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UFO Undercover w Joe Montaldo guest Illustrators of the Future Grand Prize winner, Zaine Lodhi
HOLLYWOOD - Sarasota, Florida native Zaine Lodhi, was honored at the L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards Event in Hollywood as the grand prize winner in the Illustrators of the Future Contest earning him the Golden Brush Award trophy and a cash prize of $5,000 in addition to having his art published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38.
Zaine is a 2018 graduate of Booker High School as well as a recent graduate of Ringling College majoring in Illustration.
The awards event at the Taglyan Complex on April 8th was a black-tie gala honoring all the writer and illustrator winners as well as announcing the grand prize writer and illustrator winners.
The official release of the anthology was April 12th. However, due to paper shortages, the trade paperback will be released on June 28th.
In his acceptance speech, Zaine relayed to the nearly five hundred attendees, “I don't think I would have made it this far if it hadn't been for my girlfriend, Haley Burton, whom I'd like to thank. She would tell me, ‘You need to get better at managing your time. Just do it.' Thank you for encouraging me to stick with it. It means so much to me. From now on, every morning, I will continue to do what I do.”
Zaine Lohdi was born in 1999 in the seaside tourist town of Sarasota, Florida. He feels as if his path as an illustrator was predestined—he has known the trajectory of his life since childhood. Zaine was surrounded by incredible fantasy art from a young age, collecting Magic: The Gathering cards and whatever comics he could get his hands on. The art of Frank Frazetta, Alex Ross, and Gerald Brom were pivotal in his stylistic development.
Zaine is currently studying illustration with a visual development (concept art) focus at Ringling College of Art and Design. He placed the most importance on programs that value an unwavering work ethic and emphasize preparation for the workforce.
He has a strong classical painting background fostered by professors who specialize in figure and landscape painting—he combines traditional painting and drawing skill sets with his visual library to produce concept art for games and film. Currently, he is a student freelance illustrator looking to join a studio and make a mark in the video game industry upon graduation.
The Contest, one of the most prestigious illustrating competitions in the world, is currently in its 34th year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction.
The Illustrators of the Future Contest judges include, Bob Eggleton (11 Chesley Awards and 7 Hugo Awards), Larry Elmore (Dungeons & Dragons book covers), Echo Chernik (graphic designs for major corporations including Celestial Seasonings tea packaging), Rob Prior (art for Spawn, Heavy Metalcomics and Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Ciruelo (Eragon Coloring Book).
The Writers of the Future Contest judges include, Tim Powers (author of On Stranger Tides), Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert (Duneprequel series), Robert J. Sawyer (Quantum Night), Brandon Sanderson (Mistbornseries, The Stormlight Archive),