Neighbouring 3D designer Jonathan Thomas, worked with me to produce this tongue in cheek poster to promote one of his products raising money for a great cause.
The Walthamstow Dad T-Shirt raises money for the Whips Cross Hospital maternity Unit. £5 from every purchase goes to the Big Push Campaign. And I was challenged with a fantastic brief which in short was “Watchmen meets Les Dawson”.
Jonathan’s own work specialises in unique artisan projects ranging from huge workplace installations to bespoke furniture for private homes.
His background includes a prestigious list of clients & projects including WPP interiors, Savile Row window displays and marketing campaigns for the National Gallery.
He has collaborated on a number of high profile projects with Thomas Heatherwick and helped to establish what is now Heatherwick Studio. He was a creative consultant at The Partners and has lectured in 3D design at UCA Canterbury and Surrey Institute of Art & Design. He previously founded the award winning multi-disciplinary design company Make Limited.
The Walthamstow Dad Challenge throws down a gauntlet to owners of the T-shirt to take a photo with them in the tee, in some exotic location. The winner bestows the honour of being named Walthamstow Dad of the Year.
Click here to see more of Jonathan’s work
Click here to buy the T-Shirt
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One of my drawings tonight was left handed.
Not to make things easy, Frank asked me to draw a thirty minute pose left-handed tonight.
I think in an attempt to stop me slowing down too much in the longer poses. When you only have five minutes to draw the human body, your lines instinctively become loose and fluid. The trick is maintaining this line when time is more a luxury & you want to hone in more on the detail.
Tonight’s model comes from a dance background, and she has a fantastic face for portraiture. She reminded me so much of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. If we get her again, I think I’ll use one of the poses to focus on her face and it’s striking features.
A note on the models. At art school I was used to drawing the same two people week after week and in all fairness to them, their poses were pretty similar; sitting down reading, sitting down falling asleep, sitting down getting cramp.
So credit to Frank and all the models we have had to date in our class here in Walthamstow. Not only have their poses been varied and challenging but their ability to hold a pose is very much appreciated.
Our model tonight was called Manuella.
Giving me guidance, my class tutor is Frank Gambino, trained as a graphic designer, however in recent years his main practise is in portraiture and figure studies. Frank’s studio is in Belsize Park, London, where he works on commissions and runs popular life drawing classes. However, conveniently for me, he is also running classes in East London, at the Tokarska Gallery.The Tokarska Gallery, a contemporary art gallery run by emerging artist Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska.
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Getting tempted to change materials.
I really like how you can push and pull charcoal marks around, but I feel a little clumsy when getting to the finer details.
I’ve had experience of life drawing with pencil in the past and wouldn’t mind introducing it to this class at some stage. However, an A1 sheet of paper is a lot of ground to cover when reverting to pencil. No doubt I’ll have to adapt my style again so I’m going to leave it for a couple of weeks – perhaps explore different approaches to mark-making with the charcoal.
Our model tonight was called Samuel.
Giving me guidance, my class tutor is Frank Gambino, trained as a graphic designer, however in recent years his main practise is in portraiture and figure studies. Frank’s studio is in Belsize Park, London, where he works on commissions and runs popular life drawing classes. However, conveniently for me, he is also running classes in East London, at the Tokarska Gallery.
The Tokarska Gallery, a contemporary art gallery run by emerging artist Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska.
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Working on the head has definitely improved…
…Well, in the hour pose at least.
This week our model had an incredible tattoo across her stomach but I felt it too much of a distraction to spend much time on (some of it can be seen in the 10 minute pose).
I’ve started a board on Pintrest of some really nice drawings I’ve found to try and start thinking about different ways of mark-making. Charcoal is a fantastic pliable medium, but I do fancy doing something in pencil (as I do in my sketchbooks).
I might add some of my own drawings at some stage, but the problem I find with this, is there is ALWAYS someone out there who overwhelms you with their talent!
I also want to mention some of the music we are listening to while we draw. This week’s mention goes to Rodrigo y Gabriela – 2006, the Mexican guitar duo have an astonishing pace that is a really good album for warm-ups. Check them out here.
Our model tonight was called Lidia.
Giving me guidance, my class tutor is Frank Gambino, trained as a graphic designer, however in recent years his main practise is in portraiture and figure studies. Frank’s studio is in Belsize Park, London, where he works on commissions and runs popular life drawing classes. However, conveniently for me, he is also running classes in East London, at the Tokarska Gallery.
The Tokarska Gallery, a contemporary art gallery run by emerging artist Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska.
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I think I want to start focusing on heads for a little while.
