ARTIST'S MASTERCLASS: CHRIS SHEPHERD

Written by Rayhan Bengougou

Illustration by Chris Shepherd

When "Anfield Road" hit store shelves at the end of 2024, readers were introduced to the 1980’s Liverpool that brings a mix of heart, tragedy and hope. However, we were also introduced to the life that was inspired by the author’s very own. Chris Shepherd, a two time BAFTA nominated artist, writer and director, breaks down the process of how he created the story and world of “Anfield Road” and how he brought it to life.

Conor's journey is one that feels grounded and yet has a bittersweet presence of fantasy within it, creating a wonderful read. Illustration by Chris Shepherd

CHRIS SHEPHERD:

“That was what I wanted to make and I couldn’t get the money and then I thought, well, I can draw. It’s the lockdown I'll just start drawing it, you know? So I started to draw on it and. And all of the. Actually, yeah, I did it. But we used to, but we used to be so. It was so big, you know, it was so massive.

Normally when you get a comic book, what you do is you rough the whole book out or graphic novel, rough it out, but I was too scared to do that because if I did that, I’d lose my will to live. So I suppose I never knew how long it was so I broke it down being an animator, I broke it down into 60 sequences and I worked a sequence at a time, and what I would do is sometimes when you drew some pages like say, it was a conversation in the house where it’s just one person talking and another and another and another goes on sort of just panel after panel of people talking. Well, they’re like the worst thing to draw ‘cause it’s so boring, you know. Are you trying to figure out a way of making it interesting? It’s difficult.

So it’d alternate between the two to try to keep it fresh. And then, but not nothing out the entire book. It meant that as I work my way through these 60 sequences. There’d always be bits. There’d always be a bit that I’ve never done, and I didn’t quite know. I knew what happened in the story. I knew what the characters would say, but I never knew how I would play the scene, so always kept it fresh. So right up until the last minute. It was the same process in my mind, you know, but it just went on for like a long time, like weeks and like, I literally have the same revelations I would have. I’d be lying in bed of a night asleep. I wake up and go, oh, I know what to do now

Chris' artwork succeeds in capturing both the mundane and the beauty of Liverpool. Illustration by Chris Shepherd

So it was like the same process, but in ultra slow motion. It was quite weird, really. But but it took the time for me to. Avoid it for to evolve and to see what the creative solution might be.

He would add on to his process by adding on what was the key to his artwork. He continued by saying:

I just was trying to be authentic. Really to the the visually what it looked like, you know, so I just drew a lot, you know, really looked at it and really tried to capture that. I also tried to capture the the the things that are gone. So it's very clear to sort of like focus on places that were not there anymore like by TJ uses or or communication mode which is 

by the Walker Art Gallery, all the buildings there, so I really enjoyed like trying to capture things, but maybe it's me own love of the city. I was trying to capture something that was that was visually gone. You know, I found that quite a challenge, you know, and and I think that's something that people really pick up on when they read it in a way I couldn't really expect, I suppose, is that just the details? The posters on the walls? 

Everything is about the details. People love the details, like the little in jokes and everything, so it's exciting."

Despite not being a huge football fan, Chris manages to incorporate the spirit of Anfield in one of the book's most memorable moments, Illustration by Chris Shepherd

Featured image by Chris Shepherd