Rado Javor is an amazing digital artist from Slovakia that brought digital painting to a hole new level. The first time I found his art I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! Armed with Photoshop, Corel Painter and 3DSMax, Rado Javor creates incredibly detailed illustrations from historical battles to sci fi or fantasy wallpapers.
I must admit, I have fallen in love with his work, and thanks to that my desktop wallpapers have Rado Javor’s signature for almost a year. My only regret is that I can not find his illustrations in bigger resolutions and I am limited on using only some of them to greet me every time I open my computer.
For more information, news and updated artworks feel free to visit the artist’s personal website or his Deviant Art profile.
Empire and Napoleon Total War Illustrations
Two of the projects Rado Javor has been working are the turn-based strategy and real-time tactics video games Empire: Total War and Napoleon Total War. The concept art is without any doubt one of the best I’ve seen in a video game.
HMS Royal George ( Rado Javor )
HMS Royal George – illustration made for the game Empire: Total War by digital artist Rado Javor. It shows the Battle of Quiberon Bay near coast of France. The ship on the right is HMS Royal George, pride of the british navy with almost 900 souls on the board.The battle fas fought in late november so the weather was very bad. Ship on the left is french La Superbe, and this ship ended very bad at the end.
La Rochelle ( Rado Javor )
La Rochelle – Empire Total War concept art illustration digitally painted by Rado Javor. The Image captures early mornig mood in huge french harbour La Rochelle, year 1715. The big ship on the left is the grandious Le Louis Quinze, most beatifull and biggest ship of its age. Rado Javor tried to make the ship as real as possible, using as a reference the model in the naval museum in Paris.
Susan Constant ( Rado Javor )
Susan Constant – ship concept art for Empire: Total War video game digitally painted by creative artist Rado Javor.The scene presented is in England, year 1607, when the 3 ships are preparing for tha voyage that resulted in the founding of the first English settlement in North America. It was the first step towards the colony that became United States of America. The biggest ship is Susan Constant and it was created in Photoshop with the help of a Wacom tablet.
Dubrovnik ( Rado Javor )
Dubrovnik – Empire Total War concept art illustration painted by digital artist Rado Javor. The image shows the galley of Venice near the town Dubrovnik.
Trafalgar ( Rado Javor )
Trafalgar – Napoleon Total War concept art illustration painted by digital artist Rado Javor. HMS Victory is in fierce duel with french Bucentaure at begining of the Trafalgar battle. The biggest and most important battle between Britain and Napoleon empire. Sadly the Admiral Nelson fell on this ship. The ship is currently sitting in dry dock in navy museum in Portsmouth.
The Fire ( Rado Javor )
The Fire – concept art illustration made for Empire: Total War videogame by digital artist Rado Javor. The image shows a battle in Vigo bay between spanish and british fleet. All ships should be historical correct as in begining of 18th century.
The Battle ( Rado Javor )
The Battle – concept art illustration made by digital artist Rado Javor for Empire: Total War video game. The image shows a huge 18th centure battle somewhere in Scotland and it was made in Photoshop in about 30 hours with the help of a Wacom tablet.
Yorktown ( Rado Javor )
Yorktown – concept art illustration made for Empire: Total War video game by creative artist Rado Javor. The image is the artist’s vision of the Yorktown siege at the end of the Indipedence war and it was made in Photoshop in about 30 hours.
Guerilla ( Rado Javor )
Guerilla – Napoleon Total War concept art illustration painted by digital artist Rado Javor. The image shows a scene from the Spanish war of Independence, Local guerrilla is attacking the French convoy.
Ambush ( Rado Javor )
Ambush – concept art illustration made by Rado Javor for Empire Total War. The scene is a forest ambush in the war of Indipendence and it was done in Photoshop in about 30 hours.
Prometheus Fan Art Illustrations
As a great fan of the alien movies and the Ridley Scott, Rado Javor was really inspired by the upcoming movie called Prometheus. So he decided to make some pictures before the movie will be well known. At the moment there is only one trailer released for the movie but everything is a mistery, starting with the story behind it. So Rado Javor’s art can only raise more questions and highten the suspense until more information is officially released.
Prometheus ( Rado Javor )
Prometheus – Fan art illustration made for the movie with the same name by Rado Javor. The painting was done before the trailer got released and this is the artist’s vision of the ship. The scene shows some ancient orbital dockyards near a Space Jockey planet at the first encounter of the human explorers with alien technology.
