Presents:Visionary & Mystical  Art for the 21st Century:

  Illustrations featuring Holy Men and Angels from Sacred Monotheistic Non-canonical Books and what we call the Holy Bible...  

The Four Cardinal Archangels~ "The Pillars of The EARTH"

"As a professional Illustrator I am called upon to illustrate Legends of History and Mythology, Fact and Fantasy, the Sacred and the Profane.

"The Ressurection of Jesus Christ" MMXVII

 In as much as I have endeavored to sort them out accordingly, it has become one of the more fascinating challenges I have ever faced. 

As I am ever mentioning, the advances of science are constantly giving us a clearer view of the past even causing Mythology to become History as with the Trojan Wars, the legendary Helen of Troy, and the Trojan Horse. 

But what about these issues and The Bible? 

"St. Paul Preaching in Prison" MMXVII

"An introduction to The Bible..."

"Judgment at Solomon's Temple" from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel Chapter 9

Around 1910 there was little such evidence to support the Bible's claims and academic circles decided that was the end of the matter and stubbornly ignore tidal waves of new SCIENTIFIC evidence.

"The Angel appears to Daniel", "BABYLON the GREAT" and "Ezekiel's Vision" MMX

"The Sacrifice of Noah", "Abraham and the Angels" and "Warrior King David"

He did this through actual historical events:

He divided the nations - He preserved Noah - Called out Abraham - Raised up Moses - Delivered the Jews from Egypt -Judged the Kingdom of Israel - Supervised the rise of Gentile powers - Came in human form - Offered himself as a sacrifice for our sins - Rose from the dead- and poured out the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost! 

 I believe these are all important facts of history that relate to God's dealings with man, and the provision for mankind's redemption

The Bible's bold declaration that it is the divine and protected word of God is supported by any number of amazing, seemingly impossible prophecies and their fulfillments. How about the nation Israel" born again" in one day in 1948 as per Isaiah 66 is one that seemed COMPLETELY impossible. (Matthew 24) Another fine example can be found in the book of Daniel (Ch.9:20-27). This prophecy predicted Palm Sunday - to the EXACT day! This was the one that alerted Simeon (Luke 2:25-47) he was living in the lifetime of the Messiah:    

The Ancient Hebrews did not use decades as they were a Greek invention, they used "weeks" of seven years each. From  the issue of the degree to rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of the Messiah to Jerusalem was 70 weeks of years- 69 weeks of years-483 years exactly!  In Biblical years 173,880 days- The Babylonian calendar was predicated on a 360 day year. 

Where did the Bible come from?

"Enoch and the Watchers"

Let's take a look at how our Bible came to us:  Before written language, God's people passed his word down from generation to generation by word of mouth, or song.  For instance, the opening of Genesis, penned by Moses was actually 'The Creation Hymn', sung for ages, finally written down.

  The first bibles were hand written on parchment scrolls made of skins or papyrus, followed by hand-made books and then the printed copy. 

"The Apostasy of King Solomon of Israel"

 Efforts to translate the Bible into English began with Aldhiem's Psalms in A.D. 70 and were completed in 1380 by John Wycliffe.   But alas, translating it alone would not be enough to get it to the English - speaking people, for almost 250 years after the job was completed the throne of England violently opposed its propagation, cruelly martyring men like William Tyndale burned at the stake for smuggling bibles - struggling to get God's work to the people! In the early days of the Bible's legality in England, many Christians were willing to pay large sums of money, just for an hour or two with the Bible, and just as people camp out for rock concerts today, they used to camp out waiting turns at John Roger's Chained-Bible! Yes, my friend I am not ashamed to believe that the Bible is the Word of the Living God! 

"Wicked Queen Jezebel"

 It's the Book of Books---The World's Greatest Book!   Have you read from its pages today?  In centuries past Christians were willing to die for their obedience to the Bible.  They made great personal sacrifice to share its message with others, and their reward in heaven will be great, but what is God going to do with those who in the 21st century are privileged to own their own Bible and enjoy the perfect freedom to read and study it,... and do not?  

"The Seraphim Barachiel [the Lightning of God]

Everybody ought to love the Bible!  Everybody ought to be a regular reader of the Bible!  Everybody ought to strive to live by the Bible's teachings!  The Bible ought to have a central place in the life and working of every church; and in every pulpit!  The pulpit's one business is the simple, expository teaching of God's word!

