Greg Manchess "Above The Timberline" - Release 1/21/09 - Part 2

[MassiveDVD]

Yo... hope you guys enjoy this one! :)

Join us for two rainy days spent in the studio with Greg Manchess as he masterfully combines photo reference with his imagination to craft a beautiful storybook world. Greg covers traditional oil painting techniques as well how to be a professional in the field of illustration. Some of his personal philosophy on the creative path is covered as well, all set to an original score by cutting edge dub step producer DJunya. This painting captures Greg at the very prime of both his career and his painting abilities and we feel fortunate to be able to share it with you.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OVU7tKxki8
Part 1: http://www.payloadz.com/go?id=565417
Part 2: http://www.payloadz.com/go?id=583517
http://www.manchess.com/

Creating a moment that communicates emotionally with the viewer is the essence of Gregory Manchess artwork. A native of Kentucky, he earned a BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art & Design in 1977, but is largely self-taught in drawing and painting. He spent two years as a studio illustrator with Hellman Design Associates before striking out on his own in 1979.

Ryhythm and timing, conveying emotion through brushwork and achieving a balance of concept and aesthetics are essential components of his technique. This has garnered prestigious assignments from an ever-widening list of clients. His art has highlighted covers for Time, National Geographic, Atlantic Monthly, and the Major League Baseball World Series Program; spreads for Playboy, Omni, Newsweek, National Geographic, and Smithsonian; countless advertising campaigns and book covers. For Federal Express he created five paintings for display in the companys corporate headquarters, which were then reproduced and distributed as posters and greeting cards. He has also illustrated movie posters for Paramount, Columbia, and Disney; conceptual work for The Chronicles of Narnia. His portrait of Sean Connery was used as the defining climactic moment in Warner Brothers Finding Forrester.

Manchess interest in history and his excellent figure work has made his paintings a favorite choice of the National Geographic Society on many occasions, including an expedition to the Fond du Lac river in Canada for the 1996 article David Thomson: The Man Who Measured Canada, and illustrations for The Wreck of the C.S.S. Alabama. Gregory has completed a large portrait of Abraham Lincoln and seven major paintings depicting his life for the new Lincoln Memorial Library in Springfield, Illinois.

Currently, he has finished ten mural paintings for a National Geographic exhibition on an actual pirate ship. Entitled, Real Pirates: The Untold Story of The Whydah, from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship that will tour 15 cities and is currently showing in Philadelpia at the Franklin Institute.

His work has also been recognized in the childrens book market. His first book, To Capture The Wind by Sheila MacGill-Callahan, was published in 1997 and nominated for a Caldecott Award, followed by Nanuk: Lord of the Ice, by Brian Heinz, released a year later. His second collaboration with Heinz, Cheyenne Medicine Hat, a story about wild mustangs, was released to wide acclaim in 2006. Other books include, Giving Thanks, 2003, The Last River, 2006, and Magellans World, released by Mikaya Press in 2007. He has just completed a lavishly illustrated book of 5 classic Robert E. Howard stories with 60 paintings. A black and white version was published by Del Rey in 2006 and a full color limited edition is forthcoming from Subterranean Press.

Widely awarded within the industry, Manchess exhibits frequently at the Society of Illustrators in New York, where he has won a gold and four silver medals. The Society of Illustrators in Los Angeles awarded him two silver medals and a Best in Show Award. His peers at the Society of Illustrators in New York honored him with the coveted Hamilton King Award in 1999, based on an artists career accomplishments. The following year they awarded him the Stephan Dohanos Award for the best illustration of the year by a member. Artists Magazine gave him First Prize in their 1990 Wildlife Art Competition. He was featured in Communication Arts in 1995, and featured in 1996, 1998, and 2000 in Step-By-Step Graphics. He has since appeared in many issues of the Communication Arts, Step-By-Step, and Spectrum juried annuals. Spectrum awarded him a silver medal in 2001 and showcased a painting for their call-for-entries 2003 poster. He has exhibited with Eleanor Ettinger Galleries in New York and Hong Kong, and in 1997 was featured in a solo exhibition at the Witham Gallery in Ohio. Gregory is included in Walt Reeds latest edition of The Illustrator in America, 18602000.

He lectures frequently at universities and colleges nationwide and gives workshops on painting at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA.

[Devere]

let me be the first to say why do you keep teasing us so, lol. seriously can't wait, but this doesn't mean I forgot about colour theory which I've been waiting on forever please edit and release that asap. I frickin LOVE this place.

