Today we’d like to introduce you to Erik M. Gist.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
When I was young I always drew comics but grew up in a very rural area and wasn’t really aware that this was an option as a profession. My junior year of high school I went to San Diego Comic-Con, and this completely changed my life. I immediately went about gathering as much information about being a comic artist as I could (which pre-internet wasn’t a lot) For the next few years I stumbled through trying to teach myself. Eventually I found a school called Watts Atelier of the Arts. This is where my formal training began. I never did master panel-to-panel comic art, but now make a sizable part of my income from painting comic book covers.
Please tell us about your art.
I primarily oil paint horror and action/adventure cover for comics. Pop-culture has always been a passion of mine, so I really don’t have a deep message to most of my work. I am inspired by mood, lighting, and the hope that I can bring a much need diversion to anyone out there that might need one. I am attracted to projects that focus on the little guy overcoming difficult times.
What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
I would say the demands of artists have gotten more specific and fast paced in this digital age of “not enough time to do it right, but always time to do it again.”, but that same digital world as given us increased opportunities for exposure and personal expression through crowd-sourcing. Any city can support artists by providing them with platforms and venues to meet and interact with the public. One of the most important aspects to an artist making a living is getting their work in front of people.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
People can see my work on any number of comics, including The Strain, Haunted Mansion, Aliens vs. Predator: Fire and Stone, as well as upcoming projects like God of War and Call of Duty comic adaptations. They can also check out my website www.erikgist.com and purchase items from my store.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.erikgist.com
- Email: emgist@erikgist.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/e.m.gist/
- Other: www.wattsatelier.com
Image Credit:
hrsantiport: copyright Guillermo del Toro, hrstraintpb: copyright Darkhorse comics, hravp: copyright Darkhorse comics, hrkolchak: copyright Moonstone books, hrstrain6: copyright Darkhorse comics.
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