The Purpose of The Bible

The Purpose of The Bible is to reveal Christ and his salvation, (John 1:1, Acts 2:38) to equip us for good works and arm us against this present darkness. Christ is the center and heart of the Bible. THE OLD TESTAMENT is an account of a nation. THE NEW TESTAMENT is an account of a "man". THE NATION was founded and nurtured of god to bring the man into the world. GOD HIMSELF became a man to give mankind a tangible concrete definite idea of what kind of personality to think of when we think of God. Jesus not only came to redeem mankind but to reveal the nature of God. The Bible boldly teaches that Jesus Christ was God incarnate in human form. His appearance on Earth is the central event of human history! The Old Testament sets the stage for it and the New Testament describes it. 

Who was Jesus of Nazareth?

(Above) "Christ feeding the Multitude", "The Transfiguration of Christ" and "The Sermon on the Mount"

 AS A MAN, God lived the most strangely beautiful life ever known. He was the kindest, tenderest, gentlest, most patient, most sympathetic man that ever lived.  He loved people.  He hated to see people in trouble.  He loved to forgive.  He loved to help.  He wrought marvelous miracles to feed hungry people.  For relieving the suffering he forgot to take food for himself.  

Multitudes, weary, pain-ridden, and heartsick came to him, and found healing and relief.  

(Above) "The Spirit of the Prophets at the Crucifixion" and "The Resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ"

 It is said of him, and no other, that, if all his deeds of kindness that he did were written down, that the world could not hold the books.  That is the kind of man Jesus was.  That is the kind of person God is!  Then:  He died on the cross to take away the sins of the world, to become the savior and redeemer of mankind.  Christ, the center and heart of history, is the center and heart of our lives- every one's destiny- saint and sinner alike is in his hand, our acceptance of him, and all his teachings, or our rejection, determines eternal glory or eternal ruin; Heaven or Hell: one or the other!  It is a glorious thing to be a Christian, the most exalted privilege of mankind.  To accept Christ as Savior, Lord, and Master, and to strive, sincerely, and devotedly to follow in the way of life which he taught us, is certainly and by far, the best, most reasonable, and most satisfactory way to live.  

 We are taught to believe he will come again... for all the signs click on the picture below:

The Books of Prophecy

The END of this AGE

There is a special gallery devoted to Things to Come ~ click on the images below to visit it...

 "The Martyrs of Christ in the Coliseum",and "Into the LAKE of FIRE" and "The BOOK of LIFE" MMVIV

Acts 2:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke. 2: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, 

before the great and notable day of the Lord come...

"Gabriel the Destroyer" MMXXI

Greek Mythology

Digital Techniques

Art Instruction

The Seven Wonders

      Howard David Johnson is a 21st century artist known for his inspring paintings of the Bible. His works capture the essence of biblical stories and characters, bringing them to life on canvas. Johnson's artistic style combines classical realism with a touch of romanticism, creating captivating and emotionally charged compositions. He meticulously researches the scriptures  and their ancient languages to understand the words in them as they were defined in those tines. He also studies other ancient texts with related themes of history, archeology and philosophy to flesh out the  characters, events, and symbolism present in these ancient stories. This deep exploration allows him to imbue his artworks with authenticity and reverence. 

    Beyond the technical skill displayed in his paintings, they reflect his personal connection with the spiritual themes and messages conveyed in the Bible. His devotion and reverence for the stories and teachings found in scripture shine through in each brushstroke, inviting viewers to engage with these timeless narratives in a profound and meaningful way. Overall, his biblical art paintings are a testament to his artistic talent, deep faith, and profound understanding of biblical stories. Through his masterful compositions, he brings the Bible to life, allowing viewers to experience the beauty, inspiration, and spiritual significance of these ancient narratives.

A Traditional style portrait of the artist. 

