It's been difficult to find the time this week for my own work but finally here's a things in progress. The next fearsome beastie I'm exploring for inspiration and edification is the lion (or as Monty Python would put it..."number 3 the lion...the...lion...".
My sketching was a bit rusty at first for this one so as a warm up I tried 'sketching' with a scalpel straight into scrap paper without any underdrawing. Happily that got me the rough lion collage that I then touched up in photoshop. Perhaps I'm being overcritical of myself at the moment but so much of what I do has the background as a graphic afterthought to compliment the foreground subject. Pattern, colour and stylistic approach are all well and good but for this lion I want a bit more of a story for the beastie...and now I'm building things up too much for what should just be a quick bit of something. I've been thinking (too much...?!) of late about what I want to achieve with my work above the obvious of, hopefully, supporting myself full time at some future date. Time to just crack on with things Matt... visuals, humour (quirky odd is best) and story!
8 comments:
He's a beauty Matt, I can see him in an Aesop Fable easily. The sketches are great too, full of character too. You're a great artist Matt, you're art is always full of character and charm, and you have a strong and cohesive style that runs through all that you do.
Sometimes it's hard to get to grips with where your art is going, and what you want out of it. But you with everything you produce you prove that you have what it takes.
Hmm...I believe I know this state of mind, anxiety shading into creativity and round and round?
Once circles like a lion looking for a resting place.
That's one depressed looking lion... want to feel sorry for him.
Lovely expressions, particularly the top lion on your sketch page, he cracks me up in a sad kind of way.
very cool sketch man! i like it alot! you're so good!
He's beautiful. I love all the texturing around his nose- there's a real sensitivity to him. background-wise, I might tone it down slightly (he's too lovely to hide) and perhaps add a dash of shadow to give him bearing and a bit more narrative, but yes, I do think you're being far too hard on yourself :0)All your work's fab!
Do you fancy a pint mebbe next week or the one after? we can drown our sorrows! x
i love the expression on the first one!
I very much like the characterisation in the sketches, with the lower lip and eyebrows used nicely.
I can see it being the beginnings of a story, too.
A lion who is very civilised and un-wild and won't 'join in' at the circus could go all sorts of cool places in the world of Picture Books.
I wouldn't worry about building things up too much for a quick bit of something, go with it a bit, and it could turn into something good and big. Or if it stays a little bit of something, it'll be better, deeper and richer for it.
That's what I reckon anyway :)
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