[K-bot]

Simply amazing, I can't wait

[skrubbles]

Holy shit! Can't wait for this one either! :)

[Twitchfinger]

Whoa.. Merry Christmas indeed!

[Victor B]

Manchess!!

[~Faust~]

*faints*

[Hyskoa]

Oil or acrylics?
And which method is used?

[dariocoelho]

Nice!! Can't wait to watch it...

[DBMiller]

Christmas is here (at least soon I hope)!!

[Matsign]

Yes!

I didn't know Greg Manchess worked at Hellman Associates! That's in my city! Holy carp.

[Call0ps]

i know what i want for Christmas ^^

[paberu]

That looks awesome O_O

[Mark Bot]

oh god.
two words
POLAR BEARS!

[ErichSchreiner]

do you have a release date?

[/ev]

nice.

classic Manchess. Looking forward to this one.

[Kan Muftić]

great stuff, cannot wait.

[Brun]

Can't wait to buy this one

[Hive_minD]

Oh snap. Gotta start saving some cash! Damn X-mas shopping!

[ManaBurn]

How fcn COOLLL!!!

[strych9ine]

I do love me some Manchess, this'll be faaaaaaaantastic!

[dCepT]

Downloading as soon as it's done fo' sho'!

dC

[BAMartin]

Looking forward to this a LOT.
I remember first seeing his work years ago on an illustration contest application mailer. Immediately fell in love with his painting style.!

Thanks for putting this out - It can't get here soon Enough !!

Britt

[K-bot]

A lil' something to make you feel warm and toasty this holiday season :)

http://www.manchess.com/


Ok holidays are over! :yum: When can we expect this!!!???

[MassiveDVD]

Ok holidays are over! :yum: When can we expect this!!!???

It's been out for well over 3 minutes now.

[Victor B]

arghh! still ONLY 15$ *LOVE*

[K-bot]

:yayca: :yayca: :yayca: :yayca: :yayca:

[Xeom]

how long is each part?

[MassiveDVD]

how long is each part?

2 parts, 1 hour each. Quicktime, 720 x 480 (NTSC).

[hemP]

Downloading :P

[K-bot]

It was sooooooooooooooo good, I cant wait for part II. Also, what kind of board/canvas is he painting on? What was the actual time spent? I also wish we could have seen a time lapse of the drawing process.


:ninja++: Now I know how he does it...

[DBMiller]

Just downloaded mine. Can't wait to watch it! (I'm at work so I may have to wait till I get home tonight...darn).

[squidmonk3j]

this is simply fantastic.

"...as i'm telling the story of the edge of this coat".

thank you so much:)

[Craig D]

Tons of good info,
production values and sound good overall. Very good when he is actually painting, acceptable to good when he's talking (when it dousn't matter so much, I thought it was a bit dark but that could be just me).

Whatever medium you use is irrelevant, the info on value and colour temperature selection is invaluable.

[BAMartin]

Fantastic!
Just finished watching this, There IS a lot of great info - including mentioning about the need for a professional attitude regarding clients. That's something that's often overlooked.

Thanks again for this,
Looking forward to part two already!

Britt

[Cicinimo]

That was really inspiring! Greg is a master. Can't wait for part 2!

[Earendil]

Crazy awesome! I'm still trying to fit it all in my head! :xplode:

[aaro_n]

inspiration is coursing through my veins, awesome vid!

[realitychek]

Amazing download....very inspiring and I learned a lot from it! Can't wait for part two :)

[/ev]

inspiring stuff.
As always... very engaging.

[BAMartin]

BTW, any estimate on when the 2nd part will be released?

[Darktwin]

great download, awesome process and wonderful words of wisdom, loved the history lesson at the end of the first session regarding art and ninjas, wonderful insight. Definitely looking forward to the second download.

[Takkik]

Great stuff. Just one thing: Could be great to add a second video with just a speeded process with no audio like somes other release, so you can just focus on the master painting :perv:

[thelefthand]

I love this one! This is a great download. Thank you both Greg Manchess and Massive DVD for providing this!

[MassiveDVD]

BAMartin: The plan is early next week.

Takkik: We're trying to be a bit more focused on budgets and release times these days but I'll inquire about it.

[BAMartin]

Excellent, thanx!!

[snootchy]

much thanks to massive black and CA.org for this superb release!
And HUGE props to Greg Manchess!!!

man this just made my year, felt i could really relate to the ninja and art discussion; all this time i thought i was just crazy in the head!

[MarkWinters]

Greg's the best. He makes it all look so easy! Insightful and inspirational. Great download. Kudos to everyone involved!

[Form]

crazy wisdom represent greg :) keep turning that wheel!

