Some (not very good) photos from the exhibition. Larger versions at Flickr (just click on the images to go there.)
I will not be attending Caption this year. I'm gutted, I thought I'd actually make it down there this year. It seems a huge shame that I can't get there, especially when they're using my artwork on the adverts.
I will, however, be diving with sharks the weekend after that. Yay!
I have a small exhibition in Middlesbrough next week:
I'm showing some pages from SFP, Monstrum and two illustrations.
I went back to Ireland for a few days last week, they've started tearing up the harbour where I grew up to build an ugly and unnecessary new marina. There was a real public outcry against it and a lot of protests, but it still managed to get the go ahead.
How the harbour used to look:
How it currently looks:
And how it will apparently look when finished:
(It may look all lovely and modern in this sunny picture but imagine it in the pouring rain, because that's how Greystones looks for most of the year.)
My business cards were old and a bit annoying. I hate the font (what was I thinking? Did I choose it with my eyes closed?) and the printer resized the design without asking and did a bad job of it, so they've never quite looked right.
So I decided to get some Moo cards (since I can't afford the amazingly elaborate ones I've designed in my head), which have turned out pretty good. There are 9 designs, some have cropped better than others (one is pictured, above). I also have some Moo stickers on the way so I can stick little squids on the back of each one. Obviously, this is more to keep me entertained than to entice potential clients.
Saw this on Flickr, looks like they've used my drawing for the Caption flyers. Sweet!
I am going to offer stock illustration/photos and art prints through Lulu, it looks like a pretty good service, I don't know how well it will do but it's worth a try! I've also just been interviewed for Colouring Outside the Lines. The questions were really interesting, it was a very enjoyable interview!
By this time next week I'll be in California working on Andy's documentary along with Sheriff and Herod. I can't wait!
This years Caption event is themed 'Timewarp', so I've painted a little time travelling minx for their auction. I will send it to them as soon as I find somewhere that still sells cardbacked envelopes.
In March two of my webcomics will be launched on different sites. It's just how the timing has worked out, I didn't plan it that way.
Ryans Bad Day
This is a short three-parter which I did for Apocalypse Comics - a new online retailer who are very supportive of the small press, go check them out!
Job Search
This is a new strip for Indie Review. It may run for some time as I have a ton of scripts for it.
Just to make sure I didn't get too confident from all the lovely comments I've been receiving, evil cosmic forces decided to send me a horrible rejection letter. Actually, they sent it to the wrong address first but, it managed to catch up with me. I guess evil cosmic forces don't keep an up to date address book.
I've had a lot of rejection letters in the past, I've been sending off work left, right and centre since I was in my teens and my painful optimism made me keep on going. However, this latest one has set a new standard of rejection. I've had to send letters like this out myself and having had so many, I know how horrible they can be. At best, they offer you constructive advice (these are the ones from really good editors) and at worst they don't give you any reason (usually from editors who are struggling with their workload).
This one arrived a year after I submitted work and was incredibly patronising. It was scrawled in biro on the bottom of the letter I had sent to them and offered such revelatory advice as 'try drawing everyday'. Wow, I wish they'd told us that during the MA. It's the type of letter you would send to a child who had sent in their doodles, and I'm mainly offended by the fact they thought that I was that kid. I wouldn't have cared if they'd said the usual 'your work is not for us' or 'your style does not suit our publication', you know, the sort of thing you write to be polite. Or they could've even just said 'NO! NO WAY! UH UH!'
Apparently, if I work harder I might be able to work in the business some day....I actually thought I already was in the business, maybe I should tell the tax office I was mistaken and ask for some kind of refund.
Well, I'll be looking forward to their next publication. I hope I don't end up with a review copy.
Heres the actual buying link for them:
Christmas Cards 2007:
Make a MOO Greetings Card with image 1
Make a MOO Greetings Card with image 2
and help raise money for Médecins Sans Frontières
You'll be taken straight to a page on MOO with my image selected, ready for you to customise and buy.
christmas card designs,
entered in to the moo/flickr competition:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/mooxmas07/
You can order the cards from moo, or if these don't impress you (although they should because my stuff is super awesome and I love Christmas so therefore my cards are the most super awesomest) check out other peoples lovely designs:
Drink and draw last night, we didn't hang around too long, some photos on flickr.
