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Behind the Mask with Mark Crow (Art by Mark)
Here is a recent interview with of my great friends Mark Crow (Art by Mark). Credit Johnny Bisco for the interview.
Johnny Bisco:
how old were you when you first started drawing and painting?
Mark Crow: I was very young- in gradeschool. i was drawing star wars figures and snoopy and woodstock. in my early teens, i took up painting. Shortly after, i gave it up to become a portrait illustrator and have been ever nce, but about 5 years ago i took up painting again.
JB: ever piss off any art teachers in school?
MC: lol no but my art teacher in High School took art classes from me outde of class.
JB: what was the first portrait you did that you finally felt like you "nailed it"?
MC: It was my 7th grade year, i drew a model’s face on the back of a magazine. i would sell my portraits for $3 lol
JB: how did you become an art teacher and did you have to go to college and get certified to achieve that goal?
MC: I have a degree in graphic degn but im a self taught artist. You teach that best, which you had the hardest time learning. i teach out of my home studio and at local vocational learning centers.
JB: what inspired you to be a horror movie fan?
MC: I loved blood and guts movies nce the invention of the VCR. I was like so many others- fascinated at the special effects aspect and wanted to watch and much as i could...i was hooked
JB: you do so many great michael myers paintings, are those primarily what you do and how did you get into it?
MC: it was a goof to be honest. i sat down to paint a Myers house from, "Halloween" and months later, i listed it for sale on ebay and it sold in 1 day. so i made another, and another, etc. Thats when i found out about Michael-Myers. Net. I started selling myers artwork on the te and have been busy for the last 2 years it.
JB: when you do portraits of movie characters what do you use for reference?
MC: screen caps, movie stills, whatever’s available. I’ve paused the DVD and taken a picture or two as well. Most of my clients want direct copys of certain scenes. It’s like owning a poster of your favorite scene that you cant get anywhere else.
JB: you once sold a portrait of Gloria Neita ford from Halloween 2 what was she like?
MC: It was a commisoned piece. The buyer sent it to her. I had little else to do with it other than the illustration.
JB: what was it like talking to PJ Soles on the phone?
MC: It was like a dream sequence in a fog... i was ck with the flu and barely able to speak. She said she liked the painting i did of her, and asked if i did other kinds of painting too. I kept thinking to myself, "This will never hapen again so take it all in and remember every second of it
JB: im glad to see you offering your newest Myers House as a print any plans to do that again with anything else?
MC: I hope to do many more illustrations and offer them in print form, the Myers house print is selling well, there are only 40 available and going fast. so i have a few ideas about future prints.
JB: ive nailed a few people stealing pics off you page and posting them on their page as halloween fan art. is there a special place in hell reserved for those people who do that?
MC: Lol, maybe, JK! I laugh about it thinking,"If you’re going to do that, at least have the courtesy to say SCREW YOU"- or something like that.
JB:
you are one of the kindest people i have ever spoken to, ever have any issues with people who think you charge way too much and think you to be a stuck up snob?
MC:
lol yes, i have people tell me they are not fond of my work and that i must think im Mr.Teriffic because of my high vibility. And i’ve been told my work is expenve. Anyone with any measure of success is going to have to go through this sort of thing. Do i let it bother me? No, im a very busy guy.
JB: What do you conder your primary artistic style to be?
MC: I used to be hell-bent on realism (until i went to college) now my work tends to be very color driven with heavy handed brushwork. A lot less realism to a certain extent. And if i could offer advise to anyone interested in painting, it would be "learn color theory" and learn it well. take a college course on it or at least buy a book on it. ALSO: Go see museum exibits of famous artists and study them! Its a must
Mark you are a wonderfull human being and an asset to the horror community thanks for your time
oh i almost forgot a question
what movie would you like out of my catalog?