[Photo by Erich F. Johnson]

After a lifetime of drawing and painting, David's Traditional Art was exhibited in the British Museum in London in 1996, ( 3 years before he got his first computer ) as well as numerous American ones since, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. David's realistic illustrations have also made appearances in every major bookstore and game shop chain in America as well as magazines and educational texts around the world

    Some of David's more prestigious clients have included the University of Texas, the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England, The Australian Mint, The National Geographic Society, Paramount Studios, Universal Studios, MGM Studios, Warner Brothers Home Video, ABC/Disney, CBS TV, PBS TV, The History Channel, Enslow Educational Publishers, Adobe Photoshop, Auto FX, Tree-Free Greeting, Verizon wireless, Apple IPOD, Penguin, Doubleday, Random House, Harlequin Top Historical Romances, and the History Book of the Month Club, as well as appearing in periodicals like Popular Photography and the Wall Street Journal.

    Working in a variety of media David offers his customers a variety of options and more than three decades of experience. As an illustrator he has not only used the computer but has been involved in the development and marketing of software for Adobe Photoshop. 

Digital art, Colored pencils, Pastels, Mixed media, & also Oil Paintings can also be commissioned for select projects. Digital illustration projects start at $500.U.S. and group rates are available. David delivers custom made copyright free illustrations & old fashioned customer service when he does work-for-hire. To publish existing pieces of his realistic art, David sells licenses starting at only $99.USD.              

 ~ Grace Solomon    

You can e-mail for more details at: 

info@howarddavidjohnson.com

Your business, letters and links are always welcome!

This Art Gallery has been honored by more than 35,000,000 Unique Visitors 

from the Four Corners of the Earth

My Friends from around the world thus far :

England,   Canada,   Scotland,   Wales,   Ireland,   Germany,   France,   Monaco,   Andorra,   Italy,   The Vatican City State,  Greece,  Macedonia,  Cyprus,  Turkey,  Belgium,  Denmark,  The Faroe Islands,  Greenland,  Yugoslavia, Macedonia,  Croatia,  The Czech Republic,  Bosnia,  Herzegovina,  Slovakia,  Slovenia,  Luxembourg,  Latvia,  Estonia, Hungary,  Bulgaria,  Lithuania,  Poland,  Austria,  Romania,  Spain,  The Russian Federation,   Estonia,   Ukraine,   Kazakhstan, Moldova,  Malta,  Iceland,  Finland,  Norway,  Netherlands,  Switzerland,  Liechtenstein,  Sweden,  Portugal,  Albania, Armenia, Georgia,  Slovak Republic,   Azerbaijan,  Belarus,  Kazakhstan,  Gibraltar,  Israel,  Palestinian Territories,   Egypt,   Libya,  Mali, Algeria,  Niger,  Saudi Arabia,  Oman,   The United Arab Emirates,  Kuwait,  Bahrain,  Qatar,  Yemen,  Iraq,  Iran,  Jordan, Syria,   Lebanon,   Morocco,   Ethiopia,   Eritrea,   Liberia,   The Republic of Congo,   Rwanda,   Kenya,  Angola,  Ghana, The Ivory Coast,   Zambia,   Zimbabwe,   Sudan,  Nigeria,  Namibia,  Sudan,  Uganda,   Kenya,  Eritrea,  Tanzania,  Botswana, Malawi,  Senegal,  Djibouti,  Cameroon,  Chad,  Gambia,  Mozambique,  Swaziland,  Lesotho,  South Africa,  Seychelles,   Viet Nam, Japan,  South Korea,  China,  Hong Kong,  Macau,  Mongolia,  Mauritius,  Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia,  Laos,    Myanmar,  Macau,  Malaysia,  Taiwan,  Nuie,  New Zealand,  Fiji,  Cook Islands,  New Caledonia,  Vanuatu,  American Samoa,  Australia,  Micronesia,  Polynesia,  Papua New Guinea,  The Heard and McDonald Islands,  The Philippines, Guam,  Palau,  Cocos Island,  The Kingdom of Tonga,  Malaysia,   Brunei Darussalam,  India,   Pakistan,   Afghanistan, Bhutan,  Bangladesh,  Sri Lanka,  Chagos Islands,  The Republic of Maldives,  Turkmenistan,  Kyrgyzstan,  Uzbekistan, Tajikistan,   Azerbaijan,   Nepal,  Indonesia,  Chile,  Argentina,  Uruguay,  Paraguay,  Brazil,  Peru,   Aruba,  Venezuela,  Bolivia, Suriname,  Guyana,  Aruba,  The Dominican Republic,  Guatemala,  Costa Rica,  Colombia,  Trinidad and Tobago,   Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados,  The Virgin Islands,  Saint Lucia,   The Netherlands Antilles,  Panama,   Northern Mariana Islands,   Saint Vincent & Grenadines,   Grenada, Ecuador,  Belize,   Nicaragua,   El Salvador,   Bermuda,  Cuba,  Jamaica,  Dominica,  Haiti,  Puerto Rico,  Cayman Islands,  The Bahamas,   Honduras,   Mexico,    Madagascar, Central African Republic,   Ethiopia,   Gabon,   San Marino,  Saint Kitts & Nevis Anguilla,  Burkina Faso,   Equatorial Guinea,   Polynesia,  Madagascar,   Mauritania,   Burundi,   and my home, The Great Free State of Idaho (USA)...

