Hi All
I don't know how many of you do know me, but my name is Paul Smith, and I'm an illustrator/artist
living up here in Seattle. Around three years ago I started doing illustrations of Bigfoot, in color and in
natural settings. These are digital illustrations, sometimes using photography (I generate my own images)
and intermix them with digital paintings of Bigfoot. A couple of Bigfoot friends urged me to join this forum
and let you know I'm there.
I just posted a new one, which is something of a departure from the previous ten illustrations. This one
is completely digital, no clear photography involved, and shows a running male Bigfoot. This one looks a
little nasty! I was inspired to create this one after watching the movie "Sasquatch". many of you
have seen it already. I was a little disapointed in how they pictured the creature, and this is my version
ofd how it COULD have looked. I called this one "Rogue", and he looks a lot like a free running,
lone creature, maybe with an attitude. Please check it out and see what you think! Here's the link:

http://home.attbi.com/~paul.smith7/Index.htm

When you get to the front page, click on the "Prints" button, and then click on the "Sasquatch" button. Any and
all feed back is appreciated!

Thanks again!

Paul Smith
http://home.attbi.com/~paul.smith7/Index.htm

Cool Paul,I definately like your version better than the bald headed one in the movie.

Welcome to the BFF, Paul!

Your artwork is absolutely outstanding!!! I've enjoyed it for quite some time now. I just wish I had half of your talent. It sure would come in handy for field sketches.

Rogue is most definitely a step away from your previous works. I just saw that one and the other of the man looking at the squatch on the trail the other day. I gotta' admit that one stirs up a ton of emotion.

It's good to have you on board. Stick around, we're liable to give you all kinds of conceptions for future works. We'll try at the least.

Fish

Paul !!! Welcome, welcome, welcome !!!

Good art work, always did like it.
A rather, small, constructive crit for ya though, in my humble opinion, most of your sasquatchs muzzles stick out too far from the face. (based on my sightings, but they could on other animals, i dunno). So, that said and out of the way ..

Have i got an idea for ya .. it hit me like a diamond bullet, right when i saw the header banner on your site, that lightning is Awesome !!!

Scene : household interior, looking out a window ... darkness, two red glowing eyes towards the top, thats all you see, until .. a lighting flash, then the outline of a big muscular male (maybe even with long head hair) is clearly seen ... woah dude... that would be awesome !!! (it may have to be a big window, like a panoramic or picture window ... )

Welcome Paul!

I have enjoyed your work for some time.

Stick around and share your opinions… I’d be very interested!

Hi RB, Fishbone, RobUstes and Jimf
Thanks for the feedback! And I'm glad you all have enjoyed the work in the past. I've certainly tried to make the work available to everyone at as little cost as I could . . .. in fact I'm thinking of dropping the price on the prints to just above cost. Giclee prints are a very cost effective way of producing art for sale, but there is a bottom line.
I liked the ideas you all presented, and actually I was thinking of a "peering in the window" type of composition for some time. Just haven't really had the time to pursue this like I want to. But there are
a few Bigfoot projects I'm hoping to get involved in, especially eye witness reports. I read those on several different web sites, when I can, and form the basis for most of my ideas.
Also, the representation of the face is usually the most critical area. I've studied the reports, and the reigning idea seems to be that the Bigfoot has as many different individual looks as we do. Each one will appear a little different. Look at the different versions that Bill Asmussen has represented on his site, he also seems to understand that they will all look unique.
So, I'm going to be attempting several new compositions, as well as my teaching agenda and life agenda allows. I'd also like to get more into the literature of the field, since I've done a few book covers (Mary Greens, Loren Coleman), I'd like to get involved with illustrating a series of encounters. Maybe some day.

Anywas, thanks for looking in, everyone!

Paul Smith
http://home.attbi.com/~paul.smith7/Index.htm

Paul!
Welcome, and congrats on a great new artwork! I absolutely love this new print. In a way, it reminds me a bit of the Frank Frazzetta works from years ago, which I always loved because of their blurred-edge techniques and deep mystery. This new print of yours strikes a chord with me. Great work!

Looking forward to chatting with you in here!

The Conan fanatic in me gets all goose-pimply when Frazetta or Boris are mentioned!

Yup! You got it Fish! Those two dudes are my faves for fantasy art. My favorite print of all time was the YETI print. Have you seen it? I forget which one did it, I think it was Frazzetta. It made it on the cover of a horror mag years ago. I'll see if I can dig it up to post here. Rather appropriate, I'd say. If you find it before me.... Dito.

