Chris Trefz Art Blog

New Artwork by Chris Trefz, in Honor of Memorial Day: Remembering the Sacrifice Final Image New artwork, done in honor and remembrance of the military men and women who shed their blood and lost their lives in the line of duty, for America, and for freedom, thank you. Work-in-progress image Introduction: Memorial Day, a significant national holiday in the United States, holds deep cultural and historical importance. While it has evolved into a day of relaxation and celebration, it's crucial to remember the true essence of this day and pay tribute to the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. In this article, we explore the origins and significance of Memorial Day and reflect on the meaning behind a powerful digital painting that symbolizes their valor and the preservation of freedom. Origins and Significance of Memorial Day: Memorial Day, a significant national holiday in the United States, holds deep cultural and historical importance. While it ha...

New artwork by Chris Trefz, done for May the 4th (be with you), Star Wars Day 2023: Honoring the sci-fi Masterpiece created by George Lucas. Happy Star Wars Day, May the Fourth be with you! The scene here depicts the tragic lightsaber battle between Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and his fallen apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, against the dramatic background of the fiery planet, Mustafar, as seen in Episode III, Revenge of the Sith. Star Wars Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated on May 4 each year to honor the George Lucas-created Star Wars film series. Since the franchise started in 1977, awareness of the day has rapidly increased through the media and community events. The pun "May the Fourth be with you"—a variation of the Star Wars slogan "May the Force be with you"—is where the date got its name from. Despite the fact that the holiday was neither established or recognized by Lucasfilm, many fans of the franchise have opted to observe it. Since then, Lucas...

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...

Good luck tonight, Eagles! The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs have punched their tickets to the Super Bowl 2023, which will be played tonight at State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, in Glendale, Arizona. The Eagles, led by Jalen Hurts, defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 in the NFC Championship Game to advance to their first Super Bowl since winning the Lombardi Trophy in 2017. I'm not a big sports fan myself, to be honest, but I have to show support for the home team when they make it all the way to the Super Bowl. So, fly Eagles fly! Update: Sadly the Eagles did not take home the trophy this year, but they played a good game. You can see my development process below: Lineart Basic Colors Basic Shading New art by Chris Trefz in honor of the Philadelphia Eagles heading to the 2023 Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.

New illustration by Chris Trefz celebrating the winter season with a horror twist. Here's one last speed painting to wrap up 2022. Celebrating the winter season with a monstrous snowman who roams the fridged streets at night, devouring those lacking in holiday cheer.

New Artwork of Godzilla in Honor of His 68th Anniversary: Embracing the Origins of a Legendary Monster Today is the 68th anniversary of the monster's first film appearance. Released in Japan under the title "Gojira" in 1954, the film would later be released to America in April 1956, as "Godzilla". To celebrate, here's a quick drawing of the original 1954 design. No text version Work-in-progress Introduction: Join me in celebrating the 68th anniversary of the iconic movie monster, Godzilla, with a new digital drawing that pays homage to the original 1954 film. This artwork captures the essence of the fearsome creature as it first graced the silver screen. In this blog article, we will take a trip down memory lane and explore the significance of the original Godzilla film, discuss its themes related to World War II and nuclear weapons, and delve into my inspiration behind creating this drawing that seeks to capture the essence of the terrifying creature. The...

The final entry for my 2022 Halloween Art Series, is a sinister spider descending in search of its next victim. Here's a short poem I wrote inspired by the picture. On spindly legs, it crawls over walls and ceilings. Its many eyes ever watchful, never shutting. Long fangs dripping venom, upon its web it waits, ever cunning. A death's head crown's it's back, as it bears down its prey, unsuspecting the attack. The Halloween 2022 procession continues with The Spider.

The Dark Lord of Gotham Here's something fun for April Fool's Day, a speed painting of Darth Vader removing his helmet only to reveal himself as other then the Dark Knight! When I heard the theme from the new Batman movie, it reminded me a bit of the Imperial March, which was the inspiration for this. 

"The shark is the apex predator in the sea. Sharks have molded evolution for 450 million years. All fish species that are prey to the sharks have had their behavior, their speed, their camouflage, their defense mechanisms molded by the shark." - Paul Watson Speed painting of a Hammerhead Shark. One of my favorite sea creatures due to the unusual shape of its head which its name is derived from.

New artwork of Jurassic-era predator, Coelophysis, ready to pounce on unsuspecting prey! Speed painting of a Coelophysis, a small, ground-dwelling, bipedal carnivore, that could grow up to 3 m (9.8 ft) long. It is one of the earliest known dinosaur genera. Scattered material representing similar animals has been found worldwide in some Late Triassic and Early Jurassic formations. I realized after I finished painting him, he's a little bulky here compared to most depictions if you google the species, so for anyone wondering, I based him on a statue I saw at a reptile Zoo. I really liked the attack pose it was sculpted in.

  Once savage creatures from the darkest caverns of the North Pole, the Elves were conquered by the Great Clause a millennia ago, bound by dark magic and forced to toil away in Santa's massive toy factories.  Something a little creepy before Christmas :)

New Illustration of a Cthulhu Idol by Chris Trefz, and the Final Entry into the 2021 Halloween Art Series. "The figure represented a monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind.  This thing, which seemed instinct with a fearsome and unnatural malignancy, was of a somewhat bloated corpulence and squatted evilly on a rectangular block or pedestal covered with undecipherable characters. The aspect of the whole was abnormally life-like, and the more subtly fearful because its source was so totally unknown." - HP Lovecraft, from "The Call of Cthulhu" Here is some new artwork of a Cthulhu Idol as the Sixth and final entry in my Halloween 2021 Speed-paint series.

A lost soul, bound to this plane of existence by past regrets. The Ghost is the second entry in my Halloween 2021 Speed-paint series.

New artwork of internet terror, the Slender Man, to kick off my 2nd series of horror-themed illustrations celebrating Halloween (2021). October has returned, and so has my series of Halloween-themed speed paintings. I think I will try to make this an annual thing, as Halloween is my favorite holiday.  We kick off the 2021 spooky series with Slender Man, the creepypasta meme turned pop culture icon. The Slender Man, often known as Slenderman, is an imaginary supernatural figure that first appeared online in 2009 as a creepypasta meme made by Something Awful forum user Eric Knudsen. He is shown as a tall, slender, featureless humanoid wearing a black suit, with a white head and face. The Slender Man frequently stalks, kidnaps, or traumatizes people in stories, especially children. The Slender Man has become a pop culture figure, although he is not limited to a single story and instead appears in a variety of other fiction works, most of which are written online. The Slender Man has a...

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!