[HIRING] Painterly science fantasy illustration - a scene from a Gene Wolfe novel, $200- $350
Hi all! I'm looking to commission a single-figure illustration (in a broader scene/setting) from a favorite book series
The project: An atmospheric scene from Gene Wolfe's science fantasy fiction: a single creature/figure as the focal point in a moody, atmospheric, otherworldly setting. You do not need to have read Wolfe, but it would be a plus if you have - or even better if you've already done illustrations inspired by Wolfe's work I can see. I'll of course provide a full written scene description with all the visual details, plus reference images, privately to the artists I follow up with.
Style I'm looking for: I've gathered a lot of reference artists. What ties my references together: painterly, atmospheric illustration in the lineage of 20th-century science-fiction and fantasy book art. Moody, otherworldly, emotionally serious. Not looking for crisp digital, cartoon, chibi, etc.
Within that, I'm drawn to the below:
- Painterly-realist - dramatic, atmospheric, narrative, luminous: John Jude Palencar, Donato Giancola, Richard Bober, Sam Weber, Eric Fortune, Marc Simonetti, Tom Kidd, Stephen Hickman, Anato Finnstark, Michael Whelan
- Surreal-cosmic - vast, strange, dreamlike, sublime: Zdzisław Beksiński, Dariusz Zawadzki, Chesley Bonestell, Paul Lehr, Ron Walotsky, Bruce Pennington
- Contemporary atmospheric concept art - Anato Finnstark, Richard Anderson
- 'Decorative' - I also love: Alphonse Mucha, Michael Kaluta, Thomas Canty, Moebius, Amir Zand
Honestly, any of these - or a blend - would make me happy.
Deliverable: A high-res, digital file suitable for printing and framing (at least 11x14). I'll handle printing and framing myself! Something physical drawn/painted would be even more incredible, but I have no idea if that's a reasonable ask for my budget!
Budget: $200-$350 USD. I'm flexible on background complexity to fit this.
Deadline: Needed in the next month or so, but I'm flexible on that for the right artist.
To apply: Please reply with a link to your portfolio and a quick note on what $200-$350 would get me for this brief. I'm most interested in portfolios with painterly fantasy/sci-fi or book illustration-esque work.
Thanks so much!