Chris Trefz Art Blog

New Illustration by Chris Trefz Celebrating World UFO Day: The Cows Will Never Be the Same. Happy World UFO Day! Gather with other UFO enthusiasts to swap stories and watch the night skies, or fire up a classic like First Encounters of the Third Kind or The X-Files. My development Process for this image: Line art and partial color Flat color and lighting effect Almost done Introduction: World UFO Day is an annual event that brings together UFO enthusiasts from around the world to celebrate and discuss the existence of unidentified flying objects. Since its inception in 2001, it has become a platform for sharing stories, evidence, and experiences related to UFO encounters. As a passionate artist and believer in the possibilities beyond our world, I couldn't resist creating a new illustration in honor of this special day. The Significance of World UFO Day: World UFO Day, organized by WorldUFODay.com, serves as a gathering point for UFO enthusiasts to showcase their resear...

New Artwork by Chris Trefz, done for "Alien Day": Celebrating the Sci-fi, Horror Masterpiece by Ridley Scott In honor of Alien Day, here's a depiction of her royal highness herself, the Alien Queen. As seen in the sequel, Aliens, the Xenomorph Matriarch sits perched upon her egg sack, surrounded by her terrible children awaiting fresh hosts to continue their lifecycle. Inspired by Ridley Scott's cinematic masterpiece, Alien, the date April 26th was selected in honor of the infamous planet the creature was found on, LV426. Scott also directed "Blade Runner", making him one of the most influential moviemakers in the sci-fi genre. Alien Day is accompanied by celebrations aimed not only to appreciate science fiction but also to educate people about it. The day provides science fiction lovers with the opportunity to partake in everything sci-fi. It is spiced up by organizing sci-fi competitions for interested persons to win alien collectible and wearable prizes...

New Illustration by Chris Trefz, Turkey Surprise: An Alien-Inspired Thanksgiving. Here's some new artwork I created in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday, inspired by the movie Alien, and the hilarious Farside cartoon by Gary Larson.  Here's a Short Story based on the artwork: My wife had just returned home from the supermarket with everything we needed for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving Day feast. “That’s a big bird,” I remarked hefting the turkey breast from the trunk of her car. “That must have racked up the bill.”   “Don’t worry about the bill, dear,” my wife assured me. “It was free. The store was having some kind of holiday promotion for this new brand, Weyland-Yutani meats.” “Never heard of them,” I replied. “But you can’t go wrong with free, I suppose.” The following morning my wife asked me to stuff the turkey before it went into the oven for cooking. After taking another sip of coffee, I put my mug down to oblige. After removing the giblets, I began to take han...

New Artwork of an Easter Enigma: The Unveiling of the Alien Egg Here's a special egg left by the Easter Bunny, be sure to lean in close for a big surprise! I'm far from the first person to make the Aliens Easter egg joke, but it's always a goodie. Also here is a short story inspired by the image: Once upon an Easter morning, as the sun cast its golden rays through the awakening forest, a young child named Emily embarked on a leisurely walk. Dressed in her Sunday best, she set out on an adventure, her eyes filled with wonder and anticipation. As Emily meandered along the winding path, a burst of vibrant colors caught her attention in the distance. A purple egg with whimsical red dots, adorned with a cheerful yellow stripe that danced across its middle, and playful orange squiggly lines, stood out like a captivating masterpiece amidst nature's canvas. Intrigued by its allure, Emily quickened her pace. Approaching the egg, she realized that it was far larger than any Ea...

New artwork in honor of 50's B-Horror movie classic, "The Crawling Eye". Updated 2/28/23 "The nightmare terror of the slithering eye that unleashed agonizing horror on a screaming world!" My illustrated tribute to "The Crawling Eye", also known as "The Trollenberg Terror" from 1958. A series of decapitations on a Swiss mountainside appear to be connected to a mysterious radioactive cloud, but it's hiding something far more sinister. This black-and-white creature feature is one of my favorite classic movies. When I first saw it as a kid, the creature design captured my imagination. As an adult, it's a bit more goofy than scary, but it has a charm that makes me like it even more. It also has a Lovecraftian vibe from the tentacled space invaders to their ability to telepathically enter your dreams and manipulate humans. See my below for my development process of this image: Sketch Lineart Basic colors Original final ver...

  "I am many things, Kal-El. You couldn't begin to imagine half of them, but for now I shall take the role of executioner." - Darkseid from "Superman: The Animated Series" Here's some new art depicting Darkseid battling with Superman, from DC Comics. Darkseid has been my favorite Comic Book villain ever since hearing him voiced by Michael Ironside in the 90's Superman Cartoon. So this was a fun opportunity to do some fanart of the alien god of Apokolips, getting the momentary upper hand on the Man of Steel.  Chris Trefz, Digital Art, Superman, Darkseid, DC Comics, Superhero, Supervillain,

New artwork based on the Elder Things, an alien race from HP Lovecraft's Novella, "At the Mountains of Madness". Final Image “I am forced into speech because men of science have refused to follow my advice without knowing why. It is altogether against my will that I tell my reasons for opposing this contemplated invasion of the Antarctic—with its vast fossil-hunt and its wholesale boring and melting of the ancient ice-cap—and I am the more reluctant because my warning may be in vain. Doubt of the real facts, as I must reveal them, is inevitable;” ― H.P. Lovecraft, At the Mountains of Madness Published in 1936. the story details the events of a disastrous expedition to Antarctica, and what is found there by a group of explorers led by the narrator, Dr. William Dyer of Miskatonic University. Throughout the story, Dyer sheds light on previously untold events in the hope of deterring another group of explorers who wish to return to the continent. These events include the disc...

