Dennis Willman is an artist’s artist. The guys talent is unbelievable, just ask the guys and girls who have asked out one of his pieces of art, Ginger-Stein! Dennis does commission work, movie posters, DVD art, an art series called PlayZom (check this out), comics, he also does logo design work and art for events. Dennis is also involved in something very close to my undead heart, he is involved with Comic Book Divas and Jeff Hughes and the upcoming series “Behind the Mask” which features the likenesses of many of our favorite Scream Queens and horror film stars taking on a superhero/ villain kind of role. Read on as we talk about Dennis’ beginning as an artist, his inspirations and we go behind the scenes with “Behind the Mask” and other upcoming projects from artist extraordinaire Dennis Willman.

Brian  S- Hey Dennis. Your artwork is simply amazing, how did you get this good? What age did you start drawing?

Dennis - Thanks for the kind words. I’ve been drawing since I was able to pick a crayon, right around age two according to my mom, so I’ve been practicing all my life. I’ve always taken it very seriously. It’s kind of like when a kid really gets into music, martial arts or ballet. There’s a level of commitment you naturally come by that drives you, because you love it and because you can’t imagine doing anything else. In short; tons of practice and near obsessive need to create.

Brian  S- Please tell us a little about your artwork and the process and length of time for some of your pieces.

Dennis-  The process always varies for different reasons. In the last few years, the bulk of the work I’ve been commissioned for is motion picture oriented, so there’s a lot of precise pencil work and planning that goes into the composition. Usually, I’ll start sketching the day of recieving the commission and work the sketch until I’m happy with the likenesses. I never do one whole piece. Each character, item and element is done separately so I can make adjustments and alterations later in the game. If I’m fortunate, I get to photograph my subjects firsthand and work from there, otherwise I’m at the mercy of what’s available. I like to read the script or get some background from the producers/directors so I can emotionally invest in the project, the characters and the story. The art comes out so much better if you can find a solid emotional attachment… it helps me bring out the best points of the movie, story and characters and gives the imagery an impact it would otherwise lack if I had just randomly drawn it.
 
     I’m a portrait artist first and foremost, so I’m able to nail down a likeness fairly quickly. Once I’m done with that, I scan my art into photoshop and begin digitally painting, using just about every trick in the book to create a hyper-realistic yet stylized piece of art. The short pieces can take between 5 -10 days, while more in depth, multi-character complex pieces can take up to 2 – 3 months. Now that I’ve gotten really comfortable, I can crank out the moderately difficult pieces in about a week to two weeks.

Brian  S- Who are your inspirations?

Dennis- There are many, and from varied places. Alex Ross and Drew Struzan are two artists that have had a tremendous impact on me. Their artwork is in a class that defies logic, truly the highbar mark for anyone who wants to do emotionally engaging work. I grew up studying their techniques and their artwork. What those guys can do with a brush and paint boggles my mind. Kim Hyung Tae, an amazing Korean artist, had a profound effect me. The Hildebrandt Brothers, Alphonse Mucha and Adam Hughes have also proven to be strong influences on my work. Though not traditional, H.R. Giger and Stan Winston’s designs and creature creations have also shaped a lot of my design asthetics and sensibilities. Music plays a huge role in what I do. Composers like Jerry Goldsmith, Fred Myrow, Malcolm Seagrave, Marco Beltrami, Brian Tyler and Harry Manfredini have shaped the heart and soul of my work to huge degree, especially Goldsmith. I never work without one of their film scores playing in the background.

Brian  S- Some people have to make a double-take at some of your art because the characters look so real. some have even made a pass at your Gingerstein, can you tell us just a little about it?