Got it! Something about the eyes that just scares the sh*t outta me!!!

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/isao/arai/cindex.html

Go to file 6, top right pic. Sorry... Can't figure out how to post the pic directly

Man I miss having "Creepy".along with SSOC and some others.

Paul, your artwork is fabulous and I LOVE this new one!

I don't know which is my favorite, this or the squatch peering through the leaves. They're all wonderful, though.

WHOA! No doubt, GG. Totally cool pic!

Gives me the creeps, don't it Fish? One of my faves for sure....

Paul- You're new pic had the same effect on me, the way you used softer touches than in your other works, I think it gave it additional mystery. Great job!

I agree with everyone else here - they are great pictures

If only you had a 3 for 2 offer !

LOL! Too right, Paul!

Welcome Paul. Great pics. I think the Postal Service needs Sas stamp. I'd vote for yours

Hi Gtovers Ghost, Stacyin MI, Paul1968UK and Mpoindexter and all;

Thanks for all the feedback! I was sitting here thinking about how nice it felt to be compared favorably with an artist of the level of Frazzetta or Boris. (Remember him?) As a matter of fact, I've always been a big fan of those two artists, although I can't say I honestly patterned my technique after them. But from what I'm hearing by the comments from Bigfooters all over the world, I think it's a pretty good guess that I'll keep doing any further BF art in this same venue. Meaning more illustrative, like "Rogue". When I started all this, I thought it would be cool to try an provide "photo-realistic" imagery, since clear photos have been seemingly impossible to achieve. But the "painter" in me sometimes found these efforts awfully boring to produce. I had a lot of fun doing "Rogue", probably more so than the others.
It's intersting that Stacy pointed out the Sasquatch peering through the leaves. That's one of them that I didn't use any photographic background at all. Just picked up the mouse and started painting in Photoshop. Lotza work, but I always felt that one was my strongest effort. Oddly enough, it's the one that sells the least! Go figure . . . .
Last fall I actually was giving away "mini-prints" with every purchase. It went no where. This summer I'll be doing some price shifting, and a "two for one" is not entirely out of the question. Good suggestion! I'd really like to get a better feel for how I can better market these, so I'll always listen to any suggestions like those! Stay tuned.

So, thanks again for all the kind words and encouragement. More to come!

Paul
http://home.attbi.com/~paul.smith7/Index.htm

Paul, just had to say once more that it really is great to have you on board here.

Speaking of Frazetta and Boris, where's your collection of buxom naked lady pics?

(Sorry. But if I hadn't asked you first, Rob would have beaten me to it.)

DAMNIT !!! and all because i had to work late today

Oh yeah ! Sasquatch Love Slave (looks kinda like Jabba the hut and whats-her-name in a bikini )

Welcome Paul. I think your artwork is awesome. Like Stacy, I like the one peering through the leaves best, there is just something about it.

You have a wonderful talent. Not just anyone can do that. Not me that's for sure.

I did make my avatar today though in Paint Shop Pro, he came out better than I expected...even if his arms are a little too skinny! So what, I have a weak armed sasquatch...things could be worse!

Perhaps it is the wording on that print that puts people off.

I think it is the best of the lot personally, but I would prefer the text to be more subtle - perhaps just reading 'Sasquatch'

Paul is scheduled to be a guest at the International Bigfoot Society conference in May, in Hillsboro, OR.

Also, one of Paul's prints has ended up as the cover of Loren Coleman's new BIGFOOT book, which is to released next month.

Compare the lower right hand print, on the second page of his Sasquatch prints, to Coleman's new book, the cover of which can be seen at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI....category=29372

Wow... two unsolicited plugs in the same post. Don't suppose I'll be receiving the book and print anytime soon, do you?

Keep up the good work, Paul - I look forward to meeting you in May.

Welcome Paul. Yeah, if you are being compared to Boris there is another favorable complement . He was one of my all time favs. I have seen your work too. Super. Regarding the illustration of a person looking out such as what Rob mentioned, I think that would be fabulous. A little frankensteinish maybe but hey, what a deal to have lightening lighten it up!

Looks like I don't have to work to add anything since everything has just about been said regarding hellos. This is a neat forum and I hope you feel at home.
It differs from many of the others in that honesty, low blows are limited or nonexistant, and open conversations are hoped for with little manipulation from our key dude, Bipto. So in other words we agree to disagree sometimes and most of us are after the same thing. Sharing information and having fun obtaining it. Its great to have you on board.
Welcome. What I like about the subject matter is the variation and size differences are so often reported. Its hard to believe that this thing could be so big but I guess the name pretty much suggests that . Take care, look forward to much more of your work.
Question for you.. What got YOU going at this? (as always don't feel like you HAVE to answer that . But it is interesting to see the different reasons why people end up here or do what you do.

