this northern boy

Illustrations for an imaginary age
August 20, 2016

August blogfest – day 20

Tired.

Caffeine induced insomnia kept me awake until gone 3am last night, so today has been a bit of a blur. I don’t drink caffeine, but every now and again, if I need a bit of a kick when I’m busy, I’ll have a proper coffee. I always regret it later when I’m wide awake in those quiet, small hours of the night.

I did manage to draw a nice little robot today though.

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Little orange robot

Drawn in a Field Notes Brand notebook, with Copic Multiliner, Copic Ciao Marker, Kuretake No8 brush pen and a white Posca marker.

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August 19, 2016

August blogfest – day 19

It’s eleven in the evening and I’m still drawing.

So, I’ll share two things with you:

  1. It’s my mum’s birthday today – Happy Birthday mum! You’re absolutely ace. My mum was as responsible as anyone for me drawing from a young age, and she’s great at drawing too and really should do it more often. (My dad did once draw me an incredible Space Shuttle – so he’s no slouch either.)
  2. I helped my wife with a wedding this morning. I’ve mentioned before that she’s an amazing wedding florist. She’s a bloody great wife too. Have a look at the work on her blog, and on her Instagram page. Bloody talented.

Back to drawing…

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August 18, 2016

August blogfest – day 18

In, and out of, my comfort zone.

I’m really still pretty new to illustration, I’ve been trying to make a living at it for just over a year, and been drawing seriously again for about three. There are lots of things I can’t draw – at least, there are lots of difficult things I avoid drawing. Like helicopters, or armoured Humvees. Today I’ve had to draw both of those, which was pretty challenging. I also had to draw some mountains, lots of mountains. Still quite challenging, but much more enjoyable.

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Armoured Humvee.

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Mountain range.

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August 17, 2016

August blogfest – day 17

A busy one.

I’m still working on sketches and final inked illustrations for the client in California, feedback has meant a few changes – and the addition of helicopters! Not something I’m used to drawing, Google coming in very handy.

I’m also working on the branding project, again feedback has come in so I have a few amends to make before I get stage two over to the client.

Good to be busy though.

As I haven’t had time to write a more interesting blogpost today, I’ll just leave you with my favourite painting, if you’re ever in London drop in to the National Gallery and stand in front of it for a few minutes. It’s a treat for the eyeballs.

 

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Whistlejacket, painted in 1762, by George Stubbs.

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August 16, 2016

August blogfest – day 16

Virgil Finlay

Virgil Finlay was an American illustrator, specialising in super detailed pen-and-ink drawings with astonishing stippling and cross-hatching.

In his 35 year career Finlay created more than two and a half thousand illustrations, mainly for pulp science fiction, fantasy and horror magazines.

Have a look at some of his work… I think it’s absolutely incredible.

Art by Virgil Finlay for the 1949 Memorial Edition of “The Ship of Ishtar” by A. Merritt
Art by Virgil Finlay for the 1949 Memorial Edition of “The Ship of Ishtar” by A. Merritt
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August 15, 2016

August blogfest – day 15

Halfway, almost. Blogging every day is actually tougher than I thought. Thinking up a new subject to blog about every day, tricky.

Today there’s a look at three quick little illustrations I’ve done in one of the lovely orange Field Notes notebooks I received recently. I rarely draw on coloured paper, so it’s a nice change, and also it’s cool to use a similar coloured marker to add a bit of subtle shading. A white Posca marker is great to add a few highlights or stars.

Is there anything you’d like me to blog about? Something about my work, processes, inspiration? Let me know in the comments. And thanks for sticking with me, 16 days to go.

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One-man flyer

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Little droid

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Orange freighter

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Field Notes special edition notebook

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August 14, 2016

August blogfest – day 14

Watts.

In the village of Compton in Surrey, not far from Guildford, is the one of the most beautiful and remarkable places I know. The Watts Memorial Cemetery and Chapel was built between 1896 and 1898 by the people of Compton, under the guidance and tutelage of Mary Seton Fraser Tytler, the wife of George Frederic Watts the Victorian painter and sculptor.

There’s a peace and tranquility associated with many churches and chapels, but at the Watts Chapel, and in the beautiful cemetery surrounding it, there’s something especially serene and hushed.

There’s much more about the Chapel, and the Watts Gallery, here. It’s well worth a trip, and if you’re lucky you might just see the hares and deer in the field nearby.

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The Watts Chapel
G F Watts memorial
G F Watts memorial
G F Watts memorial
Inside the Chapel
Chapel decoration
A watching cherub
G F Watts memorial
The Cemtery
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August 13, 2016

August blogfest – day 13

“Drawing is taking a line for a walk”, Paul Klee.

 

Rocky details.
Griff Gristle
Tentacle details
Tattoo detail
Much hatching
Cloud details
Big fish, small ship
Filling in the blacks
Stilted City
The City and the Tree
Creature ink
Lighthouse work in progress
Doodling
A wonky doodle
Airship
More tentacles
Details…
Slater’s Bridge
Lambton Worm
Rocks
Stilted City
Lonely tree.
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August 12, 2016

August blogfest – day 12

Mouthmill.

 

When I was seventeen, studying Graphic Design in York, I bought a book called The Anatomy of Illusion. It was the collected art of a British illustrator called Michael English.

The work in the book varied from early psychedelic posters for shops on the King’s Road in London, to hyperrealistic paintings of trains.

All the art was amazing. Staggering really for me to comprehend, as someone just starting out on a career in design / illustration, the level of talent, technique and precision.

There was one painting, part of the Nature Series, that absolutely stopped me in my tracks. Mouthmill, an astonishingly realistic rendering of water flowing over moss, over hanging ferns stand out against the dark background… It’s flawless.

Michael English simply said of Mouthmill – “This painting marked the climax of all my nature work in the 1970’s. It has no equal.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Michael sadly died in 2009, you can read his obituary here.

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Mouthmill, Michael English, 1980.

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August 11, 2016

August blogfest – day 11

I’ve just decided that my stack of identically black, and identically plain Moleskines needed a little organising. Only a little. I wrote vague contents description on the covers and spines, so that’ll help a bit when I’m trying to remember where I drew something.

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Vaguely organised Moleskines.

I also made a little video of a leaf through one of those Moleskines…

The music is Drawn to the Blood, by Sufjan Stevens.

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