:: Light Pusher ::

Grimm on NBC

2011-11-05T01:28:00.000-04:00

A while back I had the pleasure of doing my first work in Television, for a great new NBC pilot called Grimm, which has just aired. Filmed here in Portland, the story runs something like this; younger cop in a detective team finds out he can see monsters among us, and his daily criminals. He starts to see folks faces shift into hideous grotesques more often, and it's revealed to him that he's of the original Bros. Grimm family line, and Grimm's Fairy Tales turns out to be a group of case studies for these monsters across history.. The real book is passed down to the newest generation of Grimm seer, and as fate would have it, most of those monsters in the tales are not only real as life, but are after the Grimm's!

Logo I created for the directors chair, and lot
passes, along side a couple of the show's logos.

Watch the show for the action filled fantasy, as it's far cooler than I can describe.. =) In my short couple of days working with Props Master Todd Ellis and his team (including Paul Eads, Elisabeth Burhop) I definitely learned some of the ways in which that world works, and what remains constant is that it works Fast.. They get some amazingly creative things done as effectively and quickly as you could imagine. Didn't get to meet them, but David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame) wrote this great script, and I can't wait to see the season of campy and bizarre ideas they come up with.. Everyone I did meet was brilliantly abuzz, a cacophony of phones constantly blowing off, and Stumptown coffee addled conversation about this movie or that shoot. It turns out that the insomnia of Freelance transcends all forms of creativity.. =)

Concepts for the key shown above. I thought either

the ideas of a maw opening to reveal the key, or perhaps

claws as the teeth of the key might look cool.

The most impressive thing is, that they work in a state of not knowing.. Let me try to explain.. There's so little time, that if someone's given a prop to start designing, they're simultaneously creating metaphors or a specific look or feel that no one really knows will fit yet? Nor does the Prop Master know if that prop will be changed at any time during that day, or shoot or if it might be cut just after completion? (and no, "Cut After Completion" isn't a name I danced under =) Perhaps this is the way all office situations work, but I found it fascinating! Still don't know how they do it.? =)

Scythe blade (which actually sent the Props Master

in for stitches) started out a bit more proto-German

with animal symbols

The few things I contributed to Grimm were created in less than a week, and done alongside grading projects, and freelance. I researched language, and mythology inasmuch was applicable, and as is the case for every project, I threw my back into getting them what they needed. A macabre children's book feel, with some knowledge of Ancient scripts was what I was brought in for (I think), but needed changes in direction seemed to happen on the hour, along with script changes which unfortunately excluded most of the sketch work I did. So, all the drawings you see in Grimm's pilot aren't mine, but I'm going to show you a couple of the things here that I thought were pretty good that we may see in future episodes.. =) Stay tuned for Part II.. =)

Norman Rockwell

2011-07-29T12:29:00.002-04:00

This is a tin that my birth Mum gave to me long ago. It's been the place that I keep many of my miniature things, like a small coin & stamp collection, little plastic toys and random bits of my life, past and present.. It was the first Rockwell I'd ever seen.. It was also the first painted illustration, where in that magical pre-digital moment, begged my young mind to determine whether it'was a photograph or not as well.. It remains on my desk as encouragement to strive for my next level of skill.. Last month, on encouragement from Vinod & Emily, Pam and I had the pleasure of viewing a Norman Rockwell exhibit in Tacoma,WA. Over forty original Rockwell paintings, Prints of the famous Freedom Posters, and every cover Rockwell did for the Saturday Evening Post. I'm so very glad we went the distance, as after seeing these masterworks, I can't rightly say that I'll experience anything quite like it again? I've talked to other ADs and Artists who've seen Rockwell originals, and we're all a bit overwhelmed by it, we all share in that common sense of observing something of Greatness..

In terms of Technique :: I simply can't cover it all? There were points at which Rockwell pushed my digital mind so far back into my unconscious, that I was actually able to recollect the reason why I got into this odd business of illustration. Scale was of course at the forefront of every experience, as they are enormous canvases. Even the tiny B&W newspaper ad I saw for a brake pad company was around 28in. wide, approximately the width of my full color cover work?? I remember

Donato Giancola saying at a convention how much painting larger changed his perception, and now I can see why.. The use of type painted right on the illustration has all but gone the way of the dinosaur, so to see experimentation, and serendipity within the same piece was amazing.. I'm convinced Rockwell's eyes saw nothing but light and color, and he painted so deliberately with that light, it made me jaw sink more than a couple times. (they didn't make me wear a drool cup, which was nice on the curators part.) I saw underpaintings that ranged from dark blues to what looked like diluted india ink red. Some paintings came up from a series of washes, where others were so caked on, wet-on-wet that it looked as though Rockwell was painting with a roller.. Through most of his metallic surfaces, you'd see his sketch, letting the slight graphite glare add to it's shine.

Although, more than anything else that stood out that day was Rockwell's use of textural relief.. There's really no describing this, and they wouldn't let me take pictures (even after I offered to wash their car) so let me say that this element gave each illustration a "museum" feel..?? In "Christmas Eve in Bethlehem" detailed above, there was canvas left just bare so that the head dress and army uniforms would feel more like cloth.. The rippling aura of the electric light is created with 1/4in. thick titanium white that's been carved with a pallet knife.. Makes it look like the light is actually shimmering.. It's not perceptible on any print or pic because of the scale, but in just about every painting, Rockwell backs up his surface with textural elements coinciding with the material at hand.. The bubbles that form around the finger tips of the boy and girl being dunked under water are about an 1/8 inch on top of the canvas.. In the famous painting of the wall in "The Problem We All Live With", that grout line has actual sand inclusions scraped into it, making the original canvas as stone like as actual stone..

