My name is Chris Madden; I am a freelance illustrator, living and working in Manchester, UK.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
If you would like to commission my drawing hand:
Agent: Eye Candy
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Portfolio • we•am•likes •
Loading Tweet...
Ive been playing around with ink and nib pens and bloody loving it.
I didn’t think to scan them… instead, have some crappy quality photies.
My hour special ROB DELANEY LIVE at the BOWERY BALLROOM is now on NETFLIX! Please watch it, queue it, rate it and repost this!
“How Dark Night shrinks from her sister Dawn, and gloomy Black gives way to Rosy Red.”
sometimes at work I do animations that aren’t for work, this is one of them.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. 2011
Quick doodle of some goofy punks.
Bigger, more detailed, Year One style cowl Bats.
75 posts tagged illustration

A recent commission for an article on the importance of giving blood. I’m not entirely happy with how this turned out but I never am! However, I do like the composition and the colours I used here, so that’s something, I guess.
Rough sketch below


This is the latest image I have rustled up for The Guardian Weekender’s great weekly column, “This Column Will Change Your Life” by Oliver Burkeman.
I had very little time to complete this image (Partly tight deadline. Partly my own fault) but still managed to apply some of the new techniques i’ve been playing around with recently in my personal work, as well as being able to experiment with more abstract, graphic shapes which is not something I would usually do with a timeframe such as this.
I’m really happy with the outcome of this image; It wasn’t my favourite idea at rough stage, nor was it the AD’s, but went in this direction due to it being a better fit with the layout. The other rough was also very similar in composition to another illustration on the same page.
Both Roughs are below // You can read the article here

DNW is a bi-monthly meet-up I started to encourage my fellow local illustrators/animators/artists etc. to crawl out of their freelance caves and socialise/network with their peers. It has been very well received so far and we have a large group of regulars that attend each event, as well as a steady influx of new faces…
There is a poster designed by one of the regularly attending illustrators for each Meet-up. This is my effort!
If you live in or around manchester and would like to come and have a chat about pencils, join the DNW facebook group for more info!

A quick little half-drop repeat pattern using the vegetables from the image in my previous with a hand rendered type treatment chucked in for good measure!

This is my latest addition to the CSMA Club Magazine health section. The article was to coincide with National Vegetarian Week and outlined the fact that, in light of the ‘Horse Meat Scandal’ more and more people are turning to veggie food!
I have been playing around with some new techniques recently, trying to add a few new methods to the digital end of my process. Below is the rough that I sent to the AD.


‘Plumber’ is the third image in my ‘Blue Collar’ series.
The project is basically a range of Working Class character profiles; I wanted to celebrate those people that get their hands dirty on a daily basis so that our lives may continue, as easily, and as comfortably as possible. Those people that often get taken for granted; ‘The backbone of society’.

‘Postman’ is the second image in my ‘Blue Collar’ series.
The project is basically a range of Working Class character profiles; I wanted to celebrate those people that get their hands dirty on a daily basis so that our lives may continue, as easily, and as comfortably as possible. Those people that often get taken for granted; ‘The backbone of society’.

This image, entitled “Mechanic”, is the first in a series of new images from a self-initiated project called “Blue Collar.”
The project is basically a range of Working Class character profiles; I wanted to celebrate those people that get their hands dirty on a daily basis so that our lives may continue, as easily, and as comfortably as possible. Those people that often get taken for granted; ‘The backbone of society’.

I decided I would be an olympic-level procrastinator this morning, by avoiding work my own project and rustling up a little tribute to Robert Ball & Warwick Johnson Cadwell’s wonderful webcomic, Dangeritis.
After spending a lot of time trying to learn 3D software recently, I woke up this morning with the urge to make something tangible and hand-crafted. I’ve not done any Lino printing for a long time and that seemed like the most satisfying option…
however, I only had a tiny scrap piece of Lino (7x10cm) so the results aren’t the best but I am quite happy with the ottery outcome!
I tried my hand at a pretty simple run-cycle… I’m quite happy with the results. Loving this animation thing.
I think he’s some kind of salamander in a leather jacket?
I am really enjoying the style of my recent ‘experimentations’ and was wondering if I would be able to make them move? So I gave it a go… not perfect in anyway, but I’m not an animator.
I enjoyed making my horse burger so much that i thought I’d carry on making stuff for stuff’s sake. It’s been a while since i played around with my work, so i’m revelling in the experimentation and embracing the mistakes!
Loading posts...