*UPDATED* Inaugural ART OF MASK MAKING Course - April 2011 *PICS ADDED*

On April 2nd, 2011, the first FX course offered through my new studio began: the inaugural Art of Mask Making. 7 students from all over the Chicagoland area ranging in age from 16 to 46 came to learn the mask making process. In an intense 4 Saturday course, students learned everything from creature design fundamentals to sculpting, molding, casting, painting, and finishing techniques. Read an article on MySuburbanLife.com HERE. Below are some pictures from the inaugural Art of Mask Making - April 2011.

"It was a dream come true to find a comprehensive mask course geared toward special effects in Chicago. The class revived a passion that I had for a long time but never had the opportunity to pursue."
~ Scott Mitchell (Art of Mask Making Student - April 2011)
See Scott's work below!

The next Art of Mask Making session begins June 4th, and we are introducing the Art of Make-Up FX course beginning June 5th. Be sure to enroll today! More info HERE.

Mask Sculpting Demo:

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Students Sculpting Their Masks:
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Finished Mask Sculpts:
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Mold Making:
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Mask Painting Demo:
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Unpainted Student Masks Cast in Latex:
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Painted Student Masks:
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Check back soon for more pictures
of the other students' finished painted masks!!

Thank you to all my students for being a part of the launch of the Kosart Effects Studios' FX Classes!! I also want to send a HUGE thank you to Blick Art Materials and Zagone Studios for their sponsorship and all their help and support in making the Art of Mask Making possible! Special thanks to Kevin Sandstom, Tony Zagone, and Rich Zagone! You guys rock!

Seating is limited,
be sure to enroll in the next course!!


Photographs by Melissa Kosar, Kevin Sandstrom, and Kosart Effects Studios, LLC.
All Masks Copyright their Respective Owners.
All Rights Reserved.

Life-Casting for BLOOD ON THE PLAIN

For the past few weeks, I have been working on a short film Blood on the Plain directed by Mac Eldridge of Watercooler Productions, which is soon to be a feature. I designed the creatures for the film and am currently sculpting the monsters.

Synopsis:
Part western. Part horror. Blood on the Plain is a self-aware pulp exploration of a town in the wake of tragedy. Following a savage massacre at the Wadsworth High School Homecoming Dance, the townspeople take up arms and—under the guidance of four seasoned trackers—set out in search of justice. It's the marriage of fear and anger which fuels these efforts and ultimately signals their failure. Those who remain will be forced to square off with the assailants; a breed of man never before seen and born of a previous generation's offense.

I have a make-up / screen test on May 15th, and the creature FX scenes shoot on May 21st and 22nd. Though I cannot yet share the creature concepts for the film, below are some pictures from the life-casting session of actor Kevin Lucero Less. Working with me are my FX assistants Eric Berson and Joseph Kosar.

Having some fun with a sharpie (unknown to the actor):

My assistant Eric and I with the actor Lucero and Director Mac:

Here is the Kosart Effects Studios team with
the actor Luce (Eric, my dad Joseph, and I):

Here are the lifecasts...
3 Rigid Urethane Foam, one ShellShock, and one Ultracal-30:

Keep posted for pictures of the Creature FX designs, appliance sculpture, and applications!

Blood on the Plains © Watercooler Productions.
Life-casting Pictures © 2011 Kosart Effects Studios, LLC.

Accepted into IWS 27th Annual

The Confrontation 12x5.75 Gouache on Illustration Board

My Spider painting The Confrontation was just juried into the Illinois Watercolor Society's 27th Annual Juried Exhibition. The show will be held at the The Next Picture Show Gallery in Dixon, IL from June 10th through July 16th, with the artist's reception on June 11, 2011. Be sure to check it out!

Accepted into SPLASH 13!!

Never Known, Never Forgotten 14x11 Gouache & Watercolor on Illustration Board

My most successful painting to date, Never Known, Never Forgotten was accepted into Splash 13: The Best of Watercolor!!! This is my first time entering this competition, and I am thrilled and honored to be included amongst such talented watercolorists, only 115 artists selected internationally! Splash 13 focuses on Alternative Approaches and I am really excited to share my unique approach to painting watercolors to the readers of the Splash books. The tentative publication date is June 7th, 2012, so be sure to reserve or order your copy once it is printed, or pick one up at your local book store! View the winner's list HERE

Never Known, Never Forgotten © J. Anthony Kosar. All Rights Reserved.