In terms of Content :: Rockwell's humor is both as subtle and deliberate as is the case with his technique. With so many amazing portraits; simple, complex, expressionistic, anthropomorphic and stretched as far as they'd go before looking inhuman, it's hard to imagine the man ever being fooled by someone's intentions. I'm positive Rockwell was the kind of observer who'd of read your face within the first three seconds of meeting you.

Unlike the way I tend to direct attention quite blatantly with levels of detail when I'm composing a painting, Rockwell instead kept a similar level of detail (insane amounts) on everything around the focal point, not forcing your eye, but letting it come around to it eventually, and leaving the individual to find favored areas of the painting on their own.

Although I'd always thought Rockwell and his photographers, were known for a certain squeaky clean portrayal of a sort of dreamed up, unachievable America. It turns out that he was more a realist and protesting old curmudgeon than I expected! The story of philosopher Will Durant, and Rockwell's Four Freedoms paintings shows us that Rockwell even fought the Military establishments ideology, and in many ways taught us more about the philosophy of Peace, Tolerance and Unity, than simple reminiscence of youth, humor and patriotism... far more..

If you get a chance to visit the Rockwell Museum, or if the traveling show is in a nearby town, do yourself a favor and go experience these masterworks.. Stay Tuned !! =)

Fabled Earth

2011-06-28T13:32:00.005-04:00

Fellow SF&F illustrators, stalworth animal rights advocates, and good friends Vinod Rams & Emily Fiegenschuh, have

not only moved out to the beautiful PNW, but Emily has brought a brand new art tutorial to the Sphere. From Fantasy Genesis' publisher Impact books, Emily has written and illustrated, The Explorer's Guide to Drawing Fantasy Creatures! I couldn't be happier for her, as Emily's work has always been brilliantly rendered traditionally in gouache, and by the looks of the book so far, her style has grown into one somewhat

reminiscent of the more detailed oil work of Patrick Woodruffe. With a number of years illustrating for D&D, Children's and Tween's series from Mirror Stone, I'm sure there is a ton to learn from in this tutorial, so by all means step to following Emily's Blog

Fabled Earth for updates and releases, and more importantly get your mitts on this brand new book, Explorer's Guide to Drawing Fantasy Creatures!

Stay tuned !! =)

First Stumptown ComicCon

2011-04-16T22:36:00.003-04:00

I sing the pile of Stumptown swag.. It was a plentiful pile, a pile the funky likes what I've nae seen.. =) What a fun show that is! Small but fun.. Probably wouldn't want it to be much bigger, as all the Indy Comic weirdness that only Portland can offer might begin to slip.? Met up with fellow LightPushers; Craig Spearing, Patricia Smith aka SmugBug and Ko Attenbury, and met more than a couple more comic artists and writers. Comic artist Brett Weldele was nice enough to spend some time chatting about his process and meeting Joy Ang was a nice surprise to finish off the show! Gotta free Mignola mask, saw a couple of my students, and bought a print of Zombie Spock.. Live long, and BRAINS!!! Stay tuned.. =)

The Continuing Magic of the Kells

2011-03-30T03:01:00.003-04:00

Pam and I saw the most brilliant animated feature the other night.. The Secret of Kells.. I think I'm late to the party on the film, but it spoke to me in some rather interpersonal ways.. So much so, that there's no explaining them all.. Something like Samurai Jack it was wonderfully 2d and linear in technique, looking much like the animation of the 50's and 60's, but in terms of content it was simply an Illustrators movie.. Illumination, Traditional alchemy of mordant Ink and parchment, the fight between administrative causes and creative spirit, the bond between Mythology Religion and Art, Knot work the likes of Kells and Durrow.. and the very definition of the root of Illustration.. Illustrare :: Bringing that which is darkness into Light! These are pieces of illustration history that have sparked off a lifelong fire in more than just this illustrator, and for good reason.. My last year of school, and the following five, were spent studying Celtic book illumination and Craft, knot work and the similarities to fractal chaos.. It was also the inspiration for many of the books and typography of Morris' Kelmscott Press, much of Jim Fitzpatrick's work and countless other creatives throughout history.. I wept when I saw the Kelmscott Chauser for the first time, and I don't doubt this is the very reason why Trinity College keeps the Book of Kells under glass, lest some idiot like myself unwittingly moisten it's pages.. =)

The accents and mannerisms also brought back memories and smiles for my surrogate Family the Koras, and Nan Tulips, with her beautiful Scottish brogue!! My blood family is partially British/Scotts but here were the mysterious accents of my youth popping off, right alongside my artistic sensibilities in a mixing that at times brought an Ancient shiver up my spine.. One scene was particularly so.. Where the keeper of the Forest, frees the hero from his uncles lock & key with the help of a tiny spell upon a white cat.. Pangur Ban..

On further study of the lyrics, I found that this sequence was a take on a piece of history.. Pangur Ban or White Cat was the title of a tiny poem written by an ancient Irish monk, bored of transcription, and watching the abbey cat hunt mice.. The poem was written in Gaelic, not Latin, in the margins of a massive illuminated page.!! Ancient, linguistic disobedience and multi-culturalism at play without anyone knowing for years.. =) Don't really think I can love that enough.. =)

Well Folks, keep a look out for my Update Mailer sometime this week, and stay tuned !!

