Chris Trefz Art Blog

New illustration by Chris Trefz of the Hockey Mask-clad, machete-wielding slasher villain, Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th horror movie franchise. My procession of Halloween-related work continues with Jason Voorhees of the Friday the 13th series, back from the depths of Crystal Lake. To quote Alice Cooper : Oh, but he's back He's the man behind the mask And he's out of control He's back! My development Process for this image: Lineart Flat colors In this blog article, we dive deep into the chilling world of the Friday the 13th horror movie franchise and explore the iconic character of Jason Voorhees. Join us as we unravel the origins of Jason Voorhees, his terrifying powers, and the fascinating story behind his iconic hockey mask and trusty machete. The Friday the 13th franchise has become a cornerstone of the horror genre, captivating audiences with its suspenseful storytelling and unforgettable slasher villain. Jason Voorhees, the masked murderer,

New Halloween-themed artwork of a sinister-looking crow consuming a gruesome meal. The Crow is the next piece in my series of Halloween-themed speed paintings. Crows represent death, the afterlife, knowledge, intelligence, adaptation, prescience, fortune, destiny, metamorphosis, and the future in contemporary Western culture. Depending on where in the globe you are, crows are interpreted as either good or bad omens, and their symbolism is both positive and negative. One of the most frequent themes in crow symbolism is death. Because they frequently appear adjacent to dead animals and are scavengers, corvids such as crows and ravens are frequently associated with death.

New Halloween-themed artwork of a sinister serpent wrapping its coils around a grinning skull. Next piece in my series of Halloween-themed speed paintings. As Halloween approaches, our imagination takes flight, conjuring up eerie images that send shivers down our spines. One such haunting depiction is that of a snake coiled around a skull, a powerful symbol that embodies both intrigue and fear. In this blog article, we will explore the inspiration behind this chilling artwork and delve into how it perfectly captures the essence of Halloween. The Serpent: Symbol of Transformation and Mystery Throughout history, snakes have been imbued with a sense of mystique. Often associated with transformation and rebirth, these slithering creatures have appeared in countless mythologies and folklore. Their ability to shed their skin has long been seen as a metaphor for personal growth and renewal. The presence of a snake in your artwork signifies the shedding of the old, embracing change, and emba

New Art of the scythe-wielding avatar of Death personified, the Grim Reaper. The Grim Reaper is part of a series of Halloween-themed speed paintings I'm doing. I usually work slowly and methodically, drawing out every detail in outline before rendering. My goal here will be to keep things fast and loose, preferably within an hour. My other goal is to celebrate Halloween, my favorite holiday!

New artwork as part of what I hope to be a series of horror-themed illustrations celebrating Halloween, 2020. Halloween is hands down my favorite holiday of the year. I usually celebrate by going to Haunted Houses and Halloween parties. But with a certain set of worldwide events going on right now, I've had to put my normal plans on hold for this year.   Determined to foster the spirit of the spooky season despite being stuck at home, I decided to series of Halloween-themed speed paintings. Usually, I my work is pretty slow and methodical, drawing everything out with line work before renderings. With these, the goal will be to work fast and loose and simplify objects where I can so that I produce a range of spine-tingling scenes and subjects.  The first entry is a wolf howling while silhouetted in front of an enormous full moon.

New artwork of the Marauder, former Allie turned demonic foe in the Game Doom Eternal. The Marauder from Doom Eternal (Video Game 2020). "You were never one of us. You were nothing but a usurper...a false idol. My eyes have been opened. Let me help you to see, Slayer." A group of resurrected and corrupted Night Sentinels, the Marauders are enemies which appear in Doom Eternal, as well as both of its subsequent DLC releases. A group of resurrected and corrupted Night Sentinels, the Marauders are those who sided with the Khan Maykr and the Hell Priests against the realm of Argent D'Nur, becoming demonic sentinels after their deaths.

New artwork of Arnold Schwarzenegger ready for combat as he is hunted by his most iconic movie foe, "Predator". "If it bleeds, we can kill it." Completed illustration of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Major Dutch Schaefer from "Predator", and perhaps the intergalactic hunter himself if you look closely. Predator is one of the all-time great in the genre of action, sci-fi, and horror. One of the things I really like about the movie besides its fast pace, fun macho characters, and sci-fi carnage, is its gradual reveal of the Predator as it picks off our heroes.  At first, the audience is teased the creature's presence with scenes of the Predator's thermal vision, followed by the shimmering silhouette of its cloaking technology. Even when it's uncloaked, the extraterrestrial hunter hides its face behind a mask. Only during the final confrontation do we get a good look at the ugly mother F-er. 