I guess your right SR, rather Frankenstein-ish ... but it would be kinda kewl.

What i would really (!!!!!) like to see in sasquatch art, is for them not to look so scarey ... perhaps even a mother/child/infant scene, with them sitting down, a real hallmark moment, perhaps grooming or cuddleing. Something rather endearing to the heart and soul. After all, they are rather gentle beings, not swamp monsters.

Hi All
I haven't been able to get back to post for a while . . . end of the school quarter and all. But I'm prying loose some time tonight. There have been some mighty nice replies, and I'm happy to finally getting some time to respond.

As far as future compositions, I sort of have one in the works that I have re-visited, thanks to
RobUstes suggestion about one peering in a window. I had started one a while back, actually putting YOU the viewer right in the composition. Picture going out the back door, just holding the screen door open on a clear moonlit night, and there, right at the end of the driveway, is a Bigfoot! And it looks equally startled. I never finished the pic, but decided to revisit it and see what could be done to it. Stay tuned!

It's also as close to that kind of "theme" as I want to get. Like RobUstes mentioned in his last post, I've attempted to picture these creatures in their natural habitat, doing normal things. Hollywood and the mass media do ENOUGH monsterizing of this creature, and don't feel compelled to add to that rather suggestive and in my mind, negative composition. There appears to be a lot of evidence indicating an above average intelligence with these guys, but there is still the reality that we are dealing with an unknown "animal" and must be approached with caution. But I won't add to the "monster" myth.

Actually, the idea from RobUstes about the family group is quite attractive. That's probably gonna be next.

Streamrunner wanted to know how I got involved. I grew up in Wisconsiin, and as a kid could only find ONE book in my school library about Sasquatch, Nessie, et al, but I read it repeatedly. I've always found the idea of a living primate in North America pretty attractive. And as an artist, was more than motivated to try my hand at picturing these guys. Back in December 1999, I had just finished designing a whole tarot deck (for self examination, NOT precognition), and needed a play project. I decided to finally take a swing at doing a Bigfoot. "Sasquatch: America's Great Ape" was the result. After that, it just snow balled.

But there IS another reason. I was completely baffled by how the media treated the subject, especially in the face of some pretty convincing evidence. In nearly ANY court in the world, a foot print is considered proof of evidence. Why not here? The ridiculous method that this subject was treated got my "radical" up, and decided to make the Bigfoot my specialty. I REALLY hate being treated like an idiot, and when a thinking person realizes that any wide awake third grader can pick out a fake priint, and the media consistently insisted that this is the case, well . . . consider this my way of firing back at the venal sleazers that manipulate our media.

So. Hope that answers you, Streamrunner! I know, it's quite a rant. Felt good to get that off my chest, actually . . . again!

Thanks everyone! Stay tuned!

Paul
http://home.attbi.com/~paul.smith7/Index.htm

That may be one of the best descriptive lines toward the media I've ever heard.

Hi Again

Thanks Jimf!

Also, thanks for the plug Tugboatwa! Don't rule out recieving a print! But if the truth be known, my studio is undergoing a huge financial restructuring, and it's quite possible that NONE of the prints will be available, depending on future decisions.

But I still intend to go to Hillsborough, with prints or not.

Paul
http://home.attbi.com/~paul.smith7/Index.htm

Way to go Paul. Thanks for the answer. Its neat to hear people's background and take. Way to go Rob. Nothing like a little consultant job on the side .
What's Paul payin' ?

Paul, (seriously now) nice to hear that your concerns with the way they are depicted is important to you. I am sure we all look forward to your upcoming creations. And best of luck in gettin' the time to nail 'em.

I met up with Paul this afternoon, at the International Bigfoot Society Bigfoot Daze Conference in Hillsboro.

I had him autograph my copy of Coleman's BIGFOOT the True Story of Apes in America, which features one of his prints, cropped though it might be, as the cover art.

And he remembered his "promise" to me... and gave me a copy of the print.

He gave serious credit to this forum for some of the ideas shown in his current art. Those of you who responded to his original post... pat yourselves on the back.

Here is his webite again - http://home.attbi.com/~paul.smith7/Index.htm

I absolutely love that man's work!

Thanks for the update, Tug.

They are so much better in person then the computer screen can display.

Truly "absolutely" beautiful.

That is some very good artwork, very good indeed!