If your home is not listed here please e-mail and tell us where you're from...

info@howarddavidjohnson.com

Your business, letters and links are always welcome!

STYLE and TECHNIQUE

"Those who are enamored of practice without science are like a pilot who goes into a ship without rudder or compass and never has any certainty where he is going. Practice should always be based upon a sound knowledge of theory, of which perspective is the guide and gateway, and without it nothing can be done well in any kind of painting."

Finding and training the right models is the hard part, then Photography, Mathematical Design and Digital Composition all come before the image is transferred to paper or canvas and rendered in mixed media ( including prismacolor pencils, oils, acrylics, and or many other traditional art media).

     TThe various galleries linked to by the icons above show many examples of  David's Realistic Art, and are grouped by theme rather than media. There are also sample illustrations from his  upcoming books on Celtic Myth and Legend and World Myth & Legend. Since boyhood David has studied and copied the old masters.

         To create his art works David begins with a concept followed by a realistic sketch, researching and traveling to find scenes and locations. Photography comes next. Working in his Analog Photography Studio with live models he follows up with a digitally assembled photo montage in the computer, combining original and old realistic elements to create a new work.  As a boy David dedicated his life to art in 1960. From 1965- 1999 he used xeroxes and tracings to make his preliminary montages. This is patterned after  the manner used by Maxfield Parrish and other 19th century notables. Beginning with a tracing, David then draws or paints from these complex original Computer Photo Montages.   Many of these are on display on this web and slated for future completion in a variety of traditional realistic art media. As this happens, his finished work is substituted in the exhibit. (See the about the artist gallery link above for more details.)

Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( 1840- 1893) - "Swan Lake"

Biblical Art: The Fantastical and Surrealist Art Galleries of Howard David Johnson

*****

ON REALISTIC ART: 

Personal Opinion Essays on Realistic Art yesterday and today by the artist.

"Painting, in art, the action of laying colour on a surface, or the representation of objects by this means. Considered one of the fine arts"  ~Encyclopaedia Britannica. 

   "Painting. noun. 1.) The act or employment of laying on colors or paints. 2.) The art of forming figures or objects in colors on canvas or any other surface, or the art of representing to the eye by means of figures and colors any object; the work of an illustrator or painter. 3.) A picture; a likeness or resemblance in shape or colors. 4.) Colors laid on. 5.) Delineation that raises a vivid image in the mind; as in word painting.

~ Webster's Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language

What is YOUR definition of ART?

Essay one: On Realistic Art: THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME...

( A Brief essay dealing with attitudes toward Realistic Art and prior developments in technology in history)

David working in Oil painting Pandora's Box- See Art Instruction or About The artist in the links for more about how he creates his illustrations and portraits.

      Snobbism in the arts is nothing new. Some people will tell you that oils are the only valid medium for realistic paintings. That Colored Pencil, Digital, and other Realistic Painting and Drawing Media are not valid  for "real" art. Young artists, Don't let them bother you. Their forerunners used to condemn Pastels before they gained acceptance and called them "crayons" when Johann Alexander Thiele (1685-1752) invented them.  Mercilessly disrespectful  art critics of the time could not stop the Experimentalists no matter how viciously they attacked and derided them. "Crayon-painting" as it was called in England was practiced early on by persecuted pioneers in Switzerland and many other nations. What a debt we owe to these master artists who refused to knuckle under to the pressure of those short-sighted critics during those historic and experimental times. It took until 1870 with the founding of the "Societe` Des Pastellistes" in France that respect came  at last to these heroic & immortal visual artists.

