Snowed under with Love

Something a little more seasonal--finally! Wherever you are and whoever you're with, I hope you are snowed under with love this holiday season, and that you've got enough to spread around.

This was a little thumbnail done in my small moleskine sketchbook, while I was waiting to pick up my youngest son from Kindergarten. I try to carry a small sketchbook with me always, since I never know when I'm going to have time to draw. I can't recall the exact inspiration for this piece, although I have been thinking of owls, and it has been snowing a lot here.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Holidays!

© Chris Chuckry

Leftover Hallowe'en spirit

Here's a piece I had hoped to finish in time for an Illustration Friday challenge, on the theme of "Spooky." The deadline came and went, while this piece languished in the "someday, sometime," folder. Well, the day and time has come, and late is better than never! So, here is a pumpkin spirit, seeking its higher calling.

This illustration began life as a pencil sketch, then was scanned into photoshop, where it made acquaintance with color and texture. They got along famously.

Thanks for stopping by.
© Chris Chuckry

Charity Auction Sketch Cards

I attended a local comic book convention over the past weekend. Getting out and meeting fans, friends and fellow artists is always a lot of fun--especially since my work is largely solitary in nature. An art auction to benefit the Hero Initiative, was held and I did a number of sketch cards to support this charitable cause.

I like doing sketch cards for a couple of reasons. First, they give me a chance to draw, which I'm always looking for. Secondly, I get to use traditional, or non-digital media. In this case, there's the added bonus of supporting a worthy cause.

The cards I've posted here are done in a combination of pencil, ink, marker and aquarelle watercolor pencil. Thanks for stopping by.

The characters are © of their respective owners.

Fall

Here's a recent distraction. I went multi-media with this one. The branches were drawn with a twig/branch, and sepia ink on water color paper. The leaves are real--scanned and color corrected. I put the whole thing together in Photoshop. I was inspired by the view out my window, of some leaves clinging on to their branches, despite the hardships they face. Much the same can be said of love.

It's a sad piece for sure, but spring is not too far off. This is © Chris Chuckry

Thanks for stopping by.

"Emergency," updated

Here's an earlier work that I touched up a little, by adding some texture to it, and tweaking the line art. It was originally done for an Illustration Friday challenge, and I like the way it came together. So, it's up for inclusion in the new portfolio site--if it doesn't get beat out by something I feel is more successful.

Thanks for stopping by.

Artwork is © Chris Chuckry

Heavy - Reworked

I'm starting to go through my illustration files in order to choose pieces for a proper portfolio website. I enjoy doing the blog and will continue to do so. However, I do need a focused digital portfolio. So, I'm evaluating my work and reworking some of it, like this piece, originally done for Illustration Friday.

I was happy with the concept of this piece but felt that the execution was too clean, with a soft digital feel. To better communicate the feelings of struggle and exhaustion/breakdown, I added a rough watercolor texture to give it a more interesting traditional feel and break it up a little. I like this piece as an editorial-type spot illustration, so I think it will make the cut for the new portfolio site.

The process of this piece follows the path of much of my other illustration--a pencil sketch, finished in Photoshop with color and overlaid textures.

Thanks for stopping by.

Image is © Chris Chuckry

The Bad Seed

"His brothers were over-achievers, but he was the polar opposite. He was a bad seed." An illustration about disparate siblings, and the trials of dealing with the "bad seed." I did this for the psychology eBook. Like the others, it began as a pencil sketch which was then inked and colored in Photoshop.

It is © Chris Chuckry.

Thanks for stopping by.

Kleptomania

"Almost unaware, she steals things she doesn't need, and could definitely afford to buy if she did. Her kleptomania is a symptom of a deeper problem." Another illustration for the psychology eBook. This was also a pencil sketch, inked and colored in Photoshop.

Thanks for stopping by.
© Chris Chuckry

Cyberspace

This internet can get you in trouble for sure. An earlier piece, about cyber-infidelity, completed for the eBook. Pencils scanned, then inked and colored in Photoshop.

Thanks for checking in.

© Chris Chuckry

Keeping Your Cool

Here's the cover image for the psychology eBook I've been doing illustrations for. It's called "Keeping Your Cool Through Your Midlife Meltdown."

This started life as a pencil sketch, and was then inked and colored in Photoshop. It is © Chris Chuckry

Thanks for stopping by.

