Been a while

Wow been a while since I updated my blog.

Nothing to write other than I am in the process of working on a new Portfolio of work.
Since I have no major professional work to add in yet I have a series of briefs that I searched online for in order to bulk out some new work. Including some competition briefs (even if I do not actually enter lol)

But here is the first one I worked on which was a poster design.

CONDUIT: Uniform sketches.

Hey guys! 

Just thought I'd update with some Conduit Sketches. I originally had a different set of Uniforms created of the characters of Conduit but they had that moment of "Oh god it looks way too fantasy or too much like an existing superhero's outfit!!"

So I quickly went back to the drawing board (also need to redraw characters in the pages of Conduit I have don't thus far lol). The whole idea with Conduit is that it's set in a world where the magic community is governed by the International Brotherhood of Practitioners aka The I.B.P. They are like the universal police force of the magic community. So I thought why not just base the uniforms from actual public service uniforms? That way the characters would be able to mingle with the general public unnoticed to a certain degree. 

So here are the sketches I came up with. 

These 2 images  are the Male and Female standard IBP uniforms. The sigil on their right sleeve represents their class and the Rune and numbers on the front of their jackets represent their rank. Most of the people wearing these uniforms would be agents on the field, consisting of Illusionists and Sorcerers/sorceresses. Ready to fight and protect.The sigil on their backs powers a basic protection spell. The patterned band around their vests creates a basic warding spell that keeps non practitioners away from field agents as they go about their work.

The Uniform below is based on the Uniform of paramedics. These are field support agents. They can create very powerful shields and cast complicated healing spells. The Uniforms are simple as their knowledge in protective magicks do not cause need for any protective spells woven into the uniform fabrics. They do not contain sigils on their uniform sleeves but consist of ranks. 

Outfit designed for what would be a higher up. This is the uniform Amanda wears. While she often works with Ed, she is in fact more of a Inspector or Superintendent type role. 

Commissioner uniform design.  The big guy, the boss of the IBP.  The staff, mask are passed down to each successor who takes up the role. Legend says the mask was given as a gift from an Egyptian Sorcerer, the crest on it's top looks similar to that of Ra.

While I have used police terms for a lot creating hierarchy within the IBP I am planning to rename a lot of the terms to that which would fit more of an Urban fantasy setting. I'll probably talk about ranking in another blog and possibly discuss the rules of magic too.

Anyway... bye for now :P

Drawing the things.

I did some drawings :P 

These have been over the past month or so. Nothing major. Drawing has it's up and down moments with me lately. More so when it comes to working all day and then coming home to basically work more hahaha Which can make me feel crap (not sure if other artists get like this). In general though I try to at least do one creative/artsy thing a day now. Whether it's thumbnailing Comic pages, completing one fully finished comic page or starting and preping an illustration for the colour stage or print. It frustrates me when I see artist say "Oh you have to be drawing everyday!" That really doesn't happen, as some days you just really do not feel like it. That's okay! As you do not want it to start feeling like a chore or just another job. Just make sure you do something little daily. As I said anything that aids towards your art is fine! 

I MOVED!

Yep, finally moved house! LOL I am not in a small village close to Tunbridge Wells.
I've recently been obsessed with an MMO....
Those who follow me on twitter will know what that is lol For those who do not, it's Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.

So as a YAY back to drawing warm up. I drew my character, who is currently going through the world of Eorzea as a Summoner. I'll probably ink and colour this at some point xD

Little random update.

Hey guys hope all is well!

Just a quick one really to say I am still alive and there is a very high probability that I'll finally be moving next week!! YAAAAAY

Which means I'll be able to get my art stuff out of their packed boxes and actually start doing some proper art again. I've taken quite a long Hiatus with art and need to get back on the horse lol

I've not been completely without art work. I've been using a few apps on my ipad to create some base ideas or more precicely thunbnails or roughs for Illustrations I have had ideas for.

I have about 25 pages now of a digital sketchbook with random doodles. Future Conduit cover ideas and chapter illustrations. Also fan art I want to do from my fav book series right now xD

Also have a cover idea sketched for a short comic I am working on. I am going to start writing up CONDUIT book 2 and start roughing out my Manga Jiman piece.

