chiaroscuro

Don't drink, kids.

2011-12-11T22:23:00.002Z

After a couple of emotional turbulent months, I decided to let off some steam by going out with my brother and his friends to enter a quiz and a few drinks. I rarely drink, if ever. We won the quiz, so ventured into the town centre afterwards. I decided I'd had enough, and walked home by myself. On the way home I was jumped and beaten up. Typical. My face was a mess, so instead of inflicting photos of my face for all to see. I thought I'd do a quick painting of my profile.

2011-12-11T22:19:00.002Z

This is a portrait I did over the course of a few hours on a Sunday two weeks ago. Minor tweaking the next day. Mostly happy with it, not so sure about the background, but that goes to show what happens when you don't plan these things. It is of Bob Schneider, singer-songwriter, artists and sometime wearer of a beard.

2011-12-11T22:13:00.002Z

I like drawing Sharks, this one was a bit of a pain to do. The middle part of the body was difficult to get right. I think it turned it okay, seeing as I was trying to use a variety of colours rather the standard greys and blues consistent with a shark's skin tone. The small Goldfish is Louie, a Lion head with a bad attitude and surly nature, a bit less so than me. He would annoy the Shark.

Who are you calling a Chimp, Chump?

2011-08-01T15:02:00.004+01:00

I drew this yesterday, while half watching the TV. I was tired and I really remember drawing it. The only bit I recall doing is the charcoal background, because I did that this morning.

Missing Shark.

2011-08-01T15:00:00.001+01:00

I think I originally started this before Christmas 2010. I found it this morning, while looking for some cardboard to pack a parcel with. I did eventually use this to that do that. I don't like the tail, though it's alright.

Exploration of medium.

2011-07-27T13:30:00.002+01:00

It seems like I spend more time trying to refine a workable style than doing any actual illustration. I'm trying to create something that I can work with, and more importantly be proud of and continue to improve on. Here are some recent attempts.

Basic attempt at a comic layout.

2011-07-27T13:27:00.002+01:00

I've always loved reading comics, though I've never really took the time to draw one. This is a basic lay-out I completed over two days. It's OK I guess, though much harder work that n thought.

2011-05-09T13:05:00.001+01:00

More sketchbook doodles. I love drawing Pigs. They are up there with birds, squids and Octopus.

2011-05-09T13:03:00.000+01:00

Some doodles from my recent sketchbook, curiosities and boredom mostly.

2011-04-18T12:46:00.000+01:00

Recent sketchbook drawings. Ink and acrylic.

2011-04-04T16:11:00.001+01:00

This is my first commercial piece of Illustration on a music release for Tali on Audioporn Records.

Design is courtesy of my friend Stephen Trott@trianglecirclesquare and the illustration is done by me.

2011-03-27T00:40:00.000Z

Figure drawing and ink technique practice.

2011-03-27T00:38:00.000Z

Ideas for a short story/ comic I hope I will push myself to pursue.

2011-03-27T00:36:00.000Z

Some ink drawings of TMNT characters.

2011-03-27T00:35:00.001Z

An extension of some of the ideas in the previous post. Ink on cardboard.

2011-03-07T11:29:00.001Z

These were for a project I am working, none of these were used. Just ideas really.

2011-03-07T11:28:00.002Z

My first attempt at a print in years. A small A5 lino cut of a chameleon. I will at some point attempt a monotype.

2011-03-07T11:26:00.000Z

Various types of animals, drawn to pass the time.

2010-11-22T13:39:00.001Z

Another painting I gave up on. This is from about a year ago, just hadn't got around to photographing it.

2010-11-22T13:33:00.001Z

A painting, I think I'm finished with. I don't know what else to do with it.

2010-05-23T18:20:00.001+01:00

An updated version of my self portrait. I'm going to leave this painting alone now and waste my time doing something else.

2010-05-21T19:09:00.000+01:00

A self portrait. The face is finished, I'm not too sure about the background. I did have a concept, though I couldn't get it to work as well as I'd like. It keeps changing and this is it's current state. I thought I'd better capture before I ruined it.

2010-05-11T19:15:00.002+01:00

After watching 'Mushishi', I had an idea for a short story and this is the first image that came to me. I've always liked the idea of writing, illustrating and hopefully publishing some stories. It won't be a comic, as I don't think I'm discliplined enough to do comics. I've writing the beginning and all is going well.

2010-05-11T19:14:00.000+01:00

A Sea Horse. Ink and acrylic.

2010-05-11T19:11:00.001+01:00

I started this painting a while back. I went to fix it, though I didn't have an fixative left and it kind of went missing. I found it the other week and finished it. It is based on a Dave Matthews Band song, 'Dive In'.

2010-05-11T19:07:00.002+01:00

I really like strange body shapes and positions to draw. Ballet and contact sports always provide the most interesting ones in my opinion. This is ink drawing of a MMA fight between Clementi and Stout. The figures came out ok, still not sure about the red and blue lines, they should have been more considered.

2010-03-28T19:03:00.000+01:00

Quick ink sketch done a couple of days ago.

2010-03-23T09:53:00.000Z

2010-03-23T09:46:00.001Z

Other stuff I keep wasting my time on.

2010-03-23T09:39:00.001Z

I keep forgeting about this blog, This is a Christmas card I designed, highlighting my thoughts of that particular time of year.

2009-09-16T21:56:00.000+01:00

I seem to be drawing exclusively birds at the moment.

169

2009-09-08T20:07:00.000+01:00

A poster design, a friend asked me to do.

Nonsense birds

2009-09-08T20:06:00.000+01:00

2009-09-08T20:05:00.000+01:00

2009-09-08T20:04:00.001+01:00

A commission for my Auntie of her two cats, Willow and Socks. An oil painting and two ink drawings.

