About Derry Frost

Where Imagination Meets Reality

I exist in the spaces between worlds—where digital brushstrokes breathe life into impossibilities, where matte paintings transform empty stages into sprawling kingdoms, and where concept art becomes the blueprint for dreams yet to be filmed.

My journey as a visual storyteller spans the vast landscape of modern entertainment, from the intimate frames of children's book illustrations to the sweeping vistas that grace our favorite streaming series. When you watched The Queen's Gambit and found yourself transported to mid-century chess tournaments and elegant hotel lobbies, you were experiencing environments I helped craft—digital paintings that seamlessly blend with live action to create something larger than the sum of their parts.

The Art of Invisible Magic

Matte painting is perhaps the most invisible art form in cinema. When done right, audiences never question whether that towering castle on the distant hill was built from stone or pixels. This is the magic I live for—creating environments so convincing that they become part of the story's DNA, enhancing narrative without drawing attention to the artifice.

My work bridges multiple worlds: the technical precision required for film and television production, the boundless creativity of concept art that shapes entire fictional universes, and the intimate storytelling found in graphic novels and children's literature. Each medium demands a different language, yet they all speak to the same fundamental human need—the desire to see beyond the boundaries of our immediate reality.

From Analog Roots to Digital Frontiers

While much of my professional work exists in the digital realm, I remain deeply connected to traditional artistic foundations. The analog work in my portfolio serves as both creative respite and artistic grounding—reminding me that whether I'm holding a physical brush or wielding a digital stylus, the core principles of light, composition, and emotional resonance remain unchanged.

In graphic novels, I explore narratives that unfold across panels and pages, where each frame must carry both story and atmosphere. Children's book illustration brings out a different facet of my creativity—the challenge of distilling complex emotions and ideas into images that speak to young minds while satisfying adult sensibilities.

The Collaborative Vision

Visual development is rarely a solitary pursuit. Behind every matte painting that extends a practical set into an infinite landscape, every concept design that guides production teams, and every illustration that captures a character's essence, there lies collaboration with directors, production designers, writers, and fellow artists. I thrive in this collaborative environment, where my role is to translate abstract creative visions into tangible visual solutions.

Looking Forward

The boundaries between traditional and digital art continue to blur, just as the lines between film, television, gaming, and interactive media grow increasingly fluid. My goal remains constant: to create visual experiences that serve story, enhance emotion, and transport audiences to places that exist nowhere else but in our collective imagination.

Whether I'm painting distant mountains that will never be climbed or designing characters who live only in the spaces between comic panels, I'm driven by the belief that art—in all its forms—has the power to expand our understanding of what's possible.

Welcome to my visual universe. I hope you find something here that speaks to your own sense of wonder.