Congratulations Raffle Winner :: Dan Kelly

2011-01-05T02:20:00.000-05:00

The list was amassed, dice were rolled, the winner was contacted, and one of my charities was picked for me to give to! This quarter my prize for signing up to my mailing list and blog, goes to someone across the pond; Mr. Dan Kelly! Thanks Dan for following my illustration career, and picking the environmental protection group, Defenders of Wildlife as being worthy of a small contribution in 2010! You'll receive a print of my Werewolf, in honor of the hundreds of Gray Wolves recently put in jeopardy by short sited Republican influence and ranching lobbyists.. Taking the less than 2500 Yosemite Grays off the endangered species list after 30 years of protection is just short of genocide, when you conceder what little needs to be done to coexist throughout the mountainous regions of the West. Dan will receive a signed and sketched collectible Magic the Gathering whiteback card as well, and I can't thank each of you who've signed up for my mailing list enough as we enter this new year !! Tell your friends and family that they too can be eligible for free raffle prints and collectables, and I'll keep on picking winners!! Stay Tuned.. =)

First class Class

2010-12-16T23:56:00.004-05:00

Here I am at the end of my first semester teaching at the PNCA, and I sigh with an air of guarded fulfillment. I taught a materials class with an aim towards illustration, Experiments in Drawing for the Illustrator. Such a bizarre cacophony of content, materials and technique crammed into a couple of months, and simply entering back into the college atmosphere has been a baptism of fire to say the least.

I would've never expected some of the mistiming and thinly spread states of fatigue over the semester, but the great group of focused students I had the pleasure of guiding for a short while, came over as unexpectedly as the Portland Sun on my face before the end of class today.

Fantasy Genesis played a roll as well, with an extra credit assignment. I gave them the same roll that was used for the Cosmic Dragon to spring from, and here's a couple results coming from; Danny Frasier (a very focused junior with an eye towards editorial and expressive inks), and Sara Stanton (like many of my students, coming somewhat from both the worlds of Miyazaki and the Portland Comic scene I'm still discovering) Take a look at these offerings, and hopefully there will be a couple more to show before too long.. Stay tuned.. =)

My first Roller Derby

2010-10-20T02:26:00.001-04:00

This was something I've wanted to do for a long time, but to be honest was always kinda as scared of it as deregulated speculative lending and investments.. I finally bit the bullet though, on a recent date to meet the best friend of my new girlfriend.. I've visited countless photostreams and sites for Derby when looking up reference for SF&F female warrior characters, but this time I was taking my own, baby boi.. and I brought my journal to sketch in, but forgot my pencil..!?! Can you believe that..??

Unfortunately, as you can tell, they're horrible shots.. and our team lost, (inasmuch as I could gather from what the board and campy announcer told me) but I've got some technique down, it was a TON of fun in something like a high school gym atmosphere I wouldn't want getting too much bigger than, or it would lose it's brilliant Pabst Blue Ribbon appeal..

These beauties, with names like "Viagra Falls", and "Ilea (eat your) Babies" had a lot of heart and passion for the game, I'd suggest anyone in the Portland area check your Rose City Rollers out, and maybe we'll get a nice clean hip check shot for next time around.. Stay tuned.. =)

My Pop's Funeral

2010-09-29T21:42:00.002-04:00

Well it's been a long time coming for this event.. I'll not go into the details of the time leading up to it, there were the "could've beens" and "should've beens", but I think we're all in a spot where we can begin to move forward and grow from what we've experienced, Blessing or Curse.. Last weekend was spent with my Friends and Family back in Michigan for my Dad's Funeral.. Got to visit the old neighborhood, and local haunts that formed my life.. Brought back a couple acorns from the trees at Garden City park, where I jogged with Dad a couple times.. Pizza Breads and Fall cookies at the Villa Bakery.. Stopped by St. Raphael's, my Catholic grade school and Church, wanted to say a prayer inside for the old man, but it was locked, so I just stood in front of the doors and did it there.. Went by the Ram's Horn and KMart where I once worked..

This was a picture that I've been waiting years to get..
All three Kora's in one place.. Love them dearly..
Michael came out and said a piece at the funeral as well..

Then met up with my good friends at Kunhenn's Brewery.. Ton of fun.. Val, Eric, Karla & Jim, Joe, Reggie, and of course Mark, Denise, and Michael.. of whom I'd nae seen together for quite some time, indeed.. =) It was amazing to see all of you again!

The Memorial itself was quite an intense event.. Pastor Ed did a great job of holding things together, and simply allowing the platform we needed to say our pieces.. We all did good.. among the tears and sadness, we all came together in my Pop's memory, and honored him.. My cousins and husbands; Merrie and Mark and Kathy and Steve were there with all their kids.. Felt bad, as I'd not known any of them, but it was good to get to know the one's I could while there..

and then on to the Detroit Zoo the next day! This was good time spent with my Sister and Niece Paige.. Paige is growing up so quick it's ridiculous.. Butterfly House, Reptile and Penguin House.. all really fun, and cheeseball novelty gifts at the end.. =) Love you two so much..

My amazing Sister! She kicked that bears arse.. =)

Think I'll end it there.. Most of the healing has been done, but I'm sure there's more to come.. True healing takes time, and the effort to see it through, of which I can fall short on sometimes.. At least now Dad's been buried in my mind, and coming back home to Portland, although I'll always miss parts of Detroit, was something quite special this time around.. =)

Wish me luck, and Stay tuned !!

