Sometimes a picture paints a thousand words. I’m not sure how long my average blog post is, but this week I’m letting Ashley Wood’s incredible artwork take centre stage while I keep my contribution to a minimum.
A talented illustrator, working with a mixture of oils, ink and digital media, Wood could rightly be referred to as an artist – though some in the establishment may well turn up their noses. Just taking a look at the vast collection of work in progress and sculpted models in his packed studio reveals a dynamic individual who’s prolific output enables him to cover so many markets.
Working his way up the distinguished comic book illustration ladder, Wood’s career began with contributions to Judge Dredd, then moving on to international acclaim with Marvel and DC. Now his artwork can be seen in the digital world as he is in demand within the computer and console gaming industry, his characters have been transformed into intricate scale models and he now prepares to make his next big step into motion pictures.
The move to film is a result of the success of World War Robot (WWR) a series of graphic novels revolving around the war between downtrodden humans and warring robots in epic battles for Earth (etc, etc). All good fun and brilliantly illustrated, so much so that Jerry Bruckheimer, the hollywood blockbuster-meister, has snapped up the movie rights. Sit back and prepare for blast off.
Ashley Wood has a style that is perfectly suited to the moment. He has the ability to successfully combine brush, pen and pixel to create stunning graphic images with an intelligent balance of white space and a sensitive use of typography.
At the other extreme, many of his paintings are embodied with an incredible timelessness – just add an elaborate frame and they wouldn’t look out of place next to a Monet or Constable. I think I know which would have more robots.