First Breach

Tags

Alan Lee, book cover, Brian Froud, Cover Art, Cover design, Digital art, Fantasy Art, Frank Frazetta, illustration, Keith Draws, Peter A. Jones, Rodney Mathews, Todd Lockwood, Value

This is the third in a series of covers I was asked to produce for “The Planar Cycle” series by Chamberlain Potts.
An incredible fantasy that gave me lots of amazing imagery to work with. Here I depicted “The Bleeding Elm“. A thirty-foot gnarly leafless tree with an abnormally thick truck. They’re covered in thick thorns and have vines that run along the ground to capture and impale anything that ventures too close onto the trunk. Along with the Cymarion in the foreground. I always do my best to ensure all my customers get the maximum value and impact and I also really enjoy doing this.

You can visit here to check out the books

First Breach Front Cover

Lots of fun with this one. Dark forests are always a challenge. Once again the inspiration of Frank Frazetta and Todd Lockwood, as well as Alan Lee, Brian Froud, Rodney Mathews, and Peter A. Jones, play a big part, but hopefully I’m mostly channeling me!

First Breach Front, back and spine

Posters are available here

Strong and Dangerous Women

Tags

Alan Lee, Battle, Bryan Choi, dangerous woman, Digital art, Erica Carson, Fantasy, Fantasy illustration, fantasy woman, Frank Frazetta, Frazetta, illustration, KeithDraws, Peter A. Jones, post apocalyptic, science fantasy, science Fiction, strong woman, strong women, Todd Lockwood

Bryan Choi and Erica Carson write these kinds of women incredibly well.

Women with complex backgrounds and motivations, who are determined to achieve their goals. Set in an utterly convincing world engaged in wars and power struggles, magical powers and weaponry salvaged from a bygone higher tech age, the tension and excitement of these books is incredible.

Once again you can probably see the influence of Frank Frazetta and Todd Lockwood, as well as Alan Lee and Peter A. Jones.

You can read about the Authors and see more of their work here: http://storygamers.com/about/
Poster and Prints are available here: https://keithdraws.deviantart.com/gallery/

Starcruiser Polaris Omnibus

Tags

Action, Battlecruiser Alamo, Chris Achilleos, Chris Foss, Digital art, Frank Frazetta, FTL, illustration, Jim Burns, Keith Draws, Mother ship, Nebula, Peter A. Jones, Peter Elson, Polaris, Polaris Omnibus, Pushing the Envelope, Richard Tongue, Rodney Mathews, Roger Dean, Sci Fi, science Fiction, Science fiction art, Space Battle, Space ship, Starcruiser Polaris, Stars, Todd Lockwood

With these covers, I’m doing my best to push the envelope.

Action, intrigue and amazing vistas are all considerations so for this image, I imagined the Starcruiser Polaris bursting out of a nebular, guns blazing,  and I set about it. After a few false starts, this was the result.

POLARIS OMNIBUS cover art © Keith Draws

I love the idea that space has so many things we don’t understand, so many things we can’t even imagine (though I’m trying). I’m utterly awestruck when I think about this stuff and even more so when I’m asked to illustrate some of these incredible ideas by fine authors like Richard.

I do my utmost to infect the viewer with these feelings too just as my favourite artists did to me. People like : (in no particular order )  and I have to thank them: Todd Lockwood, Jim Burns, Chris Foss, Chris Archilleos, Peter Elson, Roger Dean, Rodney Mathews, Frank Frazetta, Peter A Jones and many more, without whom I would be painting landscapes.

This cover wraps the set as one book and so is no doubt a bargain you should not miss.

Check out his Author page on Amazon: https://goo.gl/Q1TCCZ

And his personal Blog: http://richardtongue.blogspot.com/

Posters and prints here: https://goo.gl/cxbA2d

 

Vampire Squid – My Interview

Tags

advice, book cover, Bruce Pennington, Chris Achilleos, Chris Foss, Comic, Comic Art, Digital art, Fantasy, Humorous Science Fiction, illustration, Jim Burns, Keith Draws, KeithDraws, Peter A. Jones, Peter Elson, Roger Dean, Sci Fi, science fantasy, science Fiction, Science fiction art, superhero, superhero illustration, superhero woman, Todd Lockwood, Vampire Squid

I meant to post this when it came out, but I got very busy… I hope you enjoy it.

From the Interview:

“A doodler from an extremely young age, encouraged by the freedom to do as he pleased at school, Keith Draws has been an artist at heart for his entire life. Inspired by the sci-fi, fantasy and superheroes that amazed him as a child, he has gone on to create art for bands, books and games.

With a new sci-fi novel series proudly displaying his artwork on the covers and a crowdfunded superhero anthology in the works, Keith is more in demand today than ever before. He has mastered the art of telling a whole story in just a single frame, using shape and colour and detail to create intriguing and captivating pieces that draw you into everything his named is attached to.

We spoke to Keith to find out how he developed his skills and where they will take him next.

---

Kirstie: How did you get into art?

Keith: Drawing and painting is something I always enjoyed but it became something more when I started school. At the time the school were running an experiment (it was in the ‘60’s). The whole infant block was open plan and the idea was that kids could enter and leave any lessons they wanted to at any time. So of course, I would wander off and draw pretty much all the time. It’s all I remember doing for those two years. More…”

Era: The Empowered art

Tags

Comic Art, Digital art, Era:The Empowered, illustration, KeithDraws, RPG., Shades of Vengeance

I know I’ve been a bit quiet lately. That’s because I’ve been working on all the art for this:

You can visit the Kickstarter here to learn all about it.
https://goo.gl/q9f89E

We made Number 1 in Amazon’s “Humorous Science Fiction” Chart

Tags

beautiful woman, Digital art, dog, E.M. Foner, Humorous Science Fiction, illustration, Keith Draws, robot, Science fiction art, space station, starship, Union Station

Just found out “Union Station 1, 2 and 3” bundle, hit number one on Amazon’s “Humorous Science Fiction” Chart! And “Union Station 1″ is number two! ” While Union Station 13″ is number Four on the chart. Just wow…
Well done E.M. Foner!

