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.

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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.

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© 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.

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Beware the Creeper!

A quick warm up sketch, finished between coloring comic book pages. Done in pencil and Pentel brush pen, and colored up in Photoshop. Some years ago, I colored a mini-series featuring the Creeper. I guess I kinda like him yet. I'm going to try to make these quick portraits a somewhat regular habit, in order to keep me drawing more.

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Creeper is © DC Comics

Crescent Moon Mob & C4 Con

I spent the weekend at the local C4 Comic Con and had a great time! It seemed like this year was the busiest the Con has ever been. I had a great time meeting new friends and catching up with old friends. I loved seeing all the costumed attendees.

Although I was quite busy taking in the sights and talking to a lot of people, I did have time to do some art. Some of the pieces were for fan sketchbooks--always a lot of fun to do. My overly ambitious plans of painting a few pieces in acrylic or watercolor, did not really come to fruition. I did finish one piece though. This one is a combination of ink and aquarelle water color pencil. One of these characters appeared in an earlier sketchbook of mine. I wasn't sure what to call them, but I settled on the "Crescent Moon Mob," for now.

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Art is © Chris Chuckry