Thursday 31 March 2011

Book Covers/ Brochures

Swansea Metropolitan University's
3rd Year Graduate Exhibition 2011


 This was my original idea for the
cover of our exhibition brochure 


This was my final image for the brochure cover.


Tuesday 29 March 2011

Landscapes Cityscapes

Swansea Cityscapes

Oceana Nightclub Complex, The Kingsway, Swansea


Some proportions are a little off, but I did this by eye
rather than using photoshop tools to preserve a sense 
of artistic content and avoid an almost photographic image.
This goes for the image of Salubrious Place below, the 
colour blue for the dome was a nightmare to match, but I 
think I got it.


Mumbles


I painted this while waiting for a medical appointment at
Singleton Hospital in Swansea (8th Floor),

Swansea City From Mumbles


This was painted on a beautiful summer day in 2009
I ended up with quite an audience while I did this.

Mount Pleasant Campus


I painted this image on a Sunday morning in Mount
Pleasant. The style is inspired by Das Bleu Reiter 
Group (The Blue Riders).

Swansea Railway Station


This sketch took forty minutes to complete, I did it 
while I was waiting on the station, in first class no less.
I loved the low cloud on the mountain. I pass this on my way
 home every day so I am particularly fond of this sketch.

Coconuts Resort, Western Samoa

I Painted this image while I was staying at Coconuts Resort,
a fabulous place to stay. The owners and staff were lovely as the scenery.

Penarth Cliffs


This day I took my paints to Penarth and I had just 
completed this painting when it tipped down with 
rain. It was still a great day.





Tuesday 22 March 2011

Pen and Ink

Astral Travel !

I began this piece on the train to Norwich. I may have become 
a little obsessive on the detail, but I hope I didn't lose the humour.
The general gist of the drawing is aliens visited us in the night and 
took all the cars away because they thought they were hurting us. 


Friday 11 March 2011

LIFE DRAWING The Lovely Cassie

The Lovely Tonia


This image is from an extra life drawing class I
took with the lovely Jo. While I was drawing Tonia,
 I became aware of the girls behind her and their intense
concentration and decided to add the artists into the mix. 
The model, Tonia and my tutor Jo both have a copy of
this piece as does the lady in the red scarf. The media is
coloured pencil.




Six One Minute Sketches

I love one minute studies, they force you to be spontaneous and to loose the 
precious element you cant get by drawing and re-drawing over and over. 
I miss Cassie since she retired, she had a balletic grace and a wonderful maturity.
I hope I captured this.


Cass In A Cage

This day Cass looked so melancholy, it was beautiful and sad at the same time.


Cass In Colour

Cass Caged 2

For this image I used coloured pencil and watercolour










Thursday 3 March 2011

FEMME FATAL LAPTOP COVERS

Verata The Vampyre


Verata was my first Femme Fatal, I wanted to use a different medium for each 
image and Verata was my oils girl. I wanted her to look seductive and a little 
dangerous as she invites you to join her in the ruined lighthouse in the background

Rose And The Lion


This was meant to show Rose as a strong young woman protecting an
old weak Lion. This won a place at the Monkey Bar's first exhibition.


Poppy The Geisha


I used quite cliched Japanese images for this image, but some things just say 
Japan better than others. Poppy the geisha is all fun and mischief, but she is
 no fool. Trained in classical Japanese instruments to entertain you, witty and 
charming, but it is going to cost you! Poppy is my watercolour girl.

Marina The Mermaid

Marina the mermaid is also mischievous and playful,
She wants you to come and play, forever. She is my 
water-soluble crayon girl.

Serene The Siren


Serene is another version of Mermaid from Greek legend.
She sings her song and lures ships onto the rocks, taking 
the sailors to the murky depths to keep her company.
Serene is my coloured pencil girl.

Medusa The Gorgon


Medusa brooks no nonsense as she guards the entrance to Hades, 
the Greek Hell. A ravishing beauty punished for giving
 her favors to a God while her chastity was promised to Venus. 
Medusa is my ink girl

Emily The Victorian Ghost


Emily rises every night to search for a man to replace her
murdered paramore. Be careful, a one night stand wont do 
for this moral young lady, she wants you for eternity! 
Emily is a mixture of oil pastels, water-soluble crayon and acrylic.

Winona The Witch


Winona is a modern girl, she likes fun and is in touch
with her sensual, magical side. If she doesn't put a spell
on you, she'll just have to charm you instead.
Winona is my acrylic girl.


Medusa Prototype 1


Medusa Prototype 2
This medusa was done in the studio at Swansea Metropolitan University.
When the red paint ran down her face I was gutted, but on reflection I like 
this. It gives her a more sinister look.
This Medusa is a watercolour girl.

Lady Nighttime


Lady Nighttime is not part of the Femme Fatal Laptop Girls, 
but she seemed to fit best here with them. Maybe it's her stern expression.

Lady Nighttime Pensive


Lady Nighttime takes a moment out.
Lady nighttime is an Adobe Photoshop CS4 girl.









Wednesday 2 March 2011

WEAVEWORLD by CLIVE BARKER

This is my favourite book and Tim White's original artwork is my favourite book
cover.Naturally when I had to choose an adult book to illustrate, I chose this.
We begin with No33 escaping from the coop to join the anomalous flock of multiple
bird species attracted by the weaveworlds' magic field. One of my favourite
illustrators/Authors Jackie Morris (Snow Leopard, Lord of the Jungle) said that she
loved this image and made my day.

The rough sketch for the house on Rue Street where Mimi Lanchenski guarded the weave for decades.


A Coloured version

Triumverate of Evil
Immaculata, The Hag and The Magdelene

Susan, the unwitting participant in a story she had always been a part of.


Very rough sketch of "The Fugue" or Weaveworld.

Rough sketch of the window in Rue Street where No33 escaped to.

Immaculata
The Incantatrix, The Eternal Virgin, Nemesis of Weaveworld
The next six images are experiments with colouring immaculata as 
she bulds her energy to sends out darts of menstruum from every
 orifice in her body.






This last image is almost right, but not quite.


This final image has the menstruum added, I love that Immaculatas' eyes look so cold.
The menstruum is a weapon that can be used to create or to rip apart and is a rare gift
only posessed by females of the seerkind. 
Thank You Clive Barker for such a lovely, well described character.



PERFUME FOR PENGUIN DESIGN AWARDS 2010

PERFUME

Final Image for Black Perfume Cover
 
Cover with applicable text and logos
Final Image for Red Perfume Cover



Red Perfume Cover with applicable text

A little development work for the perfume cover


ALICE IN WONDERLAND FOR PENGUIN DESIGN AWARDS 2010


I always loved the surreal nonsense of Alice In Wonderland
so the chance to illustrate it myself was a thrill regardless of whether it would be a success



I love "The Lobster Quadrille"









The Caucous Race
Another delicious slice of nonsensefrom Mr Carroll









Alice For Bolognia Festival
Colour was a little washed out here

The colour is a little deeper here which I prefer

Alice chats to The Caterpillar


A mischievous and sexy Alice, not for the kids


This is one of my favourite ink drawing as Alice looks like she is having fun!


This is an Alice image, but it was done as a 
birthday card for my friend and great illustrator 
Laura Jenkins.