Matt Dawson

my mammoth...

2012-01-15T19:01:00.001Z

This months creature over on a little bit bunny is the wooly mammoth. As usual here's some early sketches, the final illustration wasn't much tidier (it's fun to be messy). Pop onto A.L.B.B if you'd like to see the finished result. Right, now I can switch off and go eat.

living pink cloud...

2012-01-15T10:39:00.003Z

Well it's high time I eased into the new year's blogging. I'll get off to a sweet and gentle start. It's rarely the case that I will ever have anything worth blog posting here from my graphic design day job but the occasional scrap falls from the table that I hate to see go to waste. One such titbit is this unused prelim design for a mascot to advertise a Candy floss brand. I mainly include it as, despite being solely vector and having a pure magenta in it's palette (two things I'd usually steer away from if given the choice) I was happy enough with the result to keep hold of it. A departure from my freelance personal work but variety is the spice of life they say. Onward into 2012 folks...

(artwork © MAPS Ltd.)

Hello Ted!

2012-01-15T10:38:00.001Z

My very good friends Kev and Vicky have signed off 2011 and signed into 2012 in grand style with the arrival of their wee bundle of fun, little Edward! It's at times like these that you want the right sentiment to go to those dear to you and not give money to the greetings card companies and post something generic. Well done you two and hello little Ted!

A Little Bit Bunny... doggy decorations & a "sausage role"

2011-12-23T17:12:00.004Z

Just in the nick of time before the silly season is upon us all I've got my dachshund entries up on a little bit bunny. One is all festive (you're invited over to look at 'Banger's christmas decorations' ) while the other is my usual cringeworthy word play on sausage dog... sometimes the idea in your head has to be exorcised onto the screen no matter what the cost :-) Breaking the bunny rules (forgive me fellow bunnies) I'm posting this last, revised somewhat, here on my blog too as I couldn't resist some small tweaks to 'improve' things. Y'know when you just cannot leave well enough alone!

Merry Christmas one and all!

Secular seasons greetings to all, and to all a happy new year!

2011-12-18T12:21:00.001Z

Here's my virtual card... to explain. When I read Robin Ince and Brian Cox's "O Come All Ye Sceptics" piece in the Guardian last week I just had to do a 'Newtonmas' card when I found out Isaac Newton was born on December 25th (unlike other individuals supposed to share that birthdate...?!). To quickly digress, I highly recommend Robin Ince and Brian Cox's other joint effort, The Infinite Monkey Cage podcasts and Robin's other podcasts with Josie Long, Utter Shambles. Now back to the card...

Well OK... so it isn't as straight forward as all that. Now I preface the following by saying I've only dipped into the (sometimes factually murky) pool that is wikipedia to find out more, so a pinch of salt might be necessary...? Depending upon which calendar and religion you prescribed to way back in the 17th century you would say Isaac Newton was either born on December 25th 1642 (if you were a Protestant following the Julian calendar) or January 4th 1643 (if you happened to be a Roman Catholic using the Gregorian calendar). Religion making something straightforward more complicated... well I never. Still, it makes for an educational illustration... there will be a test! For the purposes of this card, and a cheap gag, I choose Julian!

Have a Very Merry Isaac Newton's Birthday and my very best wishes for the new year!

go with your first idea...

2011-12-02T11:13:00.002Z

Went to Chris Haughton's excellent "Digital Handmade" show at So Far The Future Gallery last night with my good bud Phil ... well, to be honest we ended up gate crashing the private view, but everyone was very nice about it all. Chris even let us drink his beer and bend his ear when he no doubt had more important things to do.

The digital illustrations translated perfectly into the fair trade crafted rugs, lamps and soft toys and, the icing on the cake, there were advanced copies and artwork for Chris' new book "Oh No George!" which manages to pull off superbly that difficult trick of being as good as his applauded first book A Bit Lost. Another book for my groaning shelves come March next year!

While there I got the opportunity to look over the rug design competition entries and I'm kicking myself on two counts. My choice of colours didn't print out at all well so my 3 illustrations didn't really look much at all when viewed off the screen and up on the wall, and there was also an excellent cert sure fire winner, a flattened 'bear skin rug' design. I should have gone with my gut and worked up my initial sketch idea for a tiger skin rug design (and I also had a notion for a polar bear too believe it or not...) instead of / as well as my other 3. Hey ho, a lesson learned. It was just a lot of fun plotting pixels and taking part.

In conclusion what have we learned today... your first idea might be your strongest and, if you're free between now and Dec 7th go and see Chris Haughton's Digital Handmade exhibition!

Rug designs

2011-11-29T19:53:00.001Z

I really do like the wonderful graphic approach the illustrator Chris Haughton has to his work, especially in his childrens book A Bit Lost , so when I heard that he has a show coming up at the So Far The Future gallery in London from 2nd to 7th December I pencilled it straight into the diary. Then I found out there was also a design a rug competition running as part of the show, so I just had to have a crack at it. Just got in before tomorrows deadline! The winner, as voted by punters at the show, gets their rug design made by fairtrade craft-makers in Nepal! A worthy industry to champion.

The submission requirements were for a 6 colour max rug design at 560x480 pixels and 72dpi, so these have to be some of the lowest resolution illustrations I've ever done. Curiously it was quite therapeutic and liberating, drawing pixel by pixel with the pen tool in photoshop. A great degree of the design choices are out of your control so I did find myself working in a freer way. A really enjoyable process.

Past viewers of my blog might recognise the Dodo design from a few months back as a screen print (my dodo is far from extinct and keeps popping up all over the place. The design was quite time consuming to convert to low res hard edged pixels though...) and the fish have appeared in a slightly different guise too, swimming with a polar bear. That design came together pretty fast once I had the notion that there's 'always a bigger fish'... The autumn leaves are a newbie for this competition. A bit busy as a design maybe but I just wanted a stab at an illustration that was decorative without a strong narrative, made sense being on the floor and also being viewed from any direction.

So if you have the weekend free why not check out Chris' show. Great digital artwork translated into great handcrafted products and a very worthy endeavour, promoting fair trade and the talented crafts people of Nepal.

my updated website

2011-11-22T20:12:00.002Z

It's always a chore to plough through the multitude of repetitive tasks involved, but really satisfying once it's set up. www.matt-dawson.co.uk V3 (ish) is up and running (I hope it still is...). There are still some glitches I'm trying to iron out (apologies if anyone is irritated by the flashing white screen between pages, if all else fails just try and blink in time with it...) but at least its 99.9% OK. Not a million miles from my last site. I just wanted to update work and simplify. As always any feedback would be prized beyond measure.

They Draw & Cook book is now out!

2011-11-22T20:06:00.001Z

Well the TDAC recipe book has been out for quite a while but I've only now just got round to posting about it (sorry Salli & Nate). It's been a great honour to be included in the book and I couldn't be more impressed with the print and binding quality. With the silly season just around the corner this would make a great present for foody and illustration aficionados!

one of those days...

2011-11-02T19:16:00.000Z

Ever have one of those days...? Still all you need is 5 minutes graphics tablet therapy and things don't seem quite so bad after all :-)

badger peek...

2011-10-03T13:49:00.000+01:00

Two posts in one day... phew! It's a little bit bunny time again, and this months creature is the humble old badger. I was sorely tempted to do my interpretation of the old curmudgeon from Wind In The Willows to go alongside my Toad in his motor car illustration (previously on ALBB). Maybe I'll try that out now I've worked out some badger designs I like as a starting point. To my way of thinking I kept seeing glimpses of polar bear in a badgers anatomy...?! I had to reign myself in from heading down a 'polar bear Dick Turpin' route... Well here's my sketch work and a peek of the final piece which is over on ALBB.

3 bears, now in colour...

2011-10-03T13:35:00.000+01:00

I've been meaning to post this for a few days. It's the rough colour study for the three bears painting I have to do. Mixing and matching paint is always a challenge for me, but I do find it very handy to work things out first in photoshop. Not only do I work out my colour choices, I can also get my head around the sequence I'll aim to paint the thing in, especially as the same colours crop up in different areas of the painting. An aim with this study (and the sketches for it) was to maintain the 'same world feel' on this painting as the last one I did for the same client. Well, they liked the way I'm headed with it so next step will be flinging paint at paper.

bear deja vu...

2011-09-22T14:20:00.001+01:00

Just made one or too little revisions to the three bears painting. I think I've subliminally channeled hints of Yogi in the daddy bear... This painting was also on opportunity to revist my unused designs for a bear screen print from a few months back. Nothing goes to waste here! I guess any bear tucking into picnic goodies in the forest is going to have shades of Jellystone Park about it. I've have been reading a little of late about the wonderful design work of Ed Benedict (original designer of Yogi, Flintstones, Quick Draw McGraw etc...etc...). John Kricfalusi has some great posts about Ed Benedict's work on his blog that I can highly recommend.

unaccustomed as I am...

2011-09-20T15:09:00.002+01:00

Much as I avoid waffling on about myself to the world I'd very kindly been asked by Jonathan Woodward over at the illustrators resource website zero2illo if I'd like to be interviewed for the illustrator spotlight feature of their zero2illo 'Zine' and the issue in question is hot off the pixels. I've not had chance to look through the whole magazine as yet but if it's as jammed packed with professional illustration resource goodies as the zero2illo site is it well worth looking into. Follow the links if you'd like to learn more about how to pick up a pdf copy, and I'd recommend some time well spent looking at the zero2illo site and also Jonathan's own personal site too. His wildlife collages are superb.... think Eric Carle meets Charles Darwin!

if you go down to the woods today...

