Illustration

My First Drawings on a Macintosh SE

My first computer drawings done on a Macintosh SE one the earliest Apple computers of the late 1980’s. I took my first introductory evening class on the Apple computer just to begin this digital journey in maybe 1988/89 at Parsons New School of Design, downtown Manhattan. Drawing on this brick of electrons was like trying to bend steel, let alone do anything else. I didn’t touch a computer again till I was formally trained in about 1992 at my staff job as a designer at McGraw-Hill. The smooth gradations, color work and 3D modulation you see now, couldn’t even be done back in the Mac SE days!

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Coffee Cup Sketch at Espresso 77

Follow the aroma’s trail for the best coffee at this Jackson Hts, NYC establishment, enjoy the art gallery, and evenings with the local musicians. Unfortunately the staff makes me work and do sketches for my coffee, hey the economy is tough. If your in the neighborhood stop by at espresso 77 and drink more coffee and you too may start sketching, but don’t try to take my job!

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“The Witch Hunter’s Amulet” Illustration & Design

Book cover illustration & design for this cover took much research to achieve the authentic feel of the 1500’s era of Inquistions and convey the rich cultural and spiritual tapestry that was India then and still is. Below you will see a snapshot of my drafting table with some test illustrations to warm up with as well as references. Each page of this book is a visual and sensory delight, you won’t regret reading its pages, you can get your copy at <a title=”The Witch Hunter’s Amulet” href=”http://christophermatthewspub.com/?page_id=3601″ target=”_blank”>Christopher Matthews Publishing</a>.<!–more–> Goa, India—16th Century. With the Inquisition extended to Portugal’s overseas territories, Manuel Andrade is sent by the Catholic Church to Goa, India, to arrest witches—the consorts of Satan. In 1564 he arrives in India— deathly ill, he is convinced that in order to recover, he needs to assemble a jeweled amulet. Andrade is ill-prepared to deal with the intricacies of life and the culture in India. The country is on the brink of war between the Hindu Vijayanagar Empire and the Muslim Sultans of the Deccan Plateau. The Portuguese, ever-hungry for territorial expansion and for more Catholic converts, add fuel to the fire, bringing the cauldron to its boiling point. Based on both real and fictional events and characters this novel graphically explores the terrible themes of hypocrisy, persecution and torture that characterized this period. Rich in lush detail, <strong><em>The Witch Hunter’s Amulet</em></strong> allows the reader’s senses to experience the exotic smells, sights and vivid colors of 16th century India.