Historical illustrator and freelance artist.
United States
Joined September 2021
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"On the March", illustrated for @ancientwarfare issue 108 (out now!).
A contubernium of Roman soldiers takes a break from the harsh conditions of a march in the East in the first century AD.
Dust caked faces, blistered feet, incredible heat-I really wanted to convey the exhaustion of a forced march through difficult terrain.
Rate my pumpkin- it was supposed to be Cluny the scourge ( a sea rat), but I messed up and now it's a wolf
Alex Zapata retweeted
Things changing throughout the painting process is pretty normal as you spend time with an image and make decisions.
Especially if you don't do your due diligence early on in the process. This is from 2017-18, when I would foolishly rush through the sketch phase.
I am staunchly against gen ai and would never use it for my art. I even lost a steady job this year because the pushed everyone into using AI and I refused at significant financial harm. I hope this timelapse helps you understand I do not use AI.
youtu.be/jhdQXRVUwv4
Alex Zapata retweeted
WIP of an illustration about the aftermath of the Battle of Himera, Sicily 311BC.
I included a bit of context. It still feels a bit strange to me to paint images with so much light.
Alex Zapata retweeted
I love creating large-scale compositions.
An exercise I did during my studies really helped me with this: I would print out all the paintings I liked, and then analyze their composition. I did this with several hundred paintings.
In my view this is the best way to learn.
Alex Zapata retweeted
Batch of never before posted illustration of 1st century B.C. troops
-Judean thureophoros
-Galatian Mercenary
-Bythinian light infantryman
Alex Zapata retweeted
The talented and knowledgeable David Rickman reconstructed these warriors first attested in 1689, until the early 19thc, in a series of drawings, showing how even the legs were protected under horse armor. Not included are their thick buff coat with neckguard and helmets.
