LIFE DRAWING
























More from the auld life drawing sketchbook. Haven't been to a class since i started 28 Days Later, but i'll get back to it once the summer's over. Like how i managed to keep things simple with this one.

Dec.

'FOR THE LOVE OF' EXHIBITION THIS THURSDAY













Mentioned this last week, but just a reminder to any Dublin-heads who read this blog, that the Rocketeer drawing i did for the Eclectic Micks blog (that everyone likes so much) is included in a group exhibition this Thursday. The exhibition runs until the 16th of July, but the opening will be at 7pm this Thursday, in Mill Street Studios.

Any time i've said 'Mill Street' to anyone i hear "Where....?" so here's a map for your benefit.

Might see some of ye there.

































Dec.

POE #2 COVER ART
























Greetings. I posted art for a cover i did for issue 1 of BOOM! Studio's POE series a while back. Well, i also did the art for one of the covers of the second issue. Here's the final line art. I'll post a cover-process thingy once i get a chance.

Dec.

28 DAYS LATER ALTERNATE COVER

Hey all. I've already posted the Tim Bradstreet and Sean Phillips covers for issue 1 of 28 Days Later, but i saw this recently; the third alternate cover by Brett Weldele
























He drew a graphic novel called The Surrogates that's being made into a movie. I dug around a bit and found the has posted more 28 Days Later covers too. Check them out here.

(That was an easy post; didn't have to draw anything for it for once)

Dec.

'FOR THE LOVE' OF EXHIBITION
























Just framed the Rocketeer piece i did for the Eclectic Micks blog today. It's been accepted for an exhibition next month. Considired yourself invited. Yes, i mean you. And that guy beside you. Not the other guy though. He's weird. More about the exhibition here.













Dec.

2D SKETCHES: PART THREE

Here's the last of the documented sketches from the 2D Festival a few weeks ago.


















Really happy with this one. Probably the only decent Silver Surfer drawing i've ever done. With these sketches i tried to get as experimental as i could, so i drew the shape of the surfer and his board and used the negative space to define it, using layers of greywash to get some sense of 'depth' in the space background.

























The person looking for a sketch asked me to draw them as an Infected, since i'm drawing 28 Days Later and all, so that's what i went and done. Thought it might need some deinition when i finished it, so drew a thick black outline around the figure. Wish i hadn't now. Looked better without it. Ah well, live and learn i guess.

























Definitely one of the weirdest requests ever; Michael Jackson as a zombie, a la his Thriller video. Drew this from memory. Haven't checked to see how accurate is is since, but i think it's fairly close.




















I quite like this one too. A girl saw the Local drawing i had done for the Eclectic Micks blog and asked me to draw a girl like that. Took me a while to figure out a composition i was happy with, but it was worth it; i like how this one came out in the end.

Right; that's it for the 2D Festival sketches. Have no idea what i'm gonna post next in a couple of days. Will have to come up with somethin' i guess.

Dec.

2D SKETCHES: PART TWO (MORE BATMAN)

Here's some more sketches from the 2D Festival; all of them of Batman. Batman is a good default character for me to sketch; everyone knows him and i always enjoy trying to come up with a graphic-looking sketch. Plus, you can be a little more experimental when you're using a character that is easily identifiable like Batman.
























This one is a standard, symmetrical-looking cape. Tried adding a lot of texture with the ink/inkwash.
























This one is pretty similar to the previous one (i try not to repeat a sketch) but i started by drawing a random shape on the page and then work the composition of the cape around that shape. Fun to try.
























Really like this one. The person looking for the sketch actually asked me to do a silhouetted image of Batman (which he'd seen me do for someone else earlier), which i roughed out on the page. I was gonna black out most of the page and leave his outline, just so it would be a little different but once i'd blacked out the background, i really liked the negative space left on the page. Added some rough ink lines, blacked-out the Bat signal and it was done. Really wish i had a good scan of this one. Ah well; a fuzzy photo will have to do.

Dec.

2D SKETCHES: PART ONE

As promised, here's some sketches from the 2D Festival in Derry. They're photos, not scans, so the quality is a bit weak, but you get the gist of them. The Batman one was the very first sketch i did, so that's why it's probably a little more ...well ....boring. I was starting to find my 'groove' by the time i drew Gambit.














































I'll post more sketches in a couple of days.

