My favourite pictures from today

Generally speaking not my best day drawing wise today - but hopefully got a couple of things out of it worth the showing!

This first one is of Paul Brendan as Oswald, during a brief pause in rehearsing the scene in  which he gets called a cullionly barber-monger and suchlike.  Not necessarily the best likeness, but I think it captures the spirit of the moment (a line fluffing or possible sword dropping if I recall...), and it's a nice reminder for me of my probably my favourite scene in the play thus far.....I've seen it a good few times now but it always makes me laugh.

The next is Dudley Sutton, but not such a funny moment - this is from the scene where the Fool give's Lear a dressing down..

And finally my favourite of the day.  I found this on the ground as I was leaving the rehearsal rooms...we had another artist sitting in today, and I believe this is his work.  Nice work young man!

When you're tired from a day's swordfighting, poisoning and double dealing...

..why not relax with some pictures of cartoon dogs.  This little chap was from a grammar book I did for Cambridge University Press last year.

A little taster....

Hello again!  Here's a little peak at something I'm working on for the Lear programme - it's just an experiment, and in terms of actually looking like who it's meant to be it's not entirely successful, but there's something I quite like about it.  So there.

....FIGHT!

These are some of the waviest lines I've drawn yet, drawn during Edgar (Chris Staines) and Edmund (Jack Whitam)'s first fight rehearsal last Friday.  John Sandeman was doing the fight training,which was no mean feat being as he had his foot in plaster.  Now I'm not an officionado of fight choreography, but the fights looked cool to me, and I think they will look amazing in the round.

Needless to say I really want to have a go.

Note the use of wooden samurai sword as second crutch

A bit of colour...

Now this throws Friday's scribbles right out of chronological order, but I owe those of you who are following my escapades a bit of relief from endless black and white, so here's some stuff I did around lunchtime!

Yep, I dusted my pastel set off for the first time in about 10 years - the results weren't too bad (hopefully), although working with big lumps of chalk can be a bit approximate - it's very hard to get the noses right!  Here we have Julia Hills as Goneril, Piers Wehner as Curan, and Chris Bianchi as Cornwall.  Next week one of my big missions is to do more colour work (that and to win this radio competition that has been bugging me all week)- we'll see how it goes!

A large part of the rest of Friday revolved around Edgar (son of Gloucester) and Edmund (bastard son of Gloucester).  Which one of the brothers is better, Edmund or Edgar..?  There's only one way to settle it....

John and Dud

I looked out the window and you know who it was...

Wow, what a busy day that was!  To be honest I've got so much work to sift through from today (not all of it good..) that I think Ill spark out if I try to post it all tonight.  In the meantime here's one of my favourite pictures from the day to tide you over.  John Shrapnel and Dudley Sutton.....quite a double act.

Downtime

Wavey line time!

As I mentioned, we're definitely up and about now, and I have to work quickly if I'm to capture anything.  

It's hard admitting to yourself that you're very rarely going to get the nose right under these circumstances, but for every botched nostril I feel I've learnt something else.

The picture above makes me chuckle, and is a good example of what can happen when you're cramming as many pictures on to a page as you can.  I started off drawing Simon Armstrong reclining whilst a scene was being talked through, then next thing I was drawing John Shrapnel raging against it all as Lear.  The juxtaposition kind of makes it look like he's not quite getting his point across!

But I also like it as it (accidentally) sums up the rehearsals for me thus far - there's lots of waiting, lots of discussion, then all of a sudden there's a storm in the room and then it's a tea break. Fantastic!

The perils of this sketching lark...

I'm now into my second week, and proper annoyed as I've missed what promised to be a good day's sketching due to circumstances beyond my control (the dreaded man cold - much better now thanks).

Back in the world of sketching, I am still loving it, but I am now faced with some huge obstacles.

Firstly, the actors will not stand still!   As soon as I think I've got the nose right they're off ...and no-one wants a page full of noses (except those that are waiting on the long promised World of Noses).   Come on guys, I know you're just doing your job, but a little consideration! :)

Secondly, having said I'll blog the images, I've realised that drawing them all in an A2 sketchpad wasn't the smartest thing I could do.  At this late hour neither scanning or photographing them is going too well, but here're a few images to show I haven't been twiddling my thumbs!

The below is my favourite picture so far:  it is Dudley Sutton (Lear's Fool) checking his lines, with Simon Armstrong (Kent) discussing the scene with Andrew Hilton, the director (off page right!)

Lear Snaps!

Lord knows I'm not that good a photographer, and I know I'm keeping you waiting for my 'What I did last Year' bit (I am aren't I?.....guys?), and more importantly the beast that now has to be 'World of Noses' (sorry Keith), but I have to let you know what I'm up to at the moment, as I'm really excited about it...

  The deservedly acclaimed theatre company Shakespeare At The Tobacco Factory in Bristol are currently rehearsing for their upcoming production of King Lear, and they've very kindly allowed me to sit on on their rehearsals and draw them.  Whilst on one hand I asked to do this as a drawing exercise, I am really hoping that I can do something worth giving back, and that maybe I can exhibit some of it.

The pictures here are from my first two days sketching (done last week) - at the current rate I may well reach the dreamed of pinnacle of my artistic career, which is to fill an A2 sketchbook in a week!  They said it would never happen..