In England the liberation of the Pastellists from slight regard and undeserved disrespect came with the first exhibition of "The Pastel Society" at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1880. Pastel Painters like Mary Cassat and others from America and other nations forever silenced  the snobs with their masterworks and gained recognition at long last for Thiele's invention as a valid art medium. I am persuaded that history will repeat itself.  Like Pastels, I believe these wonderful new colored pencils and even Digital Realistic Art Media will one day receive the recognition they deserve as powerful mediums of artistic expression just as pastel paintings did. What is your definition of art? Have you thought about it?

The detail reveals Realistic art and abstract art combined

       By my own definition of art, which is: "anything that makes you feel or think" most abstract paintings are not "real art" to me personally, because abstract paintings usually neither make me feel or think,  usually focusing obsessively on technique and avoiding any coherent content. I usually draw a complete blank mentally and emotionally when I look at them. In 1979 the Houston Metropolitan Museum of Art displayed a triptych of 3 giant   paintings they paid fifty thousand dollars for-  three blank white canvasses entitled "untitled". Then there was "The incredible new artistic Genius" with an I.Q. of 62 ...Congo the chimpanzee with his gala New York art exhibition...an elaborate prank played on the Snobbish American Art critics about a generation ago by research scientists in the field of primatology. Imagine how upset they were when he created one of his "ingenious masterpieces" right before their eyes. ( My Source for this is the Time Life Science Library volume entitled "The Primates". )

Art education has been almost completely removed from American Schools as a result of generations of this kind of  fabulous nonsense contributing to America's cultural illiteracy crisis. Now, the works of Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and other notables are being removed from school libraries.  After generations of this, most American college graduates today cannot name even one living visual artist, abstract or realistic.

There is no way that mandating more math, requiring more reading, or scheduling more science will replace what we have lost as a culture.    

What is your definition of Art?

~HDJ

*****

      Note: Abstract Paintings by Congo the Chimpanzee outsold Warhol and Renoir by over 25,000 dollars in June 2005 at a London art auction. Born in 1954, Congo created more than 400 drawings and paintings between the ages of two and four. He died in 1964 of tuberculosis.

But how do all these new Realistic Art media fit in with formal definitions of Art?

       Art ( noun ) [ Middle English, from Old French, from Latin ars (stem art-). ] 1. Human effort to imitate, supplement, alter, or counteract the work of nature. 2. The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty; specifically, the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium. 3. The product of these activities; human works of beauty, collectively. 4. High quality of conception or execution, as found in works of beauty; aesthetic value. 5. Any field or category of art, such as painting, music, ballet, or literature. 6. A non-scientific branch of learning; one of the liberal arts. 7. a. A system of principles and methods employed in the performances of a set of activities: the art of building. b. A trade or craft that applies such a system of principles and methods: pursuing the baker's art. 8. A specific skill in adept performance, conceived as requiring the exercise of intuitive faculties that cannot be learned solely by study: the art of writing letters. 9. a. Usually plural.  Artful devices; stratagems; tricks. b. Artfulness; contrivance; cunning. 10. In printing: Illustrative material as distinguished from text.

~ The American Heritage College Dictionary of the English Language

*****

Special note: 21st century professional art critics are not repeating these mistakes of history and are blessing and encouraging artistic excellence in all styles and mediums, even including today's digital media. To them I say: Bravo! If only our world leaders could learn from the mistakes of the past as you have.

Essay Two

Realistic Art : The Rebirth of Realism in the 21st Century

More thoughts on realistic art yesterday and today by the artist

Photography, Digital Artistry, Painting and Drawing combined! 

(  'The Lady Kriemhilde' rendered in Prismacolor pencils )

~ Howard David Johnson MMII

*****

David has four pages of free art lessons & offers paid private instruction too. For more information, click on the link above ( an oil pastel rendering of Mary Shelly's  Bride of Frankenstien  )

NEW REPRINTS   LICENSES    CUSTOM BOOK COVERS    ORIGINAL ART    ART INSTRUCTION   ART BOOKS