Dec.

FRANKENSTEIN WINS U.S. AWARD











Just heard Frankenstein received an award on Friday; given by the Association of Educational Publishers in America, for Distinguished Achievement in grades 9-12. I've been told very notable educational publisher enters these awards, so for Classical Comics to win with their first attempt is a great accomplishment.

Congratulations to Clive Bryant, Jason Cobely, Jon Haward, Jason Cardy, Kat Nicholson and everyone else involved. This is great news.

A full list of the winners can be seen here.

Dec.

2D FESTIVAL REPORT 2009

Well, here it is; my 2D report.

As opposed to the previous event i attended in 2008, this year i was asked to participate in some workshops on the days leading up to the actual Saturday. Safe to say i met some very talented kids (along with some teeny girls who had an unusual fascination with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine). We were all treated like royalty (which is a dramatic change from how i'm usually treated like a boxcar hobo)

Some of the 2D guests who were also participating in workshops; myself (w/deep-fried ice cream), Rufus Dayglo, D'Israeli, Bryan Talbot, Bridgeen Gillespie, Garry Leach and 2D organiser David Campbell. Photo by Bridgeen Gillespie.

On Friday morning Mike Collins and myself had a talk about our work for Classical Comics. Mike's A Christmas Carol has been gathering praise from all corners and it was very flattering to contribute to a talk with him. We covered many aspects of trying to adapt classical literature into a graphic novel format and we showed examples of pages and the process by which they come together (i ended up using a lot of the 'process' images from this very blog)

Mike showing his pencilled pages from 'A Christmas Carol'.

Mike discussing his work for Classical Comics


Myself, talking about my 'Frankenstein' graphic novel and the 'Sweeney Todd' project i'm currently in the middle of.

Mike and myself having a laugh. God only knows what about. Probably laughing at something i drew. Thanks to D'Israeli for the above photos

After more workshops, the event moved to Sandino's where a couple of panels were set up. Not really sure why, but i was asked to host both of them. Probably because of my talent for rambling nonsense. The first panel; The State of Comic Art' was something i was interested in discussing and hearing the other artist's opinion on how mainstream art has changed over the years, the impact of technology on art, etc, was all really interesting. To me, at least.

'The State of Comic Art' panel with myself, D'Israeli, Rufus Dayglo, Mike Collins and Andie Tong. Photo by Bridgeen Gillespie.


After that was an 'Eclectic Micks present Homegrown Heroes' panel. A ramshackle panel to match the ramshackle podcast we did a while back. Seriously though, it was a good laugh; myself and fellow Micks Mooney, Roche and Sliney got a say along with Phil Barrett, Bridgeen Gillespie and Deirdre de Barra. We covered all things Irish-comics related. As best as i can remember i was a bit pessimistic regarding an Irish comics 'industy' but there were plenty of folk there to argue with me, and do a good job too. It was nice to have a whole panel to discuss the comic scene in Ireland, so fair play to Dave for organizing it.

The full Eclectic Micks panel; Myself, Stephen Mooney, Will Sliney, Nick Roche, Deirdre de Barra, Bridgeen Gillespie and Phil Barrett.


More talking. And laughing, it seems.


Nick flexes his patented charm


Mooney and Moojoo (Mooney Jr) share a chuckle





















Mooney and myself debate serious life issues. And comics. All above photos by D'Isreali.



Of course, 2D isn't 2D without all the Open-Day shenanigans. Here are some photos robbed from Facebook. Most likely from Ciaran Flanagan or Bridgeen Gillespie.








I took some photos of sketches i did over the day; i'll post them during the week.

EDIT: How could i forget! A HUGE thanks to organiser David Campbell and all his crew who really took care of all of us who attended the festival. Thanks guys!
Dec.

BACK AT WORK
























Hi All. Sorry i haven't posted in a while; i was in Derry the bones of a week and had to wrap up issue 1 of 28 Days Later once i got back. Can't be missin' those deadlines you know. Plus, i'm trying to do a write-up on the Derry weekend but need to gather more photos, so in the meantime, here's a Batman sketch i did in Derry that someone was kind enough to send a photo of to me.