2011-09-20T14:41:00.000+01:00

The latest thing off the drawing board are some preliminary sketches for a painting commission for a little girl's birthday. The picture is a, sort of, companion piece to the 'Boy & Monkey painting' I did last year for her bigger brother. There are still some tweaks to do here and there but the family like the woodland setting, so that's how I'll proceed. It was good fun getting that big old daddy bear daintily sipping his tea!

can you smell burning...?

2011-09-17T11:21:00.001+01:00

Honest dear blog, I have been trying to get work done for you but, don't take this the wrong way, I have been seeing another blog too! Over on A Little Bit Bunny is my contribution to this months collection of dragons. Hmmm? A collective noun for dragons... "a singe", "a smoulder", "a conflagration"...?! In keeping with my usual habits here's a sneaky peakette and some of my scruffy sketch work.

Tourist London.

2011-08-21T10:54:00.001+01:00

Yesterday was a very enjoyable day with old friends while they introduced their young daughter to the tiring delights of London. As I'd already set a purple gorilla precedent with a previous picture for little C I couldn't resist marking the occasion in a similar vain. While out and about I also finally got chance to check out Gosh Comics marvellous brand spanking new shop. If you were a fan before they moved you'll be even more so now, while if comics, graphic novels and illustration are your thing make haste if you ever get into the capital!

another warm up sketch, another old nikon...

2011-08-14T17:04:00.002+01:00

I really enjoyed doing the last loose ink sketch of my old nikon camera so I thought I'd warm up today's sketching with another one. I've enough old cameras... I could keep this up all day!

Congraulations Kev & Vicky!

2011-08-13T16:18:00.003+01:00

What's this, you wait for ages and two babies come along! While I'm on a congratulatory roll, the very warmest sentiments go out to my dear friends Kev & Vicky on their amazing news! You'll never meet finer pending parents!

Congratulations Cass!

2011-08-13T16:11:00.001+01:00

My good friend, the super and super talented Cassia is expecting imminently. Everything else she produces is amazing so I'm sure this latest creative endeavour will be true to form! My (stereotypical stork) pictorial congratulations Cass and Liam!

Master & Margarita tattoo...

2011-08-13T15:55:00.003+01:00

Now I first must own up and say I could never imagine getting a tattoo myself. That said, there are some very talented tattoo artists out there. Imagine working on an illustration, without an undo command, using a heavy tool instead of a pen, on a squidgy surface, and having the client (on whom you have the ability to inflict pain) watch you while you are working!!! Why am I going on about tattoos...? I was delighted and flattered to get an email out of the blue from Nicholas Wesson, someone who liked The Master & Margarita novel by Mikhail Bulgakov and my cover for the Penguin paperback enough to want to illustrate his arm with it! I'm only glad he didn't ask me to do the tattoo! I wouldn't be able to keep a steady hand with that kind of responsibility. The credit for this amazing translation of my cover photo goes to the unquestionably talented Craig Wright at Enchanted Arts Tattoo in Guisborough North Yorkshire. The whole thing took one sitting of two hours I'm told. My thanks to Nick for the unique positive feedback on my work (and the photo of his arm).

Another month, another animal...

2011-08-08T20:01:00.001+01:00

This blog is fast becoming just the place where I show teasers for what I've posted on a little bit bunny blog... I'll have to get some fresh blog fodder soon! For now this is a bit of my Kangaroo Rat, and if you want to know how to catch one, pop on over and see the whole thing on A.L.B.B.

changed my mind...

2011-07-12T22:49:00.000+01:00

After living with my new blog header for a few days it just didn't sit right with me. Too busy and the elements didn't gel together. So I'll live with my tightrope pachyderm for a while. I think maybe my header will have to change with my moods... I hate to waste things though so here's the old / new header. I did like the orangutan's arm :-)

Silly old bears...

2011-07-10T12:18:00.004+01:00

While I was doodling for my Sasquatch illustration I revisited some pages from my sketchbook for ideas on tree designs which I'd played around with for a screen print idea last year about bears doing their business in the woods. I'd still like to do something with this but, for now, I hate sketches to go to waste, and I was very happy with my bear designs, so here they are. With keeping a sketchbook, and with every different illustration you draw it's always good to know that, should a grizzly bear illustration brief come my way, I've at least filled the 'dreaded first empty sheet of paper' with ideas on how I might go about things.

Apropos of nothing, I finally got round to watching The Illusionist, Sylvain Chomet's (him of the wonderful Belleville Rendez-Vous) latest animated film. He based his screenplay on an unfilmed script by Jacques Tati and I must admit to never having seen any of Tati's films, although I understand many sing their praises. Maybe because of that the story left me a little luke warm in parts, perhaps because I wasn't as invested in the main Tati character as I could have been. Why mention the film then... because it's one of the most beautifully realised animated films I've ever seen! Story aside the production design and quality of animation are simply jaw dropping. I expected great things after seeing the equally staggering Belleville Rendez-Vous and I wasn't disappointed. For sheer quality of film making you have to go along way, in my opinion... for what it's worth, to equal The Iron Giant, Disney's 1961 101 Dalmations, Disney's Jungle Book, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Wrong Trousers, pretty much all of Pixar's output... I could go on...and on... The Illusionist has to be up there with the greats for revealing just what animated films are capable of delivering. I can say no more...see it for yourselves!

Sasquatch sneek peek...

2011-07-10T12:06:00.000+01:00

The days sure do fly by! A week has slunk by since my last blog post and a whole month has skittered past which means another A.L.B.B post. This week's creature is Sasquatch, a.k.a Big Foot and here's a sneeky peak of my take on the hairy guy...... the hairy guy Big Foot, not a hairy guy lumberjack... although the lumberjack is pretty hairy too! I'm waffling now. Pop on over to a little bit bunny for the whole picture.

blow out the blog cobwebs...

2011-07-03T21:23:00.000+01:00

They say a change is as good as a rest so I've decided to open the windows wide, blow off the dust on the old blog and go for a new look. It's nigh on impossible to sum up everything you want to convey on a single blog header but I've opted to stick with my idea from the last header and reuse bits and bobs from past pieces of work. It's fun and surprising to take existing elements and throw them all together to see what you end up with. That said I'm curiously attached to a few pieces of old work, my sad old wonky donkey, my ink splattered hyena and my precarious yet poised pachyderm so I worked them up into headers too. I don't think they are really indicative of how I generally work, but I liked revisting them nevertheless. OK... now I've only got my website to spruce up...

Tough commute...

2011-06-22T23:03:00.001+01:00

Torrential rain and a puncture... happy, happy, joy, joy! Still I got a drawing out of it. Every cloud has a silver lining :-)

Dodo screen print post mortem.

2011-06-11T17:26:00.001+01:00

So I did my fast track screen print workshop sessions last week with my revised dodo screen print design, but I have to say I'm more than a little disappointed with the results. It's only my second attempt at screen printing so I know I shouldn't be expecting too much. That said I'd hoped to produce some better, perhaps saleable prints. A bad workman blames his tools so I won't dwell on some of the problems I had with ghost images on screens and scratchy squeegees. It's all a learning curve after all. One big plus was that my revised design was, as I'd hoped, much better than my first attempt with regard to being more forgiving of slipped registration during printing. In fact I'd designed in purposefully misregistered elements. All I had to try and nail were the eye and feet while the rest of the image could, largely, take care of itself. So that gives me something to work with for future designs. My colour mix was better too. Not the same colours as my digital, but a pleasant outcome. I also learnt some more details about the whole process which should come in handy later on. For this print I got to use a larger printing press with a single arm and a vacuum bed, which was interesting. I think however, on balance, I prefered the simpler hand bench press I used for my first print attempt. OK, it might have it's pitfalls but I think it feels like you are more hands on and closer to the work. I really hope to try again soon, although the logistics of how I'm going to set about cost effectively screen printing are a challenge... I'd love to print on a hand bench set up in my own good time at home rather than working to a course's tight schedule (and courses are expensive)... if only I had a shed or garage... ho hum... Still, no one said it'd be easy, otherwise everyone would be doing it!

If Asleep, now with a dash of colour.

2011-06-05T21:26:00.001+01:00

Couldn't resist adding a wee splash of colour to the previous post. I really like the contrast it gives between the pallid greys of the vampire and the glowing sandy beach. Amps up the gag a bit more. I've also posted some doodles I did after finishing the illustration friday picture. I guess I had vampires on the brain! They are based on the intensely spooky Nosferatu film from 1922. I don't know about you but, even now, Max Schreck's performance in that gives me the heebie jeebies. I think the skippy frame rate and disjointed effects in silent films create a weird, unnerving feel even before you get onto the vampire subject matter. It really goes to show you don't need all the CGI Hollywood bells and whistles (or even dialogue) so long as the story and performances are top notch. And as for 3D movies... don't get me started!!! The Fast Show did a pretty fine take on Nosferatu too :-) Sleep tight... don't let the vampires bite!

