Fanart Recs

Fandom: OZ (HBO)
Characters/Pairing/Other Subject: The OZ Dolls: Kareem Said, Sean Murphy, Toby Beecher, Chris Keller, Ryan O'Reily, Miguel Alvarez and Vern Schillinger
Content Notes/Warnings: a couple of risque accessories (skin mags, K-Y, bottle of hooch)
Medium: hand-crafted custom character dolls
Artist on DW/LJ: colleendetroit
Artist Website/Gallery: Colleen Detroit (a multi-faceted site) Colleen's site is no longer online.
Why this piece is awesome: The fandom doesn't quite understand why HBO may have felt that OZ action figures were not marketable; luckily, we have Colleen Detroit. One of her most widely known and loved creations is her hand-crafted dolls. They're literally one of a kind, created from a variety of doll parts, flocking, modeling paste and acrylic paint. She sews their outfits (or puts them together piece by piece for customized looks) and has crafted most of their accessories using Fimo (moldable, baked clay). The dolls have their own LJ community at ozdolls ("shanking and wanking in 1:6 scale"), and you can find out more about each one of them on the archived site.

Specifically, I'm reccing her latest doll - Kareem Said. I almost don't know what else to say besides freaking OZSOME. The doll looks like Kareem, wearing his usual gray/blue, prison-issued button-down shirt and utilitarian pants and a hand-crocheted kufi (made from embroidery floss). He also wears prayer beads around his neck (modeled after Islamic prayer beads, and made of unachite) and has a handbound mini-Koran with real pages and real writing, that opens right to left, complete with bookmark. Somehow she's made the doll's face look thoughtful, self-righteous, and intense, all of which are trademark to the Said character. Is it weird to say that a doll looks handsome? Well, he does.

This incredibly detailed doll looks amazing, and I rec the hell out of it.

Link: Kareem Said doll | Official LJ unveiling, or email feedback to colleendetroit AT colleendetroit dot com. ETA: Colleen's site is available via Wayback. While the LJ post is f-locked, the video of the Said doll's unveiling is still available here on YouTube.

Fandom: OZ (HBO)
Characters/Pairing/Other Subject: Miguel Alvarez, Toby Beecher, Chris Keller
Content Notes/Warnings: none
Medium: digital manip, graphic
Artist on DW/LJ: neevebrody
Artist Website/Gallery: Uh... no. You can dig through the tags on her LJ. Her Oz pieces are all Bang-related, so you could also poke through the website.
Why this piece is awesome: Multi-layered, multi-textured, utilizing a gorgeous range of blues, and the characters feel connected. She uses circles and spokes to great effect, and it's obvious that every image in this piece of cover art was thoughtfully chosen.
Link: Art for Scar Tissue | Feedback post

Fandom: OZ (HBO)
Characters/Pairing/Other Subject: Ryan O'Reily, Cyril O'Reily, Chris Keller, Toby Beecher (implied Beecher/Keller, Gloria/Ryan)
Content Notes/Warnings: gossipy mention of affairs, a couple swear words
Medium: digital graphics, manips
Artist on DW/LJ: dressedindeath
Artist Website/Gallery: this piece is @ nightingaledies, and since then, she's moved into a new art journal @ mortisluvcats
Why this piece is awesome: She's taken lyrics for songs and used them as part of an AU story about a fictional rock & roll band called Convicts of Oz. She combines music, text, and artwork, resulting in a rounded, whole experience. You're shown magazine covers, candid shots, and then the liner notes of the band's "greatest hits" CD, with a chatty, coy narrative to read, printed on backgrounds that she's designed, with some excellent manips and beautiful, crisp coloring. It's so creative. ♥
Link: Convicts of OZ

Fandom: OZ (HBO)
Characters/Pairing/Other Subject: Toby Beecher, Chris Keller
Content Notes/Warnings: none
Medium: colored pencil on paper
Artist on DW/LJ: kaynyne
Artist Website/Gallery: http://k9kennel.skeeter63.org/Ozart.htm
Why this piece is awesome: I'm biased, since K9 created this artwork for my 2009 Oz Big Bang story. I flailed a lot; I've admired her work for a long time (she illustrated the entiiiire OZ 'zine 'Ad Seg' some years ago). This piece stands out and it can stand alone because it's so interesting to look at, people and animals and nature blended together. Her style is grounded, realistic, with a touch of mysticism, and she draws animals beautifully. In this illo, the owl's wing curves around Keller's tat so gracefully. Everything is richly colored. I love their genuine expressions. The leaves curling up from Toby's shirt and framing his neck are a truly thoughtful detail. Outstanding.
Link: Art for 'Mirage' | Feedback Post