Jim Salvati
Encyclopedia
Jim Salvati is an American painter
of Contemporary Figurative Fine Art. Works in the film industry as a Visual Concept Designer and Cinematic Artist. He is also in a select group of painters for Disney Fine Art
.
With a prestigious list of clients that includes Disney, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, Fox Pictures, Radio City Music Hall
, Arena Stage
, the Ahmanson Theater, Verve Records
and won the Washington Post award of excellence for his work with the Kennedy Center Honorees.
He is also responsible for many of the memorable, finished paintings in the "Harry Potter"
film series. In addition to all of this, Jim has also found the time to illustrate books War of the Worlds, Art of War and Frankenstein. He teaches at the Art Center College of Design
in Pasadena, Pasadena, California
..
. He comes from an artistic family—his mother painted, and his father filled the house with works by his favorite artists, of which there were many. Jim goes further: "I [also] had two uncles that were artists, one a fine artist and the other an architect, and I always remember seeing their art and photography and was amazed at the beauty of what they had created."
Due to his uncle's influence, Jim pursued a career in Architecture
once out of high school. However, he soon learned that the field wasn't all it was cracked up to be:
Shortly after this, Jim was accepted to the Art Center College of Design
in Pasadena, California
.
Once out of school, Salvati's career took off. His unique style and unbridled talent, allowed him to hit the ground running, and Jim began painting for various industries: feature film, the surfing industry and print advertising.
:
He describes his portraits as "painterly realism" in his 2007 interview with Art World News:
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
of Contemporary Figurative Fine Art. Works in the film industry as a Visual Concept Designer and Cinematic Artist. He is also in a select group of painters for Disney Fine Art
Disney Fine Art
Disney Fine Art is a term used to describe works of art portraying Disney Characters, painted by professional artists who are often animators, background artists, or production designers....
.
With a prestigious list of clients that includes Disney, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, Fox Pictures, Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
, Arena Stage
Arena Stage
Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest Washington, D.C. Its declared mission"is to produce huge plays of all that is passionate, exuberant, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit. Arena has broad shoulders and a capacity to produce anything from vast epics...
, the Ahmanson Theater, Verve Records
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
and won the Washington Post award of excellence for his work with the Kennedy Center Honorees.
He is also responsible for many of the memorable, finished paintings in the "Harry Potter"
Harry Potter (film series)
The Harry Potter film series is a British-American film series based on the Harry Potter novels by the British author J. K. Rowling...
film series. In addition to all of this, Jim has also found the time to illustrate books War of the Worlds, Art of War and Frankenstein. He teaches at the Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design is a private college located in Pasadena, California, and was cited by BusinessWeek as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. The college’s industrial design program is consistently ranked number one by both DesignIntelligence and U.S...
in Pasadena, Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
..
Biography
Jim Salvati was born in 1957 and has spent his whole life in Southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. He comes from an artistic family—his mother painted, and his father filled the house with works by his favorite artists, of which there were many. Jim goes further: "I [also] had two uncles that were artists, one a fine artist and the other an architect, and I always remember seeing their art and photography and was amazed at the beauty of what they had created."
Due to his uncle's influence, Jim pursued a career in Architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
once out of high school. However, he soon learned that the field wasn't all it was cracked up to be:
"I learned that architecture was not as glamorous as I though it would be. An instructor noticed my frustration and saw that I could draw. He recommended that I take some drawing classes."
Shortly after this, Jim was accepted to the Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design is a private college located in Pasadena, California, and was cited by BusinessWeek as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. The college’s industrial design program is consistently ranked number one by both DesignIntelligence and U.S...
in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
.
Once out of school, Salvati's career took off. His unique style and unbridled talent, allowed him to hit the ground running, and Jim began painting for various industries: feature film, the surfing industry and print advertising.
Style
Salvati chooses painting in oilOil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
:
"My paintings are extremely thick and layered. I love how experimental oil allows me to be. I can keep the colors moving until I like what they have done to the piece."
He describes his portraits as "painterly realism" in his 2007 interview with Art World News:
"I like the connection between people and their culture. The different emotions, gestures, moods, environments, and style of people in my life and those that I cross paths with, all become part of my storytelling. Even with my Disney art, I think it's important to show who a person or character is and what is the most interesting part of their life--that which is bold and has guts...[Perhaps that is why] I choose the moodiest and edgiest figures to work on. Cult films like Alice in WonderlandAlice in Wonderland (1951 film)Alice in Wonderland is a 1951 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney and based primarily on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with a few additional elements from Through the Looking-Glass. Thirteenth in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was released in New...
are fun, Fantasia'sFantasia (film)Fantasia is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions. The third feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, seven of which are...
hallucinating imagery, and any of the evil, dark queens and princesses help to create more than just a pretty picture."
Filmography
| Title | Year | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Over the Moon | 2003 | Advisor |
| Arcade Arcade (film) Arcade is the title of a B-science fiction/horror film released in 1993. Produced by Full Moon Entertainment, the film features a heavy use of CGI, which was fully redone after the film was completed due to producer Charles Band and director Albert Pyun not being satisfied with the end result... |
1993 | Visual Concept Designer |
| Shadow Warriors | 1996 | Production Designer Production designer In film and television, a production designer is the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the... |
| Dollman | 1991 | Visual Concept Designer |
Theater Posters Illustrated by Jim Salvati
- A Delicate Balance. Edward Albee Pulitzer Prize Winner
- The Quality of Life. Jane Anderson
- History Boys. Alan Bennet
- A Christmas Story
- Death of a Salesman