Illustration Friday - "Asleep"

2011-06-01T21:06:00.003+01:00

It's been far too long since I last did an Illustration Friday topic. This weeks is "asleep"... a great subject for a bit of whimsy. Like all night shift workers Vampires need to catch some shut eye during the day. I suspect this guy is more interested in the night life of the resort.

flaminGO...

2011-06-01T08:46:00.003+01:00

Pinch, punch first of the month as they say. Over on A.L.B.B is my take on this months creature "flamingo". Here's a sneaky peakette :-)

flamingo sketching.

2011-05-29T17:39:00.002+01:00

This months A.L.B.B is Flamingo so I'm just trying to get my eye in with some quick sketches. They sure do have weird beaks!

Dodo screen print revisited

2011-05-22T14:57:00.004+01:00

At the risk of repeating myself I'm taking a look at my dodo screen print design ready for another screen print class I'm taking in a couple of weeks time. For this session I've decided to keep things simpler if at all possible so I've limited the number of screens to two and I've also trapped my colours in critical areas of the illustration (face, feet...) so any misregistration should hopefully be less damaging to the final outcome. In fact I've purposefully misregistered elements in the feathers because I kinda like the colour effect it gives. I've spent long enough on it for one day though... time to unplug at look at it afresh tomorrow.

Lebowski and the mug...

2011-05-15T15:18:00.003+01:00

I've had this illustration hanging around for a few weeks now but since it was for a printed mug surprise for a good friend's birthday, and since I then forgot all about it, it hasn't seen the light of day... I don't usually feel comfortable with caricatures but this is my answer to Kev Levell's superb birthday Lebowski caricature for me. For those fans of the most excellent Coen bros The Big Lebowski film no explanation is required I hope... for everyone else this should illustrate what I was getting at.

"Blue(s) Whale" over on A.L.B.B

2011-05-11T20:30:00.001+01:00

No... ... a whole month has gone by ...? Surely not...?! Well here's this months teaser for my post over on a little bit bunny. I only have some very loose doodles as the process on this piece. Once I hit on my basic treatment for the blue whale and the general composition of things everything else came together on the screen. As usual different computer monitors variously show the posted image as OK to gloomy to unreadable. I have to trust my own imac... and my own tired peepers... Maybe my light blues are a tad too light and my darks are a tad to dark. I was referencing some Blue Note album sleeve images I'd seen. If cool, groovy, hip and stylish album artwork is your bag daddio you might want to check out a couple of sites: project 33 has some glorious retro graphics on show while LP Cover Lover has a comprehensive collection of all that is cool right through to the very odd! RIGHT, now to get cracking on things for THIS blog! TTFN... ...

Poop Poop !

2011-04-12T21:20:00.005+01:00

A bit behind on posting but here's a sneak peak at my process and contribution to the a little bit bunny blog. The topic this month is toad so I naturally couldn't resist having a crack at one of my favourite characters from one of my very favourite books!

I'm really enjoying approaching illustrations from a screen printed mix of limited colours approach. I'm also drawing my stuff with just the 3 colour layers in photoshop. It can slow things down a little but it helps to make you think about your choices. It's a great way to free up my colour thinking a little and fly by the seat of my pants more. I think the best aspect is that a limited palette of (in this case 3) colours, either against white or overlayed over each other to give darker hues, really confines your choices on how to approach the illustration. Sometimes too much choice makes me dither and fiddle with things so having a tightly defined palette as a framework on which to build forces me to try and make something look balanced and exciting with fewer components. Make the best of what you have.

And yes, the close up detail I've shown here really does show that Mr. Toad's scarf is missing a bit. I was desperate to have him in silk scarf and flying goggles but I didn't want the scarf bisecting his body. Heck, I'm playing my artistic license card on this one. It's like that because it just is! Poop Poop to all :-)

glass half full...

2011-04-07T21:36:00.003+01:00

Just a positive thought based on a little doodle. Also harks back to an old post of mine...

Dodo by night...

2011-04-07T08:42:00.006+01:00

Truth be told I've probably been putting off posting images of my Dodo screen print from last weeks introductory workshop. I screwed up on my colour mixing for the background grey and the foreground greens (why did I end up going so dark for the grey and too light on the green... I'm still not sure...call it a moment of chroma madness...) and my registration of the screens was always a little off, no matter how I wrestled with it. Sill, in line with the positive attitude I'm determined to keep from here on in the day was all about learning and I really did get a great overview on things. I just love the screen printing process and hope to do more as soon as possible. I also cannot recommend enough the excellent folks at Snap studio in Bristol. If you get the chance to, you must stop by and buy. The print work they sell is absolutely fantastic! Many thanks in particular go to the hardworking and inspirational screenprinting wonder that is Emma Peacock who showed us all the ropes on the workshop.

Disassembled Dodo...

2011-03-31T11:21:00.004+01:00

"Disassembled Dodo"...now there's a great name for a band...?! Thanks so much to all those who gave positive feedback on my last Dodo post. I feel happy to continue with the little chap...wait, that should be chapess as she has just laid an egg! So the dodo is the one I'll try for print on. I did the colour separations for it yesterday, including a minor change to the bum shape to make it more Dodoesque. The last ass wasn't quite right. It's interesting to see the whole image emerge from just 3 colour layers set to multiply in photoshop. Yes, I know It'd be easier to do the whole thing as vectors in illustrator but I just cannot be as loose and spontaneous creating stuff by dragging vector nodes as I can wacomming pixels. Big positives and negatives with both ways of doing things... So I hope to have a genuine, bona fide A3 screen print to post next week... fingers crossed. Should be fun.

On an unrelated note I watched the animated version of Shaun Tan's The Lost Thing from iTunes last night. If you're a fan of the original book you really won't be disappointed and, if you don't know what I'm on about go have a shufty! The animation captures the disjointed, otherworldly yet familiar antipodean distopia feel from the book perfectly. The character and environment design, colour design, animation, narration (the marvelous Tim Minchin) are all glorious! Go on, treat yourself.

The last Dodo...

2011-03-27T19:26:00.003+01:00

Well my screen print thing is next saturday and I cannot help but keep trying out various ideas on what to print. Still with the bird theme for some reason (I do find some birds seemingly preposterous legs set too far back for their centre of gravity stance endlessly amusing...) I'm trying out a Dodo design which has a more decorative, retro, patterned graphic look.

I think the humble Dodo makes an interesting subject as it has a number of themes going on. It's humorous character (thanks in part to Lewis Carroll, Tenniel and also the many and varied engravings, drawings and paintings made from accounts while it was still around), the obvious message of conservation verses extinction of species and also an almost mythic quality. Despite having had existed, I don't know about you but, for me it's almost as if the Dodo is a fictitious creature that has been conjured up to teach us a worthy lesson...

Ducking around...

2011-03-23T21:08:00.004Z

I'm still batting a few ideas around ready for my screen print taster class. It's very silly I know, but I think there's something worth pursuing with the ducking duck... Not sure I can be 100% sure of pulling off the screen separations as I have them in this, especially with the fragmented textures in the body, but I like the contrasts and interplay of the limited colours. It's fun just ducking around.

warm up sketch - my old nikon

2011-03-20T18:21:00.004Z

Here's a warm up sketch I did today...don't know that I really 'came to the boil' after it. Still, it was fun to do. I do miss using my old film cameras. Digital photography is great in so many ways but there's something solid and more considered about photographing with film.

Purple birthday gorilla...

2011-03-20T11:47:00.004Z

A mate's daughter has her birthday today. She seemed amused at an earlier pic of mine... She's likes purple... Nuff said... :-) Happy Birthady Cora!

DUCK!

2011-03-17T21:45:00.003Z

Just trying out a silly idea for a screen print design.

magpie logo 'smorgasbord'

2011-03-13T17:55:00.006Z

Well I just cannot seem to get away from magpies... Over the last two years I had 7 requests for Magpie logo designs. I'm thinking of changing my name... And just what is the collective noun for magpies...? I see wikipedia says it's a 'tiding' of magpies... but is it glad tidings I wonder...? It's great to have any enquiries for work of course, and I don't wish to look a gift magpie in the mouth...er beak... but truth be told I'm pretty sick of the black and white buggers for today. Earlier on I decided to have a break and go make a cuppa and stare out the kitchen window to rest my eyes... ... but there's no escape...tree...magpie...AAAARGH! What do they say...one for sorrow isn't it...! I'm beginning to feel like a bit part actor in a Hitchcock film. Y'know that bit when the climbing frame get covered in birds... I'm imagining that's my car tomorrow morning. Magpies...thousands of 'em! Try calling the AA out for that problem! Anyhoo, here's a small selection of the the latest batch of logo designs plus my warm up sketch study sheets. I'm off to rest my eyes and stare at the wall until the black and white after image leaves my retinas :-)

"Bat" over on A.L.B.B

2011-03-01T08:24:00.002Z

Well it's a brand spanking new month so that means a fresh crop of the weird and wonderful over on A Little Bit Bunny Blog. Here's my take on bat. Maybe not the most original angle to head along but I was a big reader of Batman comics as a nipper and it's fun to do my take on the guy...although I must say for illustration the Adam West camp T.V. version offers more quirky visual possibilities... big 'bat' pants and a belly assisted by a 'bat girdle'. Only a sneak view here, pop over to A.L.B.B. for the whole spandex effect... .. BLAM, SOCK, KAPOW !!!

cross the gorilla's arms...

