Ladydove7's Influence Map

I've been seeing these pop up on my devwatch a lot lately. At a time where I'm very indecisive about which direction I want to take next, it was good to remind myself just what it is I like about my art and what I saw in others that reminded me of what I wanted to achieve with my work.

1. David Mack (Kabuki) - It was love at first sight when I picked up the Kabuki: Skin Deep trade paperback. I hadn't seen many traditionally painted comics with a story told quite the way Mack presented it. The man is a master of visual metaphor, sequential art, and intriguing characters. He inspired me to find a story worth telling and tell it in a unique way.

2. Poison Elves - By the late Drew Hayes. I admit my character Melakim was heavily influenced by the sardonic Elf, Lusiphur, with his anti-social moodiness. This comic was a spoof of all things D&D with a grit and witty humor that will always bring a smile to my face. Plus drunken Elves and Mayhem! From Hayes, I learned that all characters need not be sane nor moral.

3. Michael Turner (Witchblade) - Witchblade was the first comic besides Poison Elves that I fell head over heels for. Mainly for the fantastically detailed backgrounds and sexy figures of Turner. I'll never draw lips the same ever again thanks to Turner, god rest him .

4. Stephanie Pui-Mun Law (*puimun) - I can't deny Stephanie's influence on my own work. Graceful curves, mythological figures, and the color of dreams in every hue. I first discovered her through her ethereal depiction of the archangels, still some of my favorite work by her. Stephanie taught me to dream bigger and to be unafraid of detail!

5. Joseph Michael Linsner (Dawn) - The Goddess, Death, God, and The Devil all in bed together? I love the unabashed philosophy of Linsner's work, both written and painted. Dawn may look like a floozy, but one must look deeper. From Joe, I learn to smile in the face of my critics and paint what I love, even under threat of disapproval.

6. Jim Lee (WildCATS) - Lee took the comic world by storm with his sexy bods, super-detailed figures, and action-packed compositions. I started drawing after attempting to copy this man's work, so fascinated and naive was I to attempt such a thing! Lee taught me just how gorgeous the human figure could be in idealized forms.

7. Disney Animation (specifically the series Gargoyles) - As much as I loathe sanitized retellings of fairy tales, I can't deny a love of Disney's moving art. But it's in Gargoyles that I felt they were true to form with a deep intricate plot, Shakespearean wit, beautiful animation of winged creatures, and characters who you really felt for. They taught me that the greatest villains are not always what they seem.

8. Hiroaki Samura (Blade of the Immortal) - Superbly drawn with an excellent plot. From Samura, I learned that mixing genres and styles in an intelligent way can lead to a brand new beast AND that one can make a bloody action scene exquisitely beautiful. (Also, have you seen how well this man can draw FEET and HANDS? It's amazing!)

9. Alphonse Mucha - How many times has this man appeared on my friends own Influence maps? I only wish he was around to enjoy his celebrity! From Mucha, I learned illustration CAN be an art form. (For a long while, I was taught that it wasn't)

10. Trina Schart Hyman - It was reading Saint George and the Dragon illustrated by Hyman when I was around 8 or 9 and remember thinking to myself for the first time. "Wow, someone creates images for stories! I would be in heaven if I could do this for other people!" She put the idea in my head long before money ever became a part of the equation. She had such beautiful line work and intricate borders.

11. Gambit - Not really an artistic influence, but one that influences the type of people I enjoy writing and drawing about. Mr. Remy Lebeau was the first to make me fall in love with the sly nimble thiefy types fostering a heart of gold. X-men in general was a huge influence for me as a young artist. I used to copy them out of books and draw my own characters to fit into their team.

12. Thundercats - Or all cartoons from the 80's and 90's. They made me stop and think wow, those designs are so cool! I want to draw people like that and write my own stories about them. Cheetara here was one of my earliest woman warrior role models, even before Xena.

13. Pre-Raphaelites (John William Waterhouse) - Waterhouse's Lady of Shalott was up in my dorm room for my entire span of college dorm living. Such detail and emotion! They taught me to see the beauty in tales of woe and gave me the urge to illustrate them.

PHEW! I'm sure I could fit more on here, but those are the big ones! There's a lot more comic artists on here than I ever expected. Guess my geeky roots are showing, eh?

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