Erik M. Gist received his B.A. from SDSU in 1998. He began studying with Jeff Watts in 1996, three years later he began to teach and has done so ever since.. Erik has worked in the video game industry as a concept designer and 3-D artist and is now working as a freelance illustrator. Erik's clients include Marvel Comics, D.C. Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Disney, Audible, Wizards of the Coast, Upperdeck, Boom! Studios, Palladium Books, Blizzard Entertainment, Viking Childrens Books, Monkey Brain Books, Quart Publishing, and Chiat-Day. His work can be seen in Spectrum: the best in fantastic art including a nomination in 2018, and Aphrodesia: art of the female form 1 . Along with a Spectrum nomination, he has been nominated for an Illie Award, a Pulp Ark Award, a Chesley Award, and multiple Horror Comic Awards including one win. For more information about Erik's art please visit his website at www.erikgist.com.

Lucas has been attending the Watts Atelier since 2001. He has worked in the video game industry working in Visual Development. Some of his game credits include: SOCOM 2 and 3, God of War, Alien Hominid, and Twisted Metal: HO. Lucas now freelances as an illustrator, some of his clients include: Sony Computer Entertainment, SOE, Wizards of the Coast, Reef, Upper Deck, Blizzard, White Wolf, and Quarto Publishing. His work can be seen in “Spectrum 15: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art”, “The Art of World of Warcraft TCG” as well as “Drawing and Painting the Undead”. Lucas was also a finalist in the 2008 Cover Competition for "American Artist Drawing" magazine. For more information on Lucas’ art, visit his website: www.lucasgraciano.com His work can be seen in “Spectrum 15: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art”, “The Art of World of Warcraft TCG” as well as “Drawing and Painting the Undead”. Lucas was also a finalist in the 2008 Cover Competition for "American Artist Drawing" magazine. For more information on Lucas’ art, visit his website: www.lucasgraciano.com

Michael C. Hayes came to Watts Atelier in 2005 just after graduating with a degree in Digital Arts and Animation. After years working with 3d modeling programs Michael was ready to make a change, throw the dice, and pursue an education and ultimately a career working in the illustration. Free from the constraints of term papers and physics tests, and in a wonderful artistic environment, Michael began spending almost every waking moment he could spare on a drawing bench or in front of an easel. He is fond of telling people he crammed 20 years worth of study into a short time at the atelier. As a result of this effort, and a few extraordinary teachers, his artistic skills began to develop to professional level. About halfway through 2008 he got his first professional gig working freelance on a game called “Legends of Norrath”. In the years that followed he began to receive more and more work and took fewer and fewer classes, slowly transitioning from student to full time professional. Since then he has had the good fortune to work for clients such as: Wizards of the Coast, Blizzard Entertainment, Sony Online Entertainment, LucasArts Entertainment, Night Shade Books, Palladium Books and others. In addition to successfully self-publishing two compilations, Michael has been featured in several publications including Spectrum Fantastic Art 18,19 and 20. His awards and accomplishments include the 2012 ImagineFX Rising Star Award, a Chesley award, a Spectrum nomination and a trio of 2013 Art Renewal Center Salon awards. In late 2013, ready for a change again, Michael decided to pull away from the freelance world for awhile to pursue his own projects.