2011-02-27T19:04:00.002Z

One last tweak before dinner. Now I need to sleep on things, and by tomorrow everything will look terrible ;-)

simean screen print sketch

2011-02-27T16:12:00.004Z

This is still a fairly rough wacom sketch (although I do like the loose shapes) but I think that I might finally have arrived at something I'm happy to attempt a screen print of. Flipping the gorilla so that he faced the other two apes created the trio relationship I think the picture needed.

I haven't drawn orangutans in quite a while but now I find they have very satisfying shoulder blades!

is this the thing screen prints are made of...?

2011-02-21T22:16:00.005Z

While I'm posting, is this 'gag' worth the effort to screen print...? I was thinking of it in a limited 2 colour screen print...but now I'm not so sure the idea is strong enough. There's stuff I'm happy with though... decisions decisions... As always any honest opinions people are kind enough to give would be very gratefully received! Back to the drawing board I think.

Just some gorillas... just for the hell of it

2011-02-21T22:04:00.003Z

I'm still trying to decide what to do for my first screen print so it's just a couple of doodles for now. I've had this notion, whenever I'm so inclined, to sketch various things in space suits...why you ask... because I like drawing space suits :-) First one up is a gorilla... why you ask... because I like drawing gorillas!

And to follow up is a doodle diversion from todays work, a gorilla on an Eames Lounge Chair... why that chair you ask... because I'd love one!!!

Book cover project...

2011-02-14T21:12:00.003Z

I was lucky enough for a project to come my way recently to design a book cover (along with a poster and promo bookmark to boot). I really enjoy the challenge of doing a book cover design, translating the content of what's inside into something appropriate to both selling the book and enticing the potential reader. I won't go into specifics until it's printed but I'll admit that at first glance the brief had me really stumped.

The author summed up one aspect of the book as being able to take risks, not be anxious, playfulness... so I jumped on that lifeline and along came a daredevil high diver. As is often the case, don't you find, when you just doodle (and, for me, when I should really be doing something else instead of doodling...) you get little quirky gems which you want to keep right through to the end artwork. Well the little thumbnail sketch of the hunched diver with the stringy arms had something I couldn't put my finger on but just liked so he stayed as a layer in my photoshop document right till the very end. At first the diver was in swim shorts but it just didn't have that jokey something to bring the character to life. Then, when all else failed along came speedos and a daredevil was born!

So why the two covers...? I submitted both to the client with the suggestion that the poster and bookmark could have the tentative 'pre dive' chap... a teaser for the main event of the book cover where the bold fellow shakes off the shackles of gravity and takes to the air. Luckily the client agreed, woohoo!

finger painting on the iPod touch

2011-02-12T13:45:00.003Z

Primary school infant that I am I've been finger painting this morning so here's something for my mum's fridge :-)

For the longest time I'd hankered after an iPod touch but just couldn't justify the outlay when my old iPod works just like new. Lucky chap that I am a good mate I'd not seen in far too long had just got an iPhone 4 and, sterling chap that he is (you know who your are sir!), gave me his old iPod Touch 3! Now it's never going to be photoshop and a wacom in your pocket but I stumped up the vast sum of 59p for the Sketch Book Mobile App and I have to say I quite impressed with how it works. Photoshop is a truly lovely place to work and you get institutionalized to how Adobe do things so using a different image editing software package is always a bit disconcerting (as I found when I bought Painter a few years back) but that aside I'd recommend sketchbook mobile if you want something for a quick yet creatively fairly flexible doodle when you're out and about. Unfortunately with an iPod Touch screen it's finger painting or a stubby ended stylus so, as you can imagine there's a lot of zooming in and out and changing of brush sizes but the interface doesn't get in the way too much. You can even email yourself the layered document as a psd. OK final output at 300dpi is an RGB file of 86.7mm x 57.7mm (FYI the image post is at max resolution) but if you think of it as a sketch book (what it calls itself after all) it's not at all bad. Tech review over... we now return you to our scheduled blog service (whatever that may be...?)

P.S. while I'm on the theme of Polar Bears the latest animal on "A lIttle Bit Bunny" the group blog I share is...you guessed it...

No Use Crying Over Spilt Milk

2011-02-05T18:07:00.002Z

Here you go blog, something else to eat... fancy some refreshing milk and a juicy steak...?

I'm going to do a screen printing workshop next month so I have to think about what I'm going to print. The notion is to illustrate some phrase or saying that someone might ultimately want to put on their wall and since I had a thumbnail of this flipped bovine sitting in my sketchbook doing nothing I thought I'd see if I could make it work out... Still a work in progress... is a shower of milk the thing wall decorations are made of I wonder...?

the two faces of my blog...

2011-02-05T17:46:00.002Z

My blog demands feeding, it's been too long between snacks and I don't want to be accused of blog neglect! I think "Burp" could survive a few more days but "rumble" is in dire need of a meal! What a beautiful solution, by showing this picture of my blog's inner voices I also give them a feed. More nibbles to follow guys...

'parking problem' posted on "a little bit bunny"

2011-01-08T19:40:00.002Z

Hello 2011...still feels weird, like wearing new shoes...:-) First post of the year then... and it's over on a little bit bunny if you're so inclined to have a shuffty sometime...

for your kind consideration, "A Little Bit Bunny"

2010-12-24T01:00:00.001Z

Well the christmas is almost upon us but, if you find yourself on the web with a few moments to aimlessly amble about why not pop on over to the group blog I've been working on with my good friends Kev and Phil. If the mood takes you why not let us know what you think...maybe even join in too...! Hope you enjoy, Merry Christmas everyone! See you in 2011

Honey xmas gift.

2010-12-19T15:25:00.002Z

Almost forgot... a little christmas gift for my honey loving folks this year (It won't ruin the surprise, I've already it to them).

My christmas card... DECK THE HALLS FOLKS!

2010-12-19T14:50:00.005Z

Well it's that time of the year once again and it almost looked like I wouldn't get my own cards done, as I like to do each year. I was stuck for an idea and almost bought a pack (!) but my natural aversion to giving card companies money at christmas or, indeed, anytime of year (well OK, charity cards excepted...) spurred me on (as did the truly exceptional hand screened card arriving in the post from my good mate Phil).
Of late I've been (more so than usual) dischuffed with how some of my illustrations have turned out so I've been reworking things a day or so later to try and 'improve things'... never seems to solve all problems, just create a new set to be dissatisfied with! It's laudable to try and improve but counter productive to go backwards instead of forwards. Easier said than done sometimes...

First card attempt was the 'yool owl' idea. There's much I like about the little fella but my contrary 'jiminey cricket illustrator on my shoulder' made me try, try again.

So it's a christmas CARD as my christmas card this year. I like the notion but I'm still (version two this one) not entirely happy with how it's turned out. That said it's the thought that counts isn't it so... MERRY XMAS & A VERY HAPPY 2011 to EVERYONE who has happened on by my blog. I really do appreciate the comments I receive and I know 2011 is going to see the blogosphere crammed full of fantastic new work for us all to rabbit about!

Speaking of rabbits...oow, weak link alert... My two good chums, the afore mentioned Phil and the previously mentioned Kev hope to be releasing our vaguely rabbit themed joint blog creation onto an unsuspecting world very soon. I won't say anymore... watch out folks!

Enjoy those mince pies everyone!!!

We're just f**cking Monkeys In Shoes...

2010-11-22T20:19:00.003Z

I've been listening a lot of late to the hilarious, ridiculously talented and thought provoking potty mouth that is Tim MInchin. Whenever I hear his "monkey's in shoes" lyric images just pop into my head so, this was by way of a warm up doodle one morning. A flippin monkey in some shoes... You have to agree it's a pretty concise summation of human evolution to this point. If anyone has a few minutes to spare, has pro science, anti religious leanings, isn't easily offended and just likes a good laugh give Minchin's musical stylings a go. My blogging has been sparse of late but I'm scribbling away on various bits and pieces which I hope will make for a few posts soon enough. Maybe a few more monkey's in assorted footwear till then...?! & PS. I'm aware it's an 'ape' in shoes...I just like drawing apes ;-)

Marmalade Flapjacks sketches...

2010-11-07T17:52:00.004Z

I had some very welcome news from Nate Padavick, the fine and talented fellow who set up the wonderful theydrawandcook blog with his fine and talented sister Salli Swindell . The gargantuan, glorious artwork 'soufflé' that has risen on the they draw and cook site is to be nibbled down into a book of recipes for publication next year and I'm truly delighted that my multi armed flapjack chef is one of the chosen dishes. Thanks Nate and Salli!

I hate to repeat post things so, by way of padding, I happened upon the original (very rough) thumbnail layout for the artwork (in a vast pile of sketch work I've yet to fully sort!) which seemed like suitable blog fodder. I'm glad I didn't go with the fat, multi legged chef, although I did like his casual stance on one pair of legs.

If you haven't already, check out theydrawandcook. You sure to find a tasty treat!

more magpies...