"Gold Digger"

Who doesn't want a Sugar Daddy, or Sugar Mama, for that matter? This is another illustration for the psychology eBook. Like the other, it started as a pencil sketch, then was inked and colored in Photoshop.

Thanks for stopping by.

© Chris Chuckry

"The 3:00 a.m. Call"

Another piece for the eBook, this time dealing with the effects of dementia on relationships with parents.

Thanks for stopping by.

© Chris Chuckry

Full Nest Syndrome

This illustration is for the concept of "Full Nest Syndrome," which is related to "Failure to Launch."

Another pencil sketch, inked and colored in Photoshop. Thanks for stopping by.

© Chris Chuckry

The Elixir of Sleep

Another spot illustration for the psychology eBook. This portrays the joys of periodic limb movement and sleep. I started with a pencil sketch, which was then scanned, inked and colored in Photoshop.

Thanks for stopping by.

© Chris Chuckry

Muse Update

I'm pleased and excited that my "Muse" submission was selected for the art show and related book, in support of a children's charity. I was able to touch it up a little more before sending the file off. However, some things are still bothering me, so I'll probably do more painting. Sometimes, working digitally is both a blessing and a curse.

Thanks for stopping by.

Illustration is © Chris Chuckry

Chasing Happiness

Another illustration for the eBook I've been talking about. I'm working on the cover now, and will finish the rest of the interior spot illustrations in a week or two.

In the meantime, here's one about the wonderful world of Prozac, and other mood enhancing drugs, and how people sometimes chase happiness through pharmaceuticals.

I used Photoshop to finish this piece after doing a pencil rough. It is © Chris Chuckry.

Thanks for stopping by.

Phobic

Another piece for the Psychology eBook. Dealing with phobias. A pencil sketch with ink and color in Photoshop. 

Thanks for stopping by.

© Christopher Chuckry

Yo Yo Diet

Another piece for the Psychology eBook, for a story about the effects of "yo-yo dieting." I did a pencil sketch, then inked and colored it in Photoshop.

Thanks for stopping by.

© Chris Chuckry

"I Used To Be A Pistol"

Here is an illustration from a project I'm working on-- creating a couple of dozen spot illustrations for a Psychology e-Book. Each illustration hints at a problem that someone brings to a Psychologist for discussion and therapy. I'm approaching most of these pieces with a whimsical, humorous attitude, instead of a more serious interpretation of the issue. I really enjoy doing spot illustrations like this, where you have to communicate a complex issue with a single illustration. It's like solving a visual puzzle, or writing poetry, instead of a short story. The challenge is to express the idea in a concise, clever and entertaining fashion.

This first piece has a playful Sheriff wishing for a younger pistol. Hopefully, the idea is evident--if not, you will have to read the book! I'll post more pieces as a finish them, and more information as the book comes together.

Thanks for stopping by.
© Chris Chuckry

Another Space Oddity

My continued exploration of the space between my ears.

Thanks for coming along.

© Chris Chuckry

Artorder Muse Challenge

Here's my submission for the "Muse" Challenge, over at the Artorder blog run by John Schindehette, a Senior Art Director of Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast. His blog is great reading, and offers up a wealth of useful information for artists. Every now and again he runs "challenges" for readers. The "Muse" Challenge was run with Veronika Kotlajic, and supports Discovery Arts, an organization that promotes art, and supports children with cancer.

This is only my second challenge, since I've been following Artorder. I've usually been too busy to take part. My challenge with this piece was to get it mostly finished by the deadline--tougher than it sounds, as I had to fit it around my work schedule. As a result, the last hour or so, of many work days was spent on this piece. Photographs provided by Veronika were used as inspiration for the piece, so she is definitely the Muse here. In one of her photos, she wears a feather coat, so I ran with that, settling on a bird amongst the cats angle.

I'm happy with the direction the piece is going, but it does need more work before I feel it is finished.

Thanks for stopping by.

This illustration is © Chris Chuckry

Finished Medusa

Here's a finished version of the Medusa illustration I posted earlier. This has been an interesting experiment, trying to save an old illustration I liked, by doing a repaint of it. My initial effort was around twelve years ago. At the time, my skills were insufficient to create the type of image I was hoping for. It is encouraging to see that years later, I'm still improving. I wish I could spend more time painting and drawing to make up for my misspent youth.

