Another pencil in sketchbook piece.
Not sure what the thing is on his head is – possibly a leech, or a hat with teeth.
Terrible scan though. Will have to try it again…
Submitted for Illustration Friday topic: Perennial.
July 24, 2011#
July 18, 2011#
The Smallest Gesture
The feel of lead dragging across good paper. Love it.
Another sketch that began with no real direction while sitting around. The location of the ears was helped along by my 3yo who found the pencil and sketch pad while i was out one evening, and drew one of them in. I had been thinking about placing them low, but i guess he helped finalise the decision….
Submitted for Illustration Friday topic Gesture.
June 21, 2011#
iPhone Drawing (part one)
I was recently given an old iPhone by a friend – my first go at one. They’re spanky, and it’s nice to have the internet in your pocket when trying to avoid quality time with the family.
One thing i was interested in was the drawing apps, as being able to sketch on a device i have with me most of the time seemed quite handy.
I was fairly doubtful of how they would work and the quality, but as it turns out, its very touch sensitive, and while it took some learning curve for me to pan a zoom effectively, the interface, while miniscule, seems reasonably useful.
Anyway, i downloaded one called Art Studio, and have been having a muck around with it.
Now if i could just work out how to clean to grit off the adhesive back under the screen protector to stop all the little bubbles occurring….
June 12, 2011#
Cock Fight
It is what it is. Two giant cocks battling it out to the death, in a desert dust bowl. Two cocks enter. One cock leaves. This is the way it has to be….
The title, based on that weird bird blood sport, was the obvious inspiration for this painting, but as i was sketching it out in the sketch book, i decided that i wanted to work on painting monumental scale, in a kinda fantasy art wankery way.
Last year sometime i saw some of the artwork done for that abysmal film Clash of The Titans. It was the Cracken emerging from the water, and while the film was crap, this image was awesome, and the sense of scale of the beast was wonderful, and i kept in in mind while working on this.
The other thing i was looking to study was getting movement in dust and atmosphere a little more, as the cocks would be rising up and thumping down and twisting like two snakes fighting, kicking up debris, and dust.
May 25, 2011#
Magners Leage Final: Munster vs Leinster
Spent a few of hours putting this together in Painter and photoshop, after being given a very short deadline.
There wass some concern that O’Connell’s two fingers up behind O’Driscoll’s head might be seen by some as taking the piss out of him. I would congratulate those people on their ability to read into the bleeding obvious… and to point out that if O’Driscoll was any shorter, O’Connell would’ve been getting it in the goolies rather than the stomach, but that as it stands rugby will win on the day *wretch*.
However, i’m happy that it passed through the design committee successfully and that the tea lady was able to voice her opinions as well. Thank you Beryl.
The use of the text has probably helped everyone along, so credit out to Mrs Brown for the lines!
Appears on the front of this saturdays Limerick Post to celebrate the Magners League final: Munster Vs Leinster, held in Thomond Park, Limerick.
May 19, 2011#
Commission: Wedding Invitation
Now that the invitation has been sent out, i can upload the latest commission: a wedding invitation for my brother in-law and his fiance.They asked for a superman theme, and this is the finished result.
I was trying to capture a bi of the Eamon’s goofy fun nature, and Lois’ kinda loving amusement by it.
My initial sketch i had Lois holding Eamon, as it let me have a bit more fun making him look the part, but was asked to do the alternative one for comparison, which is the one they went with. I probably would have preferred the first one, but i’m still happy with how it turned out.
I manage to slip in a subtle play at them by flipping the ‘S’ on Eamons outfit, in honour if the dislexia that he wears proudly. I’ll add that it wan’t picked up until it was basically on it’s way to the printer. Make of that what you will.
March 31, 2011#
It Is Not A Toy.
Taken as far as i can in the small sketchbook i have, the next step is possibly trying to colour it up some how.Kinda like it like this though….
Submitted for Illustration Friday topic: Toy.
March 27, 2011#
It Is Not A Toy. (work in progress – 2)
Got a bit more time at it last night while watching telly.
March 26, 2011#
It Is Not A Toy. (work in progress)
Good Lord! Is it late March already? I haven’t put up anything since before Christmas…. after a very dark and long winter, filled with flu after flu being passed on between the 2 kids, the missus and myself (we all nearly drowned on the amount of snot pooling in the house), it would appear all is clear, the sun is back, and the finger has been pulled out.
So to ensure people that I haven’t died, I thought i’d put up a sketch i’m working on, more of a doodle really. It began yesterday when the Girl was asleep (finally) and i had a hankering for drawing, but couldn’t leave her alone in case she fell off the couch.
This is not digital, by the way.
It’s been quite some time since i used pencil for anything other than scratching out ideas for complete works - really rough sketches – so i took the time here to feel the lead on the surface of the page, and just see where it took me. I’m still not sure where it is taking me, other than i know i probably should have started this in a larger notebook… the spiral bind is going to stop me being able to finish the top of the head, and the chin may loose out too. ~sigh~
Let’s call this a work in progress; I’ll put up more as it progresses….
December 17, 2010#
Wreck The Balls (Merry Christmas)
Was running a bit late getting a card ready to send out this year. After last years card (here), the pressure was on, but i just couldn’t get there… properly anyway.
This started as a sketch when i had christmas carols stuck in my head, and couldn’t get them out. This is a take on Deck the Halls. It could have easily have been When Shepards Wash Their Cocks By Night, but after the commission i’ve just completed , the thought of another landscape just horrified me.
Not sure the blue glitter really worked out, but whatever – at this time of year, it’s the thought that counts.