joelchaimholtzman - Tumblr blog

[joelchaimholtzman]

Happy to share this weeks DUNE painting I just finished!

Based on last weeks most popular voting; Here is Gurney Halleck, the Master of Arms of House Atreides, and mentor to Paul. He likes to play the Baliset, a nine string instrument. Overal he is embodiement of the ''warrior poet'' archetype, one of the earliest in modern entertainment if I am correct.

Two more DUNE characters to go! Which one should I paint next?

1. Emperor Shaddam IV

2. Rabban

Hope you like it!

Best,

JCH

[joelchaimholtzman]

Happy to share this weeks DUNE painting I just finished!

Based on last weeks most popular voting; Here is Stilgar, the religious Fremen leader from the South.

I liked the idea of giving him prayer beads, and surround him with an ethereal atmosphere, avoiding gold tones as much as possible.

I was heavily inspired by Baroque religious iconography & artist Ludwig Deutsch with the creation of this piece. He traveled to MENA countries to depict the various cultures and tribes in his art; One of my biggest inspirations.

Three more DUNE characters to go! Which one should I paint next?

1. Emperor

2. Rabban

3. Gurney

Hope you like it!

Best,

JCH

[joelchaimholtzman]

Jewish fairy who spreads joy

[joelchaimholtzman]

Happy to have just wrapped up this weeks DUNE painting! Based on last weeks most popular voting; Here is Chani, the determined Fremen warrior from the north.

Four more DUNE characters to go! Which one should I paint next?

1. Emperor 2. Rabban 3. Stilgar 4. Gurney

Also, I saw the movie last week for the second time with my girlfriend and I really like Zendaya's portrayal of the character. The changes from the book to the movie are a really big improvement in my opinion. I am curious how they will bring her arc to a closure in part 3.

Hope you like it!

Best,

JCH

[joelchaimholtzman]

Glad to share this weeks DUNE painting I just finished! Based on your top votes, here is Reverend Mother Jessica Atreides. I plan to make 5 more DUNE pieces for the time being, which one should I make next?

1. Emperor

2. Rabban

3. Chani

4. Stilgar

5. Gurney

For Jessica, I wanted to depict her in her darkest moments with the Water of Life. She is surrounded by the means to gain unlimited power, and is not hessitate to use it to subdue others to her will for what she deems the greater good.

Please let me know what you think!

All the best,

JCH

[joelchaimholtzman]

Happy to share this weeks DUNE painting, based on your most popular choice! Princess Irulan Corrino, the daughter of the emperor and wife to Paul Atreides. She is also known for being a historian, and a member of the secretive Bene Gesserit.

Will try to make another piece next week! Which character should I paint next? Let me know!

For this piece I was inspired by Byzantine iconography and apparel, reflecting the wealth and splendor of the Imperial House Corrino. The scroll depicts her position as historian and the person who wrote down the story of Paul Atreides.

Hope you like it!

Best,

JCH

[joelchaimholtzman]

This weeks DUNE painting I managed to finished in between freelance! Based on your top choices last week, here is The Baron, Vladimir Harkonnen.

Should I continue making more DUNE art? I have plans for either Stilgar or Princes Irulan based on last weeks popular opinion. Which one should I paint next?

Probably the most recognizable archetype from the DUNE universe, the scheming ruler of Geidi Prime has the ambition to rule Arrakis and even sit the Imperial Throne, through any means necessary. The design was inspired by both the Lynch and Villeneuve Versions of the Baron (with a tiiiny bit of Dr Octopus perhaps!)

Hope you like it!

All the best,

JCH

[joelchaimholtzman]

Happy to share a new DUNE piece I painted! This is Feyd Rautha Harkonnen, the sadistic nephew of the Baron and heir to planet Arrakis. I saw the movie two weeks ago and its a solid 10 for me. The visuals and limited color palettes served the narrative to the smallest detail. The entire project also shows that we need MORE mature fantasy/sci fi on a smaller budget.Should I continue making these DUNE characters? Please let me know which character I should make next!

[joelchaimholtzman]

Another piece I made for Knights of Dust and Neon by Monte Cook Games.

Another step out of the comfortzone here with designing creatures. Like vehicles/tech, this is something I get commissioned to paint more often lately, and I enjoy myself greatly exploring these subjects.

Hope you like it! Please let me know what you think,

Cheers,

JCH

[joelchaimholtzman]

Happy to share art for the upcoming project by Monte Cook Games, Knights of Dust and Neon.

Western + Knights + Bikes + High Fantasy; This was a very exciting project to work on! Vehicles are probably one of the subjects I paint the least, so it took some effort to find the right balance between believability and unique design for the bikes (which was a must for the setting).

Hope you like it! Please let me know what you think,

All the best,

JCH

[joelchaimholtzman]

i used to work at a game store and i recognized some of your art!! it’s so cool to now follow you on tumblr, i love your style!

Means a lot!~Thank you! If I may ask, which product was it?

[joelchaimholtzman]

Happy to share a painting I made a few years ago!

This is a female warrior from the medieval Volga Bulgar era; Steppe warriors from the east who settled in Central Europe.

Hope you like it!

Best,

JCH

[joelchaimholtzman]

Painting from some years ago I made of a Hebrew Tribal Leader. Artwork was made for my worldbuilding, set in the Bronze Age Levant and explores the different contemporary cultures and mythologies.

I havent posted quite a bit for my worldbuilding, as I decided to explore different subject matters for the foreseable future. (Avatar, Dune, and more to come). Once the time is right and my visual library has grown, I will revisit the worldbuilding and the ancient Levant.

Hope you are doing well,

JCH

[joelchaimholtzman]

Happy to share a new DUNE painting I made over the last few weeks!

Anyone planning to watch the new movie? I got my tickets for tommorow!

This is Paul Muad'Dib, The exiled young duke of House Atreides, and religious leader of the Fremen people of Arrakis, the desert planet. His unlikely destiny will influence the entire universe for generations to come.

This piece is quite different from how I usually approach my paintings: I went for a high contrast background, and a darker subject matter with a cooler color temperature. It was also fun to play with unlikely focal points, like the dark blue eyes from the spice, and a small vial of stored melange.

Love to know your thoughts on this one!

All the best,

JCH

[joelchaimholtzman]

Painting I made a few years ago as a part of my ancient history series. This is an elite warrior from ancient Judea, Second Temple Era. As always I find a great joy in finding the balance between historical accuracy and personal interpretation. Hope you like it!

All the best,

JCH

[joelchaimholtzman]

nd here is the final painting for my Avatar: The Last Airbender series! Avatar Aang himself, master of the Four Elements and savior of the world.

The cartoon was significant for me when I was growing up. Now that the live action is releasing tommorow, after 20 years since the original I felt that its the time to create my tribute.

This was the first one of the three (Katara, Sokka) that I made, and the piece I spent the least amount of time on. I also had plans for more characters but time constraints wont allow me to work on them just yet! Perhaps in the future.

I hope you like it!

All the best,

JCH

[joelchaimholtzman]

In celebration of the upcoming Avatar series I made three illustrations depicting key characters. Here is Sokka, the boomerang wielding warrior from the Southern Water Tribe.

Please let me know what you think and if you are going to watch the show!

All the best,

Joel