The Art of Christophe Vacher

Christophe Vacher (1966 - present) is a French artist who has provided backgrounds, visual development, and art direction for Walt Disney feature animation films and the animation industry since 1989. Prior to joining Disney’s Paris-based animation unit, Vacher worked in several different animation studios. He has painted backgrounds for such films as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", "Runaway Brain" and he served as the head background artist for the 1995 feature, "A Goofy Movie".

 
(Vacher, Christophe. Spirit Rising. oil on canvas.)

He attended Fine Arts school in his native France, where he studied medieval architecture. Vacher grew up in a remote central area of France that looks very much like Ireland and it is famous for its Celtic/Roman shady past, its sorcery (still practiced nowadays), and its dark legends.

 
(Vacher, Christophe. Spring. oil on canvas.)

After relocating to California in 1996, he continued his association with Disney. He also provided concept artwork and painting for Dreamworks' "Shark Tale". In 2004, he got into Art Direction, first on a CG animated short movie for Studio Arts in Los Angeles, then for the animated segment of Disney's live-action movie "Enchanted". He is currently directing art for the CG feature film "9", produced by Tim Burton and directed by Shane Acker.

 
(Vacher, Christophe. The Long Sleep. oil on canvas.)

Vacher says, “Aesthetics is very important in my work. It’s all about the natural elegance and the composition of the images. I am a perfectionist, but sometimes, I push it too much, and I should let the work go a little looser.”

 
(Vacher, Christophe. Mistress of the Winds. oil on canvas.)

Vacher now shares his time between personal artwork for galleries, covers for books, CDs, video games, and movie studio work. His personal work paintings immerse the observer in a realm of fantasy, which effortlessly takes them on a journey to another world that is both soothing and relaxed. He is a multi-talented artist and his work is much appreciated here! 

Enjoy :) 

Reference: Christophe Vacher

The Art of Joe DeVito

From Joe DeVito's Bio: Joe DeVito was born on March 16, 1957, in New York City. His family later moved to New Jersey where he grew up in the town of Berkeley Heights. It was while in the city, though, that his life-long love of dinosaurs and fantastic creatures began, with his first viewing of King Kong.

   

(DeVito, Joe. War of the Worlds.) 

 A frequent visitor to the Museum of Natural History as a boy, his infatuation with all animals has never left him. He graduated with honors from Parsons School of Design in 1981, studied at the Art Students League in New York City, and has taken several workshops in human and animal anatomy with John Zahourek. 

(DeVito, Joe. Software Too Large.) 

 He has also contributed widely to the fields of advertising, magazines, and comics in the form of covers, posters, and trading cards, painting such characters as Batman, Spiderman, Superman, and Wonder Woman for DC Comics and Fleer; several covers for MAD Magazine. Over the last twenty-four years, Joe has illustrated hundreds of book covers specializing in science fiction, fantasy, adventure, horror, and dinosaurs. His love of learning and his strong artistic inclinations have led to a long career as an illustrator and sculptor. (http://www.jdevito.com/)

(DeVito, Joe. Wonder Woman c. 1995.) 

I used to read Wonder Woman comics when I was little and I still love the Wonder Woman comic book character. I've collected a lot of comic book art in the past and I always love the attention to detail that's added. I love the energy that this puts out, it really catches the essence of a woman, who could, in fact, conquer the world. It also inspires me and makes me want to go out and conquer the world! If you like the art of Joe DeVito, please check out his website at http://www.jdevito.com/. His art is truly amazing and much appreciated here! 

Enjoy :) 

Reference: Joe DeVito