PORTLAND :: GRAND PRIX

2010-09-13T17:21:00.000-04:00

Can't remember a time filled with more change, and more venturing into the unknown.. My class at the PNCA has started and I'm getting to know a really great group of students, met someone new, finishing up with a few freelance projects, and I had a signing right here in Portland last weekend!! Shot a couple pics on the phone of some playmat sketches I did during the show, so I thought I'd share em..

Fun playing with new surfaces, although I'll admit some of the 15 year old classic playmats with years and years of wear, are about as hard to draw on as a wet cotton ball.. Well, there's always a price for playing rock star I suppose..

There's never enough time, but got to squeeze in a couple seconds with fellow MTG freelancers Franz Vohwinkel, Heather Hudson, Pete Venters, Anson Maddocks, Mark Tedin, Corey Macourek, Kokai Katai.. and as always Tim and Tracy Shields, a host of Judges and Staff put on the best show Magic players could've asked for..

Stay tuned..

Roll No.4 & Fantasy Genesis crosses the POND !!

2010-04-23T23:31:00.000-04:00

Recently sent off a copy of Fantasy Genesis to Erik Mona and my friends at Paizo Publishing and sketched up this Lioness Warrior Humanoid for the Title leaf. I liked her so much, I got a quick scan and worked the sketch up digitally a bit. Sometimes when using Fantasy Genesis to create and associate from, the danger is to crowd your Creation by using too many words, too many ideas for one Creation can happen with or without using a brain game.? It's the main reason for leaving only 3 spaces in Pick & Group, so that there will be just the right amount of oddity and rarity to make your Creation something different and your own, without adding too much either. Although I like the pose I used for this Lioness quite a bit, I think there was more that could've been done with her costume. So, I'm going to do another Humanoid with the same Roll for fun..

There's some great news to come about a recent review of my book in a properly BRILLIANT digital art tutorial magazine off of Britain, but I'd also like to announce another guest artist taking up their polished skills with a Creature Roll from Fantasy Genesis! Fellow illustrator and conceptual genius, Vinod Rams will be doing a sketch for the Blog in the coming months as well!! Really can't wait for that.. =) Stay Tuned !!

Poster & Signings

2010-04-05T04:47:00.003-04:00

I love signings. I have so few of these experiences that when it happens, I go back to feeling like a grade school kid with a spiral bound and No.2 pencil. Sketching things to get an instant and momentary reaction; laughs, confusion, awe, and even fear.. always holding the jaded audience with what you could muster, for as long as you could. Now the monkey has grown, (and grayed a bit) but the desire to give and take in this way is stronger than ever. Signings always fulfill this childhood dream of your name up in lights, or your silly mug plastered across the side of the Wheaties box, or Rolling Stone, and whether it's Magic the Gathering signings, or book stores, I always think of the journey it's been to get here. So many beautiful folks, a long strange trip that I thank everyone involved for. This half-wit illustrator is eternally grateful for ALL your support, and all these amazing opportunities. Could'nae have done it without any of you. =)

Well, last week I received signage for Fantasy Genesis in the mail, and the schedule for signings is growing by the week. I received an exploded version of the cover I can throw on an easel, and also got one of my sponsors box o'shwag in the mail as well.!

This Easter brought me a sponsorship from a Japanese pencil maker, Tombow Pencils. I've loved these pencils since I first started using them after a visit to an Anime' Import shop in Michigan. After sketching for a week with the Tombow MONO B, nothing else could compare to it's smoothness, and I went back to the shop and bought all they had.. =)

With some luck, I'll have some more Fantasy Genesis giveaways to offer at signings, from Q-Workshop. This brilliant Polish Gaming Die-maker offers by far the most creative looking dice on the Sphere. Q-Workshop's White Skully dice actually appear on the cover, spine, materials page, and even the pull out poster of my book, and you've probably seen their wonderful wares at a game shop in your area. To have a couple packets of Skully dice to entice show buyers will round out the Fantasy Genesis shwag quite properly indeed!! A listing of upcoming shows book signings and workshops to come.. Stay tuned !!

Painting & Brewing

2010-02-19T19:09:00.005-05:00

Ahhh, two of my favorite passions.. They ain'nothin' like taking a deep draft of hops, just after dumping them into a big churnin' boil, and they ain'nothin' like drafting a sketch to board, and laying on that last stroke of varnish before shooting what you know will be your next best piece.. Both take a vastly different skill set and Craft, but (like most things for me) both take a traditional approach, and a solid understanding of micro timings during any particular session.. A traditional oil painting has complex anticipation and coordination of dry times and deadlines that must be met to achieve a balanced work, and a brew can take a different flavor by changing any number of timings and temperatures during the process as well.. I recently joined the Portland Brew Crew, and got to sit in on my buddies brew session at the Green Dragon Pub here in Portland.. Green Dragon is a beautiful pub that prides itself on 30+ styles on tap at all times, it's a great place to raise the wrist, and StrongBad comes in on bass, and the Cheat comes in on keyboards, like Moop, moop, moop, moop, moop... and then I'm like, "and the Dragon comes inn the NNNIIIiiIIIiiiiiigght..!!" The brew session involved a 20gl kettle of wort, to make around a keg full of a lighter Scotch Ale (It's a pissah, too.. Brilliant!! =) Can't wait to taste the first pints, when I'll be done with the next couple MTG cards.. It'll be a nice present after these last weeks of constant hours..