I'm off for the weekend, but normal services should resume on Monday.

Dec.

2D FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND

















This weekend is the 2D Festival, but i've no images regarding it, so here's a detail from this weeks's Tuesdec drawing for the Eclectic Micks blog. Go look.

Yeah, there won't be any post for a few days as i'm off to this year's 2D Festival tomorrow to do some workshops ahead of the main day itself.

For those not in the know, 2D is a completely free event offering free admission to workshops and panels about comics and an open day with a host of comic book creator talent. I can't recommend it enough; and it's free dammit; FREE! Guests this year include seasoned pros like Bryan Talbot, David Lloyd, Liam Sharp, Glen Fabry and Will Simpson, along with some of the UKs best talent like Andie Tong, D'isreali, PJ Holden and Rufus Dayglo. Of course, The South will be well represented by Nick Roche, myself, Stephen Mooney and Will Sliney, who appears hot off the heels of his new Farscape series. Us Micks will actually have a panel of our own on Friday night; Homegrown Heroes at 8pm in Sandinos bar. Do come, and see how anything i have to say will be drowned out by all the other dicks. I mean.... Micks.

For lots more info, be sure to visit the 2D website here.

Hope to see ye all there.

Dec.

Here's the last of the story for this year's Tripwire annual page. Hopefully all the greywash will print okay. Guess i'll find out later this year.

Dec.

BALL PARK: PAGE TWO
























Here's the second page of my story for Tripwire. By now, it's obviously a silent strip. I have to say, it was a real challenge to try tell a complete story in 3 pages when there's no dialogue. Even moreso than last year.

Dec.

BALL PARK; PAGE ONE
























Long-term readers of this blog might remember i did a 3 page story for last year's Tripwire annual. Well the editor, Joel Meadows, was kind enough to ask me to contribute to this years annual also. This is the first of the three pages.

After the encouraging response to the greywash work i've been trying out on the Eclectic Micks blog, i thought i'd use this story as a chance to try out using the newer techniques on some sequential pages. Here are the results.

Dec.

LIFE DRAWING
























Well, i've been on 28 Days Later for over 2 weeks and i finally missed a day to post (Saturday), which, i suppose isn't too bad. I'm not doing much other than 28DL interior pages and pieces for the Eclectic Micks blog, so i don't have much to post here. Still, i'm not completely out; here's more life drawing.

I quite like this drawing. As i was close to the model, her legs were really foreshortened to my eye. Of course, in the drawing, they look huuuuge, but that's what they actually looked like from where i was sitting. I did no roughs/pencils for this, i just got a dip pen and drew straight onto the page. It probably show in how quick and loose the lines are. Wish i had the confidence to draw like this more often.

Dec.

POE #1 LAYOUT
























Above is the layout i did for the Poe cover. The figures under the spotlight were drawn a bit bigger, but i made them a little smaller in photoshop, as i wanted the composition to be a little bolder. I placed the title in the usual 'top-and-centre' place, as that's where i expected it to go, but Boom ended up placing the title more to the right, which works much better i think. Works pretty well with this composition in fact. While i'm at it, be sure to see the preview of the first few pages along with the alternate cover of Poe #1 on Newsarama (click here)

EDIT: Just heard today is the last day you can nominate for the Eagle Awards. Get to it

Dec.

POE #1 COLOURS
























Don't think i actually posted this cover. I don't know who coloured it to be honest, so i can't really credit him/her, but here's the finished image nontheless. Be sure to order it in this months Previews (Order code; MAY090723).

Actually, Michael, who comments on this blog every now and then coloured up a version of his own that turned out quite nice. You can see it here.

Also, be sure to check out the sketch i did this week for the Eclectic Micks blog that went up today.

Dec.

LIFE DRAWING
























Here's more life drawing. With this pose i first did a rough drawing to get the gesture of the body, then a loose, but more confident drawing, adding some tone in greywash/ Not sure why i drew the shadow on the wall with black instead of grey, but i think it somehow works.

Dec.

CHARACTER SKETCH
























Something else i've been working on. Was pretty happy with this sketch so i thought i'd put it on the Micks blog, but i've since changed my mind. I'd prefer put up sketches on the Micks blog that are drawn specifically for it, instead of farming out random ones.

Dec.