Project 365: Jan 22nd - 28th 2013

Here is an update for Project 365, which I have been doing since the start of this year. It features at least one illustration, for each day of the year. So boys and girls, here's what I been up to this week.

Jan 22nd: Spidey Sketch... Always like drawing Spider-Man. I try to do different poses each time to keep it interesting.

Jan 23rd: Random Chick 3... Pretty self explanatory. Trying to get better at females figures and not get so embarrassed about doing sexy drawings.  

Jan 24th: Blind Leading The Blind... I love doing drawings based on puns. I've had this idea for a while but never got round to actually putting it down on paper.

Jan 25th: Superman Chibi... Was never a fan of Superman, but I couldn't really do a series of comic book chibi's and not have him appear at some point.

Jan 26th: Tattoo Designs... Not too sure where this idea came from. Started out with the design on the right and just expanded on it.

Jan 27th: Ben Reilly... For those of you who don't know who he is, Ben Reilly is a clone of Peter Parker (the original Spider-Man). After a 5 year absence in the comics, he took on the mantle of the Scarlet Spider and even took over as Spider-Man for a period in the 90's.

Jan 28th: Bats... Just some simple designs I did. Actually find them quite pleasing.

Cheers for looking folks!

Project 365: Jan 15th - 21st 2013

It's a ad late, but here is what  I been up to in the last week or so.

Jan 15th: You coming?

 Jan 16th: Ben Reilly Spider-Man Chibi

Jan 17th: My Neighbour Totoro

Jan 18th: Why So Serious?

Jan 19th: Ultimate Showdown

Jan 20th: Dead Spidey

Jan 21st: Link Chibi

Project 365: Jan 8th - 14th 2013

Been extremely busy this week so these are all just sketches. I'm gonna have a lot of free time though over the next month, so I should be able to share some finished work with you lovely people.

So, the week of January 8th - 14th.

Jan 8th: Iron Man

Jan 9th: Random Chick.

Jan 10th: Son Of Da Bitch!

Jan 11th: Sally.

Jan 12th: Weeping Angel.

Jan 13th: Steampunk Spidey.

Jan 14th: Random Chick 2

More to come next week peeps, so stay tuned!

Project 365: Jan 1st - 7th 2013

People close to me know I do a 'Project 365', which is basically taking a photo everyday that sums it up. My mate Izzy is doing a similar project, but with illustrations. So inspired by her I have decided to start one as well.. 

Using the 'at least one illustration a day' rule, I will be uploading an illustration for each new day in the year 2013. An illustration counts as a sketch or a fully coloured masterpiece!

So here's January 1st - 7th.

Jan 1st: BRING ON 2013!

Jan 2nd: Random Rock Chick.

Jan 3rd: Scarlet Spider Chibi.

Jan 4th: Feathers.

Jan 5th: Cute or Hot?

Jan 6th: Lord Zedd.

Jan 7th: Green Candy.

'I love to draw, that's how I do it.'

Why the title? Allow me to explain. The other day I was talking to a close friend of mine, who is an illustrator, about the amount of drawing we both been doing as of late. Now at the moment we're both in simular situations as the illustration field isn't our main source of income, so we both work at jobs doing shift work for ridiculously low pay. Now anyone who has ever done any kind of shift work (retail, fastfood, etc.) knows that it leaves you utterly exhausted by the end of the day, both physically and mentally.

Dispite that I always end up doing some kind of drawing everyday, be it a complete work that I post on 'Ant Can't Draw' and 'The Prophets of Illustration' or just a quick doodle in my sketchbook. I'm pointing this out because my friend ask me how I do it? Because of our situations we both feel like death when we get home and he said he never has the energy to to do anything, let alone draw and couldn't get how I manage to knock out a new drawing every couple of days. So he asks me, "How the hell do I keep drawing?"

My answer was pretty simple. "I love to draw, that's how I do it."

And I do love it. I been drawing for as long as I can remember and it's one of the few things I will brag about as far as my skills go. I went to college and university to do creative courses because I wanted a career doing something I love doing and not once have I considered it a chore. It is a great field to get into as you're always doing something different and seeing a piece you created either on display, printed, in a magazine, etc. is one of the most gratifying feelings you'll ever get. On a person level it keeps me sane as I use it as a way of escaping if I've had a rotten day at work or if I've had an argument and immerse myself in what ever I'm putting on the paper (which these days is a lot of Spider-Man drawings). 

Someone once said if you do a job doing something you love then you'll never work a day in your life and I believe that. I mean when ever I get a comission I never see it as work and I enjoy doing. Drawing, illustration, animation, graphic design and whatever else you can put under this field is my passion.

It's what I love to do.

Friendly Spidey Rivalry

As some of you are aware (and if you're not shame on you) I'm apart of a little collective called The Prophets of Illustration. It consists of me, Fuad Ali, Tom Dryland, Lois Dryland and Hannah MacDouall. Now Tom and I have started a little game of one-upsmanship based around 'Spiderman' in which we trying to see who can come up with a better costume. So far I have done two, a black and red alternative and a steampunk version while Tom has done an armoured spider suit. As it stands now I'm waiting for Tom's comeback to my steampunk, so watch this space.