We were given some amazing spleenal figures to customise. Very exciting. He even included a little spleenal sketch book for doodling ideas as I was complaining that I'd mess it up.
Next drink and draw session - 27th October, at the sports bar in newcastle.
here's their myspace page.
Drink and Draw Robot by Spleenal. More pictures on MySpace (You probably need an account to see them though)
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=246913947
Peter Frain has organised a Drink and Draw session in Newcastle on the 15th of September. We should (kinda) be synching up with the NYC and Milwaukee Chapters. We have a whole bar to ourselves, so, well done Peter!
If you like to drink and draw and will be in the area, let me know! As these are two of my favourite things to do, I will definitely be there! Now add in some sharks, a pizza and some stick fighting and it's my perfect night!
Something else I'm digging at the moment is modern life drawing classes. I've been befriended by a few on Myspace, all in the US, and they do life drawing in interesting places (like the pub) and use all sorts of models, (like burlesque dancers). Sounds like fun and makes a change from some scary looking naked guy in a school hall. I don't know if there are any in the UK, but I think maybe I could organise one locally. Instead of having one person teach it like a class, I think it would be cool to just have group critiques (in an informal way) because it would probably be mainly attended by experienced artists anyway. Again, let me know if you're interested.
I wasn't expecting such a positive response to my book. Thanks to everyone who has mailed me and everyone who has bought the book! I was actually a bit surprised that it's started selling straight away. Although, no one has actually read it yet and I haven't had any feedback about it yet.....maybe I shouldn't get too excited!
Anyway, thanks for all the support! Years from now when I am sitting in my mansion, waiting for the MTV cribs crew to turn up, wearing a chinchilla fur dress and solid gold shoes, slurping champagne from a ming vase through a diamond encrusted straw, I will look back at this moment and shed a little tear of joy. I like to think that's how Stan Lee lives.
The image above is a painting of an octopus that I did yesterday. You can buy or commission paintings through my site now. (Hey, how else am I going to get on cribs and live the Stan Lee lifestyle I should be accustomed to?)
Some Forgotten Part, my graphic novel (remember that thing I've been working on? Did it during an MA? Built a blog around it? Y'know, that thing?) IS NOW AVAILABLE TO BUY!
http://www.lulu.com/content/696776
The print on demand has worked out well, although it has made it a bit pricey, sorry about that!
It's done! Woo hoo!
(BTW, this was the fish related news you've been waiting for)
Thanks to everyone for all the support and encouragement with my t-shirts. My Uneetee shirt is selling steadily and I've sent them a new design. I sent it to be considered for the tee of the day, but they've put it in a competition (and it isn't doing great), you can vote for it if you like, but you need to be registered with Uneetee. Here it is:
This image isn't very clear, but it's a simple image of a flat rainbow with a bluebird flying over it and a pot of gold at the end. It's not super fancy or clever, but I think it's a very wearable design.
My fishguy t-shirt design was printed up by Herod for three custom t-shirts. I think it came out really well:
I'd like to make my own designs to sell through my site, but it's hard to get a service that is financially viable.
I just discovered that a book I provided illustrations for ages ago is available to buy through amazon.
I will be featured artist of the day on the t-shirt website 'uneetee' on Friday May 25th. They will be selling a t-shirt designed by me on that day, please check it out! (I will keep reminding you, constantly)
People often ask me what it is I actually do. It's something I've had to think a lot about while writing my business plan. It occured to me that I don't post much of my work up here. The main reason for that is because it is top secret and....actually, that's not true...it's more to do with copyright. I don't own most of the illustrations I do, and although I ask permission to use them in my portfolio, I don't think that will stretch to using them on my blog. So to make up for that and explain partly what I do all day (apart from watching cartoons and eating cereal, which is all part of the creative process) here's some of the stuff I've been working on recently:
I had to do some paintings of sick people throughout history with props as well for an interactive dispaly. Here's a sweaty Georgian lady:
Here are some of the props, a bed and a photo of grumpy school kids.
