Wood Ducks

"I swear I see this duck loitering around back lately. He's becoming more brazen every day, but I'm watching him. Behind locked doors, I watch and wait. He won't win this time. "

Seriously though, the wood ducks are hanging around the back yard again. We live by the river, and have a duck house hanging from a tree, close to the river. One duck family will nest in there until the young ones are old enough to drop down to the river. The male wood ducks have this striking  display of colour and feathers on their head. It seems odd to see them land on tree branches now and again, instead of always landing on the water.

This guy started as a rough pencil sketch in one of my Moleskine sketchbooks, and was finished in Photoshop. It is © Chris Chuckry.

Thanks for stopping by.

Fezzy Skeleton

Here's a little piece I did during a local Comic Book convention a couple of weeks ago. It's about 5 by 7 inches, and was completed with marker, aquarelle pencil and some pastel pencil. It was lots of fun! So much fun that I might do a small series of these. After all, if it's not fun is it worth doing?

Thanks for stopping by.
© Chris Chuckry

Pastel Portrait study

It's been some time since I've updated this blog. Reason being that I have been super busy with work, and a fairly recent teaching gig. In January I began teaching an introductory illustration course at our local college. Thursday mornings from eight to noon, I teach life drawing to Digital Media Design students. A recent assignment focuses on portrait and skull studies done in a variety of mediums. Many of the students have limited experience in working with chalk pastel, so I did a quick portrait study to illustrate some technique.

This portrait is of fashion designer Marc Jacobs. I used a photo as reference and completed the piece on smooth, toned paper. There are some structural issues that I would correct if I was going to present this to a client. However, I was focusing on technique and had a deadline--had to finish it before the sitter left for the day. This is straight pastel with no pencil sketch and it took about 40 minutes to finish.

It was a lot of fun! I normally work in Photoshop. If I use traditional media, it's usually for a pencil or ink sketch which I will then finish in Photoshop. I would love to block out some time in my schedule to break out my oil paints again--hopefully soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

I wish the best to you and yours during this holiday season, and into the New Year! May love and happiness light your days and nights. 

Almost forgot to finish my Christmas card this year--that's the way things have been going lately. I did remember though. This illustration is a combination of pencil and acrylic on textured paper, with some Photoshop love to wrap things up. 

Thanks for stopping by!

© Chris Chuckry

Map of a Heart

Here is a piece from one of my sketchbooks. A quick editorial-type illustration mapping a heart's experience with some people and things we typically associate with love.

I spend most of my days working in comic book and related genres. As a result, when I sketch, many related themes and stylistic influences find their way into my drawings. While I enjoy comic, fantasy and horror art, I also love children's book illustration, editorial art and many schools of painting. Lately I've been feeling a need to simplify my work, in an attempt to communicate the idea with less distraction. That doesn't mean I'll give up doing more detailed pieces. It does mean that I'll try to be thinking more graphically from time to time.

This is a pencil and marker heart, drawn in one of my moleskine sketchbooks. It is © Chris Chuckry.

Thanks for visiting.

Snow Fall

It snowed the other day, November 18th, to be exact. It was the first heavy snowfall of winter. Big, fluffy snow flakes falling from the sky, blanketing the ground and anything else they landed on. It was very beautiful. After all these years, I still see the beauty in this. However, I don't think I've ever seen the beauty in shoveling snow.

Beautiful as it was, the snow fell too early for me. I prefer it to remain snow-less until after my birthday, on the 21st of November. It didn't snow on the day I was born. Instead, there was a significant hoar frost. It snowed on my second day of breathing. I know this because my father has told me this story many times. Usually around my birthday. This story reminds me to remember those important moments in life. Pay attention, try to set them in the stone of my memory. Make them last, so I can treasure them later.

I remember the days and details when my children were born. I tell them what their birth day was like, and I will continue to tell them. I will remind them, as my father reminded me, to remember what is important in life.

Thanks for visiting.
© Chris Chuckry

The Mighty Thor?

This is my warm up sketch from yesterday, which I colored today. Yesterday afternoon was interrupted by appliance delivery, clean up and moving etc. For about a month, we've been without many of our major appliances. They were toasted by power surges during a bad electrical windstorm in early October. The refrigerator and microwave were delivered yesterday afternoon, so I had to move things about and clean up some.

Needless to say, I fell behind in my other work. "Life happens," as they say. So, here's yesterday's warmup sketch, colored today. I kind of felt like this guy after last weekend's Convention. Thor is brought to you by pencil, Pentel brush pen and Photoshop. He is © Marvel Comics.

Thanks for stopping by.