urban sketching and beyond

Last year I created the illustrations for a children's book called Towers Falling. My drawings were meant to be the drawings created by one of the main characters, a boy called Ben. Just thought I'd show the process from my urban/observational sketches to the final illustration.

 As soon as I got the brief I knew (in my head) what I wanted the sketchbook pages to look like. I'd spent a good couple of years filling up these small cheap sketchbooks with quick drawings of buildings and people. Mainly people. These pages were my starting point.

I really liked the layout of the one above, with the different size faces.

I also wanted all the people, to be authentic; to be people that I'd sketched from life, on trains, planes and in cafes.

The brief here, was to illustrate a couple of Ben's sketchbook spreads, that he'd made of commuters on the subway. I chose this girl, above, to begin with - mainly because it was one of my favourite observational sketches. It's so much easier when they're asleep.

Starting with her, I then worked in the other characters around her, filling up Ben's sketchbooks with characters from my own (get's confusing, doesn't it?).

 A few friends, and people I sketch with, ended up becoming people on the subway too. And, I squashed another girl, from one of my favourite train sketches, below, in on the bottom left. Sure, it's not exactly like her, but that's why we have our artistic licenses.

I love how these random people have made their way into the story. I find myself creating whole new characters for them, as I draw them commuting on the New York subway. They take on a whole new life, out there in the world.

Urban sketching, observational drawing, whatever you want to call it is something I do to improve my skills. I don't associate myself, or my work, with a specific genre or group. I don't consider myself as an 'Urban Sketcher', it's just something I do a lot of. But, it's just a part of my work. I like the way I've embroidered it into my book illustrations here. I like taking it a step further.
Dunno why. Just do.

side-streets that you slip down

I've finally finished the drawings for the production of James and the Giant Peach at Buxton Festival.

These two drawings depict the two stages of completing a deadline.
Above; panic = trying to get all the work in on time.
Below; bliss = all work in on time (ish).

There are three performances of the James production, in early July,so, if you are close to Buxton then bring your kids along. I can't wait for it, myself. It'll be a new experience to see my work as backdrops. How exciting. I hope to post some photos from the event.

You can get your tickets HERE.

here comes the sun

Here's one from the series I am doing for a stage production of James and the Giant Peach. These drawings will be used as the backdrops (is that the right word? Despite having lots of gay friends, I'm not much of a theatre goer).

I actually did this one this afternoon whilst watching Bondi Rescue. I was obviously watching it to study the colours and textures of the water, skies and clouds. I was definitely not watching it to study all those hot lifeguards. Definitely not.

we're words upon a window written there in steam

Jeepers creepers, the things you do to avoid doing your tax returns, eh? I've actually, finally, updated my children's book blog. I was shocked to see quite how long that project has been put on the back burner, but it was a joy to finally start working on it again. I don't like to blow my own trumpet but I'm rather pleased with this drawing.

There's an explanation for this picture, and another drawing, over on my 'book on a blog' blog! Enter HERE.

feelin' alright

A few posts ago I introduced you to the Swish hairbrush. Well, it turns out I've actually drawn it before. It's on this table. Can you spot it? The answer is on my book blog HERE.

Also, talking about the book blog, it has been voted as a Froudian website of the month. That makes me happy because Brain Froud is one of my illustration heroes. Faeries by Brian Froud and Alan Lee is most probably my favourite illustrated book of all time. For those of you who've never seen it, you really really should. It is a thing of absolute beauty.

are you here?

So here's the completed drawing that I teased you with a little while back. You know the drill, click on the drawing to get a better view.

It's a drawing I made for the Lancashire Reads project. A few illustrators (I know, people think I'm an illustrator?! Ssssh, don't tell them) were presented with the book Up On Cloud Nine, by the author, and ex Children's Laureate (I'll have you know), Anne Fine. We were then invited to illustrate any scene that caught our attention.

Whilst reading there was a scene that immediately hit me in the chops, and I knew it was the one that I wanted to bring to life. However, the worrying thing, for me, was that it just happened to be the darkest, most ghoulish, scene in the whole book.

I won't go into the story, I'll just tell you that a fisherman found this old tin whilst digging for worms. I'll let your imagination lead you too where this tin came from, and to whom all these charms belonged to. Wooooohoooooohooooooohoooooohoohaaaaaahaa.

Tell me, is that a ghost noise? Or, is it a monkey noise?

all the weaving of my dreams

Finally a new post on my children's book blog. If you want to know more about this mad drawing (and, quite frankly, why wouldn't you?) then head on over HERE.

remember when you were young?

Well, folks. I've been busy drawing away but this, yet again, is another secret squirrel project. For now, anyway. This is a little snippet (isn't that a great word?) of the illustration I have been working on. It's a one-off drawing from a children's book. I'll reveal it all when I get the go ahead. Also, I believe that this image should be available in some form or other (postcard, I think) in the near future. Not sure how much more I'm allowed to say so I'll keep my trap shut. 'Cos, you know I'm good at that.

rapping on the windows, whistling down the chimney pot

There's a new little post over on my children's book blog. Find out everything you need to know about the owner of this keyring HERE.

A new drawing on this blog will magically appear tomorrow. I think it's magic, anyway. Clicking on some magic buttons and then my drawings are whooshed all around the world (that's how the internet works in my mind). Now that's magic.

back to the garden

Now that I'm getting back into the swing of things I also want to get back to updating my children's book on a blog too. Unfortunately that's one of those things that gets pushed down the old priority list when time is short. That's OK though. I've been living with this book for the best part of two decades, so it's not like I'm in any rush to get it finished. And, anyway, I kind of like it that way. It's having plenty of time to simmer whilst waiting for the right publishing deal to come along.

So, if you want an explanation for the rather strange drawing above then you'll have to tootle on over there. Enter the weird and, frankly, worrying world that's in my head by clicking HERE.

all or nothing

So, when I said I was not going to plug my children's book blog or draw anymore shoes, it was obviously, a big fat fib. I'm a liar. A liar. And, it seems, my pants are, indeed, on fire.

Check out my children's book blog HERE!

grey to green

Once again I need to say a great big thank you to you all - for your response to my last post and to the great feedback. It's all much appreciated, and I still have many of you to get back to. I'll get around to it ASAP.

As I said then, I have been meaning to start this new 'book blog' for a long time, but I continued to procrastinate and over think things and then procrastinate some more. Well, not anymore. So, if you are wondering exactly what this is a drawing of, then pop over to my new blog (yikes! I'm nervous) and find out.

While you are there you might, perhaps, who knows, I dunno, if you fell like, maybe, want to start following that blog?

Anyway, I'd love it if you would join me. You can take a look at my new blog HERE.