So simple.

Today I was wondering how does a colourist for Tim Sale bring colour to his grey ink wash images and seemingly replacing the grey with the colour without losing the texture. Well today I found out the answer and a rather simple one at that. Essentially all you need is a new layer in photoshop with either the color or overlay blend and then go crazy on it and then rocket, parmesan, done. I experimented with a page from my 'The Big Sleep' adaptation and compared it to how I orginally altered the inkwash colour. Now originally I made the inkwash into a solid new colour, wiping out any brush texture that was there originally and quite frankly it took a long time to do (I am sure there was a quicker way to achieve this).
With the experiment that I did today it only took a couple of seconds and it still looks great, so I feel had I known this other method I could have saved myself a lot of grief and time. Though I have to say I like both versions for their own merits but it will be interesting to try an inkwash image and then to render the colour digitally.

Waltz in a gallery.

I am back once again to doing my daily sketches and today I had another go at doing a space hamster comic strip. You will have noticed that the item in the strip that becomes the target of destruction is in fact Marcel Duchamp's famous 'Fountain' during his time with the Dada art movement. 

Looking at this strip I wonder why or what it was that compelled me to draw a strip, destroying a famous piece of art. The only answer that I can think of is the simple task of communicating humour to the audience, much the same way as Duchamp did when he submitted a urinal to the Society of Independent Artists really as to make a joke about the preconceptions of what is art. Asking myself why I do a drawing is a question I sometimes feel I don't ask enough of and it is something to consider and exercise in future projects. I guess the tour guide radio was right, this was thought provoking.

Leviathan 24

Last week I took part in a 24 hour comic event at the Peninsula Arts gallery at the Plymouth University. The event tied in with a publishers event that surrounded 'The Big Read' event with Moby Dick. This interactive comic is my contribution to the event and there is a link here if you want to take a look at the other artists 24 comics such as Dave Smith and Jack Teagle.

He Rises!

Hey all been awhile but here's a full colour piece of The Bat-Man for Mr Neal's Knights Of The Round blog on tumblr.

The Hobbit

I recently finished reading 'The Hobbit' and remembered how much fun and rich of a story the book really was. So whilst on my trip I took to recreating a scene where Bilbo converses with Smaug. I tried to base it a little to the original Tolkien illustration in the original book, though I added an atmospheric twist to it and have Smaug's glow create a very light contrasting space and to have the treasure all a glow too. Looking forward to the film's release though I now hear it is now to be a trilogy so have to wait awhile to see the whole thing.

Strikes his foes like a cobra...

Hey folks! I have returned from my trip to Romania and the country and food and sights were wonderful and I really enjoyed my time there. But I also kept myself busy with illustration work too and here is another vignette of 'Thunder' though this time I tried a limited colour palette with him and it seems to work well for him, so I think I will stick to it for the time being (I got obsessed with this orange colour whilst away).

The story for him is now nearly finished I am pleased to say and may have already a small comic book press that could become his home so exciting times for now and shall keep you guys posted on this development.