I've been drawing a variety of people for another museum display, here is a chubby baby:
Here is the new logo I've designed for Phoenix Martial Arts Academy:
Okay, so that's the type of stuff I do. Now, on to more important things.
Have you seen Spiderman 3? I'm a bit disappointed in Mr.Raimi, but it could've been worse. I think they could've made it in to two movies, because there was just too much going on and the black suit/venom story is one of my all time ever favourite comic storylines so I think that should have been handled better. At least Bruce Campbell was still in it.
Oh, and an update on the MEG books that I keep going on about (you know the ones about the prehistoric giant shark that swims about eating everything) and you know how much I love sharks......I've entered a competition to be a character in the new MEG book. How cool would that be? My character would probably get eaten by a megalodon, which would be weird to read but still very cool. Fingers crossed I that I make it in to the book!
Check out Dan Bob Thompsons blog. (via Drawn) He's worked on 'Fosters' home for imaginary friends', one of the best cartoons ever! That cartoon can make you laugh so hard that milk sprays out your nose, even when you weren't drinking any. How does that work? I don't know. His blog is full of great drawings, it'll make you go break all your pencils in a fit of jealousy. and I'm off to do just that.
Got a new card from the stupid bank, the blog is saved!
My website is getting a much needed overhaul and will be relaunched (fingers crossed) on Wednesday the 28th of February. Write that in your diary, then go check it out and let me know if there are any mistakes. I've tried out some coding that I haven't used before so there may be a few hiccups and I don't kow what the browser compatibility will be like, so please let me know if you have any trouble with it.
Here's my new finger puppet (you may remember the Jack and Kim Bauer puppets and the President David Palmer puppet previously blogged):
Apollo was a birthday present for Bear (Happy Birthday Bear). As you can see I've tried googly eyes instead of beady ones (actually my very earliest finger puppets had googly eyes, so I guess it's kind of a googly comeback) and he also has arms (again, som early puppets had arms). In the past I've made a finger puppet zoo (each animal had its own rhyming illustrated story, this was a family Christmas present when I was a poor student), the cast of Star Trek the next generation (for a friend who had become briefly obsessed), Hansel and Gretel (for an illustration), and me and Andy (for a friend who was going travelling and was unsure whether or not she'd see us again). I'd like to start scaling them up a bit, making stuffed toy versions. I'm getting quite into knitting too, so I might add little knitted accessories. I'm far too busy with drawing at the moment (hurrah!) as I've got some more freelance work in (Yay!).
Don't forget to check out the new site! www.lomoore.com.
Matt and Andy are doing a new article for Martial Arts Illustrated magazine, so I went down to the gym on Sunday to help with the photo shoot. And by 'help' I mean 'get in the way.'
As you can see, Sheriff was thrilled to be the photographer:
I took some behind the scenes photos, but my battery died before the good stuff which involved Andy falling down some steps. I got to pose as someone being attacked, but I wasn't very good at pulling a shocked expression so I don't know if that will get used. It meant I got to hit Brian in the face with a bag, which was pretty funny. A lot of people at the gym are getting ready for a tournament in November. They're training very hard so I was hoping the fight would be some kind of enter the dragon style tournament on an exotic island, but it turns out its just in Darlington. Feeling left out, I decided to try jogging with them on Saturday before training. I ended up walking most of it at an almost brisk pace. Oh well, I'll try again next saturday and if my fitness hasn't magically improved by then I might just go back to hitting the heavy bag with a stick.
There's some photo / drawing time capsule thing going on. Haven't bothered to read all the fine print yet but I'm sure I'll contribute something as I'm unemployed at the moment and haven't got much else to be doing (and it's easier than drawing monstrum and more fun than washing the dishes.)
Here's that illustration I was on about that I thought was a bit odd and would probably be rejected. It did get rejected, but I am starting to kinda like the image or rather, the technique. I did an ink drawing and then did a digital collage behind it. You can't really see it here, but it's very textured. I think the shark worked best. It looks split because it was meant as a wraparound or 2 page spread image.
