Sketchbook Studies

Completed Sketchbook

I try to fill a sketchbook every month, this is my latest effort. Pentel black 101 brush pen, prismacolor verithin orange pencil and waterbrush in a "hand-book" sketchbook made by Global Art Materials.

Rio 2 Concept Art

Class Demo

Glass Eyed Frog

Rio 2 comp

Rio 2 Concept Art

Disney Color Script Wall

A section of my color script has been featured wall size at Disney. This is the pirate song sequence from The Pirate Fairy.

Disney Color Script

This board is a selection of my paintings for Disney's The Pirate Fairy. The movie was co-color scripted by Fred Warter and myself. We broke up the project into sequences and ended up doing some 400 paintings each. The goal was to create a real sense of color, light and magic, I hope you like the work, I sure had a great time doing it. More to come.

Rio 2, Flight Montage Study

RIO 2!

Rio 2 has now hit theaters. I did inspirational concept art for the show including color, lighting and location design. I hope you like it!

Thanks Toronto!

 We had a great time at Schoolism live Toronto this year, hope to visit your city sometime soon.

From left to right: Kei Acedera, Marcelo Vignali, Bobby Chiu, Paul Lasaine and Nathan Fowkes. Photos by Keith Acedera.

Schoolism Spring Sale, $100 off on Designing with Color and Light!

Click the picture or here to enroll today!

Demo Roughs in Gouache

Concept art from Sinbad, Legend of the Seven Seas

Charcoal portrait

Compressed charcoal on Rives paper.

A stand alone full demo and self taught class are available online.

Matte Painting

This is a matte painting for Puss in Boots and the Tres Diablos.
I did use a bit of photo texture in the nearest foreground to help get the right look. Everything else is painted freestyle.

Location Rough

New Online Class!

 I'm excited to announce the opening of my new online class: Environment Design. More info and registration here.
Feel free to add your email to the list as we will be announcing additional session start dates soon!

Gouache Rough

Puss in Boots Color Key

The Prince of Egypt

This is one of my background paintings from the Prince of Egypt, 1996.

From the archives, 1999

Charcoal on Strathmore paper.

Character Design Freelance Needed

Hi all,
My brother Doug Fowkes owns and runs a production and marketing firm and is need of character design work for a short term project. He's looking for concept sketches for a new line of plush animal characters based on the concept "They're so ugly, they're adorable!"  

Get complete info here then contact Doug at doug@infomercialsinc.com to submit portfolio samples.

Schoolism live in Florence!

For those of you out there living in Italy, I invite you to join myself and the great Terryl Whitlatch in Florence on March 13 for a day of fun filled artist workshops!

Hope to see you there!

Gouache Sketchbook Study

Done in a 180lb oatmeal paper sketchbook.

Location Study

Daily Studies from 2013

This is a sampling of my 2013 sketchbooks.
Happy New Year!!

Happy Holidays!

 This is from an early version of Shrek's Holiday special.

Elephant Grotto, a tonal comp

Online Charcoal Drawing Class January 13

I'm very proud of my online portrait drawing course, the fully critiqued session where I work with you personally begins January 13. Signup here: http://laafa.org/art-classes/online-nathan-fowkes-step-by-step-portrait-drawing-course-january-13-2014/

The class is also available as self study: http://laafa.org/art-classes/online-nathan-fowkes-drawing-the-portrait-in-charcoal-self-study-course/

Charcoal on Strathmore Paper

If you'd like to head to Vegas in a couple of weeks...

I'm going to be a part of the Autodesk CAVE conference in Las Vegas on December 2 at 2:45pm. My presentation is:

Storytelling and the Hidden Language of Production Design

Storytelling is successful when an audience is not consciously aware of the underlying visual design, it just feels right. Artists find real success when they learn how to visually connect with their audience on an emotional level. In this presentation, concept designer and animation artist Nathan Fowkes will take you on a behind the scenes look at how the visual storytelling process can be designed to powerfully affect viewers emotions through the subtle use of color, light, shape and space. Nathan will share concepts as well as experiences and anecdotes based on his 18 years working with such notable clients as DreamWorks, Disney and Blue Sky.

CAVE Conference is dedicated to bringing together artists, designers, and storytellers to explore and celebrate the fundamental spirit that traverses these creative domains and disciplines. CAVE welcomes professionals and aspiring professionals alike!

It was fantastic to meet all of you who came out to CTNX, and great to reconnect with some of the Superstars who were mentors to me on my first feature, The Prince of Egypt.

Here's one of my scenes with the original color key sketch:

My CTNX Demo Saturday at 4pm!

For those of you attending CTNX this weekend, stop by and join me Saturday at 4 to 4:45pm in the digital atrium for my demonstration. The topic will be using color and light as major design elements for concept art.

And I'm looking forward to meeting those of you who signed up for my Friday workshop (sold out).

See you there!

From Puss In Boots

Northern California Studies

A Full $100 Off My Self Taught Class, Sale Ends Friday

The sale is now over, thanks so much for the overwhelming response! The class will remain available at this link as self taught or fully critiqued. I hope to have a chance to work with you in the future.

Give your work beauty and artistry, drama and emotion, give it designed color and light! A full $100 off the regular price for the self taught class until Friday October 18. Now is the the moment you've been waiting for! Easy signup here.

Sign up for my CTN Animation Expo workshop!

This event is now sold out but I am doing a presentation/demo on the main floor Saturday afternoon at 4pm. See you there!

I hope to see you all at the CTN Animation Expo this year! My workshop is on Friday Nov. 15, 5:30pm and is now taking enrollments. Only $10, sign up while seats last!  Click this link and go to the third one down called "How to Find Artistry"

Here's a description:

Finding Artistry and Elegant Simplicity in Complex Concept Art 

As an animation artist, you'll be required to find beautiful artistry and clarity within challenging and complex subject matter. Whether it's sophisticated architecture, busy foliage or a landscape filled characters, this workshop will give you tools to meet the challenge!

Location Design

My Self Taught Online Course: Designing with Color and Light Fall Sale!

Give your work beauty and artistry, drama and emotion, give it designed color and light! A full $100 off the regular price. Now is the the moment you've been waiting for! Easy signup here.

Enter the Villain

Florianopolis Brazil Workshop!

For any of you in Brazil, I'm very excited to travel to Florianopolis for workshops with Pixar's Louis Gonzales on November 2-3

See you there!

http://www.schoolism.com/workshop-florianopolis/

Color Exploration While Listening to Music, 1998

Charcoal and Pastel on T-V Bristol