April 16, 2008

Donato will be a special guest at the 2008 annual ConComic Convention in Guadalajara, Mexico where he will be selling artwork and giving various lectures and signings.

For more information about ConComics 2008, including registration and directions please visit: http://www.concomics.com/gdl/indexgdl.html

This class will provide an in-depth exploration of the contemporary and historical approaches to portraiture. Emphasis will be upon figurative narration, draftsmanship, aesthetics of abstraction and contextualization as a generated through the traditional media of drawing and painting. Assignments will lead the student through the sketch, reference, preliminary and finishing stages of a portrait. Imaginative developement within these parameters will be stressed.

July 30-August 2
Wednesday-Saturday
9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Minimum 7 students, maximum 12
$485 members
$500 non-members

To register for the class and find more information about the Southern Vermont Arts Center, visit: http://www.svac.org/index.htm

A week long intensive Master Class in June will feature Donato Giancola and a hand full of other talented artists from the science fiction and fantasy genre. A full schedule of classes and lectures will be available to all attendees: figure drawing from an illustration perspective, use of reference, drawing from the imagination, digital and traditional painting technique, live demos and industry q&a, as well as extensive individual one on one critiques. Donato will be presenting live demonstrations and illuminate his approaches to figurative abstraction and referencing as he lays out a typical commission. Other such painting masters as Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell, and Rebecca Guay and more will be joining the faculty to provide expert classes and insight into art and the illustration industry.

For more information about the Master Class and to download a registration form please visit: http://illustrationmasterclass.com/

The number of attendees will be capped at 90.

"The Golden Rose" garnered its fourth award after receiving third place in the Figurative Category in the Art Renewal Center's International 2007 ARC Salon. In addition, the center panel to "The Battle of Agincourt" triptych has been included among the Top 100 Finalists.

"The Golden Rose", a book cover published by Tor Books for the novel of the same name by Kathleen Bryan has been garnering some very positive recognition lately. It has recently won the "Best in Show" award at the World Fantasy Convention Art Show in Saratoga, the Patrick Nagel Award for Excellence from the Society of Illustrators Los Angeles, and will be also be appearing in "Illustrator's 50" the New York Society of Illustrator's juried annual of the year's best illustrations.

For more information about the Art Renewal Center, please visit: http://www.artrenewal.org/

Irene Gallo hosted this Science Fiction Illustration panel that packed the house. From their first commissions to what inspires these professionals today, Donato Giancola and Dan Dos Santos discuss a range of professional content. Grab some popcorn, this is a two hour discussion and provides wonderful insights into the histories of these artists.

View the video at http://www.upgradeyourbusiness.com/societyillustrators.org/stream3.html

The 2007 Hugo Awards, as announced at Nippon 2007, the 65th World Science Fiction Convention, in Yokohama, Japan, named Donato the Best Professional Artist for the second year in a row. The Hugo Awards, given annually since 1955, are science fiction's most prestigious award. The Hugos are voted on by the members of the current Worldcon which is also responsible for administering them.

Out of respect for his fellow artists and the desire to see the smooth implimentation of a new set of nomination procedures, Donato, as well as past honorees Michael Whelan and Jim Burns, will be declining any nomination for the Artist Hugo next year with the intent that another worthy artist honor the Award. Donato's acceptance speech delivered by Vincent Docherty is below: