Opens the curtains to let some light in and dusts off the writing desk.
A-hem. Dearest reader, my apologies for the long absence. There was a time when I sought solace in a distant cave—then darkness took me, and I strayed out of thought and time, and I wandered far on paths I dare not tell—and now I return to you with my creative spark renewed. Though, admittedly, it’s more like an untamable fire demon trying to burn down my house.
My fire demon cracked the whip like a Balrog, and I not only created new editions of my necromancer series but I finally finished Soul Prison as well. It took years to write the tale of Cecile and her undead traveling to her mother’s hell dimension as I struggled through what can only be called a long depression. It felt as though I was dragging my story and characters behind me as I pushed forward through waist-high mud in a deep swamp of sadness, but when that spark finally came back, I sprinted to the end with renewed hope. My heart felt lit from within, and I finally connected with my characters again. My worlds were once again a beacon in the night.
When I created these new editions, I wanted to give them their own personalities—separate from Docherty. And as I’ve progressed as an artist, I finally felt ready to add illustrations again (more on that in another post).
It’s always been a dream of mine to illustrate my novels. My current covers are wonderful, and I am so grateful to the artists who created them—they look fantastic! But I long for covers and pages splashed with my characters, creatures, and worlds as I see them—through my paintbrush.
It started with grayscaling a drawing I had done a couple of years ago as a coloring page for readers—a couple of rats from Cecile’s mischief and a skull belonging to a certain homicidal necromancer maniac (above)—and then inspiration hit for hellhounds, and finally, a wendigo.
Knowing that the images would be printed in grayscale on cream paper, I decided to create pencil-style illustrations. I love to draw both traditionally and digitally, but for these pieces, digital felt like the right fit despite wanting a traditional look. I have a speedpaint video of the hellhounds on YouTube and Instagram. There’s a cute Snoopy mug in the video too if you check it out.
I really enjoyed illustrating my hellhounds and couldn’t wait to draw a wendigo for Death Made Me Do It. Believe me, I was tempted to draw a certain apple-loving mountain troll, but I decided to save him for later. The wendigo just felt right for this novel.
I found this piece interesting because I went light on detail in some areas and added more detail in others. Something about it worked, though. I feel like it draws the eye where it needs to go.
I cannot express the feeling of holding not only a novel I have written but also a book that contains characters as I see them. While I envision elaborate interior illustrations, maps, and worlds across endsheets, I have a ways to go before I get there—don’t even get me started on foil stamping🙃.
One day, I wish to create novels that feel like mystical tomes that are clearly portals to other worlds. Something you’d find in the fantasy library of your dreams—or on Gomez Addams’s bookshelf. Until that time, though, I am happy to be where I am and hope that whatever art I include in my stories brings a little magic—or dark magic—into someone’s life.
—WaterRaven
Great to hear you are back on the path. 👍
Love and hugs,
Chris and Tom
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