Ancient Spaceship ( Rado Javor )
Ancient Spaceship – sci fi illustration made as a fan art by Rado Javor for the upcoming movie, Prometheus. This is the ending scene when the space jockey race arrived to earth. Their ship is ancient and should look very different and superior to human vessels. Rado Javor’s goal was to make a ship similar to the derelict in the first alien movie, just much bigger and different configuration.
Space Jockey Planet ( Rado Javor )
Space Jockey Planet – sci fi illustration made for the Prometheus movie by digital artist Rado Javor. The image shows the first human expedition send to discover the unknown mysterious race called the navigators or space jockey. The same organizm was foundf in the derelict spaceship at the beginning of the alien movie.
Prometheus Chamber ( Rado Javor )
Prometheus Chamber – sci fi illustration digitally painted by Rado Javor as a fan art made for Prometheus movie. The artwork shows the explorers from earth discovering the central chamber of the space jockey alien race, wondering what is the purpose of it and what happened.
Sci Fi Illustrations
The Prometheus series of illustrations is not the only sci fi work of Rado Javor. As a matter of fact, his portfolio is quiet full of sci fi illustrations, one better than another. And as i said at the beginning of the article, I start with my favorite piece that stays most of the time as my wallpaper, the Republic Cruiser.
Republic Cruiser ( Rado Javor )
Republic Cruiser – Star Wars fan art illustration digitally painted by creative artist Rado Javor. This is the artist’s favorite ship form Star Wars. Its not very well-known, maybe because it was seen only for some seconds at the beginig of episode one. It is a corellian diplomatic cruiser, lost years ago on some dark planet.
Alien Derelict ( Rado Javor )
Alien Derelict – sci fi concept illustration digitally painted by Rado Javor. The image shows an alien craft discovered on the orbit of an unknown planet. Exploration vessel from Earth just starting to search the artefact.
Old Submarine ( Rado Javor )
Old Submarine – post apocalyptic illustration digitally painted by Rado Javor. The image shows a scene from a post-apocalyptic future. The older damaged submarine is repaired to be used as an energy source.
Derelict ( Rado Javor )
Derelict – Post apocalyptic US harbour after a battle digitally painted by Rado Javor. The ship is a slightly modern version of a current US cruiser.
Invasion ( Rado Javor )
Invasion – sci fi illustration digitally painted by Rado Javor. Its a classical theme, alien invasion and scene of destruction. The image was created in Photoshop with the help of a Wacom tablet.
Imperial Walker ( Rado Javor )
Imperial Walker – Sci fi illustration made as a tribute to Star Wars by digital artist Rado Javor.
The artist’s intention was make a Star Wars design of a huge war machine, somehow similar to AT-AT. This walker is much bigger than the regular ones and about twice in height. The desing is using some elements from the battleships of the Empire. As weapons it has one turbolaser, eight heavy lasers and many heavy blaster cannons. The picture captures the crushing of the rebels defence positions on some cold planet (not Hoth). Rebellion have no weapons that can harm this machine.
Space Marines ( Rado Javor )
Space Marines – Warhammer 40k fan art illustration digitally painted by Rado Javor. The image is a homage to the warhammer world, especially to space marines. It captures the fierce attack of the blood angels space marines. Vehicle designs based on Warhammer 40k universe.
Titan ( Rado Javor )
Titan – Warhammer 40k fan art illustration made by creative artist Rado Javor. The picture shows the final fight between imperial forces against the chaos invasion. One of the last battle Titans resists the innumerable masses of the traitors legions.
Airplanes Illustrations
Being a big fan of airplanes and history, Rado Jovor’s portfolio has a few examples of great World War I and World War II airplane paintings. So here are some of them in full detail for those that share the same passion.
Pioneer Sky ( Rado Javor )
Pioneer Sky – World War I airplane digital painting by Rado Javor. The image shows the italian Caproni 3-engined bomber, year 1916. It was one of the best bombers of ww1.The artist was fascinated by how odd and fragile it looks and yet how many brave men fought in it.
Low Tide ( Rado Javor )
Low Tide -Airplane illustration painted by creative artist Rado Javor. The image shows an old British flying boat, resting in some navy harbour. Now his best years are gone long time ago. It is the year 1937 and the machine is allready obsolete. It was build for the empire which is just at at the end of its existence.
