Artist Christian McGrath has painted book covers for authors like Anne McCaffrey, M.M. Buckner and Jim Butcher (to name a few), marrying his gritty images and foreboding landscapes to novels in a range of genres: military SF, fantasy, noir-type futuristic cop stories and even vampire novels. Virtually all of Christian McGrath's work has a somber tone: its palette leans heavily to the blues and grays of early evening, cityscapes at dusk lit--if they are lit at all--by garish urban lamplight, smoke-hazed sunsets and the fires of war. Even in romantic novels--Patricia Waddell's True Blood, for example--his portraits capture people in their most reflective and downcast moments. Visitors exploring Christian McGrath's work will find no cute dragons, no playful imps, no wacky, bug-eyed monsters. Instead, Christian McGrath's images exude subtle menace, suggesting that the worlds they portray with such grim intimacy might be just around the corner.It is little surprise, then, that this artist's official site has a minimalist, backstreet-gallery look to it. The content is dominated by Christian McGrath's cover images, of course, and a section which showcases drawings and works in progress. There is almost nothing to read--even the news section is visual, a simple scan of the artist's Dresden Files 2009 calendar. The site contains a single page of links to other artists and musicians, and has no discussion forum, blog or guest book. All in all it is a site for those weary of endlessly scanning text, offering a break from reading. Visiting Christian McGrath's site is the online equivalent of ducking into an art show for some peace and quiet, a brief wander through cool rooms filled with drawings that speak eloquently, but silently, for themselves.