Dennis- Ginger’s creation was an experiment in bizarre behavior, and still is. I created Ginger in the summer of ’08, just after I had completed the promotional posters for “Killer Biker Chicks.” She was this odd, Amazonian horror chick in black leather with laced scars, crazy eyes and yellow skin. I was in a bit of a lull, not a lot of work coming in, so I decided to experiment with this character and see what happened. I did up a batch of 10 illustrations over the next few months and then created a MySpace profile for her, complete with a fake bio and filmography. Within the first month, Ginger had recieved 456 friend requests, two marriage proposals, more pick-up lines than I can count, an acting gig and an offer to be flown to New York for one week to be some knucklehead’s dominatrix, all expenses paid and $800.00 cash. Ginger was getting better job offers than I was. A few people tried to track down some of her faux films, most notably “Gristlehead” which was a parody of “Eraserhead.” One fellow actually made phone calls to different distributors trying to track that film down… 
 
It just went from there, and slowly people started realizing she was hand drawn and digitally colored. Because I can draw people like I do, the mistake was an easy one if you’re just looking at a glance. Low res internet pictures can blur the lines very easily, but yeah there were a lot of very disappointed men and a few women. If nothing else, it’s an interesting look at how the instant gratification of the internet and the culture that’s been built up around it has blurred the line preception. 

Brian  S- Ok, tell us about the project/projects you’re involved in right now?

Dennis- At the moment, I’m attached to several different projects. In terms of film, I’m working on the films “Hallow Pointe,” “Witch’s Playground,” “FEED,” “Strip Club Slasher” and “The Perfect Serial Killer.” All these films are vaires stages of production and due to be rolling any time. Most of my functions on a film include creature design and promotional artwork, but I’m also branching out into other genres. I’m carrying art duties on Jeff Hughes webcomic, “A Life Behind the Mask,” a super-hero parody series that has so many actresses attached you could almost create two softball teams. It’s very cool stuff, and the cast is amazing.
 
I’m handling the writing, cover, and promotional art on “Ginger-Stein: Rise of the Undead” at Comic Book Divas. Josh Barker, a very talented artist, will be handling the interior artwork for me. One of the awesome aspects to “Rise of the Undead” is that a lot of my friends from the indy horror biz have agreed to be the models for the characters in this story; Shannon Lark, Cari Morbid, Elske McCain, Scarlet Salem, Monique Dupree, Cody Matthew Blymire, Bobby Ray Akers, Jr., Dee Dee Bigelow and many more have lent their talents to making this happen. And, Leslie Easterbrook agreed to model for a character as well, so I am very stoked. As the series goes on, you’ll see more faces familiar and new.

Brian  S- What would be your dream project?

Dennis- Any paying gig is a dream project, man. But, if I had my pick, I’d love to work with Don Coscarelli, Bruce Campbell, Tony Todd or Cassandra Petersen. If ever Coscarelli made a “Phantasm V” I’d throw myself at that project. I’d indenture myself into slavery for a shot at that film…

Brian  S- I picture myself as a modern day superhero but without the six-pack abs. Kind of Stormtrooperish meets Underdog because I would have to wear a cape with all that Stormtrooper gear and always make a ryhme as I show up to save the day. Can you visualize this? Tell me a little what your process would be for this “ultimate” project.

Dennis- You know, any concept can work as long as you think it out and stylize it, give it some soul. I’d look at what inspired your costume idea, work with the visually appealing elements and start designing based off that. This sounds like a challenge, and if so, I accept.

Brian  S- Tell everybody where they can go to check your artwork out! Can it be purchased anywhere?

Dennis- Right now, the best places to go would be Facebook, Comic Book Divas and MySpace, as I have fairly extensive galleries on those sites. In the next few months, the Ginger-Stein website will be up and running and anyone will be able to order poster artwork, custom artwork and commissions. For now, the best way to get the artwork is to contact me through one of those sites. I always respond to every email and request.

Brian  S- Would you like to say anything to the fans out there?

Dennis- Hmmmm… well, I didn’t know I had fans until just now. I’d say thank you for your support and encouragment. The best is yet to come.

*Star Trek piece is a combination of model photography and artwork.*

 Brian  S- Oh yeah buddy you have a lot of fans and I just appointed myself your manager/agent. That’s 10% off the top right!

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Exclusive Interview: Artist Dennis Willman Vs. Brian S