I also snapped a couple process shots of my table, when I seal my boards with medium.. Before painting with oils on any porous fiber or absorbent surface, you need seal the surface, or the oil will simply stain into the paper instead of lay on the surface.. For a long time I used the exact same materials that were used by the Pre-Raphaelites, but that's when time allowed for such things.. For the last 5 years I've been using Golden transparent medium, that I water down, and put 2-3 thin layers over each board, after spraying hair spray on the printout to lock in the sketch, and hinder bleeding.. I've recently started to play with combinations of PVA (simple white glue) to seal the boards with, but I've not yet been able to paint an underpainting with water based acrylic on those boards yet..?? Dunno when these will print, so I've blurred the images to protect the lives of the innocent.. =) Cheers all, Happy Painting, and Stay Tuned.. .

Advanced Copies !!

2010-01-20T07:07:00.002-05:00

I've recently received my advanced copies of Fantasy Genesis, A Creativity Game for Fantasy Artists to review, and I'm so pleased to say I LOVE it.!! The designs and layouts by Wendy Dunning are beautifully inventive, the color printed superbly, and without the hard work and concise vision of my editors Pam Wissman, Mary Burzlaff Bostic, and the wonderful Mona Michael, I simply couldn't have the book I now hold in my mitts.. It's hard to grasp how many versions of my Conceptual Drawing Game I've played with over the years, and how many life changes have brought me here, but now it's finally in a form that I can share with the Sphere!!

So let the shameless promotional slogging begin !!

Fantasy Genesis is available for PreOrdering Now, and will be on shelves in a couple weeks, but until then please Follow the Fantasy Genesis Blog join me for FaceBook and Twitter updates, and win free signed prints, and Magic the Gathering collectibles by joining my Mailing List!

There are few things in life as fulfilling as seeing a project into a final, tangible object.. When I'm working in the BookArts, it's the act of couching a sheet of paper pulp, lifting the first print from the block, or cracking a book from the press.. When painting it's pushing those final strokes of light on to your character and scene, they are these wonderful moments that I've grown to adore.. But what happens when a book idea that's been floating around your wig for years finally comes to fruition, and becomes an object ?? Well, for a short start, it gets your brain cogs spinnin' and churnin' faster, it swings yah soul straight on up into the big smilin' Sunshine, and then back on down easin' yah toes through the cool groovy sands of serenity.. and that's quite a trick for Portland in January.. =) Stay tuned..

New Year :: New Website

2010-01-03T20:30:00.006-05:00

Welcome, Lords and Ladies, one and All. . Step right this way my Friends, to the newly rebuilt ChuckLukacs.com !! Ticket, Popcorn, take your seat there in front row, que the Projectioness and enjoy the next amazing show!! This one features such a brilliant variety of Wondrous Worlds, Heroes, Heroines, Fantastical Oddities, Creatures, and Concepts, that it might just keep your Imagination thrilled, your brass goggles polished, and your wig properly flipped, well into the New Year !!

:: Free Quarterly Prizes :: I've started a Quarterly Raffle along with giving donations to the four charities listed on the Home page of my new site. That means if you belong to my mailing list, you are eligible to win either an 8x10 Limited Edition Print, or a Magic the Gathering Collectible Whiteback Card with a sketch and alter. I'll give you an email hollah, get your address, then send your prize to your door step, along with my check to the charity..

:: Fantasy Genesis :: I'm extraordinarily pleased to announce my word association RPG drawing game, Fantasy Genesis will be on the shelves in the Spring from IMPACT Books !! I'll be teaching a workshop at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, May 2010 here in Portland, but any art teachers interested in a lesson plan should give me an email to see if your students would have fun with it. Pre-Orders are available online, Today !!!

:: Magic: the Gathering - Card Signing :: I'll be sure to send updates on signings before the Grand Prix - Portland in Sept., but in the mean time, I've changed addresses again. Send any cards to be signed or altered to :: Chuck Lukacs - 715 SE 60th Ave. No.7 - Portland, OR 97215 :: Big shout outs to all the incredible Art Directors, and folks at Wizards of the Coast, Tim Shields & Mike Goodman from Cascade Games, Brian Artiaco, and Seth Morrigan from www.topdeckhobbies.com.

Also solid propers to the amazing Editors, and cast of creatives at IMPACT Books, Paizo Publishing, and all the wonderful Friends, Family, Fellow Lightpushers and Freaks, local or otherwise that have helped me acclimate to Portland, and that make it a life goal to support the Arts where and when they can. You are what makes everything happen, and I wish you all the very best in 2010 !!!

** ChuckLukacs.com takes no responsibility for post flippage wig tapping services **

OryCon :: 2oo9

2009-12-14T23:26:00.002-05:00

Last month brought me to OryCon for a day, and had the great pleasure of finally meeting Editor/AD from Pyr Books Lou Anders!!! This was gonna be a treat to see Portland's version of World Fantasy Con for the first time, but to meet and hang out with fellow creatives at the hotel bar was something I'll not soon forget.. Lou has one of the greatest capacities to retrieve portions of storyline and text from just about any genre' that I secretly think he's somehow cerebrally linked to his iPhone, Ghost in the Shell style.. =) Amazing memory.. I had a wonderful time; met a puppeteer couple, a fair amount of Comic writers one from Australia Liz Argall, a local chef, a group of brilliant writers at the table, including of course Lou Anders, Andrew Mayer, Tom Crosshill, and Mahesh Raj Mohan

and.. well.. it joost would'nae be a proper Con if there was'nae a loovly little snippet of this going on outside the bar.. Never really sure whoot kinda gorgeous fellow nerd will be in WWI regalia and stockings, boot bless em for it.. =) Happy Holidays All, and God Bless oos, every One.. =)

At the Lockwood's..