I’ve been paying attention to building my life drawings with abstract shapes, observing their relationships against one another as opposed to drawing ‘a foot’ or ‘a neck’.
When we allow our minds to dictate what it thinks it sees through familiarity, errors often occur, and it this habit that observational drawing tries to break.
Because of this, I’ve put some energy into complex forms like the feet and hands, but am noticing I tend to skirt around the detail of the head (my 30 minute pose didn’t even get one)!
I was definitely aware of this in the hour pose and hopefully it is something I can work on in the coming weeks.
Our model tonight was called Ogata.
Giving me guidance, my class tutor is Frank Gambino, trained as a graphic designer, however in recent years his main practise is in portraiture and figure studies. Frank’s studio is in Belsize Park, London, where he works on commissions and runs popular life drawing classes. However, conveniently for me, he is also running classes in East London, at the Tokarska Gallery.
The Tokarska Gallery, a contemporary art gallery run by emerging artist Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska.
Traveller mum Carly Morson recently commissioned me to create a header for her website.
Carly’s raising money for Just Giving by hiking to the Everest Base Camp. Fortunately for her, the push chair stays at home.
Illustration works great for website headers, social media profiles as well as images for all your online content so give me a shout if you need something for your own site or social media.
Good luck Carly!
Follow Carly’s adventure
Our model tonight was called Jennifer.
A curvy figure can sometimes be kind, giving defined folds and lines to help you work across the drawing. However, with some poses tonight I found myself working on areas such as across the back with little or no definition.
It is sometimes hard to find the shapes or lines to find a relationship that takes you to the next step. In these cases I’m looking for suggestions that you might see in the contours of the body.
Giving me guidance, my class tutor is Frank Gambino, trained as a graphic designer, however in recent years his main practise is in portraiture and figure studies.Frank’s studio is in Belsize Park, London, where he works on commissions and runs popular life drawing classes. However, conveniently for me, he is also running classes in East London, at the Tokarska Gallery.
The Tokarska Gallery, a contemporary art gallery run by emerging artist Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska.
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Some challenging poses this week at our Life Drawing Class in E17.
I find myself using stomach fold lines, and the structure of crossed arms, moving outwards as the starting point to most drawings now. Traditionally I would have always positioned the head first.
The mind is so hard-wired into knowing what our limbs look like, you really have to force it into drawing the shapes that the body forms when foreshortening is involved. Looking for abstract shapes was vital in this exercise. Creating, triangles circles and rectangles to piece together legs or arms and find markers to help you move onwards with the drawing.
Our model tonight was called David.
Giving me guidance, my class tutor is Frank Gambino, trained as a graphic designer, however in recent years his main practise is in portraiture and figure studies.Frank’s studio is in Belsize Park, London, where he works on commissions and runs popular life drawing classes. However, conveniently for me, he is also running classes in East London, at the Tokarska Gallery.
The Tokarska Gallery, a contemporary art gallery run by emerging artist Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska.
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Last week I felt that my quick warm-up sketches were stronger than the longer poses. Week 2 at life drawing seemed to have the opposite effect.
Judging by the splintered mess left on the floor around the easel, I think I was bit more heavy-handed with the charcoal as well.
We’ve been considering negative spaces to help structure our drawings. The triangle of a folded arm against the stomach, or the shape that is formed from the empty space around the line of shoulder, neck and chin.
It really does seem keep in check some of the instinctive errors that we make when drawing the human form. The main one I want to keep an eye on is accidentally straightening up the figure which became evident in some of the reclining poses tonight.
Something different to my previous life drawing classes is that we are pretty much discarding comparative measurement, or the sight-size method (where everything is measured out in comparison to a reference point such as the head). This lends itself to much looser, fluid drawings and so far, this has proven to be a great alternative approach (for me).
We don’t entirely abandon this useful process, but I think that I previously relied on it far too heavily to compose a drawing.
Our model tonight was called Eve.
Giving me guidance, my class tutor is Frank Gambino, trained as a graphic designer, however in recent years his main practise is in portraiture and figure studies.
Frank’s studio is in Belsize Park, London, where he works on commissions and runs popular life drawing classes. However, conveniently for me, he is also running classes in East London, at the Tokarska Gallery.
The Tokarska Gallery, a contemporary art gallery run by emerging artist Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska.
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Ongoing development is key to maturing as an illustrator so I am really pleased to be life drawing again.
It’s really refreshing to get back behind an easel, working on large format and getting mucky with charcoal with no distractions at all. My aim is to really focus on loosening my style – being well aware that this sometimes has to give, working commercially and digitally.
I’ve decided to document some examples here on my blog, if anything, as a personal reference to note my progression. It should also give an insight into some of the background work that goes towards developing my skills on an ongoing basis.