2010-11-07T17:36:00.003Z

While I'm on a bird theme I have negative which has turned into a positive. In September of 2009 I worked on a magpie logo project for a jeweller in Europe which, sadly didn't bear fruit. The client had run up some agreed concept development costs which, sadly, they then didn't pay for. With regret I have to revoke the copyright lines which I originally placed on the magpie work for ADEONA INFO PLASS. And now for the positive. The web is a marvelous place indeed and I'm pleased to say someone else saw the designs and wanted to use one for their jewellery business in New York. With great pleasure I present the old/new logo for MAGPIE SHINDIG. Good luck Sam, and thanks again!

some owls...

2010-11-07T17:14:00.003Z

Hello blog, how have you been then...? The next few posts are mainly some bits of house keeping I've been meaning to get round to for a while now. First off the bat are a smattering of owl sketches... What's the collective noun for owls...? A hoot of owls, a stare, a goggle...? This hot off the google press... ... apparently it's a "parliament of owls", I always thought it was a parliament of rooks but it seems a lot of rooks is a "building" or a "clamor"...?! And this just in, a group of penguins is a "rookery"...?! So why is a group of rooks not a "penguinery" then...?! No one said the english language makes sense, or that google is infallible... I digress... The owl sketches are connected to a little project I have with a couple of good mates... more on that early next year. I was also in an owlish mood after I got the chance to hold a European Eagle Owl this summer. Quite an experience holding something so big (but surprisingly light, must be all feathers) a few centimeters from your face. The eyes are so piercing and yet I was told it was short sighted. I suppose if owls were as learned and bookish as fable relates they would need reading glasses...? I'm rambling...

they came from a land down under...

2010-10-15T14:13:00.003+01:00

Just a little doodle to mark the great news yesterday that all 33 Chilean miners made it to safety! I'm sure many others have come up with the same gag but anyway...

Went to a great talk yesterday by the illustrator David Mckee (remember Mr. Benn and King Rollo...?). It was an interesting and inspiring evening. He said a thought provoking thing (paraphrasing...) he creates his children's books for the adult that a child reader will eventually become but also for the child that remains within the adult reader. A nice thought and a good rule of thumb.

say well done with a sunflower

2010-10-06T13:49:00.005+01:00

Spent a very enjoyable weekend with friends, one of whom likes sunflowers and has just graduated. Well done again Tam :) and thanks to you and hubby for a spiffing time!

worksheets for 'Bathroom Lion' & the 15 artists in 15 minutes game!

2010-09-30T08:42:00.008+01:00

Joining in with Cassia's game also picked up by Jon Davis. In 15 minutes name 15 artists that inspire you and you'll always stick with. In no particular order then:

1) Egon Schiele (you're right Cass!)
2) Eric Carle
3) Quentin Blake
4) Miroslav Sasek
5) Joan Miro
6) Heath Robinson (look forward to the exhibition!)
7) Alice & Martin Provensen
8) E.H. Shephard
9) Tom Oreb (animation designer in the 50's... Disney, UPA etc...etc...)
10) Lane Smith
11) John Tenniel
12) Ronald Searle
13) Saul Bass
14) William Heaton Cooper (english watercolourist)
15) Charlie Harper

That was fun! I could go on and on, and I'm sure I've missed some big favourites...

***************I forgot:

*Bill Watterson (how'd I forget HIM!!!)
*Mike Mignola
*Craig McCracken
*Genndy Tartakovsky
*John Kricfalusi

**************how did I still forget:
*Mary Blair (disney colour stylist and designer)
*Matisse (particularly his collages)
*Edward Gorey (he created such a twisted, unique world...funny ha ha and funny VERY peculiar)
*Ed Benedict (designer of many Hanna-Barbera classic characters inc. Yogi B. and the Flintstones)

They say some people get obsessional about lists... I just cannot let this one go (failed the 15 minute rule well and truly!)

And to finish the post off the author of "There's a lion in my bathroom" asked me for some themed activities for a book signing he's doing this weekend:

British bookshops and stationers in Seaford Saturday 2nd October from 10am-1pm, there will be colouring and activity sheets for children to do, plus balloons with each signed book.

So I tweaked some of the book illustrations to get colouring in pages and drawing activities. What's the most yucky food you can think of...?

Renault 4 'life drawing' sketches by way of Juno...

2010-09-29T08:37:00.006+01:00

Odd one this post. I finally got to see the film Juno a few days ago, really enjoyed it, a fantastic script and performances. I was really taken by the production design, especially feel of the title sequence. It's nice to see that they carried through that loose naive sketch style through the film and into the promo materials and DVD / CD packaging, more often the case with an indie film than your standard hollywood fare don't you think...?

Although it doesn't tally with how I tend to go about my illustration I've always liked strong line based images, especially when balanced with bold flat graphics. Egon Schiele, Klee, Miro, Picasso... I think it was Paul Klee that talked about 'taking a line for a walk' when you sketch, and when I usually try and eliminate any 'excess lines' in my work I think it sometimes also loses a sprightliness. By way of nothing I was looking for something to warm up doodle and, for no real reason, I thought back to the quirky Renault 4 car my family drove when I was a kid. At the time you wanted to drive in the same cars everyone else did but, in retrospect, I really love the little things that made the Renault stand out from the crowd (a car outsider just like Juno in the film...? I shouldn't over analyse myself...). I remember the puzzling 'umbrella handle' gear stick that stuck out from the dashboard and the weird front bumper loops that I always thought were handles to pull the car by if it broke down! I'd usually construct my drawings with basic geometric volumes first in order to get all the relationships between elements fixed and then add line over the top but, in keeping with the Juno images bouncing around in my brain I just went at it, life drawing style, and to hell with the results. A lot of fun to loosen up and not over plan things.

colourful dozer

2010-09-16T21:10:00.002+01:00

Here's my colour plan for the painting. I tried this planning ahead process on my last birthday painting commission and it really help me out with sequencing which colours to paint in which order. The disadvantage / advantage of course is that you have a constant reminder of what colour you are aiming for. Mixing that paint colour and making sure it dries how you intend is another matter! For now pixels are familiar territory and I'm happy with how thing are looking.

bulldozers and 3 legged dogs...

2010-09-13T22:37:00.004+01:00

Unrelated outpourings from my drawing board. Here's a revised layout for the child's birthday painting I've been commissioned to paint. The parents opted for the bulldozer and asked for some tweaks here and there. Hopefully the little chap looks more like a caring tree planter, not a logger hell bent on deforesting! I'm thinking some nice texture and autumnal colours in all that dirt.

And why a 3 legged dog I hear you ask...? Olli's a work colleague's pooch (see my first ever blog post, boy has it been that long...) who sadly lost a leg earlier this year (well he didn't lose it, we know where it went but...you know...). Here's a quick doodle, he usually pops by my studio asking for a biscuit.

"There's a lion in my bathroom: nonsense poetry for children". The book is out now!

2010-09-11T18:58:00.003+01:00

Well I've been away for a few days, but what a way to take the edge of coming back from your holidays, finding your own book waiting for you! I'm delighted with how things have come out in the finished book. The print quality is excellent on both the cover and the internal pages. I'd really love to be able to share some of the text with you but you'll just have to buy it I guess :) A percentage of all sales goes to a very good cause, Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, so you can have a laugh and also do some good at the same time. As far as I know as yet, your best ports of call if you're interested will be:

the publishers Rebel Books LLP site
http://rebelbookspublishing.co.uk/bookshop.aspx

of course, the mighty amazon (do leave a review if you like what you see...:)

I've no idea if they will have any copies instore... but waterstones have it online.

If you do decide to buy, my endless thanks and I really hope you enjoy the book. Please feel free to drop me a line (email via my website) and let me know what you thought. You can also reach the author Giles Paley Philips via his website.

Exciting times!

& another thing...

2010-08-26T21:04:00.003+01:00

Hate to have variations go to waste... Here's my tryout for the birthday greeting in a cooler palette. Decisions decisions...

night all!

birthday bits & exciting things to come...

2010-08-26T19:55:00.007+01:00

There doesn't seem to have been the time for blogging over the last few days, but I my pencil hasn't gathered too much moss. I've been scribbling some words for my Jabberwocky story idea, but until the words work I'll hold off on the pictures. I really want to try and do a unique job on this one... If I can get my minds eye for the story out onto the page I'll be happy. But the words need to be solid first! Meanwhile birthdays seem to be a theme.

Firstly a quick email birthday greeting for a friend... A nice opportunity for graphic tablet calligraphy. When I've scrawled reminders to myself of late on scraps of paper they've been increasingly elaborate word doodles. I'm a big fan of hand lettering but it can be a fine line between spontaneous and harmoniously balanced, and cack handed, unfocused and illegible. Fun to play though... sometimes I think my visuals are regressing back to primary school activities. Perhaps not a bad thing, children's artwork is so unselfconscious, vibrant and expressive.

The second pair of sketches are for a little boy's second birthday. His folks saw the painting I did for another lad's birthday (previously & previously) and wanted something along similar lines. Needless to say, little Owen like's his bulldozers and diggers! I'll keep the blog posted on developments.

I got a lift yesterday when Nate Padavick over at theydrawandcook let me know my "marmalade flapjacks" was one of several recipe images picked out by a food magazine to illustrate an article about the theydarwandcook site. Given the plethora of superb artwork on the site I'm delighted and flattered that they liked mine enough to pick it out from the crowd. I'd love to do another recipe, maybe with the same character...? I'll keep the blog posted on developments.

And finally, I hope the Bathroom Lion book I did illustrations and the cover for (details on rebel books site here, here & here) will soon hit the shops... very exciting! I'll keep the blog posted!!!

The Fearsome Beastie, part the second... finally

2010-08-10T08:27:00.003+01:00

How can it be nearly a month since I last posted...?! Time to make amends right now! I was beavering away on this beastie character some weeks back now (previously, on matt's blog...) so I could put together a sample double page spread for the author of the story to pitch to some publishers. With my first attempts at the F.B.'s design I got a little caught up in my shorts. I've also got ideas for another 'monster' project on my drawing board (that's for another day... I hope...) and I was having trouble distinguishing the two characters in my own head. My first beastie designs were also not giving me the facial features I needed for the acting I wanted in the spread. Well, long story short (too late) I pretty much had all the nuts and bolts I needed in my preliminary beastie sketches (the doodle with the lampost had all I wanted for the beastie) so, with a monday deadline breathing down my neck (always focuses the mind) I cracked on this weekend to try and finish the spread. Ok, so I didn't quite make it but, in my defense, I did get the author a 97% finished spread to show then worked on the last 7% yesterday evening.

I really wanted to try and improve my drawing of children on this one. It's something I still find a challenge, to try and get distinct personalities instead of bland generic child 1, child 2... I'm still not sure about the blue skin children shown IN the night time shadows... I might have more of a children OF the night?! I did like the fact that giving them a nocturnal palette shifted attention to the two face beastie in the scene while picking out beastie colours for a limited palette in the children helped to balance the whole spread. Maybe I do need to give the beastie's evil side of the face the same blue treatment... but does that suggest some link with the children which I don't want to convay...?! Decisions decisions... On looking at things this morning the pool of lamp illumination on the floor does need adjusting as it seems to occupy a different plane to that of the dry brush cast shadows... so 99.9% done, 0.1% for tonight maybe. I could fiddle with the image forever (a bad habit of mine) but until there's any interest in the book what I have so far will have to do.

On a colour related note, if anyone reads this perhaps they'd be good enough to pipe up with a comment if they find the images way too dark on their screen...? They look fine on my iMac LCD monitor, print fine but look too 'X-Files' shadowy on another cathode ray monitor I sometimes use, despite my checking all the settings on hardware and software. I'm inclined to believe my iMac screen until told otherwise... Or maybe it's my tired eyes...

By the way all copyright on the text goes to the excellent Giles Paley-Philips

story text © Giles Paley Philips 2010

Filippo and Livingstone...

2010-07-12T00:03:00.002+01:00

Wanted to get this posted, now I can go to bed!

the indifferent lion...and existential angst of sorts.

2010-07-08T19:51:00.004+01:00

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!

the colourful gorilla (and other tales...)

2010-07-03T11:52:00.002+01:00

Sounded a bit like a book title (maybe / might be it is one / will be one..?)... I'm waffling at an early stage. Here's the second fearsome beastie for the smorgasbord. Just playing about still to rethink things and freshen up. I went way more colourful on this than I would usually do and also played around with how I use scanned in texture. Although I fiddled perhaps a little too much I'm very happy with how the texture went and fairly content that I managed to wrestle the colours into something, if not serene, then at least distinctive. I wasn't planning on the speech bubble at the end but the gorilla made me do it!

an ornamental alligator (try saying that 3 times really fast...)

2010-06-26T17:28:00.004+01:00

So, hello... how are you...? I've been trying to loosen up and get a little playful to shake myself out of my creative funk. With an eye to productivity and goals I also wanted whatever I dabbled with to hopefully be applicable to the Fearsome beastie book spread...which should be a simple matter, sorry Giles (the author).

So here's an alligator.... my plan being a smorgasbord (I love that word, don't you...) of a few fearsome beasts that take my fancy which I can pick and mix from to inspire the final beastie. I know, I know, friends have said what I have already is OK but, for whatever reason, and it's probably me being my own worst enemy with this, the FB design I have so far just doesn't allow me to stage the action how I want it and, less concrete a point, just isn't quite what I'm after.

Perhaps it's all about that nebulous search for a distinctive creative approach that makes me stand out in the illustration crowd (and boy it's crowded) while also flicking my creative switches... Still I'm enjoying the change of scene and exploring colour and pattern must be a good thing.

Talking of the 'illustration crowd' I had chance to meet a fine group of talented and friendly illustrator folk last weekend. We all crawled away from our screens and desks, out into the real world... If any of you read this it was great to see all your work, shoot the breeze and pick your brains. Many thanks again to Cass for sorting it all out. It'd be grand to do it again sometime...

Hermit the Frog.

2010-06-14T21:02:00.002+01:00

A silly bit of nonsense sketched straight onto the computer just so I can feel like I've done something creative today. Truth be told I've been a little creatively out of sorts the last few days. I've been pushing and pulling the fearsome beastie spread this way and that but I really need to stand back and get some perspective on things. I feel like I've got two left hands (which is OK but I'm right handed...). I'll post just as soon as I get my 'illustrator trousers' back from the dry cleaners.

The Fearsome Beastie - part the first

2010-06-06T17:51:00.005+01:00

A busy week or so but I've finally been able to knuckle down to some proper work on "The Fearsome Beastie" project I mentioned. Early days but I'm pretty happy with the character design so far. It remains to be seen if it will be suitable once I start fitting it into the story proper and what tweeks I'll have to make. The broad strokes of the tale are the Fearsome B comes into town on a dark and snowy night and proceeds to panic the local kiddiwinks. It gets it's just deserts in the end of course. The text calls for sharp claws, multiple tails and fangs. The author was also keen for scales and hair. I couldn't resist the multiple eyes after using them on an earlier character. I'm hoping they will prove useful in the spread I'm going to draw up where the FB has to sit and sob, all the while biding it's time till the kiddies get close... the two faced, four eyed swine! I must admit the multiple tails proved awkward at first. I wouldn't have chosen that feature myself but, as is often the case, I'm glad to have been pushed somewhere different. Still plenty to do...

a whole load of woodpeckers

2010-05-26T20:05:00.003+01:00

One post a week is too few. I hope to be starting work on a story book spread about a "Fearsome Beastie" with the author of 'Bathrrom Lion' which we will then pitch to whoever will look at it. As soon as I have any sketches dear blog...!

Here's a woodpecker painting I worked on over the weekend as an alternative to a birthday card for my dad. A greater spotted woodpecker has been hanging round my folk's garden so I thought why not. I don't know if I'm on a downer about my work of late but even after two versions I still haven't quite got the feel I was looking for. So many, many woodpeckers...what's the collective noun...? A 'splinter' of woodpeckers...a "rat-a-tat-tat"...a "percussion'...? Answers if you please... The more stylised top painting is my final version. I was vaguely aiming for a Charlie Harper feel (not that I could ever come close to his characterful abstractions. He really knew his birds and animals), but I feel mine lacks a spark. It is a woodpecker though so I guess it fits the bill OK. It was a chance to experiment with acrylics though, something I've not done in years. I was pleasantly surprised at how nicely they behaved in comparison to gouache. Like all my recent paintings I'm still frustrated by the colour matching though. My digital roughs seem to undergo a change for good and bad when I move into paint. Hopefully it will come with time. Onward. A fearsome beastie asap...!

first synthetic living cell, where might it end...?

2010-05-20T20:29:00.002+01:00

Just a thought on a piece of news I heard today. Scientists are at it again (they never stop do they...) and have succeeded in creating the worlds first synthetic living cell by implanting artificial DNA into an empty host cell. Not yet the scare story that some of the press would have you believe but where might we end up with this genetic jiggerypokery...? As yet the results of this procedure aren't all that different from the genetic modification we have had for some years now, and I'm sure there are many laudable uses for the process, but I do wonder what the consequences might be if we don't think very carefully about whether we should do something just because we are able to... Has the fuse just been lit on an almighty boom...?

a face to the name... too scary...?!!

2010-05-19T21:02:00.005+01:00

Wow two posts in one day! Careful Matt people might say you are actually making use of your blog...! I've been umming and arrrhing on whether to post this or not in it's present state but I might as well put it out there and see if it frightens the kiddies away! While working on the "Lion In My Bathroom" book the publishers asked for a biog and photo for their site (I won't link, if you are unfortunate to happen on it while surfing the 1's and 0's maybe a stiff drink will help you over the shock :). Now I'm never happy in front of the lens so I thought I'd play about with a self portrait pic which I could maybe also use for the blog profile pic. It's been years since I seriously tried a self portrait and the same thing still seems to occur. I don't know about anyone else but do you find your self portraits always come out too stern and intense...? Now perhaps that's to be expected when you work using a mirror... but I was working from a photo where I tried to lighten up! I think this could benefit from some adjusting.... say cheese maybe...?! But a blog is for life not just for the highlights so in the interests of sharing here I sort of am.

Broome Street Review illustration.

