Just a little necessary repetition here – many of these pictures were included in a number of multimedia projects related to my writing, such as book trailer videos I used to promote my books!
The process of completing these illustrations was quite a lengthy one – before I even got to the making of the book trailers! First I had to sketch each image out in pencil, then in thick or thin markers. Then I had to scan them in digitally and edited out little blemishes or other flaws on my computer. Sometimes I’d add glow effects or other refinements. After that, I’d save the black and white images to use in future coloring-book projects – and used a graphics app to color them in digitally!
Again, I realize I’m no Michelangelo – I know my limitations, but at least I didn’t make a couple of stick figures with speech bubbles and call it “art” – so save the criticism! Otherwise, enjoy! 😉 Comments welcome as always.
“Before The Charge” (from “Little Green Men“)
In my short story “Little Green Men”, the Flortians are short and green and extremely bad tempered. Divided both culturally and technologically, two tribes – the Idet and Soluut dominate the planet Flort – where a chartered passenger ship carrying a group of clowns to an annual clown convention nearby, has recently crashed. The Terrans send an envoy to negotiate with both in order to recover the wreckage and the bodies – and also to open diplomatic relations with Flort. The only trouble is – the Flortians look almost exactly like the little cartoon green men used to portray aliens on Earth for generations… and don’t appreciate being laughed at at all!
In drawing this I did my best to capture the cartoonishness of the Flortians as well as the awkwardness of the moment before the incredibly offended Flortian tribesmen – previously blood-enemies to each other – exchange glances of agreement and immediately after this, lead a combined charge of both their armies against the offending Terran envoy and his aide who has despite his best efforts burst out laughing on the small podium!
“Blood Diamonds” (from “Death By Vampire“)
This image was drawn to illustrate Nubian blood diamonds. Mined on the planet Nubia, they aren’t called ‘blood diamonds’ because anyone died mining them… they have that name because they’re the color of the blood of several species – green blood – like the Jim-waians. Valued at one hundred thousand credits apiece, they are part of an exchange – payment for the lives of ten Terran hostages being held by a terrorist group… only the Terran secret agent charged with making the delivery has other plans…
I sketched the form and lines of my own left hand for this image.
“Drag” (from “Death By Vampire“)
This one is also from “Death By Vampire” – where the secret agent (and secret vampire) Lirian Nimah ties off the loose end called Atreya Vandalwa, a double agent working for the terrorist group called “the Crusaders”.
“On The Beat” (“A Really Bad Day In The Life Of Lance Corporal Thomas O’Blivion“)
Aboard a starbase, a security guard patrols the decks, passages and halls. Meanwhile, as boredom with routine and the overriding tightness of his uniform pants are his main concerns, Lance Corporal Thomas O’Blivion is unaware that he’s about to become a hero!
“Realization” (From “I, Mac“)
Eric hasn’t seen his cousin Elvis Sloane in years. Before he realizes it, the first thing he’s done when he arrived home from a business trip and discovered his worst childhood bully waiting in his apartment, is to smash a porcelain dog figurine over his head! This picture picks up the tale at that moment – when Eric realizes what he’s done and is torn between worrying whether he’s killed Elvis – and worrying that he hasn’t!
Since “I, Mac” is a comic tale, I saw nothing amiss with adding the cartoon birds tweeting and circling Elvis’s head! In the mirror hanging on the wall at the back of the image, you can see Catisha sitting on the kitchen counter, observing proceedings with interest.
P.S.
I included links to the titles these illustrations appear in, in the headings – leading directly to the books pages on Smashwords, where they are all currently available at massive discounts (up to 60%) during the lockdown season. 😉
More to follow soon!
Stay home and stay safe!
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All material copyright © Christina Engela, 2020.