Giving me guidance, my class tutor is Frank Gambino, trained as a graphic designer, however in recent years his main practise is in portraiture and figure studies.
Frank’s studio is in Belsize Park, London, where he works on commissions and runs popular life drawing classes. However, conveniently for me, he is also running classes in East London, at the Tokarska Gallery
Visit Frank Gambino’s website
Tokarska Gallery
Get festive with my Christmas robin wallpaper for your electrical thingies.
So Elf has been on TV, we can now finally get excited about Christmas coming. The tree is up, the mild panic about un-bought presents is starting to descend (as is the alcoholic hue brought on by too much mulled wine and Christmas parties).
All you have to do is click on the relevant size below to download your wallpaper, and follow your device’s instructions.
These cute and festive robins were originally created for some christmas cards available to by in my shop
desktop(1920 x 1080) • ipad
iphone 5 • iphone4 • iphone3
Get your Christmas robins as a set of cards by clicking here
These cute little festive fellas will make even the hardest humbug grin.
I’m using a lovely local printers to make 2 colour risograph printed christmas cards using environmentally friendly soy-based inks.
The signed, illustrated Robin Christmas Cards are available from the shop in packs of 4 and 8.
But be quick, Christmas is coming!
Presenting a visual concept to a client can be tough, using a scamp or storyboard artist for your presentation may be the winning factor in your pitch.
For those who don’t know, a scamp is the first rough or mockup for an idea and like storyboards, can be essential for getting your idea across.
A lot of clients contact me with very short lead times, slightly stressed with the prospect of the impending deadline for that all important pitch.
Irrespective of how vague or specific your brief may be, I can ensure the appropriate level of communication is met so you can carry on preparing and get the imagery that you need.
Storyboards or scamps can help visualise a product in particular environments or communicate an entire campaign.
If you have the luxury of time on your hands, final rendering and colouring of your images can enhance your presentation even further.
Get in touch if you want to discuss how I can add value to your latest pitch.
Earlier this year, Ted Baker commissioned a group of illustrators to create “A Baker’s Dozen” of hand-signed prints.
Matchmakers, the Association of Illustrators brought the collaboration together as each of us were assigned an iconic British pastime to illustrate.
I was assigned camping & caravan parks which is a little coincidental as I’m quite into that myself (camping, not caravanning I hasten to add).
Ted Baker were a fantastic client – presenting such a fun brief to work with and allowing the illustrators the freedom to take the concept where we wanted.
To document the process, Ted visited my studio to film how I put the work together and they created the following film.
I’m going to do a detailed guide to how the image was made and I’ll post it soon.
1000 lithographic prints, hand-signed & embossed were created in addition to A5 prints that will be available to Ted’s online customers. The prints will be dispatched to over 200 worldwide locations, including Australia, Japan, China, the Middle East, North America and Europe.
Ted Baker has a growing reputation of supporting illustration after their recent Ted’s Drawing Room. Customers could get their portrait drawn by 1 of 11 illustrators in a photobooth-like promotion. They have also sponsored the recent Images 36: Best of British Illustration award ceremony.
The campaign launches in-store on Thursday 18th October, 2012.
A special thank you to Fiona Smith at the AOI for tirelessly coordinating the project.
Ted’s Baker’s Dozen
The Association of Illustrators article
“Ted Baker were a fantastic client – presenting such a fun brief to work with.”
After getting into Images 36, international exposure via Creative Quarterly 27 was an added bonus.
The journal of Art & Design is distributed across Northern America, Canada & UK and asks the question “Where does your inspiration come from? What person, place or thing inspires your work?”
“Creative Quarterly.
The best of art and design, quarterly.”
“Only the highest scoring images
are invited to feature
in the annual”
Very pleased to be selected for inclusion in Images 36, the best of British illustration
Portrait of Robot was entered into the self-promotion category and chosen to be included in this, the UK’s leading illustration competition and annual.
Promoted by the Association of Illustrators who go on to add;
“Images is unique in that it is Britain’s only jury-selected illustration competition, judged by a highly regarded panel of industry experts, spanning multiple categories. Each entry is marked according to how well the work fulfils the brief, originality, and technical ability.
Only the highest scoring images are invited to feature in the annual, who’s structure and design combines contemporary book design of the highest quality with functionality – making Images an indispensable tool for leading commissioners and industry professionals.”
Congratulations to all the award winners!
Images36 is available for sale via the AOI and specialist retailers including the Somerset House bookstore.