2010-05-19T20:44:00.002+01:00

I was delighted to be contacted some weeks back now by an arts/literary journal based in New York who had happened upon my blog and liked an illustration I had done for an Illustration Friday topic "instinct". Isn't the web a great place...it provides the impetus to come up with work and (if you are very fortunate) people who are prepared to pay for that work. So I'm indebted to The Broome Street Review for liking my work enough to get in touch and I can heartily recommend you visit their site and blog if you are in the mood to have your post modern artistic sensibilities stimulated and stretched.

Painted Mandrill

2010-05-11T22:18:00.002+01:00

Gouache and collage. 285mm x 232mm

Here's my long overdue Mandrill in the intermittent 'twisted creatures' game played with my good friends Kev & Phil. It's been a funny one this. I'm pretty happy with the collaged mandrill itself but I kinda got a bit carried away with the painted background. I think it would have benefited from a bit more planning, as I would usually do. Maybe it was the Matisse programme I saw on TV recently that got me carried away... Compositionally and graphically I don't feel it quite holds together... that said I'm pleased with the colour palette and 50's vibe, and I had fun loosening up and just going at it Pollock / Miro style so not all bad. As an exercise in getting more comfortable with gouache I cannot complain too much I suppose.

marmalade flapjacks

2010-05-03T18:25:00.008+01:00

Hi blog! Miss me...?! Following links via two excellent, and talented, fellows blogs (Michael Robertson & Abz Hakim ) I happened upon the marvellous they draw and cook blog run by Nate Padavick & Salli Swindell....phew enough name checks for now....What a great idea for a site as so many creatives are bound to like getting creative in the kitchen too. Some ridiculously talented folks have posted submissions to this blog (illustrate your own recipe to the page layout brief on the blog) so I hope my humble effort cuts the mustard (no pun intended :) I had a blast doing the illustration. Deciding on the arm layout was a bit of a fiddle, and I nearly forgot the honey (though that's not why the honey ingredient has bees instead of an arm, I just couldn't fit another arm on the page... that, and I like drawing bees...) but it's great to try and get your head round visualising a process like this... a bakery story if you will. I'd be interested to hear if anyone 'reads the story' and attempts the flapjacks... PS. if anyone is wondering on the strange text spacing on parts of the layout there's a page gutter in there I was trying to steer clear of.

quite a few giraffes...

2010-04-25T15:37:00.003+01:00

gouache and collage 220mm x 330mm

Where do all the days go...? Amongst other mundane things last week I followed up on a link recommended by several good friends and went over to "one million giraffes". As the name implies this site is after one million giraffes, created in any means except on the computer... as this would be (quote) "too easy" (OK, don't get me started, safe to say I don't agree with that ! anyhow...). Once I got began I just couldn't stop and so, 10 or so giraffes for the cause later, here I am. I guess I have to add giraffes to the list of other things I find myself drawing obsessively from time to time. Also it was a grand excuse to paint something again. I still think my colour mixing is letting me down... I got carried away and deviated from the earth tone digital colour sketch I started with, both for good and bad. At the least I really should have used the collage way of working as an opportunity to redo the chrysler building (which is veering too close to magenta for my liking). Similarly the giraffe on the left is too vibrant. As a whole though I can live with some points OK. In case you are wondering about the giraffes at the bottom with the blotchy painted outlines, they are from the waste paper left after I had finished painting the collage elements for the main painting. I dooodled in the gaps while I waited for the main painting to dry. Positive space giraffes, negative space... my desk is overrun!!! Enough long necked tomfoolery for now...I have more constructive creative work I should really concentrate on.

Fly Icelandic...

2010-04-18T18:12:00.003+01:00

I knew I could do better with this idea and since I've been backing up my files all day I needed something creative to play with. I was aiming for the retro feel of the classic 1950 / 60's airline posters for TWA and BOAC, don't know if I quite got there, but it's fun to try, and as this is still very much a topical story, I thought I'd give it another go. For anyone reading this who isn't in Europe I don't know how publicized the story has been around the globe but the broad strokes are that a volcano with an unpronounceable name ( Eyjafjallajoekull volcano ) in southern Iceland has been doing what volcanos do from time to time and belching out great clouds of ash all over Europe. Playing on the safe side air traffic authorities have called a halt to most commercial flights as this ash can play merry hell with a planes engines, not to mention sandblasting the rest of an aircraft back to the bone. Kinda conjures up images from Dick Dastardly & Muttley trying to catch the pigeon and having their plane disintegrated around them to the sound of a buzz saw.

Icelandic volcano brings British airspace to a halt...

2010-04-16T21:12:00.002+01:00

I was doodling at work today and this is a quick 20 minute comment on the news of the day.

A boy & his monkey, the finished painting.

2010-04-13T08:54:00.003+01:00

Gouache, watercolour and coloured pencil on cream watercolour paper. 210mm x 225mm

Finally, after getting back from my easter travels, I got chance to put brush to paper and finished the painting on sunday. The client was really happy with the scan I showed him (phew, a relief) and, all being well, royal mail will deliver it safe and sound today. Very rewarding to have completed my first serious gouache (well OK gouache, watercolour and coloured pencil) but quite nerve wracking to work without the safety net of an undo command, especially as I was putting on the finishing touches and couldn't resist adding a leaf here and there, or tweeking the iris colours. Just one slip of the brush! Makes me all the more keen to tackle more painting. So nice to have that physical artwork on your desk to show for all your days efforts.I'd also really love to marry up the best bits of gouache with the best bits of digital. Those things that take a lot of fiddling in the computer (natural texture and flow of line) come so freely with painting while those painting challenges (control of line, sharp edges, accurate colour and the all important correction of mistakes) play to photoshops strengths. Cannot wait to play further!

A boy and his monkey.

2010-03-30T08:36:00.003+01:00

Firstly, thanks so much to everyone who dropped by and said such nice things about Bathroom Lion, I really appreciate it folks! For those who asked it will, hopefully, be published October time. There's a chance it will be available on Amazon, and the publishers will have it on their site. When I know more I'll be sure and post about it.

I've been working on a commission for a little boy's first birthday present. His parents wanted a painting of the little guy riding a monkey, maybe holding it's ears, and wearing a green T-shirt with a 1 on it... the rest was however I wanted to take it. I showed them 2 versions of initial sketches, which I also splashed some quick colour on. They loved the colour palette of the left hand version with the character design of the right so last nights task was a marriage of the two. The parents are happy with version 3 (save for keeping the original sun design , showing the boy's teeth and having him bear foot) so the next step is to get out the paints! It's going to be a useful exercise in pushing me into doing more natural media pieces. I'd love to get my eye in with gouache as well so I've tried to design things with an eye to the final painting process. I guess I'll know how easy I've made my life when I get cracking over the easter break. I'm away for a few days so it will make a nice holiday project as it will like as not be raining! I'll post the final piece when I have it. Enjoy your secular chocolate eggs folks!

Bathroom Lion Cover, woohoo!

2010-03-18T19:30:00.003Z

I'm really happy to finally be able to post something further on the bathroom lion book. No doubt a few tweaks to come here and there but this is the cover. Just 2 more illustrations for the inside of the book and I'm done! I've also posted an in progress lion doodle and my exploration of lion's paw bath legs... Although the showering lion was always going to be in silhouette I felt the need to know who I was dealing with behind the curtain. I think I read somewhere that Arthur Rackham always used to draw the rough details on his silhouette illustrations before inking in... I'd say it's essential in order to get a silhouette that really looks like it's owner. The multicoloured version of the hand lettered title is just a bit of whimsy to see what it would look like using the palette of the cover. More soon!

Cards, cards...Happy Mothers Day /Birthday!

2010-03-14T17:51:00.003Z

Finally I get round to another post. I've a few things coming up which I can finally post on so my sadly neglected blog can feel wanted again. Today's efforts are a pair of cards I actually produced without going any where near a computer... wow who knew you can be creative without photoshop ;) The abstract watercolour collage is for my lovely mum's mother's day card. Islands, hills, rocks... please take your pick. Now I look at how I placed the 3 forms I think they are a bit too bunched up... but my card base was only A5 and I was loathed to trim the pieces down (and lose some of those interesting happenstance textures) to give me more room. My thanks to the inspirational, texture packed watercolourist krisztina maros for her tip on using salt with watercolour. I'm having a lot of fun with the effects... ta for sharing your trade secret!
The second collage is for my good friend Phil's birthday. He's had a wild thing vibe in his work for a while now so I thought it only appropriate! A bit of a rush job but I did enjoy reusing the character treatment I had for Carol (I guess IT/he now has a name) in my terrible yellow eyes submission. Sendak really knew what he was doing when he designed those wild things! More posts in the week.

Shrimp Gumbo!

2010-02-24T21:49:00.003Z

A long and crappy day in my regular day job today so I badly needed something to let off steam and remind me life is colourful and fun! These little shrimps (or the singular as plural if you prefer) have been sitting in my sketch book since I had call to make use of them. Thought I'd let them out and play... I'm happier now.

Edmund was much happier swimming once he found a way to stop water going up his nose.

2010-02-21T18:29:00.003Z

I've been playing hooky from the book project for a few hours. I desperately wanted something for the blog and you know when you just have an urge to draw a polar bear in a diving suit... or is that just me...? I've tried the same technique as the previous fly, completing the illustration fully in grayscale first then adding colour over the top. OK I've pulled my punches a little and gone for a more tinted basic colour scheme, but as a way of working I'd love to try it out further. It creates as many working issues as it solves but it's worth another punt I think. Now I see the polar bear and fish cropped in I suppose all I really needed to show was everything below the waterline, still drawing able seaman 'Rusty' and his pump was fun too :)

My usual heartfelt thanks to all who have been stopping by and commenting... and my usual apologies for not reciprocating as I should!

