The advent of the Internet has provided a tremendous opportunity to look at artwork and artists that was previously unavailable (it’s also a great way to waste time). There are many artists and illustrators working today that I admire, and I spend a good deal of time looking at artist’s web sites and social media pages. I make a daily visit to the blog of James Gurney. In addition, a group of professional illustrators maintain a collective blog, “Muddy Colors,” that I cannot recommend highly enough. I suggest that anybody interested in art visit these two blogs as a daily dose of education and inspiration.
For inspiration for the type of art I aspire to do, and the type of art I enjoy, I look to a few modern icons such as Frank Frazetta, James C. Christensen, William Whitaker, the Brothers Hildebrandt, Scott Gustafson, James Gurney, and Boris Vallejo. From there, I look back to the giants of the recent past: N.C. Wyeth, J.C. Leyendecker, Maxfield Parrish, Norman Rockwell, and Howard Pyle. I find many artists to admire from the 19th century back to the Renaissance, and from the Renaissance back to ancient Greece.
I follow various artists on social media, and enjoy seeing their updates on the work they’re doing. Below is a short list of artists I follow on Instagram: