Ittan Momen

No space for art in my flat makes Mike's blog a very dull and quiet place...

Any-hoooooo knocked this up over the weekend for my brother's book.

You remind me of home

Finished off this little number today. It's possibly the smallest painting in the world, standing at a teeny tiny 3x2 inches (!). I had to create a special shrink ray to shrink my hands to enable me to paint the finer details (honest gov'nor!).

Aka-shita

A quick illustration for my brother. He asked me to draw a mythological Japanese beastie called Aka-shita, which means "red tongue". I would've like to have coloured it but my brother asked for a quick turn-a-round.

Since I completed Fen, I've moved out of home and into London. Unfortunately all my wondrous arty materials are still at home (I've only partially moved in). As a result though I haven't had much time to illustrate as I would've really liked, hense the lack of any online activity over the past month.

Fen

I don't like painting photorealism these days, nor do I have any experience at painting animals, so forgive me if the proportions are a little wonky.

This painting is a present for a good mate of mine - it's a painting of his young lady friend's horse, better known as Fen.

Created with acrylic, goache and wax crayons. It's a warm up for the new, traditional direction my next few pieces will follow.

Progress

Hmmm, I guess one post in the whole of August isn't good form.

Here be progress on the horsey painting. It looks a lot better in real life, honest 'guv! Also note the little painting on the mini-canvas. I'll post both up when they're done, which shouldn't be too long 'cuz I'm faster in acrylics then I am with digital painting!

In other news, I've entered a couple of pictures in Images: The Best of Contemporary British Illustration (the Association of Illustrators annual competition). Having been sent a (free!) copy of the Images book, I'm confident I can at least get selected to appear in this years book. I will keep y'all posted!

Yo! Yo! Ninja!

Man I need to stop slacking off on the blogging front. The last couple of weeks I haven't been out at the weekends which has given me an opportunity to do a bit of catching up on the art front.

The first image here is a painting I've started today which will eventually be a gift for someone. Im just having a bit of fun with it as I warm up for my next painting project where I intend to flex some more creative muscle.

The second image is a half finished sketch from my sketchbook which I'm still working on. I really need to do more sketching, I've been slacking off on that as well of late.

I know the pics are a bit fuzzy and staring at them for too long may well incur blindness, so please approach with care, but what can ya do eh? Blame the camera, that's good enough for me.

Finally I've done a lot of illustration work recently at the Agency for Toy Story, McDonald's and (as ever!) Nissan. I'll post a few once the pitches are done and dusted.

Polar Playground Parade

FINALLY after months of on/off work during the weekends, behold in all it's majestic glory (!) my latest digital piece - Polar Playground Parade.

Produced using mixed media, including goache, acrylic, graphite, ink, digital and a whole host of textures both produced by myself and some taken from CGtexture.com (thanks to the guys who maintain this site!).

What with me being a full-time munchkin at the Agency now, I'm finding it harder and harder to find the time to illustrate (one day at a weekend isn't enough). So! I've decided to take a break from time consuming digi-wonders to focus on my goache and acylic work, and hopefully produce some rather spif-tastic paintings for others to have a moochy-skooch at! I realised during my work on 'Mars' that it's actually faster for me to paint normally than digitally - how's that for a creative paradox?

The Shape of Springs to come...

Finished this funky sketch today. It would make a good painting....

Peek-a-boo!

Getting there...

Storyboard Madness!!!

Hello again folks! Here is a mock storyboard I made a while back for an idea for a Lucozade Advert. Make of it what you will, I put it together for the fun of it, so don't expect to see an advert based on this any time at all!

A storyboard I have put together for a short film. I met Director via the website 'Shooting People' and answered his advert for a storyboard artist. The film is about a lonely chap who calls a helpline and has a chat to the operator about his issues. By the end we discover the operator himself is in the same predicament.

On the illustration front I'm still toiling away on my digital piece. It's sort of reached the stage where I am sick of the sight of it. It'll look fantastic when it's done, but what with full-time work, finding the time to get to the 'done' part is proving trickier and trickier these days...

Mars

What ho! 'Mars' is complete.

There are lots of little nods in this piece. Composition wise it's a tribute to Hiroaki Samura (Blade Of The Immortal illustrator), who has been an influence on my style since I was about 15!

The piece was completed for 'Fuselit' - a creative magazine made by my brother and Kirsten Irvine. Every issue they provide a new word (which is the theme for that particular issue), and then contributers use this word as a starting point for a creative piece. This can range from music (each issue has a free CD), to poetry, to art, to short stories, etc.

'Mars' is the word for the latest issue (14) - so I went for the whole 'war god' angle, with the usual oriental twists that are predominant in my work. The planet itself is the eye of the warrior in this piece.

The drawing in the top left incorporates all the themes from every previous issue of Fuselit.

Created with goache, acrylic ink, graphite, digital on watercolour paper.

Feedback appreciated!

Sketchbook Works

A couple of funky little experiments for you to have a mooch at.

Winter Samurai

Sneaky peak of ongoing work on one of my digital pieces. I'm about half way through, currently colouring in the character's in the background. You would've thought they would be quick and easy but noooooo! They're actually really frustrating and niggling.

The character featured in this preview also featured in an earlier post. I decided to incorporate the character into my digi piece. Exciting stuff huh?

Still my Easter Art weekend has started strongly. Hopefully I will get another post in before the holiday is out.

God Speed!

Mars Attacks Part Deux

What ho! fellow online activists! I return again with progress on "Mars". I have spent another weekend pouring endless hours into art, with both 'Mars' and the snow-based digital wonder (see post below) slowly ticking towards completion.

In other news, the storyboard I produced in my previous post is to be scrapped! Turns out the...how shall I say..."verbally challenged" guy who briefed me in forgot to mention some valuable info about the scenario. The day after I completed the storyboard, the Creative Director filled me in in aforementioned missing valuable info, resulting in my previous effort having to be chucked.

I shouldn't complain really - storyboarding is a hell of a ball, and I feel lucky to have a job where I can have a crack at it. The good that has come out of this mishap, is that apparently I will have the opportunity to work with TBWA (another, bigger agency) in putting together new storyboards.

With next weekend being Easter, I plan on using the extra time off to finish Mars and, fingers crossed, finish a digital piece as well.

Until then - adios amigos!

When Purple Rain freezes over...

...You get Purple Snow! Temporary of course. A sneaky peak of one of my lastest digital work.

I have three in the works that will hopefully see me take my skills to a new level of sooper-dooper ness.

I lost my phone this weekend. I walked off and left it on a train, man I'm stoopid. I was also a bit under the weather today, so couldn't make it into work. I'm a little annoyed because I'm learning Flash at work, and its one less day on the 30 day free trial I'm using.

I'm hoping to post some reviews of picture books and other illustrators work, in the future.

Apologies for incoherency of this post - I'm dead tired and am struggling to get my thoughts in order.

Mars Attacks!

K, where to start? I have'nt been blogging for a couple of weeks, which is a tad naughty of me I much confess. I blame it on the combined effect of working a full-time job, trying to have a social life and also working towards my long term career plan of becoming an illustrator. The numbers just don't add up - somethings got to give, and over the last two weeks its been the art!

To redeem myself, I have done nothing but paint this weekend, which brings me nicely to the above painting. As you may notice from one of my previous posts, I had already started a similar painting - two weeks a go, I managed to fluff up that very painting, and ended up having to chuck it. Boo Hiss.

Depressing as that was, I regrouped and restarted the piece, determined to make it even better than before. As you can see from above, 'Mars' (as it is titled) has come out a lot smarter this time.

Next week I've booked a couple of days off work, so I can have a long weekend spent slapping up 'Mars' until it's finished. I've also made a start on a few digital pieces, which will be putting in an appearance next week.

Sketches

A page spread from my sketchbook. Picture on the left is a winter samurai with lolly pop club (graphite and pencil). On the right is a nomad wandering through a field (acylics, wax crayons).

On The Board...

Started this painting today - it will be submitted to Fuselit when it's done, although I've already missed the bleeding deadline.

Sneak Peaks

Couple of teasers on upcoming projects. Apologies for poor picture quality. I will look into replacing them soon.

Chasing The Tiger

Ok, this is a concept for the cover for a comic that I am currently working on with the Copywriter from work. Basically we both agreed that the current Udon-produced Street Fighter comics were, quite frankly, bleedin' rubbish!

In order to put right this wrong, we decided to produce our own spin on the Street Fighter mythology and give the series a comic worthy of its legendary status.

The first issue is set between Street Fighter 1 & 2, and focuses on Sagat. The idea is he's in decline after the beating he receives from Ryu, hense his vulnerable pose, gesturing to the scar on his chest. The Tiger is a symbol of Sagat's spirit. Or something like that.

Welcome to Trippy Scribbles!

After an awful lot of faffing about I've finally gotten around to starting my own illustration blog.

The plan is to regularly post sketches, works in progress and finished pieces up on here for anyone who stumbles upon here to have a gander at!

So from here on in, enjoy!