Gary Dupuis is a Canadian artist who has worked with a range of RPG publishers. His credits include Steve Jackson Games, Goodman Games, Headless Hydra Games and Purple Duck Games.
Gary’s kindly agreed to do a quick email around his latest commission for Purple Duck Games – a demoness. Purple Duck Games have also kindly agreed to let us show a web version of the art. They’re a company with a range of stock art images on RPG Now.
Q1. When you were asked to draw a demoness which sources of inspiration did your mind to? Which books, movies or music?
As someone who’s been gaming for about 30 years, and been watching horror movies for nearly as long, it’s hard to pinpoint a specific inspiration. All the renderings of demons, whether in paint or sfx, sort of all go into the melting pot. Sometimes it’ll be months later and I’ll be re-watching a movie and suddenly realize “Hey, so that’s where those teeth came from”.
Q2. Is there a challenge with stereotypes when drawing demons? Or are the common visual associations actually advantageous for the artist?
Common visual associations are as much a boon as a hindrance. They make for an easy short-form…for example bat-wings on a person almost always says ‘demon’ to most people. However you’ve got to make sure you don’t end up just slapping bat-wings on a person and calling it a day. Normally the physical traits are pretty clearly established in the client’s request. The trick is to use the pose or expression to say something about the creature that goes beyond the standard physical accoutrements.
Q3. Do you have a favourite monster or villain you like to draw?
Not specifically. The great thing about working on monster assignments is that no two are ever alike. It really gives me a chance to stretch and try to come up with something that makes someone say “Awesome…I want to fight that!”.
Q4. Your demoness is being sold as stock art. Bloggers like Geek Native and publishers find stock art images really useful – but how does it feel as the artist who produced the work in the first place?
I think stock art can be a fantastic resource for projects with smaller budgets. Rpgs tend to be art intensive, and it’s very easy for artist fees to quickly overwhelm a project. Although nothing beats a piece produced directly to your specifications, there’s a wide enough array of stock available to find pieces that fit. Also, the low price point on most stock makes it viable for people to acquire for personal use…at their own game table, for example. Since the artist still gets compensated for their work, I think it’s a fair deal for all involved.
Q5. Have you ever encountered any of your images out in the wild?
Other than pieces that were commissioned for specific products? No, not yet. However, I’ve only had pieces licensed for stock art for a short while now.
Q6. How would you like to see this demoness used
However it’s used, I’d be happy if it provides a source of inspiration for someone. Whether it’s a DM using it as a handout for their players, or a publisher using it to add visual oomph to their pdf. If someone flips to that page for the first time, and says ‘Cool!’, I’m happy.