Flies...

2010-02-01T08:31:00.003Z

Still busy on the book, and my blogging has suffered as a consequence. I'd love to be posting everything I do but understandably the publishers want to keep their powder dry for when the book is available. I'd also love to take the time out to comment on everyone else's splendid blog works but once I get started panning through the blogosphere for nuggets of pure gold I can loose hours, and I've set myself the task of finishing all 15 illustrations plus cover as quickly as humanly possible, so please bear with me...

In the same vain as the last posts this next is the "Sid The Fly" character isolated from the rest of the illustration (to keep the surprise). Although all the pictures in the book are to be greyscale I couldn't resist trying out some colour on this one and I really enjoyed the way of working, adding colour over the top of full greyscale watercolour texture, plus extra digitally toned work. The final result obviously isn't quite as subtle in the colour variations as true watercolour, but you do have fast, fine, flexible control over your colour choices. I know some painters and illustrators do like to work in this manner, full tone in paint or pencil then colour over the top. This fly trial was very quick to do so I'd really like to do a finished illustration with this new way of working. I might well trial it on the front of the book as the cover uses an expanded version of one of the greyscale interior illustrations. I think it could suit my Jabberwocky plans too... when I eventually start them in earnest!

Bathroom Lion vignettes

2010-01-25T21:52:00.003Z

Too long between posts! I've been beavering away on the book project in every spare moment and I'm happy, on the whole, with the way things are progressing. Still a fair few illustrations to go, and unfortunately I won't be able to post the finished pics on the blog for now. In saying that I do have a couple of vignette creatures that I've just finished for the "Beddy-byes Land" illustration (previously on mattdawsonblog...) which I can post. The publishers of the book were keen on sketch version 3 but also liked the bearded bees from the other sketches and asked for a bee to go along with the king and his cleaner. The scale issues of the little bee alongside the two figures didn't sit well with me but I felt a happy compromise was to isolate it as a top of the page vignette to accompany the main king and cleaner illustration in the page centre. Finally, for composition and added interest, I also worked in another vignette of a moustachioed snake for the foot of the page. Here they both are... More of something, anything, when I can :)

Twisted Creatures part the 7 "The Giraffe."

2010-01-17T15:45:00.005Z

Well I've been playing hooky from my book project today in order to get out the next twisted creature, a project I share with my esteemed colleagues Messrs Morgan and Levell. Phil's last choice of animal was the giraffe so I present my little sketchy bit of fun. My twisted train of thought stopped at long neck, guillotine and French Revolution so what could make more sense (??!) than a long necked aristo ready for the chop. Please tell me if the frog is one step the wrong side of racist... I was thinking lion or cheetah as a possible revolutionary but, rightly or wrongly, the frog just seemed to fit.

For reference my first port of call is always a google image search but I just wasn't getting the costume pictures I wanted for the revolutionary and the aristocrat. In the back of my mind was the sublime Blackadder, and the "Nob and Nobility" episode in Blackadder the Third with the French Revolution storyline. In the end I thought why look elsewhere, so I put on the DVD, sketched costume reference straight into photoshop and had a fun few minutes laughing and drawing. Clothing is always a constant bind for me to get right in my work. Pardon the pun, but I always get wrapped in in my shorts over the the details. Collars don't fit in with my character design or pose, what side are the buttons on, how many buttons... and don't get me started on having to work out hairstyles! Long story short I didn't follow the Blackadder costumes exactly, I felt the revolutionary needed the blue jacket and stripped pantaloons to be more peasant like, but the whole Blackadder exercise was fun and productive. Enough rambling, as always thanks very much for looking. The next twisted creature will be a Mandrill (pretty unusual to start with!).

additional: arrgh, all I can see now is the frog's terrible weight distribution... why doesn't he fall backwards, is he nailed to the floor!!! It's only a bit of fun, let it go Matt...!

Twisted creatures "Camel Spiders"

2010-01-07T18:57:00.003Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE & ALL! Hope you had jolly holidays and are raring to dive headlong into 2010! I've made a start on the first final artwork for the "There's A Lion In My Bathroom" book. Not sure what I'll be able to show on this but I'll keep the blog posted with whatever I can. To kick the blogging off in this shiny new year here is my (long overdue...) response to the Twisted Creatures project I share with my good friends Phil & Kev. For your amusement (I hope) may I present "Camel Spiders". After my 4 eyed robot and many eyed fly (previously on matts blog...) any excuse from here on in to draw something with more than 2 eyes... it's just so much fun! The next Twisted Creature is to be the Giraffe, so expect long necked shenanigans before too long :)

"Shy Ted" - xmas present

2009-12-20T13:05:00.004Z

I won't try and explain the meaning of this gift for my dad (I think you had to be there...) but nevertheless he asked for a pitiful greyhound called "Shy Ted" (and yes there is the other phonetic meaning that name... get it...? It's OK I didn't at first either...) winning a trophy at the dog track. Bit out of left field for my dad as he doesn't have any interest in greyhound racing (not the real reference for the pic), nor do I. Anyway, it was a good exercise in getting back to real media. As Ronald Searle was quoted as saying on matt jones excellent Ronald Searle blog:

"Forgive me if I take advantage of this exotic occasion to make a small plea as an infatuated pen & ink dipper. Please do not forget that the magical pen line still exists! Also, merely as an observer, I feel that some of you could switch off the automatic pilot and wing your way into wilder territory. Just a thought."

I know I do too much work relying on the digital safety net (or, as Searle says, automatic pilot). Photoshop really is a warm, fuzzy and predictable place to work, but sticking to the computer precludes (to some extent at any rate) the unexpected (or skillful hand where Ronald Searle is concerned...) improving the work. I adore working in watercolour, especially when something surprising, and not aimed for, occurs. There is also the personal touch (and commodity of a finished hands on piece) that natural media give you.

I never quite get there when I don't work on the computer (even on the computer I never quite get what I'm after...but at least I can tickle and retickle to get closer... apple Z and file "version2.psd" :) With this pic for my dad there are a handful of things I'm happy with and a flood of things I'm desperate to apple Z! I seldom ink my pencils but the painting was crying out for more contrast so I braved the dip pen on a finished watercolour without a safety net. aaaargh! Still, put anything in a mount in a frame and it looks more considered. Regardless of what I think I guess it's the thought that counts... and it doesn't hurt to leave my comfort zone. Onward with the never ending search to balance the real and the digital!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Happy Holidays Everyone! KEEP CALM AND CAROL ON

2009-12-13T15:05:00.002Z

I normally like to draw something for my christmas cards but I've still got things on the drawing board begging to be finished off before the silly season propper so I took the graphic route and did a knock off of the KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON POSTER...y'know it...? I loved the sentiment when I first saw it, but perhaps the reference is wearing thin with over exposure...? I didn't let that didn't stop me though :) I've been very lax on the blog commenting front. Hopefully I'll get comments and best wishes to individual blogs before santa arrives but just in case

To all who have been kind enough to stop by the blog and say hi HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! Here's to more blogging in the new year.

There's a Lion in my Bathroom - sketches 15

2009-12-10T08:53:00.004Z

And finally..."Chuck the Shark." Poor old Hammerhead Chuck is picked on by the callous shrimps and squid because of the shape of his head. Even Snorky the limping shrimp joins in, you think he'd know better than that about what it feels like to be an outsider. Still the bullies get their just desserts as along comes a trawler net and scoops them all up. Lucky for them Chuck has a forgiving nature (and sharp teeth) because he comes to the rescue and the shrimps and squid learn a valuable lesson.

This one took a little longer to complete than I expected. The look of Chuck came pretty quickly. In fact the shark design I used on sheet 2 was only my third scribble in the sketch book... normally I waste at least a couple of pages worth before I get a sniff of a direction to go in! Of course I then went around the houses trying out more geometric designs for the head (ala version 3) before I decided what I had originally would be OK. What really took the time was all the secondary characters. I originally thought I could interpret the text in such a way as to have a whole collection of interesting sea creatures to fill the net (see the last sheet). I did try the layout from version two, filling the net with lots of different characters, but it really didn't read clearly enough. Besides that I reread the text a few times and it dawned on me I really shouldn't be using any creatures other than the squid and shrimps. Next came many shrimp and squid sketches (both happy/evil and also sad. Luckily I'd got my shrimp sketch eye in previously with Snorky, and surprisingly, shrimp are quite relaxing to draw on mass. The squid tentacles can run away with you if you're not careful but they are a lot of fun too. On a related note, while gathering image reference for the squid I happened upon pictures of FLYING SQUID... who knew...?! Isn't natural history a constant marvel! Anyway, back to my waffle... I ended up with more squid and shrimp than I needed as, when it came down to populating the net and Chuck's surroundings I felt I should keep the bullies fairly large so they read clearly at size. Enough said! So that wraps it up for the initial sketch work on the book. Hopefully feedback will be positive and I'll start on the final illustrations come the new year.