2009-09-08T20:03:00.001+01:00

A birthday present for a work colleague. She likes Bats.

Victoria'sTattoo

2009-09-08T20:00:00.002+01:00

A tattoo for my friend, Victoria. I don't have the original anymore, she wanted a Buddha with a Lotus flower, this is what I came up with. I quite like the way it turned out, even though initially I had my fears.

2009-09-08T19:59:00.001+01:00

Here is the pencils for the below image.

2009-09-08T19:55:00.002+01:00

An update for the project I set myself 'Rappers and the things they say' KRS One has been updated and the new one is of Roots Manuva.

2009-09-08T19:53:00.001+01:00

I was reading up on the origin of 'Red Riding Hood' and how it wasn't really a story suitable for the ears of children. Here is an image I completed over a couple of days.

2009-09-08T19:47:00.001+01:00

I seem to keep neglecting this blog. I will do a few 'big' uploads to bring me upto date and hopefully I will then update regularly then.

2009-02-20T13:49:00.002Z

I forgot this, the last 'weekly' illustration. Basically a promo for the TV show, 'Life'. It''s quite good. If you like fruit, its a must see.

2009-02-20T13:43:00.000Z

Some recent doodles. I haven't done any paintings or what I call finished pieces. Loads of sketchbook stuff though.

Weekly Illustrations: The blog

2008-11-10T16:05:00.003Z

http://www.weeklyillustrations.blogspot.com/

Now there is a blog dedicated to the projects we plan on taking on. All projects, works in progress and finished pieces will and can be uploaded.

2008-11-10T16:03:00.000Z

Some pieces are completed amidst the Weekly Illustration stuff.

Weekly Illustration 4

2008-11-10T16:01:00.000Z

The forth weekly illustration based on this 'true story'. http://www.theonion.com/content/news/epa_shuts_down_local_ghost

Weekly Illustration 3

2008-11-10T15:58:00.002Z

This is the third illustration based on this bizarre news story from Canada. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/05/22/bc-severed-foot-richmond.html

Weekly Illustration 2

2008-11-10T15:55:00.000Z

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LNPliyKz4JM
The second weekly illustration based on the video above.

Weekly Illustrations

2008-11-10T15:47:00.002Z

This is the first from a series of a Weekly Illustrations project that a couple of us are attempting.
This image was created in response this news article. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUST287313

2008-07-22T18:05:00.001+01:00

My attempts at rendering some comic book characters. I tried these two as I've never made an attempt to draw/paint them before.

Rappers and the things they say

2008-06-08T09:37:00.001+01:00

A project I'm working on for myself. Mostly to get myself thinking about ideas and presenting those ideas.

2008-06-08T09:35:00.001+01:00

A watercolour that was misplaced, found under a bunch of books. A macaque, my favourite primate.

2008-05-02T12:20:00.001+01:00

I'm not lazy I have still been drawing and painting to a certain degree...

2007-11-16T22:53:00.001Z

I hadn't used acrylic since my A-levels, heres some stuff I painted when I became sick of the smell of white spirit.

2007-11-16T22:47:00.001Z

These are part of a short story I was working on. Repetition of symbols and ideas.

2007-07-03T20:54:00.001+01:00

I thought I'd already posted this...My smallest ever painting of some random fellow.

2007-07-03T20:51:00.001+01:00

For James Andrew Daniel, my drunken friend.

2007-05-16T16:45:00.000+01:00

Some of the things I have been wasting my time on recently. I've been busy with work, so haven't uploaded stuff in a while.

2007-03-05T15:03:00.000Z

These are some of the images I have done in the past couple of months. Mostly experiments with media.

2006-12-14T22:33:00.000Z

This is my first real attempt at digital colouring. I have been tempted to try it for a while now, but I needed to find the right image. The line work on this self portrait was simple enough for me to have a go at it without it being too complex. Also the reference material was right in front of me, in case I got into any trouble.
This self portrait drawn from a mirror that was positioned directly beneath my chin as I look at it.

2006-11-28T22:10:00.000Z

This image was a response to a poem I found in the Clive Barker book, 'Abarat: Nights of Magic, Days of War.

Do not blame the wind.
It carries whatever freight
It is laden with, fair and foul.
It brings gossip,
It brings laughter,
It brings prayers
And songs of love.
It brings the chatter
Of madmen and children,
Not knowing one from the other.
Do not blame the wind.

2006-11-12T19:10:00.000Z

One of the more satisfying pieces I have produced in recent months, it's really an experiment with texture, in this case newspaper along with an ink drawing. The guy is a musician called Bob Schneider, from the album 'I'm Good Now'.

2006-11-12T19:07:00.000Z

This is just an experiment I had done with ink. I used to produce a lot of my images like this, when I was apeing Bill Sienkiewicz, I'm going through a similar phase right now. He is just too damn good. Damn him!

2006-11-12T19:02:00.000Z

Here is my most recent painting. I completed it about three weeks ago, it is about turning dreams into reality. The photograph is a bit shaky.

2006-08-23T23:23:00.000+01:00

This image was the first concept image of my childrens book.

2006-08-23T23:13:00.000+01:00

These are some monotypes I produced last year. Basically a monotype is a printed painting created by inking up a flat surface with a oil- based ink, and then making marks into the ink that composes the image, by taking the ink away with a rag or brush. The plate is run through a press with some heavy rag paper that has been soaked in water. These prints are one-offs and cannot be duplicated.

2006-07-24T22:40:00.000+01:00

This is my first 'commission', it is a painting of my girlfriend, Fiona. It was requested by her Mum, it took a couple of hours to complete over a couple of days. Though her Mum wouldn't receive the painting until a good 8 mouths later.