Serenity RPG 101 » ARTWORK/POSTERS

Interview: Jason Palmer on the Serenity portrait set, part II

The Cortex — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:55:43 +0000

Not a sequel, as such, but Jason Palmer has finally completed his incredible Serenity portrait series and since I talked to him back when he was just getting started, I wanted to see how he was doing now that he’s done. Also, I got a copy of his portrait set and I had to show you guys. It’s amazing. Huge portfolio binder with the prints in acid-free sleeves so you can either take them out and hang them proudly on your wall or keep them in the binder for easy showing. Each print has a facing page with sketches of different poses — some we’ve seen before, some we haven’t — that really help capture the personality of each character in a way that the single portrait can’t on its own (love the sleeping Jayne pic!). But more on the set later, here’s Jason talking about his work. ======================================= You’re in the home stretch! Tired of Serenity yet? Not tired of Serenity, but I’m glad the portrait set is done, and very anxious to get to the next couple of projects, which are based on Serenity universe. How many times have you watched the DVDs, by this point? I have no idea… for instance, I looked at at the scenes of Book on Haven repeatedly as I was designing the Book print. So there are lots of bits and pieces, however, I’m always impressed anew at how good the series and the movie is, when I just sit down and watch it. You’re a little past your due date. What prompted the delays in finishing? I’m a LOT past my due date. The first year I was delayed by a big Star Wars project, and the second year was Indiana Jones. So feel free to blame George Lucas. I always do. We talked previously about which weapon to depict with Inara, and I’m glad you chose the original bow. How tough was the choice? And was there any problem with Universal since it wasn’t (officially) seen on screen? Ultimately, I went with the bow, because - well, it’s cooler, and it’s what Joss intended. The digital Rhythm and Hues bolt thrower thingie has been addressed in the set - it’s kind of an easter egg. You’ve mentioned the problems in capturing Jayne the way you wanted him. Will you ever show anybody the first tries? Actually, I did show some of the earlier tries of Jayne at the Backup Bash - I’m sure many Browncoats are familiar with that event. The reaction agreed with my own - it looked like him, but didn’t really capture him. The reaction I get to the final one - ‘Now, That’s Jayne’. While we’re talking about the characters… Last time I named each character and asked you to tell me what you thought, as an artist, about each one. I’d like to go back a few of those, now that you’ve actually completed those portraits. Wash? Well, everyone loves Wash. I actually gave him more of a Firefly expression because he was so serious in all of the Serenity scenes, but we don’t think of him that way. We think of him more with the grin. And if you look at the Wash and Zoe portraits, you’ll realize that they are looking at each other. Simon. Simon is a character who I completely re-did after drawing him the first time. He looked fine the first time, but didn’t say much about Simon. In the second drawing, he is moving. We tend to think of Simon just sitting in the medical bay, waiting around for someone to get hurt. I wanted to show that he is a man of action. Inara. Inara would have been easy to show as a glamour puss, but I show her in action - in my mind, Inara and Simon’s portraits are happening in the same moment. Morena was very pleased with it. The ship. How did you choose the pose? There is no one angle that shows Serenity to my compete satisfaction - only in motion do you see how cool she is. The typical shot you see is from overhead, looking down at her, so you get the sense of the whole ship - but I did not want to look down on the ship, I wanted her to soar. I was a little nervous about this one, but it came out better than I hoped. The Operative. The Operative is a thinking man’s badass. I hope I got that across. And, the “mystery portrait”? Well, the cat’s out of the bag at this point. I had at first intended to have a Reavers print or Mr Universe or a montage of all the supporting characters. Then one day I just thought, “No… Joss!” Joss is in every line, every shot, and of course, permeates the verse. Which gave me the idea of adding the verse as the background. I somewhat recreated Geof Mandel’s artwork of the verse - Geof was kind enough to give me his blessing on that. I wanted people to recognize that it wasn’t just some galactic painting but “The Verse”. When we talked before you said you were hoping to get some sort of metal book-type sleeve to hold them all, and now you’ve gone and done it with the Comic-Con artbook. Did it turn out the way you wanted? The Aluminum Album sets are still being manufactured, but the cost turned out to be too much, so these are the highest end of the line. The Comic Con album and tote sets were designed and fabricated specifically for the portrait set with cost-effectiveness in mind. There are several unique features in these, and we are very happy with how these came out. Nathan got one at the show, and since then, when I show the set to others involved with the show, the reaction is: “Coool, Yeah, Nathan showed this to me”. I couldn’t ask for a better endorsement than that. What else is in the book besides the portraits? Each portrait has a facing page of character sketches with a quote from the film and a comment by me. So what’s coming up? A River vs Reavers print, and then another set that I’m starting on now. I’m putting together a presentation that I’ll be showing at the Serenity convention in Burbank later this month. After that, I’ll fill you in on that set. ==================================== Damn, the Creation con people get all the good stuff… Remember, the Joss and Operative prints are only available if you buy the complete set, but individual prints of the other 10 portraits are available in a variety of ways. There are nine portraits of the crew and one of the ship. You can order the individual 13″x19″ prints as either limited edition Giclee prints (heavy stock paper) or on canvas, gallery-wrapped on museum stretcher bars. There are also some of the original paintings available. And he still has some Book portrait prints autographed by Ron Glass. But to get the Operative and Joss you’ll need to order the set. It can be ordered by itself or with a handsome silver polyethylene album with acid free page inserts and a matching carrier with shoulder strap, both featuring the Serenity logo. (Prints can be removed from the album if you’d rather frame ‘em, and why wouldn’t you). You also get character description pages with production sketches and quotes by Jason. Sets are available in Giclee prints or canvas. Then there’s the Collector’s Album, which has everything listed above except the album is brushed aluminum with the Serenity logo on the cover, laser etched and hand painted and it comes with a matching aluminum box. You also get a one of a kind, original art pencil drawing by Jason Palmer of one of the characters (varying sizes 11×17 to 13×19). I really can’t say enough about these portraits. Even if you’re not a fan, they work as standalone pieces of art and they look amazing matted and framed. But for now mine will stay in the binder and the carrying case so I can take them to cons and get each one signed by a BDH. Go check out these prints and the rest of his stuff - in case you like other, lesser shows and movies like Harry Potter, Heroes, Indiana Jones, Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars, that sort of thing.