I am actually obsessed with this 53 "PAPER" App as I find the pencil and other tools are really nice and rather than it having like lots of silly little functions and gesture functions to control aspects of the app, It's just really simple and easy to use. Plus you can tweet any work and also E-mail it across too which is great for when I use it to do roughs xD

I need to get a wall calender or something so I can pin up a list of comics and illo's I want or need to do first lol

I'm also going to be working on  a portfolio so I can start looking for an agent! Scary fun times ahead xD 

A quickie update.

Afternoon everyone!
How are you all?
Just a little update from myself. Conduit is almost ready!!! I have decided to Completely go over a few of the scenes and redo them. I feel this version runs alot more smoother and I can now get to work on pencilling it.
Also I am working on a few shorter comics. One I'm hoping will be ready for MCM this coming October, which would be amazing. I am in the process of doing the script for that comic too. I am aiming for 10 to 15 pages with that one. Also working on Manga jiman competition entry aswell.

Very busy with lots of comics stuff including a couple of commissions aswell, all this while doing a day job and moving! Yep my household is up and moving to the countryside. I'm planning to take a part time job so I can focus on my art a bit more since I'll be living with the parents lol There are lots of things in the works right now that I hope come happen one way or another xD

CONDUIT

IT'S DONE!!! So happy that I was actually able to do it in just under 2 weeks. The first CONDUIT book is all thumbnailed out! All 123 pages. Now need to pencil, ink and tone the pages lol Walk in the park eh? I'll post a link online when the first few pages go online. I'll be working in four page segments and will probably post them online in that way too. 

I also have the Manga Jiman to work on and a few other short comics to work through as well.... and a short comic/illustration book lol 

So the main production of Conduit will be slow until I can get the smaller projects finished and out of the way.

In the mean time here are some pics of Conduit thumbs :P

Portrait commission

Was asked to do a portrait of a Woman's children. I work with the lady in question and she sent me a photo of her kids to use as reference. I've been playing about with a more loose sketchy way of colouring an image rather than using block colours. May try and mix the two and see what I can come up with.

Below is the original line art.

I use the original photo as a base and mark out any important information like overall shape of the face and placement of the nose, eyes and mouth. 

I'll then convert the original photo (this is for a black/white commission) into B&G and use it as a swatch to get the colours and light sources in. After I have done that I'll sometimes either go in and add the Background straight away or play around with the original photo. I'll make the original photo into an overlay layer and use it as a form of texture to the overall image. It's fun to see the different outcomes.

I am pleased with the way it turned out. 

Future things

A new comic coming end of this year/start of next.

I’ll be posting lots of things for it. Soon.

Another one!

Digital sketch for one of my twitter followers, who is obsessed with Captain Marvel.

So I drew him as the man himself LOL

Nothing serious but I am back.

Used the illustration friday theme to mess about with just colour lol

I am back from Xmas holidays. Stayed in a tiny little cottage in Coddenham for the holidays. Got relatives that live that way so we had Xmas dinner with them.

I DID A DRAWING! LOL

This was a private commission. The aim was to use the client themselves within the image. He had requested that it be a Loki/ Dr. Strange/ Wiccan sort of character they wished to be portrayed as.

Sketchy poo for a friend.

Isn't he handsome? HAHAHAHA

Stretch

My take on this weeks Illustration Friday brief. I wanted to create a moment in time and this is what I came up with.

Nothing serious just me playing about with photoshop brushes and decided to limit myself to a colour. 

Merlin vs Morgana

Here are some preview shots of the pencils to a comic double page spread thing I am working on lol

Just a bit of fun xD

It's Christmas time!

Thought I'd share this with you guys xD

A little X-mas avatar I made for twitter xD May throw it up as all my social media stuff for the holiday season. X-mas has always been a big thing in my family and I love it!

Just a sketch.

Just a quickie sketch to say I am still here.