A Letter from Sara Karloff...

There was a great article on Trendhunter.com about by Boaris Frankenswine HERE. I can't believe how much attention he has received between online forums and news sites and television news segments! However, of all the attention and feedback, I can't tell you how thrilled I was when I received a letter back from Sara Karloff, the only child of the legendary Boris Karloff, about my Boaris Frankenswine. Here is what she said:

Dear Mr. Kosar:

I loved the photos of your Boaris Frankenswine It is such a creative and original idea and you have executed it brilliantly. I hope it did very well in the auction and with the public…it certainly should have.

Thank you so much for sharing it with me and for selecting my father as your subject.

Sara Karloff

Thank you Ms Karloff for the kind words and validation of my tribute to your father!

Boaris Frankenswine Design, Sculpt, & Paint by J. Anthony Kosar © 2011 J. Anthony Kosar.
Sculpted over “Pigs on Parade” Pig Form by Acme Design, Inc.
Studio Photo of Boaris by Bear McGivney.
Quote from personal letter sent to J. Anthony Kosar from Sara Karloff.

Kosar's Face/Body Art in Imagine FX

Last year, I did some face and body painting for Full Body of Horror & WildClaw Theatre's "Monster Draw" event that they hold periodically throughout the year. In the May 2011 issue of Imagine FX magazine, there was a plug for the Monster Draw event that featured my face and body art on artist and model Sophia Rapata. Check it out here:

Face & Body Painting © 2010 J. Anthony Kosar.
Artwork © the Respective Artists.
Photos in Imagine FX by WildClaw Theatre, courtesy of Charlie Athanas.
Bottom Full Body Photo by Kosart Effects Studios, LLC.
Magazine Content © Imagine FX.

A New Door Opens...

As I am slowly relocating my studio to my first commercial gallery/studio/workshop, I get geeked out by every little addition to the space. I now have my company name "Kosart Effects Studios, LLC" on the business directory marquee for the business park, as well as on the front and back door! Here is a picture of the signage on my front door taken by my sister:

And here is my studio "skull" key in the lock. The key is nothing less than "BAD ASS," a present given to me by my sister!

Photos by Melissa Kosar.
All Rights Reserved.

Live Sculpting at Blick's 100th Anniversary Follow-Up

On Wednesday, April 27th, I sculpted live at Blick Art Materials' 100th Anniversary Event at the Blick store in Wheaton, IL. Blick is one of my sponsors for my FX Classes. There were a lot of people who came out to wish Blick a Happy 100th Birthday, and I really enjoyed sculpting and promoting my classes. The mask I was sculpting at the event was the sculpt I started as a sculpting demo for my inaugural mask course in April. Just like the C2E2 Hulk bust, this sculpture has to take a back seat to my real projects, but I will hopefully finish this creature soon. Here are some pictures from the event:

Artwork, WIP Sculpt, and Masks © J. Anthony Kosar.
Photos by Kevin Sandstrom.
All Rights Reserved.

C2E2 2011 Follow-Up

As mentioned in my previous post, I have been a little behind on my blog entries due to all the projects I've been working on. C2E2: Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo 2011 turned out to be a great show. I was the featured artist at the Blick Art Material's booth, doing a sculpture live all weekend. Blick is one of the sponsors for my classes I am teaching out of my new studio, and was there promoting the classes, generating a lot of interest. As is any convention, it is fun seeing friends and colleagues, as well as meeting fans and making new ones. All weekend, I was working on a sculpted bust of the Hulk based off a concept sketch I did, that still is a work in progress. Soon, once my projects slow down, I will have to come back to him and finish the sculpt. A special thank you to my friend and fellow artist Kevin Sandstrom, the General Manager at Blick in Wheaton, for including me at the event! Here are some of the pictures from the show:

Artist Diosdado "Dodie" Mondero and I at my booth.

Artwork, WIP Sculpt, and Masks © J. Anthony Kosar.
Photos by Bear McGivney, Diosdado Mondero, Kevin Sandstrom.