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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Craig Worrell: Sketchy Guy (Part 5)

by Chautona Havig · 3 Comments

Stay tuned at the end of the interview for more information on Craig, his website, and the blog where he showcases his recent work.

What do you suggest to people who want to learn how to draw more accurately?  Are there any books you recommend?  Videos?  Online classes?  Correspondence courses?

The easy answers are keep a sketchbook and draw all the time and learn to see.  80% of drawing is seeing and not everything you see translates to the page so get out there and start drawing from life.  You will learn something new nearly every time and usually more from your mistakes than anything.

As for books and stuff, for kids I can’t speak highly enough for “Commander” Mark Kistler.  He had a show on PBS but I think you can find his stuff online.  It’s drawing basics like perspective, foreshortening, shading, etc. and making it fun.  For older students who are interested in figure drawing there is no reason to go any further than George B. Bridgeman.  It’s volumetric anatomy for Artists and not Anatomists.  His “Complete Guide to Drawing from Life” is probably the most used book on my shelf. It will change how you see.

What is your dream project?  What would make you just go wild with excitement if you had the opportunity to do anything you wanted?

Ooooo that’s a rough one to nail down.  I guess it would be the opportunity to get my hands on some of the iconic characters of literature.  Someone like a Peter Pan, Long John Silver, Ebenezer Scrooge, Little John, Tin Woodsman, Pigsy, The Monkey King, etc would be a dream to tackle.  I guess to be able to add something to that experience for a reader or a viewer would be amazing.  To be able to really inhabit those characters in their worlds for a while is really why I prefer story related art.

What is the “downside” to art?  Policemen hate paperwork… what do artists hate?

That’s kind of a small question with a big explanation; I’ll try to keep it brief.  It’s the looks you and your family get sometime when someone either first meets you or asks about you and say, “ahh he/you is/are an artist.”  It’s the same dismissive look people give when talking about the deranged or hard of thinking.  Part of that is our fault really, Art has done more to talk to itself than it has to talk to others in the recent past and they just can’t relate.

The other thing that I am sure most everyone can relate to is when people disrespect your time, your talent and the difficulty of what you do.  My theory as this relates to Art is: once upon a time everyone use to draw, and it was fun.  Then at some point they stopped for lack of interest or discouragement or whatever but they retained the memory of drawing, coloring, painting, sculpting = play.  So when they have to deal with those of us that kept “playing” they think most of what we do is easy and basic goof-offery which leads to 5PM on a Friday projects due at 6PM that same day, a client asking for the moon and expecting it and the dreaded work on speculation.

What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?

Well first two things that pop in my head are both from the same person my Mother-in-Law, Beverly.  When I graduated college she gave me a business card case with “Illustrator” engraved on it, something about that meant a lot.  The second comes from a conversation my wife told me about where Bev had come to the realization that I see things differently because I am an Artist.  Her attempt to put herself in my shoes and that she was I guess impressed in some way I took as quite a compliment.

What question do most non-artistic types forget to ask in these kinds of interviews?

Seeing as how I don’t get interviewed, well ever, I guess the thing I hear the most is more of an observation than a question.  “I can’t even draw a straight line.”  To which I reply, “Neither can I that’s why I use a ruler.”

Craig shares a blog with several of his artist buddies  Sketch-of-the-Day.  There’s a lot of amazing work on this blog… I always love stopping by to see what he and his friends have done lately.  However, I have to give you a warning.  Not everything on this site is appropriate for children.  While there is nothing pornographic, a few of the images are of a more sexualized nature and therefore not appropriate for everyone.  So, consider yourself warned.

Craigs Posts

His Sketches of Dove

And his website!  C.B. Worrell . com!

Stay tuned for his work in Cloaked in Secrets!  The itsy bitsy bits of what I’ve seen coming are so EXCITING.  I’m almost as thrilled, if not more,  as I am about my book!

Now, on a professional note, working with Craig has been incredibly rewarding.  He has just enough professionalism to give you confidence in his work even before you see his ideas on paper.  However, he’s not so “all-business” that you wonder if he’ll sterilize your characters or if you wonder if he’s being tortured to do the work.  Just listening to him, you can hear the passion for what he does as he talks about things.  It’s truly a wonderful experience, and I recommend him heartily.  Now, if I could just win the lottery so I could give him an amazingly huge tip… that’d be cool.

He even did a portrait of me… sight unseen.  I’m just so impressed…

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Filed Under: General Information, Interviews Tagged With: Annals of Wynnewood, Shadows & Secrets

Previous Post: « Craig Worrell: Interview (Part 4)
Next Post: Book Signing~ »

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Comments

  1. Michele says

    April 30, 2010 at 8:17 pm

    That “portrait” of you…I’m pretty sure he’s been drawing that guy as long as I’ve known you. If so, it must be me and not you. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Michele says

    April 9, 2010 at 9:41 pm

    I loved the interview!!! Craig is so wonderful, I’m glad I was able to recommend him. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Cari says

    April 9, 2010 at 12:31 pm

    Craig, Chautona — thanks for all your hard work bringing Wynnewood to life! Can’t wait to see the latest artwork and read the next adventure of Dove.

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 429: A Chat with J. A. Webb
byChautona Havig

Christian dystopian thrillers are too few and far between, but author J. A. Webb has a great one for us. Listen in while we chat about his Seekers Series and the second book, Inheritance.

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Mix a corrupt secret society along with a priest on the run, and you’ve got a great mix. This series promises to be full of amazing twists and turns. 

  Inheritance by J. A. Webb

 A Dystopian Thriller of Deception, Faith, and the Fight for Truth

The Order has been betrayed. The hunters have been loosed.

Father Curtis has forsaken his vows. He has left the Order and joined the Seekers, a hidden rebellion dedicated to uncovering the truth long buried by the global church. But walking away from the Order does not mean escaping its reach.

When word spreads that a copy of the True Text — the original thirty-nine books of the Creator — has surfaced on the far side of the world, Curtis, Professor Reuel, and Phillip embark on a desperate mission. If they can retrieve the artifact, it could change everything. If they fail, the truth will be lost forever.

But the Eye of the Eternal, the secret police of the Order, has already mobilized. Their assassins are relentless. Their power is absolute. And they will stop at nothing to silence the truth.

Outnumbered and hunted, Curtis and his allies must risk everything to defy an empire built on deception. But against such overwhelming darkness, is faith enough? Or will their inheritance — humanity’s true past — be erased from history once and for all?

The war for truth has begun. And the Order will not suffer heretics to live.

A Gripping Tale of Power, Deception, and the Courage to Seek Truth

🔥 Perfect for fans of dystopian thrillers like 1984, Brave New World, and The Da Vinci Code—but with a Christian twist!

⚡ A suspense-filled journey into a world where illusion is law and questioning it means death.

📖 If you love stories of faith, defiance, and the battle against unseen tyranny, this is the book for you.

The Order has ruled from the shadows long enough. Are you ready to see the truth?

Learn more about J. A. Webb on his WEBSITE and follow him on GoodReads and BookBub.

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Episode 429:  A Chat with J. A. Webb
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