Tag: horror

I've been doing a lot of charcoal sketches lately as raffle art prizes at the conventions I've been set up at this fall. It really helps when you have a set deadline. I know that I've got to get it done by the next show, which has been pretty much every weekend for a few months now. ALMOST every weekend. So, I've got a lot of these! I'm going to talk a bit about the process while posting images along the way. Hope you enjoy.

Charcoal drawings are an exercise in the study of form in light. If you're learning how to paint, it may help to practice drawing a few charcoal sketches to get the hang of it. I like the medium a lot because the classic monsters I draw are already filmed in black and white, so it just feels right. It also makes the modern characters like Leatherface look creepy.

First, I sketch the contours and general shaping of my subject, then I focus on lighting and texture. I use a technique ,called reductive drawing, which matches my under-painting technique. I just pre-tone the board then erase the highlights and strengthen the darks. It's really pretty simple once you get the hang of it. You can switch up your charcoals between hard and soft, and between using pencils, sticks or vines. Vine charcoal is very soft and works wonders when you want clothing or fabric to appear believable.

Working in charcoal is great because of all the variation in tone you can get. You have such a high range of tones that the whole spectrum is there at your fingertips. I use both kneaded erasers and a makeup applicator, or even white charcoal pencil once in a while for adding highlights. To finish your piece, spray it with a fixative to prevent smudging.

There are a handful of ways to use charcoal effectively, so in this case, everything isn't always black and white!

The Thing alien scene

Legendary horror film director John Carpenter was in Chicago recently for Flashback Weekend Horror Con, and it got me thinking about doing a little post tribute. Well, a true tribute would take pages and pages! But, I've included a photo of a poster from my personal collection, as well as a painting that depicts the image that influenced my obsession with THE THING at a young age. It's one of my top ten favorite horror films!

When I was a kid, I saw The Thing on TV and one image stuck in my brain. It haunted me for years because I didn't know the name of the movie, and had no way of properly describing what I had seen to others. But, hell, I HAD to see this again! It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen on TV. I bet most people can name a few movies that had scenes which messed with their heads as kids. You spend years wondering what that movie was and relentlessly try to find it. We didn't have "Google" growing up! This painting here is that alien scene that stuck in my head!

Years ago, I was very fortunate to have had a conversation with John Carpenter. He's incredibly nice, and he even liked my piece a lot, noting how well I'd captured Kurt Russell. He said he'd always had a really hard time finding someone who could draw Kurt well, and that it's why he kept using Drew Struzan for poster art. Drew had Russell down to a science. Nope, Kurt is not easy to draw. Some faces are way harder to capture properly than others. It's weird. I didn't get to talk to Carpenter this time around, as I had a table across the street at Wizard World. But, it's great to see through fan photos and interviews that he was clearly having a blast at the convention. There's just nothing like the feeling of meeting one of your idols. Just like that alien scene, the feeling sticks with you.

Hellraiser portrait. 16x20, oil on board.

 One of my top ten favorite films is Clive Barker's HELLRAISER, and I couldn't be more proud to present this freshly finished piece to you all. I put a LOT of work into this one. Since I'd wanted to have it ready for Wizard World, my time was limited. No TV, socializing or going to the movies. These are sacrifices I'd never give up entirely, but I'm okay with doing several week stretches because it's totally worth it in the end. As a professional artist, I feel it's necessary to always have something new for each show. Don't let the fans get bored. The last thing you want is to come off as stale. Need to add a little fresh meat to the table!

I've literally been painting for four solid hours every night like some kind of frenzied madman. Deadline stress aside, it's still damn fun. I kid you not, the moment I added the final touches, I threw up! That's how hard I'd been concentrating on getting this piece done in time!

I also like to play with the idea that I was possessed during the process. Cenobites are supposed to be angels and demons who are on this demented plane of existence that lies between pleasure and pain. In essence, sadomasochism. Artists busting their asses to make deadlines kind of fall into that category!

I really hope everyone likes this piece, and I'll see some of you at Wizard World in a few days! 11x17 prints will be available for purchase at my table.

Here's my bio on the Wizard World artist page! www.wizardworld.com/chriskuchta.html

Tombs of the Blind Dead Spanish poster art

I absolutely love collecting old movie posters. The illustrations created decades ago were top-notch and really eye-grabbing without having to use floating heads. Well, unless the heads were decapitated! There was a sense of bravery and freedom going on in classic horror posters – a feeling I don't really get from posters put out today. I think the designs have started getting better, now that everyone openly mocks floating head syndrome, but a lot of it still feels too “safe” to me. I like layouts that feel alive and wild. Painted scenes that make me yell, “Hot damn! I want to see that movie!!”