2009-08-24T03:21:00.009-04:00

Just back from a short trip to a shin-dig thrown by Todd Lockwood and his wife Rita. It was the kinda thing that I've rarely experienced outside of GenCon, and all I can contribute with any clarity at the moment was that is was Wicked Awesome !! Met more artist and art directors in my field, than I have all year!?!? There was a fire and big food spread that Todd and Rita cooked up, laughed me arse oof to another brilliant Jeremy Jarvis performance, did this little doodle of Matt Adelsperger and Franz Vohwinkel, (Hey! it was dark, sue me=) and it was the first bathroom I've been in with an original Lockwood oil hung there!?! I mean how does that even work?? About the sweetest in the bloody World, is how it works.. Still can't wrap my brain around that.. I imagine they loose people in there, holding oop the privy as they can't stop looking at the artwork.? =)

Out on his easel, Todd also had an amazing oil he was working on, that just stopped my breath!! An Angel.. framing, pose, and... Gah... just wait, we're all in for such a treat when it's complete.!! 1000 Thank youz to the Lockwood Family for letting me crash for the night, and for those I missed, I hope to see you next time around..
Sweet Jesus I love livin' out West !!
Stay tuned !!

Read all about it... Canada's greatest superhero !

2009-07-16T01:19:00.011-04:00

The Red Panda Adventures is a lighthearted adventure series in the style of old time radio that follows the 1930s adventures of "Canada's greatest superhero", the Red Panda, and his trusty sidekick, the "fearless fighting female" the Flying Squirrel, as they protect the citizens of Toronto from villains ranging from gangsters and supervillains to the supernatural forces of darkness. The series was created by Gregg Taylor of Decoder Ring Theatre and earned the company multiple Podcast Award and Parsec Award nominations.

When I first started listening to Red Panda, after the 5th or 6th episode I liked it so much that I approached Gregg to do a painting for his creation. I've always been a fan of old time radio, when productions were such a mix of what was new and amazing, technologically speaking, but still followed the forms of old school vaudevillians and that whole era of big band, and live effects. There's a romance attached to the period, and Gregg Taylor and the great performers at Decoder Ring Theatre understand it more than most. When I painted The Terrific Twosome of Toronto, the illustration was meant mainly for use in a website or any adverts Gregg wanted to do, but over a year ago, he'd asked if they could use my illustration for the cover of Tales of The Red Panda: The Crime Cabal, the first couple episodes in pulp novel form! Today, after Gregg's herculean publishing struggle, this project has finally manifested on the shelves, and I couldn't be more proud to see my painting grace the blazing yellow cover!

You never know where a paintings' life will take you or the viewer after you create it. I've had fellow listeners at conventions recognize the painting, and have sold large format prints to fans of the show in both Canada and the US. So much of a creatives life is drudgery and scraping for the newest and next best. Whether it be rehearsals before a performance, or developing new skills what normally go unnoticed in the final showing of your craft. So when a random act of appreciation within the community like this comes along, it's success is a rare and wonderful thing to behold.

Please check out Decorder Ring Theatre (their podcast is on iTunes), buy the Crime Cabal, and download the Red Panda Adventure Series, and while you're at it, please give to this very deserving troupe generously. I can't imagine more heart and dedication to entertaining folks than Gregg's small family of performers have given over the years, and they should get some financial return for all the great effort.. =)

Stay tuned for the next episode..
Cue the organ.. =)

ArtOrder shout-out !!

2009-06-15T17:30:00.007-04:00

Did a couple pieces for Dragon Magazine, and gotta mention on Jon Schindehette's ArtOrder shortly after. Jon's just one hell ova chap, and it's for good reason his ArtOrder Blog has the attention of every Fantasy Illustrator across the Sphere. The weekly contests are a great way to develop your skill set, and see exactly how some of the newest ideas, concepts and techniques form from a creative group mind. It's brilliant, great way to get noticed that I wish existed a decade ago. I've had ideas stashed in me wig for some of these characters, just itching to be sketched, and wish I had the hours to explore them.. Especially the Drow cover that's going until July 26th.. Well, next time.. =) In the mean time, hats off to Jon, and all the wonderful contributions!

Hit the Hog, and scroll to the bottom.. =)

Grand Prix madness in Tacoma

2009-06-12T00:47:00.006-04:00

I've signed at 4 Magic the Gathering events thus far in my short time with the franchise, and I mean to tell you the Grand Prix in Tacoma was by far the most wild and insane. I stayed again with gracsiously kind, fellow MTG artist Franz Vohwinkle and his wife Imelda, even met up with Wizards ADs Dawn Murin and Dana Knutson, who I'd been wanting to meet for years, at their place on the Alki coast of Western Seattle.. but.. the big swingin' gig was the GP, and the number of players was estimated at well over 1100. The vast expanse of competing humanity was rivaled only by the constant line of art fans.. I actually had to have Wizards guys stop the line to grab lunch !?! It was a sight I'd not experienced yet in this lifetime, and I humbly bow to the inner art nerds in us all.. Wow.. What a beautiful outpouring of Magic lovin' cats and kitties..

This was of course not the biggest event I was told, but Tim Shields and Cascade Games (more on this kind chap later) broke a new record for attendance in Tacoma. Tacoma is relatively small, but driving in I saw its Union Station, got a couple shots of this beautiful Deco period structure, and also had lunch and a pint of the black stuff at this nicely designed Irish Pub Paddy Coynes. This thing called Magic the Gathering is a phenomenon!! I'm happy when I see a take on strategic game

play other than pro sports supported and followed so it remains in existence. But when I see a following that has reached such an international magnitude, and grown exponentially in the process, I'm just at a loss for words. It was an absolute pleasure to sketch, and alter, and sign all those cards in Tacoma, and I'll keep the mailing list up on the next event to come.

