New book art coming soon

A few pictures of work in progress for a new artist's book, inspired by a famous party held at the American embassy in Moscow and the literary classic it helped to inspire...

The making of Nylmah

For all those wondering about how a laser cutter works, here's a short video by Sugar Fly Films about the making of Nylmah...

Character studies

Another book art project is in the pipeline, which should be finished next year.  I've been working on this project slowly and gradually over a long time.  The main design is finally starting to take shape, so I thought that in the meantime I could now start to share some concept drawings for the main characters here:

Expect more updates on this project as we go in to 2016!

New work on the way...

This tiny sketch is a little taster of a big project I'm doing for next year.  It makes for a welcome change from all the black, laser-cut gothic stories I've done previously, however this time the challenge is even more massive...  More photos and images later on will reveal why.

Meanwhile...

...away from all the book art and laser cutting, here are some other things I've been working on over the last little while.  Apart from a couple of images, they're all sketchbook drawings, drawn either from life or from memory.

Souper Saturday postcard auction

departure lounge

departing loungers

It's all over now, baby blue....

The Fringe in Edinburgh has come to a close and the High Street is quiet once again

Last month I went down Edinburgh's High Street on several occasions to make sketches from the street artists and actors.  This was mainly just for life drawing practice, as it's a great opportunity to sketch people moving around in costume.  Many of them provided rich material for the illustration above.  Almost everyone in the main illustration is based on an original sketch of an actor, clown, street artist, juggler or spectator.  Recognise anyone? 

Below are some rough sketches and also some sketchbook work...

Closing time at Shakespeare and Co

After work hours at Shakespeare and Company bookshop in Paris last weekend.  Tai, Tom and I are drinking and talking in to the night.  Then the dwindling light and the interior of the book shop suddenly gave me the very antisocial urge to DRAW.

So off I went. 

Tai photographing me drawing as I drew him and Tom

On Opulance illustrations

Illustrations for Hope Whitmore's article On Opulence, published 6th May 2013.

Full article at http://hopewhitmore.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/on-opulence/

Live performance drawings

Fifty Plays for Edinburgh at the Traverse

Sanctuary by Black Dingo Productions

Richard III

Too Long the Heart (left);
A Taste of Honey (right)

Rebecca Ryan as Jo in
A Taste of Honey

Brutal murders, fights, period costumes and more: why the theatre can be great for life drawing

Figurative work is an important part to my illustration practice and it's an area that I find needs continual practice.  Traditional life drawing classes and others (like Dr Sketchys) are always great for life drawing, but lately I've been trying to find alternatives to stationary models.

It was only after a friend organised for me to come in and make sketches of a play she was involved in that I realised that drawing from theatrical performances was the alternative I'd been looking for.

Many of the drawings done in the theatre are ineligible scrawlings and most of them won't ever see the light of day.  But some of them have been really useful for capturing a facial expression or a gesture or pose.

The only drawback to drawing from a live performance (appart from drawing very fast!) is that you're drawing in semi-darkness.  It's only when the lights come on again do you see the state of your sketchbook...

Sketchbook work from Richard III by the Edinburgh Theatre Graduate Group

Sketches from 'Winter, Again'

Some sketches from 'Winter, Again' by Scottish Dance Theatre.  With dark images and amazing choreography, the show was a visual joy.

Video promo for 'Winter, Again' by Scottish Dance Theatre

Illustrations for Black Dingo Productions

Illustrations and sketches for Black Dingo Productions' Shots: Eros & Psyche and Sanctuary.