The Fox and The Crow pt2

I'm not going to post up every page I do I promise, but I have slaved over this this evening and I am quite pleased with it.

The Fox and The Crow pt1

I spent the morning reading fables and folklore stories and I am feeling rather inspired. I have decided my next project will be a book based on the fable of the fox and the crow.

Here is the first page.

Spinthread

I don't think these are intended for me, but I think they're awesome! From Spinthread.

Lockets

Another of my creations this weekend. Again, they will be available at Ruby Blue Vintage in Carlisle very soon.

Author Zines

I have spent the weekend hunched over a desktop printer, screaming and declaring war on it as it stubbornly refuses to do what it's told. Here is a small snippet of the results. They we're originally intended to be cheap and cheerful zines containing a portrait of the author and an interesting something they once said, but I got too proud of them in the process and they've come out a bit posher than expected.

You will be able to buy them from Ruby Blue in Carlisle in the coming weeks, and I may look into putting them on etsy.

Old Fangs

This is a really great animation from this years Sundance Film Festival. You can check out the blog here. I particularly like the scene inside the father's house. Really nice stuff.

Brecht Evens

Another incredible find is the work of Brecht Evens. I really love the colouring and textures. The watercolours work so well for the transparancy.

Mirko Hanák - Bambi

These aren't my usual cup of tea, but you can't help but admire the delicacy of these paintings, so amazing! These are taken from "Bambi - A life in the woods", a book from Felix Salten.

You can see more on the Flickr set, here.

Bronze Bomber

Here is a painting I've just completed this afternoon. It's loosely based on an old lady I saw in a pub once, drinking the thickest and blackest of ale. It's been a nice break from the monotony of cutting up paper into A4 sheets in preparation for printing, something I've been doing for hours.

I need a guillotine.

Brendan Wenzel

Brendan Wenzel has been posting some really nice animal paintings recently. Wildlife of Vietnam. Shapes and textures are great.

Man and Dog

I think I'm beginning to get the right idea. A mixture of gouache and watercolour work well, but I still think that the pencil is too pencilly in places, if that makes sense. I also want to get more pattern and texture in.

Miner

An hour ahead of schedule, here is what I have done with my evening. It's another bash at painting, and it's another partitial success, partial failure. I'm still not quite feeling the style of painting fitting with the style drawing.

This wasn't meant for illustration friday, but you know, miners probably get muddy, or at least coaly.

Dead Poets

I've just been scanning and playing with some drawings I did a few months back. The idea is to make a few little zines with a portrait of an author or poet along side something interesting they once said. Here is something from T.S Eliot.

They will be in stock at Ruby Blue Vintage very soon indeed.

W.T Browne

It seems to be becoming quite a routine - posting at around half 10 whatever it is I've just spent the last 2 hours doing. Here is the fruit of my labours. I stumbled upon a website full of old photos of criminals and convicts from the past. This chap is called W.T Browne. I'm not sure what he was convicted for, but I bet it was pretty nasty.

Beatrice Alemagna

Some really nice posters by Beatrice Alemagna.

Dancing with Foxes

Like wolves, but ginger. Here is a painting I've just done this evening. Recently I've been looking at and getting into alot of figurative paintings. At college near enough everything I did was some kind of painting, but recently I've migrated to pencil and ink.

It's by no means a completed style or anything, but I'm quite pleased with it as a first attempt. I was looking forward to carrying on in the vein, but unfortunately I've run out of white gouache.

Matthew Lyons

I have just discovered the wondrous work of Matthew Lyons. I love the sharp shapes and natural textures, great line work and incredible colours. Delightful!

Fisherman

Continuing on the theme of bearded men. Here is a drawing of a fisherman. I can't decide if I like mechanical pencils or not...

Focused - IF

Monocle? Focused? No? Another very very loose connection, but I wanted to have a go at painting again. Something I've not done since college.

Not happy with it at all to be honest, first attempt I suppose.

Lumberjack

Inspired by my previous post about Mr Battagila. Do you think lumberjacks every feel guilty about chopping down trees?

Beards are fun to draw.

Aurelius Battagila

I have just discovered the wonders of Aurelius Battagila. For those of you who don't know (and I am certainly one of them) -

Aurelius Battaglia (January 16, 1910 – May, 1984) was an American illustrator, muralist, writer, and director. He was born in Washington, D.C., in 1910 and he died in Provincetown, MA in May, 1984. He was the son of Giuseppe and Concetta Battaglia, who had emigrated from Cefalù, Italy. Aurelius attended the Corcoran School of Art. He graduated as one of the Corcoran’s most promising students, winning $50 in a Corcoran-sponsored art contest.

I'm loving the shapes he uses, aswell as the way he works into blocks of flat colour. Lovely stuff indeed.