Couple Concepts

2009-05-15T17:30:00.010-04:00

You can never tell where this electronic pitch-fork will take you. Put these two bits together for an impromptu pitch to Roger Avary!! Wish I had something more in the vane of the content, but I'd just met the film AD from MySpace a day before. Well, here's to more serendipitous meetings. =)
Stay tuned !!

Lycan sketch

2009-05-08T04:55:00.010-04:00

This theatrical themed lycan came out of a two day trip to Ashland. Little more came from that trip in fact, apart from all the performances, and me finding the only India Pale Ale I've ever dug. Loovly little brewery re-fabed from an old garage warehouse. Standing Stone Brewery. Here's to having a better time next time around.

Seattle Illustrizzles in'da Hizzle

2009-04-13T16:24:00.000-04:00

Just back from Norwescon in Seattle, and had a great time! I made a tiny vacation for myself to meet and stay with a couple fellow light pushers based in the Seattle area; Franz Vohwinkel and Todd Lockwood who was guest of honor at the Con. Franz's wife Imelda is the very best of hosts, and Franz is a powerhouse illustrator for MTG and gaming markets from around the Sphere. It was great to get to know them better; covering Language and American culture is always fun with the Vohwinkels, finding all the similarities we freelancers hold in common both odd and beautiful, and their beach front abode was brilliant to experience.

Maestro Lockwood and I have been emailing and commiserating the vacant political system in this Country for around 4 years, he's always been very supportive, and it was great to finally get to meet this stalwart contemporary in my field. Todd is just as gracious and kind as all the other Illustration Heroes I've met so far, but I suppose what sets him apart from most others is the fact that he's nae afraid of political activism, even to the extent of it becoming somewhat of a job on top of the break neck rollarcoaster illustrators need work on, and sometimes this can make all the difference. It was both a honor and pleasure to throw back a couple beers together, and when he shot the "Crop Mark Gang Sign", it made the West Coast a little more Home for me.. =) Here Todd is with his Brother Kipp who made it to the show as well. Hope to meet more fellow Light Pushers at the end of May for the MTG Grand Prix where I'll be signing.

Havoc on the fridge

2009-01-26T02:09:00.000-05:00

Once in awhile that big yella Sun will spark up a sweet swingin' dandelion beam a light, and wail it through all that work-a-day bring down, straight on into your sad and bent up ticker. Well, today fellow illustrator, good friend and co-author of Wreaking Havoc (on the shelves of a book store near you ! :) Chris Seaman was given that beam. He shared it with me, and I'll share it wit'cha'll !! These are copies of a couple sketches from Jordan (age 12). One of them is following the step by step demo that Chris wrote on his Gnome character for the book, and the other is a female Gnome of Jordan's own design. :)

I was just instantly taken to the reason why we do the work that we do. I don't know many illustrators that aren't working 8-12 hour days and weekends to be paid comparatively little for it, but it is in moments like these; when I get drawings of lama-dogs from my Niece, or someone at a Convention tells me how much my work influenced them for game-play or their own art work, or when you see that spark a' Light jumping off a munchkins wig to tell you that you've fulfilled the circle somehow. That's why we're in this game.

Follow this link to check out Wreaking Havoc on Amazon, and please give us a review if you're already familiar with our book. :)

Concepts for Wreaking Havoc

2008-03-20T20:28:00.000-04:00

Our new How-To book Wreaking Havoc hits the book shelves mid-April !! And for little more reason than to simply appease my jones to show some of the great work Jim, Chris, Tom, & I have created for it, here are a couple more pics !!

A couple character concepts were cut, but like the PsiMates (which you can see in my online portfolio) this guy had been twisting and brewing inside my wig for years. So, I'm glad this piece got into the final printing. :)

2008-01-25T18:19:00.000-05:00

After looking though the Soc. of Illustrators and Nation Magazine's online show: Artists Against the War, I was moved to post one of the few politico cartoons I've done. It was nice to see a Rockwell was added to the show, that really touched me as well. As artists and creatives (big name or small), I think we forget our role as social commentators? We either can't find time enough, or don't really care enough to rock the boat, or jeopardize our big gig at the agency? We slide that power of influence we may hold under the carpet, and forget that ultimately it's our job by Greek definition "to bring things into light". Poets and artists were the journalists of culture right up until the last century, and it would be tragic for us not to remember the position we hold.

Well, here's my contribution. I started a series of "Amazing Roveeno"'s back when I found how explicitly Karl Rove and the neo-conservative movement were involved with high crimes, including the manipulation and caging of the 2000 vote. And, I think after they started the war and occupation, I just wanted to see him in a turban. :) I went on to do 4 in all, but never really promoted them to the big magazines.

Here's the last one I did.. Enjoy.. :)

Dear Roveeno,

I've done a cracking job in my kill tallies over the years, I've

bought out my country's news media to paint my atrocities

in whatever cheery color I desire, and I've even developed a

re-education policy to indoctrinate the youth with whatever

history I want to teach them. Yet, the protests still occur ??

The unrest, and popularity polls are the worst they've ever

been ??