Jason Palmer reveals the mystery print: Joss!

The Cortex — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:18:18 +0000

The final portrait of Jason Palmer’s Serenity Portrait Series has been revealed, and it’s a familiar face indeed. This shrine-ready print (and the one of the Operative) is only available if you buy the complete set, but individual prints of the other 10 portraits are available in a variety of ways. There are nine portraits of the crew and one of the ship. You can order the individual 13″x19″ prints as either limited edition Giclee prints (heavy stock paper) or on canvas, gallery-wrapped on museum stretcher bars. There are also some of the original paintings available. And he still has some Book portrait prints autographed by Ron Glass. But to get the Operative and Joss you’ll need to order the set. It can be ordered by itself or with a handsome silver polyethylene album with acid free page inserts and a matching carrier with shoulder strap, both featuring the Serenity logo. (Prints can be removed from the album if you’d rather frame ‘em, and why wouldn’t you). You also get character description pages with production sketches and quotes by Jason. Sets are available in Giclee prints or canvas. Then there’s the Collector’s Album, which has everything listed above except the album is brushed aluminum with the Serenity logo on the cover, laser etched and hand painted and it comes with a matching aluminum box. You also get a one of a kind, original art pencil drawing by Jason Palmer of one of the characters (varying sizes 11×17 to 13×19). This series represents a hell of a lot of loving work by Jason Palmer over the last few years and I think it really shows. Fill your walls with this personal tribute to the Big Damn Heroes and their universe. These are also excellent items to get signed at cons, and Jason himself shows up at more than a few. Although he might have to sleep for a few weeks now, I’m not sure…

Jason Palmer’s Operative print

The Cortex — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 22:59:57 +0000

Jason Palmer has finished the final announced portrait for his amazing Serenity Portrait Set: The Operative. Preorders are now closed, and you have a variety of ways to get it. There are nine portraits of the crew and one of the ship. You can order the individual 13″x19″ prints as either limited edition Giclee prints (heavy stock paper) or on canvas, gallery-wrapped on museum stretcher bars. There are also some of the original paintings available. And he still has some Book portrait prints autographed by Ron Glass. However, there are two portraits that are only available if you purchase the set: the Operative and one surprise one. The set can be ordered by itself or with a handsome silver polyethylene album with acid free page inserts and a matching carrier with shoulder strap, both featuring the Serenity logo. (Prints can be removed from the album if you’d rather frame ‘em, and why wouldn’t you). You also get character description pages with production sketches and quotes by Jason. Sets are available in Giclee prints or canvas. Then there’s the Collector’s Album, which has everything listed above except the album is brushed aluminum with the Serenity logo on the cover, laser etched and hand painted and it comes with a matching aluminum box. You also get a one of a kind, original art pencil drawing by Jason Palmer of one of the characters (varying sizes 11×17 to 13×19). This is gorgeous work, very true to the characters with rich, textured backgrounds that provide a real sense of the character’s personality. And you’ve got all that wall space you’re not doing anything with…

Original Dark Horse Presents Serenity art for sale

The Cortex — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:57:34 +0000

Original art from the 8-page Serenity minicomic that’s now online at Dark Horse Presents on MySpace is now on sale at eBay from artist Will Conrad.

This action packed and fast paced story was drawn exclusively to the MYSPACE DARK HORSE PRESENTS and brings our most beloved group of space cowboys in a thrilling adventure when they try to deliver a very delicate cargo: a wounded passenger. The job gets even more dangerous when they have to face the infamous REAVERS. Despite all that, there’s still a hidden danger that the crew still have to find out…

The originals are on 11″x17″ art board and, since Will does full and detailed pencils, will look great framed on your wall. You also can have the artwork signed by the artist upon request. All 8 pages are up there now, all with Buy It Now prices in case you don’t feel like haggling. Check ‘em out!