[The Lone Gunman]

This is an amazing download. Great info. I saw him at Revelations and ever since I've been hooked. Great work Greg, I'm really inspired by your work.

[Rist]

Anyone else suffering from slow download speeds?

[buzzz3d]

Great stuff. He's an amazing painter and the info provided is very useful.
Took about 3 hours to download but it was well worth it. It looks like he's painting on unstretched canvas or linnen is that right?
Can't wait for part 2.

[Manchess]

Hey ALL! Fascinating....that as I paint a picture in Oregon, it's seen around the world.

Thanks so much for all of your great comments! I am honored. (bowing head) You guys make me want to do some more of this theme. I gotta tell you: I had such a good time doing this video. HUGE thanks to Arrow for her marvelous and comforting direction! And also for taking out all of my "uh's" & "umm's" while I was trying to talk and paint at the same time. You made me sound....uh, normal.

Also thanks to Massive Black for letting me indulge. Let's make a string of these! Maybe I can paint an entire book under the camera.....

And to everyone watching the vid: KEEP GOING! If you pay attention as you work, you'll find a point at which you WILL get much, much better.

[squidmonk3j]

[impatiently waiting for part 2]

Let's make a string of these! Maybe I can paint an entire book under the camera.....

that would be fantastic and greatly appreciated:)

[thelefthand]

Quote: Originally Posted by Manchess
Let's make a string of these! Maybe I can paint an entire book under the camera.....


- Agreed! That would be great to watch a whole book come together.

[BAMartin]

I'll add my vote / wish for a whole series!!

[Jaku]

That would be more than awesome

[Noah Bradley]

Great video. And yeah, I'd love to have a bunch of these.

[ManaBurn]

I would definitely purchase more of these if MB took the time to produce them. I'm still floored that Greg would take time out of his day to do just one. It would be a tremendous boon for us all if we could have even more.

[BAMartin]

BAMartin: The plan is early next week.

Ehmmm....

;)

(Yes, I AM an impatient type)

[Mark Bot]

excellent illustration and the process was a great journey.
Lots of very worthwhile information to illustrators, painters, concept artists, and really anyone who enjoys making art.

Thanks for that Greg and MB, would very much enjoy more. Awesome work as always.

[Sentinel.]

Cripes!! This was absolutely amazing, thank you so much! Huge kudos to CA for offing such awesome material at only 15 bucks a pop. Please, please release more so I can throw my money at you.

[bfowler]

Part 2 is up. Yes!!!

Just wanted to throw my .02 into this thread to thank Conceptart.org and Greg Manchess for such a fantastic video. It was great do see such an accomplished artist work his magic.

By the way, does anyone know what painting that is in the video hanging on the door to Greg's left (when he's painting). It looks like a old school fighter pilot walking towards the viewing with old planes flying overhead in the background. It looks fantastic and I want to see some better views of it.

Again guys, great job.

[squidmonk3j]

i'll be revisiting these vids over and over again...absolutely top notch stuff!

my humble tnx to both mr manchess and mb!

:)

[BAMartin]

Thank you Greg and Massive Black!

These are excellent pieces!

britt

[Serpian]

I just noticed this download today and I instantly bought it. I've just finished watching both parts.

Man, does he make it look easy! I really enjoyed watching him play with the paint, daubing it on like it was nothing else to it. The video was very insightful both regarding painting technique and the business side of it all. Info like this is really what the beginner needs. One small comment on the sound though, even if the volume and quality was all good, as in most CA.org videos, there was some annoying squeeking noises in the background. It wasn't all that annoying though, and the quality of the tutorial itself more than overshadows that little fault.

I guarantee you, if you're interested in illustration, especially in traditional media, this will be one of the best 30$ spent, and you will not regret buying this amazing instructional video. Thank you Greg Manchess, and that you Massive Black.

ps. I agree with bfowler, I'd like to see better pictures of that work in the background as well!

[Craig D]

I believe that background piece was done by Greg during last June in the
Illustration Master Class. Look it up and you should find a pic or two floating around of him working on it.

[Brun]

amazing video, baught them both, and loved them instantly, he has a great vision and shares some great thoughts on his process while painting

[Autumnpuma]

Greg, thank you for inviting us into your studio. It was an honor to watch you paint.

Massive Black, saying 'thank you' to you folks seems such a small thing when compared to what you've done, and are doing, for us artists each day but I'll say it anyway. Thank you.

If you and Greg partner up again to deliver more of these videos, I will certainly be there to support you both.

[Romans6]

Just watched part one and was amazed and completely inspired, thank you so much, I will purchase and watch part 2 tomorrow, I eagerly await to gain more knowledge!!

