Pen Drawing

Oops.

I've neglected this wee blog a bit lately. Been very busy with work and the big move to my new house in the hills.

Thought I'd stick some ink drawings on here. This first one is a for a colour image I did where I knocked together my own slant on the Spider-Man villain, Venom. I'm more a fan of the classic villains but visually this one has... potential.

He's normally depicted as a rubber-type clad wrestler of sorts. I wanted to show him as a bubbling, seething, oozing, slopping, globby mass of evil oily drippy crap. Like a huge wall of oil in a basic human form. A cross between The Blob and Batman villain, Clayface, I suppose, mixed up with a crude oil slick.

This here is the pen lines of the character. Done with a Rotring (drawing) fountain pen on Bristol board.

That reminds me... I need to do this year's Christmas card!

Screen Grab of the day!

Working on a job for OUP. Just loved this pink with the burly construction guy here. Had to grab it and show.

I haven't posted much here lately. I shall rectify this soon. Been so busy that I haven't had much free time to doodle.

Keep your eyes on the site.

C

Sketchbook Doodles.

Something I doodled in my sketchbook a little while ago. I could fill a whole blog with just these kinds of things. I get random ideas all the time and most don't even get jotted down. This is why I need to have a sketch book / pad stapled to my hand and a pencil permanently behind my ear.

I've been really getting into 1950's / 60's B-Movies lately. Well. I say B-Movies. Just naff retro Sci-Fi and monster movies to be honest. So this is my idea of how I would redesign naff TV Sci-Fi Lost In Space. Or is it Adam Atom. I don't know. Why expand existing things when you can do your own? I'd change the kid though. Make him more... Hanna Barbera, for lack of a better phrase.

Advocate Banner

Funny thing on the advocate page. This banner shows some of the award winning artists represented by the agency, myself amongst them. I'm second from the left.

Scott Pilgrim

I saw the new Edgar Wright movie adaption of Scot Pilgrim Vs The World last week and I was blown away. What a brilliant vibrant and refreshing film. I'd never read Brian Lee O'Malley's original book series but I think I may have to now.

After seeing the film and reigniting my own fascination with the earlier console games (I liked my Super Nintendo but I was more of an out doors kid) from my childhood in the late 80's and early 90's I had to do an image based upon the story. Above is a snippet of that image which I'm doing in between the time consuming 'day job'.

Carl

Educational Bar

A few images I have just finished for OUP.

I'm really pleased with the colours on these. It's nice to have the time to put a bit of effort into a job every once in a while.

This is the usual thing the educational companies ask for. "A girl doing this, a boy doing that, and man etc etc". I really like being able to add something to a boring class book. A little colour and some style if I can.

It's not as interesting as narrative but usually pays better.

Axe Cop re-jigged as a British P.C. with a huge friggin' wood-chopper. Wanted this to look like an exploitation film type poster.

Wild Apple

An image for the good people at Wild Apple Design who I've worked with a lot this year, for use on some stickies they are producing soon as a bit of self promotion.

I took the company name and ran with it. I always thought kids in over sized halloween costumes looked funny so did that as my theme.

Many Ways to Learn

This is the cover to the book I've just finished for Magination Press.

It's a second eddition of a previously illustrated book, which feels odd, but I'd never seen the original anyway.

I really enjoyed working on this book so much. I had some fun ideas and the good people at Magination let me run with them, bless um.

Becky Shaw, the editor I worked with on this and my previous book, left the company before I finished the book, but I'd like to wish her the best of luck in her new job.

You can read more about the book here and you can pre-order it here.

Carl

Screen Shot!

I was doing a bit of an experiment in colouring on a new image but pretty soon in I just knew it wasn't me. It wasn't going perfectly but with a bit of work it would have come out okay.

But the process and eventual outcome was not something I feel comfortable doing myself. The way I colour is something I've developed over the years and I quite like it. That's not to say experimentation is bad. I just know this one isn't for me.

When I finish this image I'll put it up here but I thought I'd like to post this never to be version as it stands for a later comparison.

Carl

Mr Fox

Just thought I'd add another animal image here.

I did this last October as a doodle on a train journey coming back from some school events for Tamarind in London.

I'd never done an 'anthropomorphic' animal character before. I had just bought a copy of Roald Dahl's 'The Fantastic Mr Fox' from Waterstones in Picadilly and thought about my own take on the character and how I'd do such a thing in my style.

And this is the result.

C

I don't get asked to draw animals all that much. Not that I mind. I love drawing people. Characters. But it's nice to do something every so often. And I relish the chance to draw other creatures when it comes along.

This image was done for the good people over at Magination Press for the book I'm just finishing off for them.

Later

Carl