yeah you're right, the first and last environment are really fresh, made them for the unearthly challenge which had its deadline just a few days ago. so, there have been some progress since i made those characters like 8 months ago. and i would probably have done them in another way if i were to draw them today. and i actually never use the dodge tool. and of course art looks different depending on the viewers taste.
and that was a good question. i've been working as a concept artist at a company making children movies for 1,5 years but right now i am looking for a new job. might get into the freelancing business, and i will basically do whatever fun drawing job i can get my hands on. and i love new challenges so pretty much anything goes. this personal pieces i posted are just me trying to strech my own limits and making some progress. and in the end it is all about having fun contra making some money to feed the wife and the cats!

Mah ' Crub - thanks a lot Mah ' Crub! i love to hear that the viewer somewhat adds stuff to my images in their own mind. that is one of the best compliments you could get i think, that the viewer doesn't only see the art as some lines and colour, but something to think about. and people like that troll painting. and i'd love to illustrate some old swedish folk tales in that way. of course john bauer is one of my favorite artists. and i'll keep slinging some paint!

**Inkwash** · November 28th, 2009, 05:51 PM

I usually prefer an image with a single focal point, and for the first image, multiple sections of the pic screamed for my attention... and for some reason I LOVE it!

Great work!

**rickardwestman** · November 30th, 2009, 05:50 PM

Inkwash - thanks! cool thing, you like it. i had a hard time with that one

**Abyssal Zone** · November 30th, 2009, 06:10 PM

Love the geometric stuff ^^.

8th reminds me of some psychedelic experience I had...

**NeecHMonkeY** · November 30th, 2009, 08:22 PM

I think someone just slipped some LSD in my morning coffee.

Your work is really interesting, it's a very rare thing to see such bold use of color... I like it!

**rickardwestman** · December 2nd, 2009, 05:21 PM

Abyssal Zone - Haha, thanks! yeah, i have heard it is a lot of money in the drug business. maybe i should sell my stuff to junkies. would be cool to have people addicted to your art

NeecHMonkeY - I am sorry to hear about your coffee experience.

good to hear you like my stuff though. i try to challenge myself in most of my works. still got a lot to learn, so i am chasing that progress in everything i do. thanks for the kind works!

**Rhysmancometh** · December 2nd, 2009, 06:39 PM

Damn man, thats some awesome stuff!

Your use of colour is awesome, all your characters are pretty cool man, i like that yoyo guy, just scarey but cool at the same time

I think its the 3rd one, where there's the tree kinda guys cruzin' about in the forests....Gold!

Very cool artwork man!

**rickardwestman** · December 7th, 2009, 01:20 PM

Rhysmancometh - thanks! yeah, i am thinking of putting some extra polish on the characters, but it might be a better thing to just make some new ones

cool that you like the third image. i don't hear that that often. thanks again!

**keith_v** · December 7th, 2009, 03:57 PM

Beautiful stuff! Very original, and awesome use of colors!

**davekang** · December 8th, 2009, 01:16 PM

What's up Rickard! It's good to see you here.
We are expecting some major greatness from you next year! See you around!

**smokenmirrors** · December 8th, 2009, 02:10 PM

very cool illos... reminds me of Salvador Dali... hmmm.... fresh colors!

**artistcaleb** · December 8th, 2009, 03:35 PM

Great works, thanks for posting! btw, what does the 'maddona and child' one mean?

**rickardwestman** · December 13th, 2009, 09:42 AM

keith_v - thanks a lot keith!

davekang - hey! all well here, just chilling in my new apartment. haha, hope i can meet your expectations then

loved your unearthly entry by the way, that racetrack idea was really cool. thanks man, seeya!

smokenmirrors - thanks! peaople seems to like the colours

artistcaleb - thanks a bunch! oh, haha, i hope no one would ask that question

but it is basically my take/view/interpretation of the christian religion. i don't mean to upset anyone and i am in no way religious myself. though, as i said, this is my (one mans) take on the virgin birth of jesus and some other christian elements mixed with some of my own thoughts and metaphores. the girl "madonna" holding the book would be the virgin mary and the paper boy folded from the pages of the book is (my symbol of) jesus. as i don't believe in the actual virgin birth. where the book would be the bible. the pages shooting out of the bibleat the left side is killing the dinosaurs, as the christians don't believe in them. this earsing of a scientific past is show by vague numbers forming a clock that goes backwards. on the right side of the book paper figures are coming out, suggesting some the violent christian nature that we have seen since the birth of (paper boy) jesus. additional to that there are a few characters in there, the four riders of the apocalypse, three wise men, and a character we could call god. the three wise men was represented by three russian religous men that lived in the early 1900. so, all these characters is somewhat connceted to eachother or basically the same persons but i can admit it is quite far fetched and i doubt anyone has even read this far so i will leave it for now. the image was done for the newborn contest by the way.

and hey, found some more 2009 stuff. my old dw iv entry and a mo0d/mattepainting/speedpaint for a small puzzle/action game i am working on. and some face experiments. i thought about putting some non personal work here but as i lost my job a few days back i will post all those things in the "artist looking for work" section insteady. thanks for the kind words and helping hands everyone!

**lioration** · December 13th, 2009, 10:45 AM

Those is mind blowing! specially loved the first piece.
your environmental drawings are fantastic- very dreamy like. you succeed of creating a very colorful wild palette, and yet to have a dark atmosphere.
you got yourself a new fan

Lior

**rickardwestman** · December 18th, 2009, 07:00 AM

lioration - thanks a lot! i like playing around with colours and i am happy people seem to like it! fans are always welcome

**Ian Barker** · December 18th, 2009, 07:27 AM

Very cool stuff! Some of it is a bit too busy for me, it would be cool if some of the overall shapes were easier to read... great stuff overall though.

**ColumbusSage** · December 18th, 2009, 09:06 AM

whoa! these are incredible, some of them are just nuts with color and details. I love all of them.

**Lone Wolf** · December 18th, 2009, 03:09 PM

Cool work. Really interesting style.

**MephistonX** · December 18th, 2009, 03:42 PM

just awesome - keep it up

**Lyle Moore** · December 18th, 2009, 03:47 PM

really great

**Fourth Nail** · December 18th, 2009, 04:52 PM

Your use of color reminds my of closing my eyelids and pressing my fingers into my eyes for a long time then letting go... psychotic and gorgeous!

**Giorge** · December 22nd, 2009, 12:06 PM

woooow , dude those explosive colored illustrations remind me of some of my dreams, and against reminds me that i should try and illustrate some of my weird dreams ^^, sweet