[Alex Rodt]

Thank you Greg and Massive Black for these two downloads. Very inspiring and a privilege to watch Greg at work and hear his insights. Thank you again.

[Romans6]

part 2 was just as great as part 1, thanks alot Greg and CA very inspiring stuff, hope we get to visit your character in another environment soon!

[xout13]

Awesome!!! Thank you
Please produce more content like this.

[stevethomas]

Friggin loved it.
I just want to know when Greg Manchess is going to put out a book of his work.

[Irene Gallo]

Hey guys, we made desktop wallpapers of the purdy painting. (And one from Stephan Martiniere too!)
http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=12667

[Manchess]

Glad you all like the video! Arrow One directed it and she made me feel so at-ease. She was very concerned about lighting, camera angles (of course!) and especially sound. We worked hard to get a good balance. I'm just glad she didn't shoot me in NYC....constant car horns and sirens. Thanks for a solid video, Arrow!

Some of you asked specific questions...so I wanted to answer those briefly:

I work on pre-primed (acrylic, not oil primed) linen, Fredrix brand at this point. It's durable, flexible, with mild tooth. In comes in various lengths and you can cut it to any size you need. C'mon, it's the 21st century....why stretch canvas to prime? It's also convenient to roll up when it's dry, for shipping purposes. Yes, you can roll up paintings. (Took years to believe it, but true. Many museums roll and store their art.) Always remember to roll paintings image side out.

I use Galkyd & Gamsol for working with the paint. Took me a little time to get used to it since it has different properties than linseed oil & turpentine (nasty).

And next time, I think I will show more of the sketch process.

Thanks for the support everyone!

[john_d]

Yay, there will be a next time!

[Brain]

I've just consumed part one, and am going to let it simmer for awhile before gorging myself on part 2. I've learnt so much out of one session, and I've got questions that I'm going to explore. Heck, I'm looking at my dogs differently now. From a bunch of lines to a swarm of strokes and values.

Thank you Greg for shifting my view. Thank you Massive Black for helping him do so. *bows*

[Kan Muftić]

It is such a privilege to live in a time where we are able to witness the creation of one of the greatest illustrations ever.
And it costs close to nothing.
Thank you for making it possible.
Khan

[Autumnpuma]

Irene, thanks for the wallpapers, they look fantastic!

Greg, there will be a 'next time'? Wow. I will be haunting Irene's blog and Conceptart.org for updates....

[Riddick]

I took the videos one day after the advertising.
Never noticed the thread!

It is a must see.

Greg seems to be a great guy. His advices about the technic but also the work, the freelance work are very good!
It gaves me envy to make something with my oils.
It is the essential/

Would be great to see another one!:sungod: :sungod: :sungod: :android:

Ninja!!

one crit!!<Please change the music at massive black!

[Riddick]

Greg...When will you update your website???

Please!!

[sony]

I want to buy this content, Is there any other way than to pay from paypal? Because fortunately it doesn't support my country

[Ostrander]

I loved watching both of these. I can't wait get my hands on the next.

[Danyct]

Loved it! Thank you so much for making it and hope you make more :)

[Sascha Thau]

I've just lived through both parts and what can I say? I'm extremely grateful that I had the chance to do this. Thanks to Mr. Manchess and the Camera Team. A beautiful painting (it was one of my favorites from the first second I saw it), sensitive editing, really useful advice - a fantastic job all in all.

I don't want to know how many hours I wasted doing/watching/reading something mindless, but I think I got some hours back, because this was so packed with information and wisdom...thanks again.

I hope there will be another time.

PS:
And next time, I think I will show more of the sketch process.

That would be great. I gathered you do a lot of preparing, so it was always on my mind what we did miss beforehand.

PPS:
It is such a privilege to live in a time where we are able to witness the creation of one of the greatest illustrations ever.
second that

[Brashen]

Sex!!

[Sidharth Chaturvedi]

These vids were insanely awesome, both for the stuff Greg talked about and for the actual painting. A lot of the lessons actually worked their way into my digital work, so I really cant wait to get back to oil painting now. I pretty much had to get this after watching him paint in Dallas, didn't disappoint at all. Hope you guys make more! Thanks a ton to Greg.