Occasionally, I'm going to post some posters from my own collection here as being “From the Vault” and will try to include an art piece depicting the film's influence on me.

For starters, TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD! I've included both my Spanish and Thai posters, as well as my personal tribute to this amazing film. The Spanish art really has a menacing tone going on, something to scare the kiddies. The Thai illustration is a bit more bizarre, not as scary, but has some key scenes which may give an unintended comical effect. Still awesome, though!

Tombs is definitely a series of films that hit a cord with me and a lot of other people.I mean, where else are you gonna get a vampire/mummy/knight kicking ass in a film? another thing about these movies is that you never quite know what to expect. They follow their own rules so no expected weakness can help you!

Tombs of the Blind Dead - Thai poster

My painting of Tombs of the Blind Dead

Thought I'd post this awesome mention I got from my friend Brian Kirst in his killer blog,

BigGayHorrorFan.com. He did a write-up of Terror in the Aisles, filled with great photos from

the night, which includes a photo and blurb about yours truly, along with other Chicago-area

horror friends rocking the scene. I love the photo taken of me with Nightbreed star Anne Bobby!

It was great talking with her. I especially loved Brian's description of my work:

"Chris' pieces seem to breathe with a liquid intensity."

I hope everyone checks out this post of his recap! Check it out HERE!

Since we're on the topic of mentions, I got another one by my friend Aaron Christensen on his

movie blog, Horror 101 with Dr. AC. He did this INSANELY huge write-up on his very first trip

to G-Fest, which we happened to be attending last weekend as well. It was a blast, and as you can

see from AC's post, he had a fantastic time, too! Thanks to AC for the shout-out, and I really

recommend giving that gigantic, monster-filled post a read. If anyone knows me, they know how

much of a Godzilla fan I am. The photos alone are enough to sway anyone to go next time!

Read it HERE. Movie fans might want to check in to it to catch his recaps as he experiences

Fantasia Fest!

Alright! It's officially my birthday now! For real. A few of you who have seen these early, but the rest of the world hasn't so here they are! This year's new shirts have hit the gore store.  You need one. No, you need 4. In your size. Please. Or I starve, and you wouldn't want me to become that cliche would you!?! Buy horror art goodies at the Gore Store!

Recently went to Texas Frightmare weekend and had a blast there.

Rue Morgue held a cover competition that was a whole lot of fun so I painted my butt off and made sure to get into this! Competition was tough but I pulled 2nd place and won a whole bunch of cool prizes!

Here is a link to the page and you can see the competition: Rue Morgue Cover Contest Winners

Been painting a lot of Peter Cushing lately. Not likely gonna stop ether. Enjoy!

Some movies are a marvel in simplicity. Great for the sheer reason that they work on a primal level. Tobe Hooper's 1981 classic Funhouse is just such a movie. It just works and the creature is great. Some poor elephant man gone wrong. Being brought up by carneys will do that to you every time. Their carneyness will pollute you and turn you into a bloodthirsty, horny monster.

Man, parasitic twins are the best. Who wouldn't want one of these. Your very own Belial to carry around, watch movies with, and rip people who generally annoy you into spaghetti! Well, although I unfortunately can't provide you with your own psychopathic mutant in a basket I can and will provide you with one of these sexy prints!

This little interaction is classic:

Casey: [In the Bar] There's something I've been dying to ask you. What's in the basket?

Duane Bradley: My Brother.

Casey: Ya Brother!

Casey: [Duane and Casey both laugh] What is he, a midget?

Duane Bradley: No, we're twins. Siamese twins.

Casey: That's funny, you don't look...

Duane Bradley, Casey: ORIENTAL!

Casey: [Duane and Casey both laugh] So what happened? Somebody shrink him?

Duane Bradley: No, he's deformed. A freak, he's like a squashed octopus.

Duane Bradley: Our mother died giving birth to us. He was attached to my right side. They wouldn't let us go to school or anything. They kept us hidden. We were the 'big family secret'. Everybody hated us, except our Aunt. See, he likes the dark. He doesn't like to be seen, not even by me sometimes. And you know what else?

Duane Bradley: [Casey shakes her head] He talks to me. [Points to his head] Up here. Without words. I just hear him whispering in my brain. Sometimes he talks for hours and wouldn't shut up. I used to be able to talk to him like that, but that was when we were still connected. Our Aunt said it was our special gift. But since we've been separated, I can't do it anymore, but he can still do it to me. In fact, he's even better at it and he always knows what I'm thinking.

Casey: Duane, you're giving me the creeps.

Duane Bradley: They didn't want him to live. But he fooled them, he just got stronger. If you only knew what it was like. Duane and I kept hidden from everyone. We're both so messed up. I don't know which one of us is worse.

And now for some trailer!