Christina Engela, Illustrated! #6

Over the last few days I showed you some of my illustrations, drawn to illustrate some of my stories! Here are another five for you to enjoy! Or, alternatively, if you don’t like them, it’ll be a torturous experience!

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! I also need to point out again, that none of these images appear in the books themselves.

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.

“Star Chart” (from Galaxii #3 “Dead Beckoning“)

I drew this to illustrate a navigation console on the bridge of the Antares with the Omegan Quadrant on its display screen.

“Strato-penguins” (from the Quantum Series)

I often refer to strato-penguins – native birds living on Deanna – flying high and almost never setting foot on the surface of the planet, eternally migrating westward. They eat, sleep and live their entire lives in flight, propelled by their natural internal rocket engines which – to be frank, would give a dedicated chemist nightmares!

It’s easy to think that something so unusual and complex might experience problems – and things do go wrong sometimes. Occasionally, one of the flock will fly a little too high, and then the following happens:

“Ow!” (from Panic! Horror In Space #1: “Static“)

This picture shows Dr. Fred Killian, chief medtech officer aboard the I.S.S. Mercury – having just started treating a crew member of the loderunner Marconi in his sickbay, when the man spontaneously burst into flames – apparently as a result of actions attributed to an apparition that attacked him in the daybed! Killian is of course, understandably shocked! Killian holds a fire extinguisher and the patient – staring at the wall-panel that the frightening apparition of the little blond-haired boy had just disappeared through. The patient’s first words once the fire has been put out are “Ow! Fucking…. ow!”

Yes, Panic is scifi-horror, and yes, this could also be rather funny if you have a warped sense of humor like mine… but it’s also quite terrifying if you stop laughing long enough to think about it… which is pretty much how some people cope with the horrors of real life, isn’t it?

“Lange’s Legacy” (from Panic! Horror In Space #2: “Life Signs“)

This is a sketch of the interior of a shuttle found by the I.S.S. Mercury. There is only a corpse on board – and unknown individual who had been dead for a trifle less than the shuttle reportedly went missing. A very long letter is discovered in the hands of the body – a letter ostensibly written by someone else, telling the tale of the fate of the Demeter – one of the most enduring of recent space cruise liner disasters.

“Courier” (From “I, Mac“)

In I, Mac Eric has bundled his unconscious cousin – and childhood bully – into a trunk and set out on a master plan of revenge! He calls a courier service who arrive at his apartment to collect the trunk – and leave with it on a robo-trolley trundling all the way behind them… Of course, it’s only when the couriers get back to their office that they realize the article was meant to be delivered to the apartment right across the hallway from Eric’s… to Mrs. Parks – a terrifying nosy-neighbor – and when they do go back all the way to deliver it, grumbling under their breaths, Eric will be glued to the security camera beside his door, watching!

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!

All material copyright © Christina Engela, 2020.