Mark Tavares Art

Mark Tavares is a notable character artist with a diverse portfolio that spans various media, including film, television, and comic books. His career is marked by his distinctive style and dedication to his craft, making significant contributions to the entertainment industry. Mark Tavares developed an interest in art at a young age, often drawing inspiration from the cartoons, movies (Star Wars), and comic books he enjoyed as a child.

Mark’s Mom discovered and enrolled Mark in a summer day camp called the Charles River Creative Arts Program. In this remarkable program, kids got to learn about and get involved in all aspects of the arts, including filmmaking and animation classes which Mark devoured. Emerson College, a school in Boston well regarded for it’s film and television degree programs.

In his sophomore year at Emerson, Mark decided to take a theatrical make-up course just for fun. It was about this time that films like “The Howling” and “An American Werewolf in London” were introducing the movie-going public to a new term: Special Effects Make-up. Geniuses like Dick Smith, Rick Baker, Stan Winston, and more, were creating amazing characters on screen with rubber and paint.

Between the course and those films, Mark rediscovered his love of creating characters with greasepaint. He also saw that Make-up Effects, which are done live on the set, provided more immediate gratification than the other effects disciplines like animation.

This appealed to Mark’s somewhat impatient nature. After graduation, Mark decided to risk it and move out to Los Angeles to become a Special Effects Make-up Artist. He packed all his earthly belongings into his beat-up Ford LTD and droveto L.A.

After numerous rejections, Mark interviewed at a fledgling Effects Company called K.N.B. EFX Group. Founders Robert Kurtzman, Greg Nicotero, and Howard Berger were all accomplished make-up artists working for other Companies when they decided it was time to strike out on their own. They were completing their very first shows at K.N.B. when Mark walked through their door. Sensing a passion for the art akin to their own, they looked past Mark’s inexperience and hired him on.

So, he decided it was time to return to what he loved most, Drawing and Painting. Freshening up the resume and creating this portfolio website, Mark has rededicated himself to becoming the painter and illustrator he always thought he could be.