My Art Work pt 2: Illustrations

On 06/20/2013 at 10:42 PM by Chunopo

Illustrations are something I really enjoy doing, it really lets you get your imagination rolling and there are so many inspirations out there, just using the vast amount of resources like stories, games, film, comics and TV mean that the fruit of the idea tree is always juicy and bursting. I never place restrictions on my own work because if anybody ever printed them off or messed about with them to create something new I would always take it as a compliment. I understand the reasons why some people are precious with their work, particularly if it is their main source of income, but ultimately I enjoy the idea that I am contributing/ giving something back to the creative industry that I garner so much enjoyment from.

Anyway, back to the work. I did a stint at Uni of illustration for a number of different purposes, ranging from short stories (mainly written by English grads that I knew) and advertising. The advertising projects were ok with me because we got to choose the subject matter and as such I often went for places or causes rather than products, I never had the motivation in producing work for a corporation that I had no personal connection with though I have seen others do some amazing work for something as simple as ‘piles cream’.

The images below are Lino prints (for those not in the know it’s a hard substance which softens with heat, you carve into it with special knives and roll ink onto the top, press it and voila). It was based for an OXFAM leaflet and it titled ‘what if it was on your door step’. The idea was to place traditional African art style faces in settings in the street.

Printing has always been something I enjoyed but the facilities are not always accessible. I also managed to practice my skills with paints at Uni and started to create a series of paintings which accompanied a short story that one of my female friends produced, the theme was sexual equality and the basic story was a white witch who took all the men for taking the women for granted but the main character quickly realised that society needed men as much as women and true equality was compromise so she went on a quest to find the white witch and plead to have the men returned.

Other types of illustration I am currently working on are quite new and I’m having a good stab at writing comics/ graphic novels so the drawing isn’t really happening yet. Most of the work is quick fine liner pen and water so I’m hoping to get a few more done whilst I try to complete my latest Zelda painting and continue work on my ‘Ultimate battle series’

Finally I thought I’d introduce you all to Dunstall. You may recognise him from my latest Avatar and I though he would look rather cool accompanying all of my messages and comments. He was a character conceived for another children story that I penned, very similar toAlicein Wonderland, only it was about a boy who’s dog had a very different life with the woodland creatures near where he lived.

Anyway next time I'll looking at some of my game inspired art before we take a recapped leap into Ultimate battles, which with any luck will coincide with the latest one (assuming I can find somewhere with a scanner big enough.

leeradical42

06/20/2013 at 11:07 PM

Dude i still dont understand why your ass aint butt ass rich with that incredible art awesome the only word to describe it.

Cyberxion

06/21/2013 at 11:09 PM

Yeah, I agree. That's some killer stuff. I'd love to see your take on Stephen King's Dark Tower stuff, Chunopo. I think your style would mesh well with it. :)

Chunopo

06/22/2013 at 12:06 AM

Thanks for the comp dude, I ve not read that stuff so I'll have to have a look, cheers for the idea too!

06/22/2013 at 05:01 AM

I would like to see your take on abstract i know your more of a themed artist but with though skills you could probably paint anything lol!!

06/20/2013 at 11:20 PM

Ha ha, thanks mate, there sooooo much taleny out there it's difficult to make serious money in this business, even artists that get to work in game and film projects are woefully underpaid. A good example of that is are the artists for Warhammer, they do some seriously epic work for a pittance. Thanks for the compliment though dude, a nice word is all the payment I need!

Super Step Contributing Writer

06/21/2013 at 12:39 AM

Well, you are a better man than I. I would definitely want payment for my work, especially if it was on this level. Holy shit.

I'm technically much more afraid of someone else claiming my work as their own, but still.

06/21/2013 at 03:18 AM

Thanks Joe, I know what you mean about stealing of ideas, it can be frustrating (not that it's happened a lot to me to be fair) but at the end of the day it's the same as lying on a CV, if you can't really do even though you may convince others that you can, that gaping hole inside is still there. I love peoples reactions more, so I suppose my ego gets paid in spades!

07/06/2013 at 12:13 AM

Weeks later: what's a CV? lol

07/06/2013 at 03:28 AM

ha ha, don't worry matey I don't post many things so it's not difficult to keep track! CV stands for curriculum vitae which is basically what you send employers, a history of you work/ achievements so to speak

07/06/2013 at 03:50 AM

Ah, I have heard cirriculum vitae before, but didn't recognize the abbreviation, although now I'm suddenly certain I've seen that before, too; thank you for clarifying.

Justin Matkowski Staff Alumnus

06/21/2013 at 02:31 AM

awesome work man- especially dig the Zelda painting and Dunstall - the story sounds awesomee too!! Keep up the killer artwork!

