AJ Frena

Location: US Web: www.aj-frena.com Email: mail@aj-frena.com ME DIA: Acrylic, watercolour, Photoshop

AJ’s main focus is on imagery that features animals and various forms of wildlife. “Utilising both traditional and digital media, I combine realism with the abstract and fine art with elements of pop culture,” the artist says.

Born and raised in North Texas, AJ studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City before moving to Pittsburgh, PA, where he lives with a lucky black cat and a lazy border collie.

1 Please Stand By – Fall out 4

“This is a tribute to Fallout for New York Comic Con, celebrating the release of the new game. It’s one of my favourite game series and so it was exciting to get the chance to bring this piece to life.”

2 Avengers

“A tribute to the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, in partnership with Marvel for Hero Complex Gallery. This was my first officially licensed piece. At the time I had done scientific illustration almost exclusively, so this was uncharted territory for me. Fortunately, it ended up being a success and opened up new opportunities for me.”

3 Near the Ca mphor Tree

“This is my tribute to Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 film My Neighbor Totoro. I used acrylic and Photoshop to paint the scene.”

4 Wizard of Oz

“When I was asked to do this piece for New York Comic Con, I knew that I wanted to tackle the books instead of the film. Dorothy is based on the likeness of a kid that I watched grow up, who I’ve persuaded into wanting to be an artist. Hearing that she recognised herself immediately in the image and got all excited about it still makes me smile.”