Jason Palmer finished the new Serenity pic, crew portraits

The Cortex — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:33:23 +0000

Jason Palmer has just posted his new Serenity print, the 10th of his crew portrait set. Limited edition prints are now available or you can buy the original painting. Still to come: the Operative, and an as-yet-unrevealed bonus portrait. Advance sales of the entire set have been closed, but he’s also offering several ways to get your hands on these amazing works of art. First, you can still buy individual Giclee prints or canvas versions here. Or you can order the limited edition set with album and carrier:

The set includes 12 Giclee textured art prints (13×19): Mal, Wash, Zoe, River, Simon, Kaylee, Jayne, Inara, Book, Serenity the ship, the Operative, and a surprise print (only available with purchase of the set). Prints are signed and numbered; limited edition of 300. Also, 12 character production sketch pages are included, as well as a title page. The set is presented in a silver polyethylene album with acid free page inserts, and a matching carrier with shoulder strap. Both feature Serenity logo. Prints can be removed from the album and framed if desired.

And if you look him up at the San Diego Comic-Con (Booth 5359) you can get a special artbook, with all the characters, the ship, and the exclusive prints, title page, and 12 character sketch pages. Check back here soon for more from Jason Palmer. ShareThis

Preorder “Big Damn Heroes” lithographs from TFAW

The Cortex — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:24:18 +0000

QMx’s “Serenity: Big Damn Heroes” lithograph set by Steve Anderson is now available for preorder from TFAW.com , with their usual 20% off. You won’t find them cheaper than this, folks.

We love our captain - and the rest of Serenity’s crew. That’s why we approached Steve Anderson, one of the best portrait painters in the business, and asked him to capture our Big Damn Heroes in a series of lithographs. Being a Browncoat of no small dedication himself, Steve gladly agreed to take on the daunting task of capturing the personalities and spirits of the BDHs. The result is a series of museum-quality 13″ x 19″ lithographs, printed on 100-pound, satin-finish paper. The first set features Mal, Inara, Kaylee and Jayne, painted by one of the most reknowned portrait artists working today.

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From QMx: Big Damn Heroes Lithos by Steve Anderson

The Cortex — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:20:04 +0000

First QMx brings you the Little Damn Heroes, then they turn around and offer you big ones. Remember the the painting of Kaylee Steve Anderson posted on his site a while back? QMx commissioned him to create portraits of each of Serenity’s crew, and the first set of four should be available later this month.

The result is a breathtaking series of museum-quality 13″ x 19″ lithographs, printed on 100-pound, satin-finish paper. The first set – featuring Mal, Inara, Kaylee and Jayne – will be sold as set for just $29.95. That’s right, four lithographs of Serenity’s crew, painted by one of the most renowned portrait artists working today, for just under $30.

Check out the QMx Insider newsletter for a heads up on availability. QMx is having a heck of a week… ShareThis

Last pages of Will Conrad’s Serenity Better Days art for sale

The Cortex — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:27:29 +0000

Will Conrad has posted the last original pages from his work on “Serenity: Better Days,” the three-issue comic series from Dark Horse. These are the original pages, on 11″ x 17″ art board, rendered in full pencils by the artist. (Some pencillers do rough or less detailed artwork, for the inker to fill in; Conrad does complete and beautiful work.) These are pages from #3, and like most original comic artwork you may see a detail or two that didn’t make it to the final printed work. Check ‘em out! ShareThis

Win a UK Serenity posted signed by Nathan Fillion

The Cortex — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:21:55 +0000

More Can’t Stop the Serenity stuff! The New England Browncoats are auctioning off this UK Serenity poster, signed by Nathan Fillion , to benefit Equality Now as part of the Boston screening. The screenings are going on now, by the way, so be sure to check out cantstoptheserenity.com for details on upcoming events, and descriptions of all the great stuff and guest stars who have shown up already to raise money for Equality Now. ShareThis

Jason Palmer’s Simon portrait now available

Serenity RPG 101 — Sat, 31 May 2008 17:23:10 +0000

Jason Palmer is plugging along on his licensed Serenity portrait series. Here’s his completed Simon Tam portrait, ready for sale. Next up: Jayne.

You can buy the 13″x19″ Limited Edition Giclee Print here (includes a custom double mat set to fit a standard 16×20 frame). Or you can buy the original 21″x28″ painting, acrylic on board, here.

Remember, you can buy the portraits separately but if you preorder the entire set of nine crewmembers and the ship you’ll get a free 11th portrait of the Operative, only available to preorder customers, and a free 12th print of… we still don’t know what, it’s a surprise. Available as 13″x19″ Giclee prints signed, numbered, and limited to 300 prints, or as Fine Art canvas stretched and framed in a 14″x20″ gallery style thin black canvas frame (no glass). Signed and numbered, limited to 100 copies.

Jason’s artwork has stunned and delighted fans, cast, and Joss alike by capturing everything we love about the characters in these magnificent portraits. Check out his site for more Firefly and Serenity artwork, as well as licensed artwork for Star Wars, Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, Harry Potter, and more. And don’t miss his SerenityStuff interview here!