Most Improved Artist

[dyl]

Travis Charest, started off as a pretty average Jim Lee clone and has evolved into one of the best artists on the planet! It was a pretty abrupt leap as well I don't get it.

[Woolly]

Anthony Williams.

His style may seem the same, but his storytelling skills just keep getting better, and better, and better...

[I, Cosh]

Another vote for Carl Critchlow and I don't mean from the paint to the pencil as I don't really remember that stuff. Up to Lobster Random 2/Cincinatti I didn't care for his work at all, finding it too fussy and obscured by too many extraneous lines. Somewhere between then and Mandroid/Lobster 3 he seemed to change something. It's still recognisably the same artist with the same style but excess scribbles were cut down leaving just enough to etch out a perfectly craggy chin. Complemented by his spare, washed out colouring I know love it and look forward to his next Dredd outing with impatience.

Jon DH has also come on in leaps and bounds in the short space of time between Stalag 666 and that last Tempest outing. It's a pleasure to watch.

[brendan1]

Another vote for Carl Critchlow and I don't mean from the paint to the pencil as I don't really remember that stuff. Up to Lobster Random 2/Cincinatti I didn't care for his work at all, finding it too fussy and obscured by too many extraneous lines. Somewhere between then and Mandroid/Lobster 3 he seemed to change something. It's still recognisably the same artist with the same style but excess scribbles were cut down leaving just enough to etch out a perfectly craggy chin. Complemented by his spare, washed out colouring I know love it and look forward to his next Dredd outing with impatience.

Jon DH has also come on in leaps and bounds in the short space of time between Stalag 666 and that last Tempest outing. It's a pleasure to watch.

I thought Mandroid was Kevin Walker channeling Mignola?

[I, Cosh]

I thought Mandroid was Kevin Walker channeling Mignola?

The first one was. Critchlow did the sequel.

[Emperor]

I'd have to go with Simon Coleby, he stuck in there and honed is craft and is now an international recognised star artist. Don't take my word for it, over to you Ben Abernathy editor at Wildstorm:

And joining them on art duties is the incredible Simon Coleby, who lent pen-and-ink to last years Midnighter: Armageddon, and is definitely on the fast-track to becoming an "elite" level artist.

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=154293

Yeah, his stuff was always good, but his recent output is just phenomenal.

I'll second Jon Davis Hunt - he's maturing right before our very eyes!

Recent output? On 2000AD?

Sorry no, not in 2000Ad. I'm just talking about the stuff he posts on his blog (including a stunning Dredd page)

I've seen that shiny-helmeted Dredd. S'lovely.

Blog link for the curious:

http://alexronald68.blogspot.com

However, I wouldn't say "improved" just different. I know someone would argue differently (like the writer of the series) but his art seemed the perfect fit for the Missionary Man stories like "Goin' South". That said his current style is awfully impressive, but I have probably said that at least once or twice already

A bit like Clint Langley - his digital art is different but I like them equally (although Alex's new style is very different from his old one, the uninitiated could probably spot the connection between late Langley and modern Langley but I don't think I can see much link between Alex's styles).

[brendan1]

Who is the newish Dredd artist who is quite old-school and almost Bolland-esque with his line-work?

I keep wanting to say Patrick Goddard, but it isn't him.

[Darren Stephens]

You could be thinking of Mr Teague...up there! /\/\/\/\

[brendan1]

You could be thinking of Mr Teague...up there! /\/\/\/\

Christ, they're everywhere these days.

Dunno, I suppose I could get up off my scrawny arse and take a peek at my entire stack of unread 2006/7/8/9 progs, but in all honesty I don't even know where to look. I probably just saw a glimpse of it on here and thought "Bolland".

[Peter Wolf]

PeeJay Holden.

This is after seeing the very recent CF commission featuring the Cellar Of Dredd.

Absolutely wonderful.

Its not sequenced work but i dont see why that makes any difference.

[BPP]

Charlie Adlard
Simon Coleby
Siku
Paul Marshall
Chris Weston
Henry Flint (the difference between his early rogues and classic period flint is huge)

all these developed, whereas people like Critchlow and Walker are moving from painted to ink / tablet - i think thats a different kettle of fish.

However the right answer is the original.. Kev O'Neil - compare his first future shock or early ro-busters / terror tube to BK III of Nemesis and Metalzoic and you see an inital style surge into a real modern master. Its like he operated on his own brain.

[SuperSurfer]

Kind of disagree on the O'Neill front as I think his art was always superb – sure, the style evolved but it was always top class. With the exception of the start of The Gothic Empire (book four) which was drawn very early (before book one). And this:

[BPP]

I think the transition from this



to Ro-busters, to Terror Tubes, to BK III is pretty obvious.


However as an alternative I give you the very lovely Gibson whose art goes from dense and detailed to fluid and spacey over a long period while always retaining that distinctive Gibson look. S'wonderful. 

[SuperSurfer]

I'll give you that O'Neill one.

Don't forget 'no pencils' Emberton though.

[TordelBack]

Charlie Adlard is a good one!  His painted stuff wasn't at all bad, but since he shifted to B&W he's just been up and up.  Look at the forst book of Savage, and compare it to the colour Armitage.  And then realise that he's keeping that level of quality on a monthly schedule on Walking Dead, year after year!