Starstutter ( Rado Javor )
Starstutter – austria-hungarian figter nicknamed Starstrutter or flying coffin digitally painted by Rado Javor. On the picture he is defending the port on adriatic against Italian bombers.
Halloween Illustrations
One of Rado Javor’s favorite hollydays is Halloween and this can be easily deducted from his portfolio where we can find a lot of amazing illustrations dedicated to this day. My favorite one is The Pumpkin King but all of them are great and trully deserve our attention.
The Pumpkin King ( Rado Javor )
The Pumpkin King – Halloween illustration digitally painted by Rado Javor. The artist’s imagination is again directed to the Colonial America, age of first settlers and wich trials. He tried catch the atmosphere of that time in a small village where the children are dancing along some old obscure idol. All creatures are drawn to him to celebrate this night.
Scarecrow ( Rado Javor )
Scarecrow – Halloween illustration painted by digital artist Rado Javor. The image tries to catch the atmosphere of halloween night in Colonial American countryside. Maybe in Maryland in 18th century.
Mother Pumpkin ( Rado Javor )
Mother Pumpkin – Halloween illustration digital painting and concept art by Rado Javor. The image shows early Colonial America. The citizens of one small village found soemthing bizzare and scarry in the fields.
Jack O’Lantern ( Rado Javor )
Jack O’Lantern – Halloween illustration digitally painted by creative artist Rado Javor. The Legend of the Jack O’Lantern tells about the eternal Irish wanderer who wasn’t let to the Heaven neither to Hell. He is traveling through the world in the search of Redemption.
This is his visit to America on all Hallows Eve, on this place and time the Hell is closest to our world.
Trick or Treat ( Rado Javor )
Trick or Treat – Halloween concept art illustration digitally painted by creative artist Rado Javor as a tribute to his favorite hollyday, Halloween.
Salem ( Rado Javor )
Salem – Halloween illustration digital art by creative artist Rado Javor. The image shows the day of september 22, 1692 in Salem.
Harvest Time ( Rado Javor )
Harvest Time – Halloween illustration digitally painted by Rado Javor. Colonists are just in the middle of harvest celebration when something comes.
The Guardian ( Rado Javor )
The Guardian – Halloween illustration painted by digital artist Rado Javor. In the desperate times of need the native tribes created a guardian to protect them from the English colonist. Imagine a native pumpkin golem. The artist was inspired by the beautiful movie, New World from Terrence Malick.
Other Illustrations from Rado Javor
Beside the illustrations made on wider projects like those above, Rado Javor has other creatives worth mentioning. So here are some of them!
Bagdad ( Rado Javor )
Bagdad – personal illustration made by digital artist Rado Javor. The image shows a restfull evening in the Baghdad city.
Belfast ( Rado Javor )
Belfast – The hallowen evening in Northern Ireland during the worst years of civil disorder digitally painted by Rado Javor.
New Land ( Rado Javor )
New Land – ship illustration created by digital artist Rado Javor for the project Elveon. It shows Landfall of a mighty elvish race. The artist’s inspiration was Tolkien and his Númenórean race.
Battle Ship ( Rado Javor )
Battle Ship – fantasy battle ship painted by digital artist Rado Javor for the Elveon project. The image shows the capital ship crushing the enemy fleet, with the help of a divine artefact on the prove. The ship should look very big, full of war machines.
Battle of Lepanto ( Rado Javor )
Battle of Lepanto – War ship painting made by digital artist Rado Javor. The image shows the huge Venetian galeasse San Lorenzo attacking the turkish fleet in Battle of Lepanto 1571. It was the biggest battle of oarvessels,with about 200 galleys on each side.
Monitor vs Warrior ( Rado Javor )
Monitor vs Warrior – concept art illustration painted by digital artist Rado Javor. This is a vision of different historical line. British empire is intervening in American civil war on the side of Confederation. The first ironclads in the world fight against each other. The biggest ships in the world at time British HMS Warrior and Black Prince against smaller heavy armored American Monitors.
Eusebiu Oprinoiu
Just stumbled on this website after looking at the concept art for empire total war. I love the colonial era art…really impressive!
Really imressive style of works, very artistic maner to join fantasy styly with reality…I like it!
Outstanding! Everything is impressive. I just can’t decide which image to love most!