My first attempt at designing a spider suit.

Tom's spider armour in a very cool pose.

My steampunk Spiderman.

Tom's Grinch Spidey (for lack of a better term).

New: Death Metal

My 'Death and Me' series has become something of a trademark for amoungst people who know my work, but I ran out of ideas a few months ago and haven't done. Thankfully, I had a new one the other day, now I have a flood of ideas. So here it is, the first in a new series of 'Death and Me'.

The Year That Was 2011

I'll be honest, 2011 has been one of, if not the crappiest year of my life.

I'm not kidding, I mean I've had some low points in my short existance but this past year really has taken me to my limit. I've had my heart broken (in more ways then one), I've had to sit back and watch helplessly as some of my closest people in my life breakdown infront of me. I've lost friends, family and some of my heroes have passed on, my confidence has taken a battering (as has my wallet), I've had nothing close to a proper break, been working non-stop at a job I really cannot stand anymore and my general health has just deteriorated. In the last month I been sick practically everyday and you know it's bad when my friends who are always badgering me to stay out with them are saying go home you look like death. My body has feels like it's breaking down from all the sh*t that's happen and to be honest I've been tempted to let it. I have been on the verge of throwing in the towel, flipping the bird to the world and just giving up. 

The thing about me is, I got a trait that's been built into me that's preventing me from giving up.I have had a lot of crap thrown at me this year, and I'm sure it ain't finished yet, but I will not give in. I need to keep on going, need to keep fighting. I've been taking on crap like this head on my whole life and I'm not letting a particularly bad year be the thing that beats me. But with all the bitterness, loathing and self pity I have in my heart at the momment, how do I move on do you ask? Simple really. With the good I do have in my life.

Although most of this year I would rather forget, I have had a few things that I am thankful for. I've got back in contact with a close friend who I thought I lost years ago, my doodles and illustrations are getting better with each new piece, work has become more bearable, the friends and family I still have in my life are bloody marvelous and have done their best to lift my spirits, one of my commissions has been printed (book cover for Nik Dendera's 'Love Is Suicide' avaliable now on Amazon, go now beat the rush!) and I got teasers of stuff to look forward to next year... Alright it's 'The Dark Knight Rises' but it's something good at least.

There's a lot of cliché when it comes to the New Year, with stuff like 'new year, new beginning' and out with the old, in with the new' but this year I'm going to take them to heart. This year has been terrible, but I'm still here and I'm still breathing (just). I'm gonna take all the good I still got in my life and use it to make 2012 a hell of a lot better then 2011. I can make it better, I will make it better and I will keep on going. I mean, in the immortal words of Jeremy Clarkson, "How hard can it be?"

Power of Making

 

"Making is the most powerful way we solve problems, express ideas and shape our world. What and how we make defines who we are, and communicates who we want to be. Power Of Making is a cabinet of curiosities showing works by both amateurs and leading makers from around the world to present a snapshot of making in our time."

That's how my bro Fuad described the 'Power of Making' exhibition we went to see yesterday at the V&A. This very unique exhibition has over 100 different items ranging from a life size crochet bear, a ceramic eye patch, a fine metal flute and a dry stone walling.

 

The exhibition is still on until 2 January 2012 and I do recommend you go check it. The pictures I got here really don't do it justice, plus the V&A is worth a look anyway.

Graphic Design

That's what I studied at university. Graphic design.

For those of you who aren't quite sure what graphic design consists of, it actually covers a wide spectrum of skills. These include illustration, animation, web design, magazine design, advertising, layouts, typography, logos, book covers and corperate identities. Just to name a few.

My cover design for 'Love is Suicide' by Nik Dendera

Studying graphic design does teach you various skills and you get to try out different fields to find your specialised field. The problem I had with it was instead of finding my field, I became a Jack of all trades (I'm good at everything for those who don't know cockney) and can't say I'm particuarly good at a certain skill. I could pick one out, but I enjoy all of them so it's quite hard to say what I do in graphic design.

Logo for the band 'Young Influential' that I designed.

 Although it's hard for me to pick out a speciallity, it has given me a variety in my portfolio and it's always great looking at the expressions on peoples faces when they look throught it. One page could be an illustration, the next a book cover and the next a logo. You never get bored going through the stuff in my portfolio it has to be said.

Part of my 'Death and Me' series.

  

I can really only show so much on here what I can do and graphic design is about. But to be honest you see it everywhere you look, be it an ad on TV, that packaging of your favourate crisps or fyers for your favourate band or recording artist.

My version of Penguin's "Short Short Stories" book cover.

 

My 'RW' typeface I designed.

I do recommend that if anyone is interesting in venturing into graphic design then go for it. There are times when you are pulling your hair out, but you have so much fun and can get so creative with it that that it is well worth some of the stress you go through.

Typography book design I did at uni.