You can see the winning work of over 50 UK artists who entered the AOI’s flagship competition. The exhibition features exciting new talent and established names such as Chris Haughton (Booktrust best new illustrator), Lizzie Mary Cullen (Design Week’s 50 Hot people) and Stephen Collins (Jonathan Cape/ Observer Graphic Short Story Prize, 2010).
Images 36 at Somerset House
3–28 October 2012, 10.00-18.00
Terrace Rooms, South Wing
Free admission
Musical Views collaborators Chris & Manuel, take the project further by playing together during Chris own E17 Art Trail performance.
A commonality that prevailed throughout the Musical Views interviews was sadly that Walthamstow, so short on public cultural venues, makes it hard for muscians to meet. With this in mind, it was so warming to find two of the contributors performing together during the Art Trail.
I have spent the past 3 months meeting, interviewing, recording and illustrating some of the musical talents that can be found in Walthamstow. It is a sad fact that too many municipal venues in the borough have either been sold off or closed down.
But there is a fight back. The Art Trail itself is run entirely by the community & the tireless devotion of the organisers Artillery. The Mill is a self-funded community centre – a phoenix that rose from the ashes of a library the council no longer fund. Locals are also actively campaigning (and winning) to bring its Grade II listed cinema (vacant and left to disrepair) back to its former glory and accessible for all.
Perhaps with the renewed optimism of reclaiming Walthamstow’s iconic cinema (who boasted performances from the likes of Jonny Cash, the Beatles & the Stones), a cultural hub can again be reborn and truly find a place for such wonderful (but homeless) talent.
Find out more about Walthamstow’s Cinema.
Find out more about Musical Views
Find out more about E17 Art Trail
The tech behind the Musical Views portrait exhibition, has just been covered in the local Guardian.
George Nott Features & Art journalist, is looking into the technology that can be found on this years E17 Art trail, with downloadable audio & twitter competitions, Musical Views was a prime candidate to get a mention.
Each and everyone of the collaborators had fascinating stories about their instruments and musical backgrounds. The audio part of the project really expands on the brief introductions that can be found at the exhibition. We have a QR code that you can scan with your smart phone, bringing you to here to this site where the interviews and music can be found.
Together with Kat Richmond (who recorded and mixed everything), we gathered hours of material that has been edited down to give an insight into the people involved in the project.
We are also running a a twitter competition for visitors to the exhibition. It’s outside, so we don’t always know who have visited – the twitter comp to win a print is just a fun way of engaging with our audience.
Read the Guardian’s article
Find out more about Musical Views
Find out more about the E17 Art Trail
With beer barrels emptied and instruments being packed away, the Stowneydown Park Folk festival was all but over. All bar a solo violinist sitting on the grass, entertaining the stragglers. I had to get Andy involved in Musical Views.
Playing since a youngster (with a break or two due to fatherhood), Andy now plays regularly at Camden’s World’s End & also at the Golden Lion as part of a folk outfit. He is also involved performing a variety of events in Walthamstow.
Musical influence was not hard to find in his family. Son of a jazz fan who did weekly run to music school, and an uncle who played with some quite big names in the 60s on Boogie-woogie scene & his older brother taking him to Uni gigs.
And folk is not the only genre that Andy looks upon when producing tracks at home. Reggae, Soul, (he used to be a raver) “I take all those influences. I’d love to make dance music, I’ve got smatterings of stuff on the hard drive alternative stuff, film sound tracks, that kind of thing.”
This project would be awfully quiet without a massive amount of help from a good friend Kat. She helped out by being my sonic guru, lugging recording equipment across London and mixing all the Musical Views sound.
Katherine started playing the violin at the age of six. She quickly progressed though exams and scholarships to leading local and county orchestras, defining her style as a soloist and improving her skills as an orchestral player. Before heading to London at 18 to study Hispanic Studies at Kings College London, she was leader of the Hull Youth Symphony Orchestra and also played for the Humberside County Youth Orchestra, Yorchestra in York, Hull Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Independent Schools Association String Orchestra.
She began to combine her classical training with dance music, her other musical love, and helped set up small independent dance label SB White in 2008, which began to release several tracks. Her track ‘Do It All Night’ under the pseudonym Triptec, was well received by London’s dance scene and was played out by several artists at clubs like The End and Fabric. On the back of launching the label, she started up a series of parties around town to help promote the music that was being released.
Taking a break from party promoting to concentrate on developing her production skills, Kat completed the Advanced Music Production Techniques course at CityLit which gave her a good foundation in mixing and engineering methods, and this new knowledge encouraged her to set herself up as a freelance music consultant and events coordinator. Although her love of making dance music hasn’t disappeared, she is now interested in offering her mixing skills for all genres.