06/21/2013 at 03:20 AM

Thanks dude! the Zelda work is one of my faves, I'm almost finished doing Link vs Volvagi but it's still in the UK and I'll need to get it sent out somehow. The large paintings take anywhere between 1000 - 2000 hours to complete so it's a labor of love.

06/21/2013 at 03:30 AM

Ha I ve just realised it should say 'part 3'!

Matt Snee Staff Writer

06/21/2013 at 04:20 AM

dude these are amazing. and different styles! I especially like the 2nd one.

06/21/2013 at 06:36 AM

Thanks Matt! that one took some serious time, I foolishly left the project last minute (for painting at least) so the first few were great quality but as time thinned out I ended up spending the last month on coffee and pro plus!

Alex-C25

06/21/2013 at 01:12 PM

Nice work as always man. I think my favorites were the second painting with the story of sexual equality and the one with the rock strech. Dunstall looks like a pretty cool bunny. Did you get your story published?

06/21/2013 at 08:43 PM

Thanks Alex, never got any work published mate, don't think I ve been doing the freelance stuff long enough but who knows maybe one day! I had quite a bit at uni but quite a lot of work was lost in transit...... drink and other things seemed to take priority back in those days. I'm gradually doing stuff now but it's just finding the time.

Halochief90

06/21/2013 at 05:38 PM

Very detailed and unique artwork. You don't see this kind of stuff churned out of the Hollywood machine!

06/21/2013 at 08:48 PM

Cheers Kev, modern illustration really does take place on the computer a lot these days, I ve seen some awesome stuff created on photoshop/ illustrator and I know how to use the programs myself but for me it just seems to loose some of the skill. I completely understand why it's done though as it's quicker to do, it's a shame but Hollywood doesn't have the patience these days.

smartcelt

06/25/2013 at 12:13 AM

Dunstall makes a great avatar. Those paintings are incredible. I love the colors and the intricate details in them. The subject matter is the stuff I like,too. I did some of those Lino prints in an art class once. We made silk screen t-shirts as well. My designs were pretty basic but it was very interesting to do.

06/25/2013 at 12:35 AM

Thanks man! Glad you enjoy the style of them, I love watercolour work but it sure is time consuming! Yeah I really enjoy doing print work, we do some awesome workshops with some of my students every year on T shirts, I ve seen some incredible designs come from them. One of my female students enjoyed it so much she's now working in her own business selling T shirts!

daftman

06/26/2013 at 02:34 PM

Wow, very nice! You are a versatile chap indeed! I think I like the pen drawings best of all these. If I had artistic skills like that, I'd just sit around and draw all day lol. Wish I could. Looking forward to that Zelda painting!

06/26/2013 at 09:54 PM

Thanks dude! yeah the new Zelda painting is currently sat in the UK and still needs some work but i might get my old man to photo it so you guys can see it! Pen and ink drawings are great because they are pretty quick to do, plus it helps pass the time... if games don't get inthe way of course.

NSonic79

07/07/2013 at 07:56 PM

I wish I could draw the characters/worlds I came up with when I use to write stories. It would make it easier to explain the worlds and people I weaved. Keep it up.

07/07/2013 at 08:43 PM

Writing is also a skill my friend, some of the stuff I ve read build up a clearer picture than I could possibly hope to draw! Do you still write? if not you shoudl get back into it, it's a shame but in my experience it's more difficult to keep up the creativity the older we get.

Chris Iozzi Staff Alumnus

07/08/2013 at 03:41 PM

SICK!!! Please keep posting these.

07/08/2013 at 07:51 PM

Thanks! I'll be putting up some videogame stuff next, as well as working on my latest stuff but I stupidly said I would draw my boss's cat which is taking up valuable 'art me time'. Glad you like them Chris

BrokenH

07/08/2013 at 08:02 PM

I felt the same way. The art college I was going to really was pushing me to become a commercial artist and that really wasn't what I wanted to be. I felt as if I did my best work when it was just for myself. Even if noone else understood it I felt happy.

I've done a few commissions here or there and it frustrates me those don't turn out as good as my core work.

Regardless these look brilliant! Love the dynamic foreshortening of the smoking six-shooter and both illustrations of your white witch story are fab!

I bet people would buy a book of your compiled works. Just a thought.

07/08/2013 at 08:14 PM

Thanks Ben! I'd love to put it into a book someday, even if it's just a vanity publication! Commissioned work is hard to be enthusiastic about unless it's for a friend with similar interest (though then it's usually free!!) so I was glad to start drawing for me again. It's such a shame that the art world is so snobby and stuck up when the stuff that gets our juices going are imaginative concepts, imagination is sorely lacking from much of the mainstream stuff now. How are your creations coming along? I'm looking forward to seeing some more of your work too!

PixlBit