Artist Interview: Lucas Graciano

Lucas Graciano, hard at work on his next work of art!

First, please tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Lucas Graciano. I live in San Diego, California with my very supportive wife. I'm a freelance fantasy illustrator. I've been working on the LON game for a little over a year now. Some of my game credits include Legends of Norrath, Star Wars Galaxies, World of Warcraft TCG, and Dungeons and Dragons.

How long have you been an artist?
Ever since I could hold a pencil!

How did you get started? How has your talent progressed?
I started by doing caricatures at local theme parks and special events. It was here that a co-worker introduced me to a school in Encinitas California, The Watts Atelier. The school helped me gain the foundation skills I needed to work doing what I love to do. During my time at the school, I worked for various video game companies and began teaching at the school. Now I freelance as a fantasy illustrator and continue to teach on the side.

Eldar Fury - With this piece I felt that I hit a style and look I want to move towards on my other works. I like the sense of movement in this piece. It also has that grounded sense of fantasy that I really enjoy.

Have you had any professional schooling/training?
It was in 2001 that I first heard of The Watts Atelier. This school is designed in the old fashion of the French Ateliers, with emphasis on strong foundational drawing skills. After taking classes for 4 years I was asked to teach and have been doing so since 2005.

What media do you work in and what is your favorite?
I started out as a digital artist, but once I got the training for traditional media, I fell in love. I mostly use oils with an occasional dip into gouache (an opaque water based media).

Fighting the Infestation - Wait a minute....you are actually going to pay me to paint this kind of stuff?! Does it get any better?!

What or who inspires you?
I'm inspired by new artists every day. Some of my favorites: Dean Cornwell, Frank Frazetta, Sargent, Morgan Weistling, Mian Situ, Greg Manchess, Jon Foster, Justin Sweet, Phil Hale... and the list goes on. I look at illustrators as well as fine artists, there is something to learn and be inspired by from everyone!

What do you use for references? Do you use real models?
I do use real models. I have a small collection of costumes that I'll throw on myself, my wife, and willing friends. Being at the school, I have an endless supply of students who are usually willing to help also.

Kaladim Wizard - I had a lot of fun painting this one. I have a friend who has sort of become my designated dwarf model. He's got a big beard and is a sport when it comes to wearing my heavy armor and posing for pictures. I think that he posed for every dwarf in this painting.

Who is your favorite character to render in LoN?
I don't know that I have a favorite, but I really like the freedom that comes with illustrating this game. Roger Chamberlain once gave me an assignment with this very obscure piece of in-game reference and said... "Make this look cool!" That's the kind of freedom I think most artists want!

Could you explain the process you go through when creating card art for LoN?
After getting the description, I usually get a picture in my head. I try and stay away from that initial picture though. I will force myself to come up with at least three to six other ideas, just in case my initial thought isn't the best one. During this time of idea development, I'm going through my collection of art books, looking for inspiration. I look for anything that might spark some new way of looking at the description differently.

Master's Rage - This is my latest illustration for LON. I've been looking at a lot of Jon Foster's and Phil Hale's work. They are huge inspirations! They both capture such a great energy in their work. This is something I continue to strive for.

After nailing down an idea, I'll do a rough sketch and send that over for approval. Once approved, I then shoot my photo reference and create a more finished sketch based on my reference. I then transfer the sketch to a surface that I pre-prep. From there, it's just the hours of painting it takes to finish the piece. I've found that the preproduction time is the most valuable, this is where I will spend most of my time. I make sure I have the right idea, composition, photo reference, and finished sketch. The actual application of the paint is the final stage of the process.

Any tips or tricks for aspiring artists out there?
I'm a huge advocate for gaining strong foundation skills. Learn how to draw. All of the top artists out there will tell you the same thing. Without strong drawing skills, it's very difficult to be a good illustrator, fine artist, comic book artist, or any other kind of artist.

Silverwing - One of my favorites I've gotten to do for LON. I'm happy with the mood and dynamic composition especially with such a simple overall design.
Word of Pain - This is one of the first paintings I did for LON. The thing I like most about working for SOE is that they give me a lot of freedom. This frees me up in the sense that I'm not afraid to take chances and the results are often better than if I had lots of restrictions.