My new job has been keeping me from drawing. Think it's a shock to the body so I have been getting used to that lol

This was going to be a sketch of cast characters from Conduit but turned into BBC's Merlin o.O
I need to work out how to save RGB to the colours on my screen as they appear alot brighter or faded as compared to CMYK which match my screen better.
I only notice it once its saved and not viewed on my cintiq/laptop screen in photoshop o.O

Wizard vs Aliens.

Screen shot of an illustration I did based on the CBBC series "Wizard vs Aliens". Suppose a comic book cover type illustration really xD

Had fun making it!

All rights to the characters belong to the BBC!

THOUGHT BUBBLE 2012

WOW.... WHAT A SHOW!

After months of spending time indoors and working and doing nothing more but that, getting away to Leeds for a few days is what I needed.

So I suppose I'll just account on random things really.... (I am so prepared for this blog hahaha).

I travelled up on Friday night after my shift, trains were delayed so I never ended up arriving in Leeds till 12:30am. To rain and lots of it, I got so wet walking to the hotel Dx Where I was met by 2 fellow comickers Markk and Nick.
We chatted till 3am and got up for Saturdays expo.
This year there were so many people!!! It was busy last year but this year was immense and the crowds were fantastic!! Sadly I never had enough cash to buy all the comics I wanted to purchase...  So alot of the ones I was looking at I made note of to get at a later date. My poor bank account!
What I love about Thought Bubble is how I always spot other comics from independent artists that may never get a chance to attend MCM, so I get to see and meet new faces and buy awesome books.
Plus I find; since TB is just a comic event, the stores that are there  selling like Travelling Man and Forbidden Planet ect... Have a fantastic wider range of comics and it's easier to browse those! Not like MCM as it can be waaay too packed!

The after party was just brilliant! The venue was lovely and all night I heard nothing but good praises. Very spacious venue, lots of room and bars to chat, dance or watch on the upper levels and look down at all the drunkerds dancing hahahaha

 

Pic courtesy of Andrew Ruddick aka Pud.

Myself with Emma Vieceli, Paul Duffield, John Aggs and my TB dancing partner in crime

Kate Brown! *Does the cyclops dance*

Sunday was a nice day, one of the reasons I was at Thought Bubble was to help Markk aka Anaseed Man at his table. I ended up getting a commission from it myself! Was a £5 sketch of Death from the Sandman series. I was so scared and nervous as it was my first ever con sketch hahahaha

Was fun working the Table and it's cool to have someone there too sitting with you, so you are not lonely LOL

If you are yet to ever travel up to Leeds and attend Thought Bubble, seriously do so!! It's a fantastic convention just for comics. The after party is just as fun and getting the chance to hang out with fellow artists and writers is a great opportunity. 

Next year I shall be there with a table selling what hopefully will be this list:

The Orange man, Tremor, Tingles, Conduit issue 0. 

Big applause for the Thought Bubble team and volunteers that helped out, see you guys for the next one!!

Update!

Here's a quickie update.

Things are good! I have 2 short comics in the works. They range from 6 to 12 pages in length.
The subjects are related to my uni project "Information via story telling".

In the first "Tingles" I portray a couple of friends having a conversation as to one of their interested in making videos for the ASMR community and what it is.

The other is called "Tremor" and is a sort of 24hr comic about the day in a characters life that suffers with Essential Tremor like I do.

Conduit is still in the works. I have the first story fleshed out and what will lead into the second book.

I also have a 4th comic in the works that is a one off. That will be out hopefully by Next Thought Bubble. I'll say no more than that as if I get a bit of it done and I know it'll be done by the end of summer 2013 I shall advertise it at MCM next May.

Speaking of Thought Bubble, I shall be there! I'll be aiding Anaseed Man at his table as he has kindly let me share a room and feel like this is the right thing to do LOL As a fellow comicker and plus his a mate xD
Also at Thought Bubble there is an anthology called "Amnesia Agents" in which a short 4 page comic by myself is in!
Go look n buy it xD

So here are some inks I am working on. It's Wizards vs Aliens on CBBC. Wanted to draw something that was aimed at kids.

Looking forward to colouring this:

Anyhoo

HAVE FUN GUYS AND IF I SEE YOU AT TB THIS WEEKEND, COME SAY HI!