Thank you BISCO, I appreciate you very much, i think i’ll take the Friday 1 & 2 cut. Best regards to everyone, mark
Johnny Bisco:
how old were you when you first started drawing and painting?
Mark Crow: I was very young- in gradeschool. i was drawing star wars figures and snoopy and woodstock. in my early teens, i took up painting. Shortly after, i gave it up to become a portrait illustrator and have been ever nce, but about 5 years ago i took up painting again.
JB: ever piss off any art teachers in school?
MC: lol no but my art teacher in High School took art classes from me outde of class.
JB: what was the first portrait you did that you finally felt like you "nailed it"?
MC: It was my 7th grade year, i drew a model’s face on the back of a magazine. i would sell my portraits for $3 lol
JB: how did you become an art teacher and did you have to go to college and get certified to achieve that goal?
MC: I have a degree in graphic degn but im a self taught artist. You teach that best, which you had the hardest time learning. i teach out of my home studio and at local vocational learning centers.
JB: what inspired you to be a horror movie fan?
MC: I loved blood and guts movies nce the invention of the VCR. I was like so many others- fascinated at the special effects aspect and wanted to watch and much as i could...i was hooked
JB: you do so many great michael myers paintings, are those primarily what you do and how did you get into it?
MC: it was a goof to be honest. i sat down to paint a Myers house from, "Halloween" and months later, i listed it for sale on ebay and it sold in 1 day. so i made another, and another, etc. Thats when i found out about Michael-Myers. Net. I started selling myers artwork on the te and have been busy for the last 2 years it.
JB: when you do portraits of movie characters what do you use for reference?
MC: screen caps, movie stills, whatever’s available. I’ve paused the DVD and taken a picture or two as well. Most of my clients want direct copys of certain scenes. It’s like owning a poster of your favorite scene that you cant get anywhere else.
JB: you once sold a portrait of Gloria Neita ford from Halloween 2 what was she like?
MC: It was a commisoned piece. The buyer sent it to her. I had little else to do with it other than the illustration.
JB: what was it like talking to PJ Soles on the phone?
MC: It was like a dream sequence in a fog... i was ck with the flu and barely able to speak. She said she liked the painting i did of her, and asked if i did other kinds of painting too. I kept thinking to myself, "This will never hapen again so take it all in and remember every second of it
JB: im glad to see you offering your newest Myers House as a print any plans to do that again with anything else?
MC: I hope to do many more illustrations and offer them in print form, the Myers house print is selling well, there are only 40 available and going fast. so i have a few ideas about future prints.
JB: ive nailed a few people stealing pics off you page and posting them on their page as halloween fan art. is there a special place in hell reserved for those people who do that?
MC: Lol, maybe, JK! I laugh about it thinking,"If you’re going to do that, at least have the courtesy to say SCREW YOU"- or something like that.
JB:
you are one of the kindest people i have ever spoken to, ever have any issues with people who think you charge way too much and think you to be a stuck up snob?
MC:
lol yes, i have people tell me they are not fond of my work and that i must think im Mr.Teriffic because of my high vibility. And i’ve been told my work is expenve. Anyone with any measure of success is going to have to go through this sort of thing. Do i let it bother me? No, im a very busy guy.
JB: What do you conder your primary artistic style to be?
MC: I used to be hell-bent on realism (until i went to college) now my work tends to be very color driven with heavy handed brushwork. A lot less realism to a certain extent. And if i could offer advise to anyone interested in painting, it would be "learn color theory" and learn it well. take a college course on it or at least buy a book on it. ALSO: Go see museum exibits of famous artists and study them! Its a must
Mark you are a wonderfull human being and an asset to the horror community thanks for your time
oh i almost forgot a question
what movie would you like out of my catalog?
Thank you BISCO, I appreciate you very much, i think i’ll take the Friday 1 & 2 cut. Best regards to everyone, mark
Horror Domain - Cursed Evil Overlord
Sunday 12/28/2008 at 03:42 AM | 29622
