Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is one of the most anticipated film releases of the year. The 1991 animated classic finally translates to live action film, with stars Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast/Prince.  The assignment came so early in the project's development that Chris was given only the designer’s concept art for the characters to work from. With absolutely no photo reference, the task of imbuing Belle and Beast with the lifelike qualities of the actors that would embody these characters was no small feat - especially when it came to Dan Stevens as the Beast. Envisioning his young, handsome face under heavy makeup, prosthetics and tons of hair, while maintaining his essence, was daunting to say the least. A year later we were amazed, upon seeing the trailers to the film, how close to the mark Chris’ drawings of Dan as the Beast actually were.

The theory here at Outlines is that Chris has an affinity for the Beast. Back in the day (when the animated classic was up for an Oscar for Best Animated Film) Chris illustrated TV Guide’s Oscar Issue cover, featuring the Beast attending the Academy Awards. (That’s Chris’ self portrait sitting behind the beast)

Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath

Today’s TV programming reflects the public’s growing interest in things outside their realm of experience. A&E’s “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath” is a documentary series in which Leah Remini shares her life experiences within the Church of Scientology (The New Age religion sprung from L. Ron Hubbard’s Book entitled, “Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health”). A&E called Outlines Inc.  to visualize concepts for the show’s ad campaign, twice! Originally, the show was slated to be called “Son of Scientology” with with Hubbard’s great grandson Jamie DeWolf at the helm. So while Chris and the Outlines team worked up visuals to support that version of the show, Leah Remini’s bombshell memoir “Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology” hit, and the rest is television history. Good story, huh? Check out the work that no-one will ever see… oh! and the other work that everyone has seen below.

Netflix's "Santa Clarita Diet"

The March issue of Men's Health touts that red meat is the new health food. Obviously, Netflix's new dark comedy "Santa Clarita Diet" starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant, has totally embraced this line of thinking... yum!

HBO’s Crashing

Outlines Inc. is proud to add HBO’s newest series ‘Crashing’ to its growing list of credits in the entertainment industry. Chris and the Outlines crew enjoyed working on a number of illustrations for the upcoming show, scheduled for a February 19th premier. Stand up comic Pete Holmes stars in this left-of-center depiction of the New York City comedy scene. Many of the of the following visual concepts reflect the show’s attitudes.

HBO's 'Divorce'

An advertising poster for a new film or television series is all important. Not only does it serve as the project's introduction to the viewing public, it becomes the iconic image that will be forever associated with that particular movie or show. Nailing down the perfect image is an art in itself. The subtleties of a gesture can make an immense amount of difference in the message the visual sends. Such was the case with HBO's hit series 'Divorce', starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Hayden Church. What degree of intimacy or distance should the characters body language emote, so as to convey the proper emotional tone of the show? Below is the concept art that served as the inspiration for the finished poster, as well as alternate images that represent the illustrator's search for just the right shade of emotional content through body language.