New Illustration by Chris Trefz of The Facehugger from Alien: Prepare to be Gripped by Terror, literally. Finished illustration of the Facehugger from the Alien Facechise. I always found these guys creepy, so spider-like, but at the same time with those disturbingly human-like fingers. And the way they rush forward, single-mindedly, to grab hold of your face and all the terrifying things that proceed from there. My development Process for this image: Lineart Flat colors

Sketch of Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Jabba was my probably my favorite part of Return of the Jedi. His design was great, and he was an amazing piece of puppetry. If I remember correctly, there were 2 menu inside his torso working the arms, and third guy working his tail. As well as a 4th guy outside working Jabba's facial expressions with a remote control. I also love Jabba's attitude. Using Han as a wall decoration, making Princess Leia into his slavegirl, and trying to feed Luke to the Rancor. Jabba definitely put our heroes through the ringer.    

New Artwork of the Predator: Honoring the Fearsome Alien Hunter from the Movie Franchise Sketch of the Predator. Introduction: In the realm of science fiction and action cinema, few creatures have left as indelible a mark as the Predator. With its iconic design and relentless pursuit of prey, the Predator has become an enduring symbol of extraterrestrial menace.  In this article, I am excited to share my new black-and-white marker drawing of the Predator, aiming to honor its presence in the franchise. We'll explore the origins of the character, delve into the first Predator movie, discuss the creation of its striking design, and touch upon the Alien vs. Predator crossovers that have expanded its mythology. The Birth of the Predator: The Predator made its first appearance in the 1987 film simply titled Predator, directed by John McTiernan. The film follows a group of elite soldiers who become targets of an extraterrestrial hunter during a rescue mission in Central America. Th...

New Illustration of a Warrior Xenomorph: Unleashing the Terror and Exploring the World of Aliens. The ruthless Xenomorph from the Alien Franchise. Judging from the blood stain on its tail, this predator has already made a kill for the night. My development Process for this image: Sketch Finished line art Flat Color Early shading Introduction In the realm of science fiction and horror, the movie Aliens stands as a landmark cinematic masterpiece. Released in 1986 and directed by James Cameron, Aliens is a thrilling sequel to the iconic film Alien. Produced by 20th Century Fox, the movie takes us on a heart-pounding journey into the depths of space, where humans encounter a new level of terror. Plot of Aliens: A Battle for Survival The plot of Aliens follows the story of Ellen Ripley, portrayed brilliantly by Sigourney Weaver. After surviving the nightmarish encounter with the xenomorph on the Nostromo in the first film, Ripley is awakened from hypersleep 57 y...

Unleashing Ferocity: A Color Pencil Tribute to the Celtic Predator from Aliens vs Predator The Celtic Predator from Alien vs Predator. He died pretty early on in the movie, but it was still pretty badass when he was tossing that Alien through stone walls. Introduction: In the rich tapestry of the Alien and Predator franchises, one film stands out as a thrilling collision between two iconic species: Aliens vs Predator. Released in 2004, this action-packed movie brought together the extraterrestrial creatures in an epic battle for supremacy. In this blog article, we delve into the plot of Aliens vs Predator, explore the role of the Celtic Predator, and discuss the creative process behind the character's unique design. Additionally, I'll share my personal inspiration for creating a color pencil drawing that captures the ferocity and intensity of the Celtic Predator. Aliens vs Predator: An Epic Showdown: Aliens vs Predator takes place in a remote Antarctic pyramid, where a grou...

Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla  When I saw the first Godzilla resurrected as a cyborg in the monster wars trilogy of the animated series, I thought it would have been pretty cool if Godzilla squared off against a fully mechanized copy of himself like in the toho series. Here’s a sample of what a Mechazilla might look like.

New Illustration by Chris Trefz: A Sketch of an Alien from Aliens vs Predator  Introduction: In the vast universe of science fiction and horror, there are few creatures as iconic and fear-inducing as the Alien. With its unforgettable design and nightmarish features, the Alien has captured the imaginations of fans worldwide. In my recent artwork, I aimed to capture the essence of this extraterrestrial nightmare, specifically drawing inspiration from the movie Aliens vs Predator. Combining the elegance of pencil drawing with the vibrant hues of digital coloring, I sought to showcase the intricate details and inhuman beauty of this creature. Exploring the Design: The Alien depicted in my sketch draws upon the unique design elements from the Aliens vs Predator franchise. Its elongated head, with its elongated cranium and fang-filled mouth, exudes an eerie sense of predatory grace. The enlarged four-fingered hands, tipped with menacing claws, convey the lethal nature of this otherworld...