Christopher N. Roberts - Illustration Services

I'm an illustrator specializing in pen and ink, watercolor (gouache), and digital illustration. My work spans landscapes, still life compositions, natural science illustrations, and expressive animal and character designs.

My artistic style merges the precision of natural science illustration with the playful energy of cartooning. I strive to create an emotional connection with viewers—transporting them back to cherished moments and evoking a sense of joy and wonder.

Though I've been drawing my entire life and have formal training from college, I spent 30 years as an internet pioneer, building websites and applications, establishing digital advertising agencies, and serving clients. Throughout that time, I would sketch on my iPad during flights when I was done with my work, and fellow travelers often asked if I was a professional artist. In 2024, I enrolled at RISD to deepen my training in natural science illustration and digital illustration.

I love the process of being inspired—whether by an image in nature or an idea—and bringing it to life through sketching. I take pride in my concept development, line work, color theory, and composition, ultimately creating pieces that seek genuine emotional resonance with my audience.

I work from my own photographs and from imagination, often merging observed reality with the imagined. My influences range from Robert Bateman and R. Crumb to Van Gogh, James Gurney, Dr. Seuss, Audubon, Edward Gorey, and Georgia O'Keeffe.

There is no better compliment than hearing that my work moved someone or brought back a wonderful memory. It's a great honor to be framed in someone's home. This is why I draw.

Step-by-step transformation of a fish drawing from black and white to full color.

Mediums I Use

My process always starts on paper with gesture drawing. From there, I follow one of three workflows depending on the piece:

Traditional Pen & Ink Illustration with Digital Color: I create detailed pen and ink artwork by hand and enhance it with digital illustration using Photoshop.
Opaque Watercolor Illustration (Gouache) with Pen: I paint with opaque watercolor (gouache) and add pen and ink finishing touches.
Digital Illustration: I work in Procreate, Photoshop and Illustrator for mascot and icon work. I often combine traditional and digital illustration techniques.

Technical Skills

I often combine traditional and digital art, working in pen and ink, watercolor, Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator. I also have training in design and have build and supervised many UX Web sites and applications, which seems to come in handy.

Education

I hold a BBA in Marketing with a concentration in Art and Design from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently, I am completing my Natural Science Illustration certificate at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where I focus on various techniques including digital illustration, pen and ink illustration, and watercolor illustration. I reside in Rochester, NY and Cuba, NY with my family and pets.

Services I Offer

I can help you with any of the following:

Mascots & characters for your business
Building Portraits
Landscape paintings
Watercolor commissions
Animal (pet) portraits
Business posters and promotional materials
Business and festival poster art
Children's book illustrations
Editorial illustrations
Natural science illustrations
Commercial pen and ink work

Retail and licensing are available.

Christopher N. Roberts - Illustration Services

Mediums I Use

Technical Skills

Education

Services I Offer

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