Slouching toward the Hague

Dear Slouchy,

There is no failed occupation strategy, or treasonous high crime,

that a good PR campaign can't fix up! My advice to you is get out

in the public, plant a couple folks to get autographs in front of a

wall of squeaky clean uniforms. If that doesn't get your numbers

up, then maybe do a small tour of rich venues where you can

speak about how much you love helping the children. And if

all that washes, then you'll have to attend some dinners, and

play court jester. Go ahead, tell a bad friars club joke, try and

dance even! Give the monkeys what they want, preferably with

a couple well known comics that are willing to sell out years of

reputation for a couple bucks. If that fails then don't worry

about tribunals, just fake your death and move. We make

detention centers, we don't go to them. XX OO

The Amazing Roveeno

A Time to Wreak Havoc, and a Time for PEACE

2008-01-09T00:57:00.000-05:00

Me Lords and Ladies of the Royal Court,

Last year was an astounding one! A year that this poor paint pusher had been waiting all his heavy headed freelance gig for. Duckin' and dodgin', wadin' through all this politico bad jazz, heart beatin' in staccato just to keep the pilot light of Hope lit up, and just when I couldn't take one more hit of that funky jug of soured milk... the doors of opportunity cracked just a bit, and swung me up a solid I still can't even believe. :)

I was not only included in an International FantasyArt Magazine, but I co-authored a book, Wreaking Havoc to come out this Summer, and was accepted to into the Magic the Gathering stable of artists at Wizards of the Coast for which I will be eternally grateful.

The painting below was one of the spreads appearing in Wreaking Havoc and one of my best paintings to date. I dug the calmness in the elfs' face so much, I made it into my Holiday card as well, which most of you have already been sent. If you haven't, and want one for next year, sign up for my mailing list on the website.

:: Here's to a Prosperous and Peaceful New Year to All ::

Printed in CHINA

2007-05-27T17:56:00.000-04:00

The month of May has brought me huge international exposure, and I'm beside myself with that big beamin' light of happiness ya find on munchkins at the ice cream shop. My work has appeared in international homes, galleries, and is even in a Canadian Museum collection, but I ain'ever had my illustration work shown in an international magazine the likes of Fantasy-Art.

Fantasy-Art, is a magazine put out by Peking University students and faculty in Beijing, China. It includes some of the very best artists from around the Planet, and I've been waiting for inclusion for around 3 years. I't's such a tremendous honor, I can't even begin to explain. It's actually double the honor to be a part in this particular issue as it includes; fellow CCS alumni Marc Gabbana, INOUE Naohisa an illustrator for Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli, and (I can't even believe it my-own-fanboy-self) I follow the illustration legend, Steven Hickman, one of my very favorite painters for the last 25 years. You'll find Maestro Hickmans' "Galadriel's Harp" gracing the cover...amazing. You can find this magazine as an import on some high-end magazine shelves, but here's the opening spread of my six page article.

Gracious thanks to Fei (aka Snowman), Nan Nan, Candy, Wang Wei, and Ying Zhang, for sharing my work with my Brothers and Sisters on the other side of the Sphere.

And if that's not enough flipped out, no doubt, big time clout for ya to wrap your big wigs around.. Brothers & Sisters, dog'onit, here comes some more sacred jazz, swimin' on over from the deep end of the magical pool o' Love. I was included in the magazines' display at the 3rd annual China International Cartoon & Animation Festival in Hangzhou, as well !!! CICAF is an annual fan festival, like the San Diego Comic-con, and is held in Hangzhou's international convention hall. Apparently, some of my work was on display along with the wildly skilled Chinese Sci-Fi Fantasy illustrators, for the population of beautifully adorned Cosplay cats and kitties to dig.

I'll end with an excerpt from the bio I wrote up for the magazine ::

Todays invention is a result of yesterdays Fantasy. And it is by this unique awareness, that artists have a duty to better their culture and their World. It is Chuck's sincere hope that by; reflecting the infinitely diverse patterns of Nature, directing focus on the inherent unity that exists within our Religions, Mythologies and Literature, and by bringing to light new and inventive imagery, he may uncover some of the hidden potential we all hold, and perhaps inspire a better future.

Stay Tuned...

Wreaking Havoc

2007-03-30T16:18:00.000-04:00

Me Lords and Ladies,
It is with shinin' beams of hipness, and my most precious insane pleasure that I announce my inclusion in my first How To Book from Impact Books: Wreaking Havoc : How to Create Fantasy Warriors and Wicked Weapons. I'll be featured along with fellow paint pushers; Jim Pavelec, Thomas Manning, and Chris Seaman, and the only way I could be more geeked, is if I done joined the circus..!!

It will be out for public consumption in another spin around the Sun, but I thought I'd lay down a little snippet for you to pick up on, just for lembas and giggles..

And a Happy New Year !!!

2006-12-26T01:04:00.000-05:00

Knockin' back a solid hit of nog, wondering if this here swingin' sphere will ever break out of the square mold it's been hung up in for the last decade..? Ahh, but I mustn't cop too much a drag, as Festivus is upon us Brothers and Sisters..and I want to wish you ALL the hippest, gonest, most way out, and groovy Holiday Season, with a brand New Year that'll cut you a little extra stash in your pockets when you're in need.. :)

Have a Healthy and Prosperous New Year, filled with the very best Fiction and Games we can dream up !!

First time's a charm

2006-07-24T02:35:00.000-04:00

Greetings Folks,

I'm afraid there's not much to look at, at the moment. Nothing in fact.. not a sausage..

My attempt at sortin' out a blog remains a distant glimpse, hung up at the far end of the pool, stuck out in the sun past it's due date, and knockin' dirt in the air on the rough path to Nowhere'sville..

Gimme a few days mo, and we'll all be Arie.. :)

Dig your Day,
Namaste',
chuck