Union station 3 book bundle cover art © Keith Draws

“Punishment” by Guerin Zand

Tags

alien, Chris Foss, design, Digital art, Fantasy, fantasy woman, Frank Frazetta, Jim Burns, Keith Draws, Peter A. Jones, Peter Elson, Sci Fi, science fantasy, science Fiction, Science fiction art, science fiction illustration, sexy woman, superhero woman, Todd Lockwood

Following the theme of the first book “Child’s Play“, Guerin asked me to show how the main character (and possibly the whole of Earth) is punished for their bad behavior by the Alien Race, who guide human advancement in the background- Mainly through the actions of Guerin’s Nemesis, Julie of the Bree.  I decided to take the viewpoint of a child being told off by their mother:

Punishment cover art © Keith Draws

The book is on sale here and if you get there quick enough it’s free and it’s a great read.

Once again you can see many of my influences there. My buddy Jim Burns (alien tech and just pure astounding difference) , Chris Foss and Peter Elson (for the sheer massive scale and detail they can imbue in their work), Peter A. Jones ( for the dynamism and the colour), Todd Lockwood (whose painting technique and compositional sense astounding to me) and once again Frank Frazetta (who achieves sexy, and dynamic with sheer class).

Posters are available here: https://keithdraws.deviantart.com/art/Punishment-by-Guerin-Zand-706231250

Child’s Play by Guerin Zand

Tags

Child's Play, Chris Foss, Digital art, Fantasy, Frank Frazetta, Frazetta, Guerin Zand, illustration, Jim Burns, Keith Draws, Peter A. Jones, Sci Fi, science fantasy, science Fiction, Todd Lockwood

When Gurin got in touch with me he told me:

 “I’ve seen your work for E. M. Foner’s Union Station series and I think your style is exactly what I am looking for.
I have the concept for what I want, based on an event in the book, and it does include a beautiful woman which I want to be sexy, innocent, funny but not sexual. That is why I think your work on Union Station is spot on.”

I liked the sound of this and after reading the book the image almost created itself in my mind. It’s an unusual book that tells the tale of a very different alien abduction. The protagonist has a lot of extraordinary experiences to deal with and uses his razor-sharp, yet gentle wit, to carry himself (and the reader) through the journey of a lifetime.
Guerin’s original idea was to have one of the main characters posed as I’ve shown her in front of the shuttle and while I liked this I was afraid it wouldn’t indicate enough  of what the reader would experience so I decided to feature some of the more spectacular scenery from the book too and after I’d worked out a layout, we both agreed this was the way to go.

Child’s Play cover art © Keith Draws

I’m sure if you care to look you’ll see some of the influences there. My buddy Jim Burns (he’s so good at alien tech and aliens in general that I always have to look through his stuff  just try and get into that headspace) , Chris Foss (for the sheer massive scale he can imbue in his work), Peter A. Jones ( for the dynamism and the colour), Todd Lockwood (whose painting technique and compositional sense astounding to me) and I’m of course trying to channel a little Frank Frazetta there (and I feel like maybe I succeeded a little this time).
I have to admit to being very pleased with the end result.

You can pick the book up here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071K95PG5

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071K95PG5

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/729865

and posters are here: http://keithdraws.deviantart.com/

Alien Abduction

Tags

Alien Abduction, book cover, Cover Art, Cover design, Digital art, Fantasy Art, illustration, Keith Draws, Mason Dodd, Nash, science Fiction

Nash- the Abduction by Mason Dodd

Alien abduction is not a subject I’ve explored in art before. This project gave me the opportunity.
The book is available here: https://goo.gl/ad2G4O
Posters here: http://goo.gl/hggfPw

Nash-The-Abduction- cover art © Keith Draws

Science Fiction and Fantasy Dreaming.

Tags

book cover, Boris, Bruce Pennington, Chris Achilleos, Chris Foss, Cover Art, Cover design, Digital art, Dream, Fantasy Art, Frank Frazetta, illustration, Jim Burns, Julie Bell, Keith Draws, Peter A. Jones, Peter Elson, pursue your dreams, Richard Tongue, Sci Fi, science Fiction, Science fiction art, Todd Lockwood

And How Those Dreams Came True.

As a youth I spent hours in bookshops, looking for scifi and fantasy art on book covers. I’d find a few I liked, buy them and when I got home, I’d study the art and try to learn how to do it. I dreamed about doing that kind of art for a living.

Jim Burns, Todd Lockwood, Peter A. Jones,  Chris Foss, Chris Achilleos,  Frank Frazetta, Boris and Julie Bell, Bruce Pennington and Peter Elson (to name but a few) were major influences. In the past few years, I’ve even been lucky enough to get to know a few of these people.

Even more amazing I actually now get paid to do work in that genre. I produce a lot of Sci fi images for the Great and Prolific Author Richard Tongue. In fact, I’ve done more than twenty illustrations for him to date, and they just get more challenging every time.

Always pursue your dreams. It’s worth it.

Here are a few of the more recent covers I’ve done for Richard:

The Battle of Hercules cover art © Keith Draws

 

Interceptor cover art © Keith Draws

Starfighter cover art © Keith Draws

Forbidden Seas cover art © Keith Draws