FANART

Above and Beyond the Google Search

(Jump to Gallery)

by Annoying Schizoid

Have you ever found an Oh So Special Fanart, one that has a dear and loving place on your favorites list? Ever drawn a picture that lets you choose whether Artemis Fowl has a combover or silky smooth hair that blows in the wind, even indoors? No? Then you're missing out! Drawing or just looking at fanart is a great way to quench that natural thirst for Fowl-tastic goodness, and it's only a few mouse clicks away! Well... okay, maybe more than a few clicks--but don't worry! You don't have to wade through the bottomless depths of Google Image Search just to find fanart, because there are certain people and places on the Net dedicated to just that.

On your quest for Artemis Fowl fanart, your first stop should be deviantART. This website is like a second home to all kinds of artists, including a large population of AF fans. The reason so many people are drawn there is probably the fact that deviantArt is a useful place for fanartists and fanart lovers alike. Artists can easily post things on their very own personal galleries, just as easily as people can view them. This makes deviantART a major hotspot for AF fanart.

But wait--there's more! DeviantART is more than just a gallery, it's also a place for people who like art to mingle and get to know each other. In our case, many AF fans, artists or not, often flock together, usually in deviantART clubs. Yes it's true, there are clubs made specifically for Artemis Fowl lovers. To name a few, there are the ArtemisFowlfc, the ARTEMIS-CLUB, artemisfowl, and ART-emisFowlFC. Some clubs, such as the ArtemisFowlfc, will hold contests every now and then that challenge fanartists to create a piece that is based on the provided theme. The most recent contest on ArtemisFowlfc is the Summer Contest, in which the theme was "AF characters on summer vacation". Participants will have to stick to this theme, but can be as creative as they want. You can draw anything from Artemis getting stuck in an inner tube to Butler getting a sunburn on his scalp. Sound fun? Good, because anyone can enter these contests and this particular Summer Contest is ongoing until the end of August. Just head on over to the club, read the instructions, and let your drawing pencils fly!

There's no denying the utter awesomeness of deviantART, but the fun doesn't have to stop there. Here's one place that I haven't browsed in a while: Fanart Central. It's another easy-to-use website, but it narrows the search down even further to only fanart. To make it even easier the galleries are divided into helpful sections, even going as far as having a section just for Artemis Fowl. Fanart Central may not be as "big-time" as deviantART, but that just gives it a comfortable, homey atmosphere. Definitely worth a visit!

The fanart websites get even more specific with the Artemis Fowl Fangathering Interactive Fanart Galleries. Sound like a mouthful? Well, that's because it doesn't really have a name, reason being that it's only an extension of a larger AF fansite. Started only recently, the Fangathering gallery is quickly gaining steam, featuring some of the old (and new) favorites in AF fanart. This gallery is exclusive to Artemis Fowl, so it's very easy to find that Oh So Special Fanart you've been pining for. The collection is relatively small, but it shows lots of promise.

It's easy to be a part of any of these fanart hotspots, whether you like to draw or not. Drawing fanart is great fun, and just because you think other people won't like what you create, it doesn't mean we won't look at them and save them to our favorites list anyway. The great thing about fanart is that you don't have to worry about being professional or turning out beautiful masterpeices, because the reason anyone draws or looks for fanart is to have some fun. Even if you don't like to draw, it's still worth a few mouse clicks to check out. Besides, once you give fanart a shot, you'll probably find you love it!

GALLERY: Popular Fanart

Here are only some of the most well-known and all around loved fanarts in the fandom:

Title: "Fairy and Leprechaun"
Artist: AgiVega

This fanart is fairly new and is already a popular favorite. It portrays Artemis Fowl and Holly Short as 1) a couple on their honeymoon, 2) two happy humans, and (finally) 3) a traditional Irish fairy and leprechaun. This is, obviously, not the first time Holly has been drawn as a traditional fairy, but it is (to my knowledge) only the second time Artemis was drawn as a leprechaun, and the first time he's looked happy about it. This picture has a lot to offer. First, is the quality of the art. Holly and Artemis are drawn very nicely, in a style somewhat reminiscent of the Disney classics. They're not necessarily In Character, but their expressions and their posing are perfect for a couple in love. For me, a high point for this picture is the very smooth coloring and the use of greens. This, plus the beautiful background, reminds us viewers of the Irish countryside (even if we've never been there in our lives).

Even in you aren't a fan of the Artemis/Holly pairing, it is still very easy to like this picture. Holly and Artemis are depicted very differently from the norm, which is always fun to see. Another thing that's fun is playing dress-up with our favorite characters. The artist not only depicted the characters differently, but she also followed through with a costume change. The costume designs here are truly unique (and very cute, if I must say so). Here, these two characters are a traditional couple AND represent the traditional fairy lore of Ireland. Picturing Artemis and Holly as "traditional" in any way is difficult, but the artist pulls it off.

Title: "Check-Mate"
Artist: aqane

This picture is really unique and eye-catching. The first thing that you might notice is the use of color. In this fanart, the artist uses only shades of black and white in everything but the eyes. Coloring the eyes blue draws the viewer's attention to them, making them the focus of the picture. This is a great way to make a picture really stand out, and it's especially effective here because, as any AF fan knows, one of Artemis Fowl's most striking features is the intense blue of his eyes. More interesting things about the way this picture was colored: everything from the line art to the shading is solid and striking. The artist does not include small details, which makes the fanart look very stylish.

What makes this fanart so popular? Well, in addition to the very unique drawing style, this is a fun depiction of Artemis. Hes a genius. Hes clever. And hes got a vampire smile that makes enemies cringe and teenage girls swoon. Maybe.

Title: "The brains and the brawn"
Artist: ChessaB

This fanart is one of my favorite pictures of Artemis and Butler. One of the best things about this is the wonderful coloring and detail that was put into it. The texture of the clothing here varies from the smooth, leather shoes, to the thick fur coat Artemis is wearing. The artist even took some liberties and added details that weren't mentioned in the books: Artemis' fur, Butler's sapphire tie pin and key chain, the gloves... All of this makes the characters seem all the more real and lets the artist give them her own personal touch. The details are so well done that it feels as if you could just reach out and touch them - but maybe you wouldnt want to. Artemis and Butler look positively sinister in this depiction, which is partly due to the "dark" and "shadowy" color tones. And, of course, the cold expression on Artemis' face and the subtly calculating expression on Butler's reminds us viewers that these two are capable of being the "villains" of the story.

A lot of people like this particular picture because of its incredible quality. The character designs are unique, yet still unmistakably AF, and the drawing style incorporates detail without being "too" realistic. Some of the characters' features are exaggerated to express their personalities. Proportions are spot on and the coloring is very Fowl-esque.

Next time:

Themes, ships, and a whole lot of winning fanarts! Thanks a lot for hanging with me, and I hope to see you next month! Join me in September for:

"It's Pretty... But What Does It Mean?"