Be prepared to be taken into a world of mythical creatures, ancient princesses, heroes, and monsters. Local fantasy artist Steve Prescott just released Aggregate: The Art of Steve Prescott, a collection of his conceptual artwork and illustrations from his personal sketchbook. The book contains hundreds of drawings from early on his career to today. Also included is commentary on how or why specific creatures came to be, which is such a bonus. The readers are given the opportunity to understand how the idea for the artwork spawned.
Prescott has been drawing since the tender age of three and attended Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) in the 90s. After graduating he began work as a freelance artist and set up a studio in his home right here in Central Ohio. He is currently a fantasy gaming illustrator and does artwork for companies such as: Wizards of the Coast, Blizzard, and Piazo. Compared to the likes of illustrators Mark Zug and Chris Moeller, Prescott’s beasties and girlies are known by fantasy art fans and gamers throughout the world.
The artist has drawn hundreds and hundreds of monsters – how does he do it? Each creature is different, has a personality of its own, and seems to come to life on the page. I asked him and he said, “My monsters are created from 36 years of observation of creatures real and fantasy. I may draw a shape that comes to mind and then I start adding details such as scales, stripes or fur.” He loves whimsical details, ambiguous and ancient design elements such as from Egyptian or Mayan symbols or artwork, and is in constant observation of the world and artwork around him. “…doing art for a living takes just as much discipline as any other job. Some days are good and some days I don’t feel creative at all. It can be a struggle getting the creative juices flowing.” Prescott just makes it look easy.
Animal lovers may also be familiar with his artwork. He combined his talent as an artist and love for animals to create the 12′ x 7′ mural in Beechwold Veterinary Hospital’s waiting room. The rottweiler portrayed in the mural belonged to Prescott and his wife, and was the namesake for his website: www.rottface.com. You may also want to check out the Prescott Draw Blog for a taste of his snarky wit. It is full of amazing pencil sketches taking viewers through the ABCs of monsters and creatures, and includes snippets from Aggregate: The Art of Steve Prescott.
Interested in a copy of Aggregate: The Art of Steve Prescott for yourself or as a gift? Contact Steve Prescott at [email protected]. A signed copy is $25 plus shipping. He is offering 100 limited edition books for $40 plus shipping, which includes a personalized sketch along with his signature. Want to meet the artist in person? He will be making appearances at GenCon in Indianapolis, Indiana in August and at IlluxCon in Altoona, Pennsylvania in November of this year.
Kristin Marks is a Columbus Underground contributor, and can be found blogging about kid-friendly activities in Central Ohio over at cbusmom.com. She can be reached at [email protected].