All this sketching is also feeding into a bit of work I'm doing for their programme... more when it (hopefully!) gets the all clear - I'll post any good sketches in the meantime..

I've Almost Forgotten What You Did Last Summer

Most phone conversations I have will have at some point the phrase 'not much to report really' in them, but actually looking back I reckon I've done quite a lot this year dammit!  And then I've realised that being as it's been a bit of a whirl (and when it hasn't I've enjoyed the break from my computer..), I haven't really told you guys about any of it.

So in small bursts I'm going to tell you where I've been.  There will be MONKS!

TINY DOGS! (larger when I've found the right file!!).....

 MEERKATS (in case you're not sick of them already!!)....

AND A PR PHOTO MASTERCLASS...

I'll bet you can't wait...

Sam's latest offering gets luke warm response from forest animals...

Woo! Woo!  That's right, I've been back to Story Corner again - the latest episode of Driver Dan's Story Train to include scribbles by me aired last night on CBeebies.  I never tire of having my name read out in Dan's chocolatey tones...Dan's a lion by the way.  You can see more shots from it by clicking on my portfolio on the right (dammit I'm organised).  Looking forward to early next year, as the Driver'll be reading a story wot I have wrote too! 
PS for pedants I know that cats and goats aren't technically forest animals...they are however in a forest in this picture, so I'm having it.

Halloween Big Draw

Well, sort of..it was a bit early - we did it on the 29th.  I had a great time, as I think did everyone.  Had a go at doing big pictures (with a paintbrush and everything..very Rolf Harris) and it was kinda addictive.  Once again properly put in my place by the superior imaginitive power of kids though...

Thanks to Foyles, everyone that came and of course the Brillustration lot (check more pictures on their blog by the way!)http://brillustrationbristol.blogspot.com/2011/10/brillustration-at-foyles-bookstore.html

Be there or be square!

If you're in the Bristol area this Saturday and fancy helping some top notch illustrators fill the walls with nice pictures, then please come on down!  Also, keep an eye on Brillustration's blog...ees nice.

More gorillys

Hello again folks.  Slightly slim pickins today; partly as I really had to do these sketches in a stolen moment before going to pick up my kids from school, but also as Salome was doing the sensible thing and  keeping out of the limelight a bit...looked out for all the time I think by her other son Komale (apologies if I'm getting any details wrong here!).  I did quite literally hide in a bush to draw these; they are pictures of them resting under a little shelter.  I appreciate that the first sketch is just shapes that may mean nothing to anyone but me, but I quite like it.

Also struggling a little to get the feel of these pictures right with just a pen. Their expressions tend to be really subtle, and quite hard to pick out of a face which is so black , so I think I might get adventurous and get some watercolours on the go for the next ones.  

Well I wasn't expecting that..

What a day!  I have been working on and off on a small mural at Bristol Zoo - I went in today to start on the final stretch.  It was mentioned it'd be nice if it could have a tapir on it..so of I went with me sketchbook to scribble some down....

Got carried away with sketching, and wound up sketching the gorillas.  There was just one sat out in the sun on their own, almost as if they were biding their time waiting for something to happen...

 There was a bit of excitement with keepers and staff running round in a very purposeful 'can't tell you why' kinda way, so I hung around for a bit.  Glad I did, because i got a chance to see  this gorilla (Salome?) step out into the sun clutching her literally just born baby.  In celebration I did a terrible sketch - doesn't quite capture it but it was an amazing moment!

Field notes..

A little page from my field sketchbook.  Recently had to do some research (scribbling) at Durham Cathedral.  There are some some lovely Norman illustrations in the cloisters there chronicling the life and times of St Cuthbert (the cathedral was built to house his shrine).  Reading up on it, it seems his sainthood is pretty much down to the devout way he lived his life, and exemplary services to Christianity.  You've got to have a couple of miracles though...here's one that tickled me.  I tried to copy the expression as accurately as possible.

I can thoroughly recommend a trip to Durham by the way, it's a beautiful place.

Alas NO WORLD OF NOSES...

Cancelled due to lack of interest (it was just a page of me drawing the same nose over and over again - ah the sad world of the half arsed perfectionist!).  But replaced with something far nicer.  My daughter did this the other day, and there is nothing about it I don't like.  It is a goblin dressed as a fairy by the way, and before any of you think of ripping that gorgeous idea off, I am way ahead of you!  I have started with the nose...

A taste of the border..

As you may have figured I've been a tad busy of late.  I'll show y'all the results when I'm allowed to, but in the meantime here's a scribble that I did in the border of the page I'm working on.  Tomorrow, World of Noses!

Train Doodles

Greetings friends - long time no see with usual apologies and excuses.  All work and no play has done level best to make Sam a dull boy, but not quite there yet (hopefully!).  Anyhoo, some sketches from a train trip I took yesterday.  Had a go at the 'drawing people from a glimpse' thing that I recommended Keith (sorry about that mate!) with mixed results, and as you can see doodling and the odd pretentious scribble took over!

Then I got the chance to draw this chap, and it might be one of my favourite sketches to date.  Obviously I know nothing about this guy, but he seemed genuinely thrilled to be on a train, so I really enjoyed drawing him.  I think he rumbled me too, but was enjoying the view out the window so much that he wasn't bothered.