The Chad Frye - Illustration GuyDoodled a li’l ol’ sailor cat in my sketchbook this week. I wonder what it must be like to sail the seven seas with nine lives? (Rimshot anyone?)
After posting the sketch of a cowboy last week, I got to doodling some more mealy mugs of the wild west in my sketchbook, and applied the ol’ brush pen to them. These varmints ain’t pretty, but they aren’t meant to be either.
I was watching a western the other night with my pop, and just felt the urge to grab my sketchbook and doodle during the movie.
There’s something about a good western, especially the old ones, that lures out all the interesting faces in Hollywood. They seemed to cast real people in their movies, not movie stars. Every now and then one of the real guys became a movie star, but when they put movie stars into westerns, they often stuck out like a sore thumb.
So, while this is no one in particular, it is inspired by the tough guy heroes of a good western. A good hero deserves a good chin and a surly squint. Gotta have the squint.
Couldn’t sleep much last night. Unwillingly awake at 4am, so naturally, I got up and drew some dogs. Yeah, I am the one in the middle, but by midday I’ll probably feel like all the outlining ones.
Now, you are probably wondering what sketches of lions, Darth Vader, and a dinosaur have in common with each other for a New Year’s post. They happen to be my final sketches for 2017, and they were all done this past weekend for my little nephews at their request – except for the dinosaur. The one year old can’t talk yet, but I’m pretty sure he wasn’t disappointed with ol’ Uncle Chad’s choice.
While I generally remain positive here on the ol’ blog, 2017 is a year that I’d rather forget. I’m sure you’ve all had a year or two like that. I just keep drawing and painting, and looking to the Bible for sage wisdom with life’s tough stuff.
So, here’s to the new year where hopefully the sketches get better, as well as the life experiences!
Last week I had the special opportunity to hang out with film score composers Buck Sanders and Marco Beltrami at their studio in Malibu, CA, for a recording session for their latest film National Geographic’s Free Solo (mentioned on IMDB.com). You might know their work from films such as Logan, Ben-Hur, No Escape, The Woman in Black, 3:10 to Yuma, and their Oscar nominated work in 2008’s The Hurt Locker.
As faithful followers of my blog know, I am a film score enthusiast. It is the music of choice to play in the studio while I do my thing with paper, pencils, and stylus. It is always a treat when music makers invite me to have a glimpse of their world. I take my sketchbook with me, and love sitting there hearing the music live, and trying to capture a little bit of it with pencil on paper, hopefully quietly enough that the microphones don’t pick up the scratching. If there is a more enjoyable environment for sketching live, I haven’t found it.
This was my first time spending time in the studio with Buck & Marco. It was a beautiful day surrounded by California mountains on the Pacific coast with a group of amazing string musicians working their magic.
Sketchbooks are where time is spent practicing the craft, so not all the drawings are worthy of display, but here are a few from the day that were successful…
If you like the topic of film music, please feel free to check out my other film music posts by CLICKING HERE, most of which involve more of my art inspired by the art of musicians!
As you enjoy time with friends and family today, remember that in the spirit of giving, it isn’t always the gift that matters, but the thought behind it. So even if you are a snowman who is given a pair of swim trunks, remember the wisdom of I Thessalonians 5:18 which says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
After all, today is the day we celebrate Christ’s coming into the world whose gift to us was His own self-sacrifice in dying for the sins of those who are willing to accept his gift (John 3:16).
Here we are a week away from Christmas. I usually make my own Christmas card every year, but the past three months have had my head spinning, which resulted in a lack of a new card for this year. If you saw my last post, you know what has been occupying my drawing time. So, I thought I’d reach into the ol’ archives to share with you one that I like that was created for 2010.
This is a special one. It’s not often that I illustrate tons of people into a piece, but I was able to include a special couple that mean a lot to me. Kind of in the middle top area, you’ll see a portrayal of Evelyn and Carl Boone. They are not related to me by blood, but have been surrogate grandparents to me since I was born. They are Grandma & Grandpa Boone to me. Grandma passed away a few years ago now, and Grandpa is still a blessing to those who know him at the age of 92. He has always been a wonderful purveyor of biblical advice when one needs it most – a man who has put Christ first through many days both joyful and difficult. While I’m sure he had his days, I never once heard him complain over many years of looking after Grandma. He is the very definition of one who has been faithful both to his Lord, and to his wife and family. There are many generations of Boones and Fryes who love and appreciate him.
So, this piece of art has a bit of a personal story to it. Oh, and yes, that’s a self-portrait in the upper right side, too. 🙂
May you and yours have a blessed Christmas, and I pray that if you have not made Christ the focus of your life (John 3:16), that you will do so and join those who can be truly counted as the faithful.
And just in case you were wondering, it is drawn with colored pencil, watercolored with a non-permanent ink, and color tinted in Photoshop.