One from the vault....

If you're ever In Fuengirola, go to....

It's a dead good multilingual bookshop, and it's run by my kin! Here's a bookmark design I did as a linoprint (God bless photoshop though -in my enthusiasm I forgot that linoprints come out reversed). I like this technique, but I fear there's only room for one linoprinter in my house...look out for Mel's blog soon...

Gamers!

Prompted to post this one having seen a post on Lining a Drawer of someone playing the DS. People playing computer games are the best models as they invariably don't move and keep the same expression for huge periods of time! Here's some sketches I did of a couple of my mates, who I don't think would have held any kind of pose for me had they not been doing pretty well on Silent Hill...

Can you work out which tentacle Ozzy has his morning snack in?

A sample piece I did a while back....

With Easter approaching...

I planned to design some cards for this Christmas just gone, but I have to admit I find this really hard to do. As time was against me I gave it up as a bad job -but I thought I'd put this sketch up as it shows how I tend to work - normally I work ideas up in pencil, try out a myriad poses and ideas all on top of each other, find the bit I like in the middle and then rub everything out around it. Doesn't quite work with pen sketches, but I like the effect.

Best pic I did last week..

This is my favourite 'speed drawing' that I did last week at the RWA. The idea of speed drawing is that you sit facing someone and you draw each other for 4 mins, then move on to someone else, then the time is reduced etc etc. This can be acutely embarrassing, but it's also fun. For this pic though I was sat in a circle with this kid and his family - he was actually drawing his mum, who in turn was drawing either me or her daughter. They were a nice family and the kid seemed properly into his drawing ( ie the one he was doing and in general) which was really nice to see.

A bit computery...

Eyop-

If any of you have returned to my blog after ANOTHER recent and fairly long period of absence then thankyou!! I have been pretty busy since Christmas with illustration projects, which I'll share as soon as I'm able. Though it's a bit slack, in busy periods I'm going to haul a bit of stuff from the archive (need to do it before my Mac dies too!) -so here's one; it's an ident for Rabbit Stew, an alas shortlived illustration collective..

More scribbling fun at Bristol Drawing Club

Went to a Bristol Drawing Club do at the Royal West of England Academy last weekend. I was in a proper grumps before going but I cheered up pretty quick. Me and this kid dutifully started off the scribbling on the big blank drawing wall...The walls of the RWA have loads of classical themes on the walls which I perloined when lacking ideas. Big thanks to whoever added this guy's little friend after I left! All photos are by ( and copyright of) the talented Max McClure by the way...see more of the day's scribbling on the BDC blog. I'll add some more of my sketches when I find em!

A challenge!

Going off piste here, but I really wanted to share this as it makes I larf. This is from the tomb of some medieval bod (sorry historians!) in Bristol Cathedral. The best explanation i can come up with is that it's a sphinx depicted by someone who's never seen one - a bit like a lion, a bit like a man and with a funny thing on his chin.....
If anyone wants to try and describe to me an animal, or I guess anything, as if I've never left the village and TV won't be invented for another 600 years, then i'll be happy to see if i can do better...

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

My girlfriend foolishly asked me to show her some of the different ways you could set up a blog - with the result that she got bored and went and did something else, and I've spent two pointless hours dicking around with horrible backgrounds. And then out of limitless possibilities i chose white anyway... On the plus side I've got a new title bit - enjoy it while it lasts though as it's not staying.....

One from me sketchbook

Self portrait

Whilst trying to avoid the fact that I have a slight idea vacuum for a job I'm working on (see peripheral scribbles), thought I might have a go at a quick self portrait. Quickly realising it was going to be a 'moody' one, I took evasive action and turned it into a doodle instead - the result was a pleasing mix of The Chipmunks and an Empire of the Sun album cover....

Actually think about it, my portfolio's littered with self-portraits I've thought better of - here's one of my faves (though probably just cos I likes the colour!). Apologies, it's dead old...