New Artwork of Krampus: Unleashing the Mythological Menace "He came not to reward, but to punish. Not to give, but to take." - Omi Engel, Krampus (2015) Introduction: In the realm of folklore and mythology, creatures of darkness often lurk, captivating our imaginations with their enigmatic nature. Today, I am thrilled to unveil my latest artwork—a black and white drawing of Krampus. Join me as we delve into the origins of this mythical figure, explore his menacing appearance, and discover the enduring fascination surrounding Krampus in popular culture. The Krampus Myth: A Dark Twist on the Holiday Season Amidst the joyous festivities of the holiday season, there exists a chilling counterpart known as Krampus, "The Shadow of Saint Nicolas." Originating from the Alpine region of Europe, Krampus is a creature deeply rooted in local folklore, adding a macabre twist to Christmas traditions. While Saint Nicolas rewards the good, Krampus emerges from the shadows to p

Pennywise the Dancing Clown from It. (updated 2/19/23) Kicking off the Halloween season right with Pennywise fanart. I'll always be a fan of Tim Curry's original performance, but I love the new Pennywise. From his creepy expressions and archaic costume, to his inhuman speed and monstrous alternate forms, Pennywise kept me on the edge of my seat throughout part 1 and 2.  See how the illustration took shape with these work-in-progress images: Line Art Flat Color Mid Shading Original final verzion

New Illustration by Chris Trefz of The Loch Ness Monster: The Titanic Underwater Terror That Almost Made it to The Silver Screen.   Nessie - Unmade Loch Ness Monster movie Here's a commission I received to illustrate Nessie attacking a Ferry. This is one of many scenes from an unmade movie planned in the '70s, which would have seen a collaboration between Godzilla's own Toho studios, and England's Hammer Films.  The plot would have been rather tragic, Nessie was originally a peaceful creature, but when exposed to some nuclear waste, grows larger and more vicious, ultimately needing to be destroyed. The movie had some exciting scenes planned, including this one, where the creature leaves the Loch and proceeds to overturn the Woolwich Ferry as it rampages through the Thames River in England. My development Process for this image: Nessie Line art Rendered Nessie head. Detail shot of sinking ferryboat. Detail shot of Woolwich cityscape

Here's the finished version of my PumpkinHead sketch. PumpkinHead is a vengeful demon from the 1988 movie of the same title. I love PumpkinHead's design, taking the human figure and stretching and distorting it into a monstrous parody. While adding demonic iconography like the pointed tip of its tail. I also like the demon's attitude. Where the movies dehumanize Jason Voorhees, by making him emotionless as he goes about his killing spree as if it's more of a chore then anything else. The inverse is true with PumpkinHead, the creators infuse the rubber costume and animatronics with life and personality by having the monster draw out his kills, tormenting his victims, and grin ghoulishly as he reveals their suffering.

Here's a time-lapse Youtube video I made recently of me draw PumpkinHead, a demon of vengeance from the the 1988 horror movie of the same name. Summary: "After his son dies in a hit-and-run accident, Ed Harley (Lance Henriksen) seeks revenge against the teenagers responsible. With the help of a local witch (Florence Schauffler), Ed summons the vengeful demon Pumpkinhead to hunt and kill the group of friends. But when Ed discovers a bond between himself and the creature, he begins to have second thoughts about employing the vicious monster, and he fights to end Pumpkinhead's murderous rampage before it is too late." -------------- Art, artwork, drawing, black and white, inktober, tradition art, sketch, markers, illustration, creature,  demon,  horror, monster, movie, pumpkinhead, Halloween, time-lapse, Youtube, video.

This is Halloween! Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas, dressed in his Pumpkin King garb from the opening song.

In honor of this past Friday the 13th, I drew the madman in the hockey mask himself, Jason Voorhees. The fact that he is a silent, and invulnerable behemoth, killing with neither remorse nor glee, is contrasted by his tragic origin, making him my favorite of the 80's slasher villains.

They all float down here! Sketch of Pennywise, the Killer Clown, in honor of the recent remake. I haven't had a chance to check it out yet, but everything I've been hearing sounds good. Which is great, since Steven King's work generally hasn't been very well treated by Hollywood, including the recent Dark Tower adaptations. ---------------- artwork, drawing, black and white, inktober, tradition art, sketch, markers, illustration,  horror, monster, movie, halloween, Pennywise the Dancing Clown, Killer Clown, IT, 

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 years

New Artwork by Chris Trefz of Military Experiment Gone Disastrously Wrong. Created for Deviant Art Contest based on the movie "Splice". "A secret experiment will break the laws of science and create an animal-human hybrid. In 2010 their greatest creation will be unleashed." - Splice movie tagline Here's the backstory I wrote for my creature: Subject X613 was the pride of the government's Bio-Weapons Division. Nothing like it had ever been attempted in the branch's history. The Creature's DNA was a perfect blend of earth's most resilient predators, including: Hammer Head Shark, Bat, Cheetah, Praying Mantis, and Scorpion. X613 possessed flight, incredible speed, brute strength, armored skin, and unexpected regenerative properties. The Creature's structural perfection was surpassed only by it's sheer aggression. Uncle Sam wanted me to create the most vicious killing machine the world had ever seen, and I gave it to them. Of Co

On December 21st, 2012, the stars will be right once more... Dedicated to a friend, who assures me that the world is definitely going to end along with the Mayan calendar.

“That is not dead which can eternal lie. And with strange eons even death may die.” …Castro from Hp Lovecraft’s “Call of Cthulhu” One of the cool things about Cthulhu is LoveCraft left it’s description open enough for each reader to picture what they personally found the most terrifying. Which has lead to a very wide variety of depictions and interpretations of his likeness by fans over the years. This is my own envisioning of the evil alien god. I wanted an image that was both hideous and menacing looking. I also wanted to make him look somewhat decomposed looking, because of his death-like slumber. But also because of the scene where the doors to his city of R'lyeh open, the smell is described as the stench of a thousand crypts.

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