Chris King

All

Editorial

Fantasy

Graphic

People

Retro

Animated video telling the story of Northern Monk Brewery

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Portrait illustration of Cliff Morrison for Yes, Boys Can

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Visual narrative of Northern Monk Brewery’s craft beer journey

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Illustrated carousel scene in comic theme for housing publication

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Book cover design for Mystery Comics No.32 in retro comic style

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Striking illustrations centered on the character

Illustration is just one area in which this multi-talented artist has worked.

Photography, film-making, animation, fine art, painting and sculpture are all areas this multi-talented artist has worked in, but the feeling he gets from putting a pencil to paper is like no other and it has driven his successful illustration career, working for leading media outlets, publishing houses and consumer brands. Chris studied Media Production at the University of Northumbria in Newcastle.

Approach

An artwork usually begins traditionally with pen or pencil on paper. The drawings are scanned and coloured digitally, with textures imported and layered over the line work, before he tweaks the image until he gets the result he’s looking for.

Style

Chris applies his figurative, line-based style in many contexts, from editorial through to advertising and online. It’s something he’s always developing, both in terms of technique used and the overall look, with his new style emerging with less emphasis on line and more on colour and form.

Impressions

Interview

Website

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Interview

What drew you to illustration/design?It’s something I’ve always enjoyed and been good at from an early age, so it felt natural to pursue it as a career. Do you have any formal design training?I have a BA Hons in media/animation from Northumbria University in Newcastle. Where are you originally from?Sunny Scarborough, North Yorkshire!Where do you live now? Leeds. Do you collect anything? Vintage Comics, and Batman Figures.Do you keep a scrapbook? I keep both a virtual scrapbook on my desktop as well as a physical scrapbook. I also keep a sketchbook, which I try and draw something in, at least every day and that’s where most of my ideas start out.Tell us about a favourite project you’ve recently completed.I got the chance to re-illustrate the covers for "The Bad Tuesdays" series by Benjamin J. Myers, from Orion Books. The Art Director James Jones did a great job of designing the covers, and I’m really proud of the way they have turned out. What would be your dream job/commission? I’d love to illustrate a Sci-Fi or horror classic; H. G. Wells's novel "The Island of Dr. Moreau" would be fun. Who are your art heroes?Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth and John Singer Sargent.Who are your illustration heroes?Too many to name, mainly comic book artists; Jack Kirby, Paul Pope, Mike Mignola, Frank Frazetta, James Jean. Who is your musical hero?Joe Strummer, absolutely adore The Clash.What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into illustration?Persistence. Draw every day and keep going, if you're good enough you’ll get there, also draw what interests you, as the most important thing is to enjoy what you do. Do you think anyone with Photoshop can be an illustrator these days?I think it definitely gives more people access to illustration and design. But it's still just a tool, it’s what you produce with it that counts.Do you have a method for dealing with the feeling of having no ideas?I look to my sketchbook and usually find a seed of an idea hidden in the scribbles and notes. If you won the lottery what would you do with the money? You can now buy the right down to the flamethrower exhaust, so one of those would be nice! Just have to learn to drive first!

Favourites

Café: Salvo’s Café and Salumeria, Leeds Gallery: Nucleus Art Equipment: Pentel Pocket Brush Pen Blog: BOOOOOOOM Magazine: WIRED

Cozy retro record store filled with classic vinyls

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YA fiction cover art featuring The Bombs That Brought Us Together

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A mural promoting the Netflix film Spenser Confidential

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Mountaineer on snowy mountain summit celebrating success

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Graphic novel-style page for young readers

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Four runners limbering up before running by Chris King

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Monochrome sketch of bicycle and motorcycle

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Illustration of Reykjavik lighthouse by Chris King with fishermen nearby

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Illustration of girl listening to vinyl records by Chris King

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Visual interpretation of a Jack Reacher thriller by Lee Child

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Comic-style drawing of a vintage mid-century modern room

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Illustration for Leuchtturm1917’s ‘Find Your Nature’ campaign

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Front cover of the book Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl

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Chris King

Selected illustrations

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Starry night-themed artwork from The Star Gazer children’s book

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A promotional illustration for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

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Collage of colorful signs and ads for food and drink products

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Illustration of a hiker in a scenic mountain landscape

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Illustration of nervous woman under robotic arms by Chris King

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Elephant on a zoo truck with a colorful blanket illustration by Chris King

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Colorful baking and confectionery scene with pastries and desserts

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Runner jogging through the rain on a cloudy day

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Spooky book cover created by Chris King for The Terror of Hilltop House

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Young man riding a bicycle with colorful abstract background

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Tranquil mountain lake surrounded by peaks

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Cartoon-style photographer animation capturing moments

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Rock hiking scene illustrated by Chris King

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Illustration of woman and dog dressed in winter clothes by Chris King

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Book cover design of Why We Love the Matrix

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The Invasion of Crooked Oak Book Cover illustration

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Graphic Interior Illustration for How to Survive a Horror Movie

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Editorial illustration featuring a coffeemaker

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Colorful design of a circus performer mid-act

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Person holding Die drei book outside Rewe store by Chris King

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Dramatic fantasy scene titled 'Nice Day for a Red Wedding'

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Comic spread humorously depicting cold chips

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Cover art for the novel The Stranding by Kate Sawyer

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Illustration of man jumping through different worlds by Chris King

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Portrait of David Bowie with geometric patterned dress by Chris King

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Videoland storefront with comic-themed architectural design

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Creepy rural horror scene featured on The Horror of Dunwick Farm cover

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Minimalist figurative artwork in line-based style

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Motion graphic with illustrated characters and icons

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Dreamlike scene of a person approaching a star-lit sky through an archway

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Artist sculpting pottery surrounded by shelves of ceramics by Chris King

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Rock climbing on a steep cliff in the outdoors

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An illustration of man walking front of a smoky truck

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drawing focusing stress from social media

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Selected Clients

The Guardian Guide, Konami Digital Entertainment, Orion Publishing Group, Oxford University Press, Dorling Kindersley, Tiger Beer, Computer Arts Magazine, Arena Magazine