[Phil Moss]

Hate to revive an old thread but this is the first MassiveBlack DVD tut. that I've seen/bought, and I'm much impressed.
Ofcourse, the greatest boon is picking up those little tricks and skills that are so obvious once discovered and also recognizing some of the stuff that you've discovered on your own is greatly reassurring, and goes to show that art teaches itself once you've made enough mistakes and that your on the right track.
But for me, the opportunity to watch anyone paint, especially at this level, is invaluable. Huge thanks for this, really enjoyed it and will be sure to re-watch when I get stuck in a rutt again. Fantastic painting, really classy with a great presence and sense of 'moment'. An Inspiration.

And as far as using alternatives to linseed oil & turps - is there any bonus in their properties, or just because you don't like the previous? I got a bit conscious about the amount of turps I was flushing into the enviornment, so I now recycle my turps using a waterfilter filled with sand and paper - sad I know!!! But I've been on the same bottle for 10months now without a re-fill! Someone's gotta save the world eh?? ;)

[MassiveDVD]

recycling turps = good
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yFPoHM63aM

and posting additional thoughts/comments about our products is always welcome information.

[Phil Moss]

Well atleast now I know I'm not alone :D I'll have to upload a vid of my method (which takes minutes from crappy turps to useable turps, and uses alot less jars!!) if I knew how to do it. Thanks for that - great to see other people giving a damn ;)

[zanzur]

i have no lucky had to buy this video two parts when its sale event couple yesterday and my internet conection was so snail , even i request for another download , it was same when just still download part one at 70% process download it broken again.

i wasn't blaming to MB :yayca: , they were enough to give me kind for second chace to download.
It was my unpredictable snail connection in here was bad and so wastin time and money.

i'm get to work now.

[Spirit]

I will never ever regret buying this download, the wealth of information Greg has shared in both parts 1 and 2 is phenominal! Watching the videos made me realise my mistakes, and learn new tips and tricks. Thank you Greg for sharing so much useful information with us, and going into such detail about your process of working. It's inspired me to try oil painting, and experiement with a new media I have never used before!

[Mr_jitson]

Absolutely fantastic painting demo from Greg and Massive Black. I downloaded it a short while back and have watched it serveral times. Very informative and inspirational. I sincerely hope you guys have the inclination and the opportunity to do another one soon!

I have a question relating to GM's materials that I hope people might be able to help me with. I'm fairly new to oil painting and have so far mostly painted on canvas boards or stretched canvas that is already mounted on a wooden frame. Greg mentions above that he paints on primed linen (bought in a roll presumably?). I see in the video that he has taped the linen to his desk. Is this simply to hold the material steady while he paints or does he do this to also stretch the linen do you think?

I'm thinking of trying some linen to paint on but I'm not sure if, once I buy a roll, how exactly I can and should use it.

Cheers guys.

[Craig D]

Mr jitson
Greg uses the tape to hold the linen in place while he paints.
He has said that he can stretch it later if he wants to keep the painting.

[Mr_jitson]

Thanks Craig. Just wondered though - if you stretch a canvas after painting on it, does that not run the risk of the paint cracking or of your painting becoming pulled out of shape / distorted?

[Craig D]

yes it is a risk, but oils aren't really dry for at least weeks and maintain some flexibility.
You could distort it if you didn't stretch it properly but you want a taught canvas when you stretch, but not so tight that you are wrecking your canvas.
If you have any more Q's lets take this to the Art discussion forum where more people can see it. (ie start a thread up there)

[Kan Muftić]

It would be great if you guys could ask Greg to make a little Q&A session, sort of "Ask the Artist".
Just an idea.
Khan

[bfowler]

It would be great if you guys could ask Greg to make a little Q&A session, sort of "Ask the Artist".
Just an idea.
Khan

I agree. An "Ask the Artist" section or article from Greg would be great. Dan Dos Santos would be a good one too.

[Farvus]

Maybe you might find some answers in Greg Manchess interview that was lately on Sidebar. I enjoyed it a lot. - http://www.sidebarnation.com/my_weblog/2009/07/greg-manchess-journey-man.html

[LumoGraphite]

Maybe you might find some answers in Greg Manchess interview that was lately on Sidebar. I enjoyed it a lot. - http://www.sidebarnation.com/my_weblog/2009/07/greg-manchess-journey-man.html

yes definately agree, I got a lot out of listening to that interview, still waiting for above the timberline episode 2!

[Spirit]

Maybe you might find some answers in Greg Manchess interview that was lately on Sidebar. I enjoyed it a lot. - http://www.sidebarnation.com/my_weblog/2009/07/greg-manchess-journey-man.html

Thank you for posting the link, I'll be listening to this a lot :P And I heard something about an Illustrated book about Above The Timberline... that sounds awesome! I can't wait for it to be released if it happens, I'll be searching like a hawk.
Greg just seems to have an endless amount of information to share!