Thanks for stopping by.

Image is © Chris Chuckry

Sketchcards - now in color!

Here are the final color versions of the sketchcards I did for a charity auction. These are mainly ink and watercolor with some colored pencil and gouache thrown in for good measure. I'm starting to get the hang of the tiny 2.5" x 3.5" format, and I'm starting to shake the rust off my traditional media chops. I feel like I have to relearn a lot, after doing so much digital work over the years.

Thanks for stopping by.

Images are © Chris Chuckry

Sketch Card sketches

Here are some ideas that I worked up, prior to doing a few sketch cards for a charity auction. After firming up my ideas in Photoshop, I transfer the images to the card and finish them up with ink, watercolor and colored pencil. These are characters that I created myself for this set, so I took a little extra time with the "pre-sketches."

This seems like a lot of work for a 2.5"x3.5" card. Maybe it is. However, I'm still enjoying the process, and having fun working with traditional media, for a change, instead of working purely digital. Also, it brings me closer to my personal goal of doing more traditional illustration and painting. So, I see the time commitment as an investment in me--professional development, if you will. I'm always trying to get better at what I do, so new challenges and experiences are welcome.

The images are © Chris Chuckry. Thanks for stopping by.

Medusa WIP

A trip back into the fantasy/horror genre here. This is a repaint of a Medusa piece that I first did about 12 years ago. At the time I liked the idea, but didn't have the talent to translate it into a finished painting that I was happy with. So, I'm having another go. It still needs a lot of work before it's done.

Thanks for stopping by.

© Chris Chuckry

Cat Officer

Here's a veteran of the mouser wars. Shaken, but standing, he goes about his daily routine in quiet contemplation.

This is an old pencil sketch with some Photoshop greytones. It is © Chris Chuckry.

Thanks for stopping by.

Expression Revised

Here's a revision of this piece I've been calling "Expression." The earlier version of it seemed like a nice technical exercise, but did not have any of the energy, or emotion I was aiming for. It left me a little cold and felt unfinished. So, I decided to revisit the piece, and attempt to satisfy myself. I'd put so much effort into the original version, that I didn't want to leave it disappointed. I'm not ready to leave it alone just yet, so I may post another version later.

This should be oil paint on board, but it's really Photoshop. It is © Chris Chuckry

Thanks for stopping by.

Mad Science!

Here's a quick piece that I finished for an invitation to my son's 7th birthday party. We are having a "Mad Science" theme party, which he should enjoy, since one of his favorite activities is to play in his "lab." Unfortunately, I didn't have as much time to polish this piece as I would have liked, so I may come back to it at a later date. 

I loved science when I was a kid, and I still do. I had chemistry, electrical and aeronautical experiment sets. I loved taking things apart to see how they worked (sorry frogs!), and devoured many science related books. I thought I was going to be a scientist when I grew up. Although that didn't work out, I can't complain about being an artist. 

This piece started as a pencil sketch, and was painted in Photoshop. It is © Chris Chuckry.

Thanks for stopping by.

2010 A Space Oddity

I was fortunate enough to add this fine fellow to my journal of oddities during my recent travels in the 13th dimension.

As a kid, I was an immediate fan of Basil Wolverton, when I discovered his work through some comic book reprints. It must have been his combination of humor and grotesque that hooked me. Here is a small tribute to him and the influence he has on some of my work.

This is a pencil sketch that I finally painted up in Photoshop. It is © Chris Chuckry.

Thanks for stopping by.

My absence explained.

I just  had too much cake over the holidays.

Actually, I've just been catching up on some rush comic book work, and didn't feel that I had anything worth posting here. Until I remembered Snorlax. This Pokemon character is for a birthday card, of a Pokemon obsessed boy in my son's class. I picked a Snorlax because the name reminds me of a possible Dr. Suess creation.

Back in the 1990's when Pokemon first became popular, I thought about doing up some sample illustrations in an attempt to get licensed illustration work. I never got around to doing up the samples. Seems there was always something else to do, or maybe I just wasn't as interested in Pokemon as I needed to be. Turns out I just needed to have kids.

Thanks for stopping by.

Snorlax and Pokemon are © Nintendo.