I created the above for "Heretic Xenobiotics" which I gather is a sports supplement for people who workout and want to reduce estrogen levels. I don't know much more about it, because I have no links. However, the brief was to create a witch character in the vein of a Hong Kong fantasy movie... something like A Chinese Ghost Story or Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain.
Fans will know what I'm talking about, and non-fans? Shame on you, now get on the internet and order yourself some HK cinema right now, you uncultured swines!
About 14 years ago I created an image of perhaps THE two quintessential muscle-bound 80's cartoon heroes locked in mortal arm-wrestle. He-Man and Lion-O from Masters of the Universe and Thundercats respectively, the two other characters are of course Mumm-Ra and Skeletor.
Last week I updated it with a new version. This update was created for a client, his version is coloured by hand. However I did a sneaky black and white scan pre-colour.
The original.
The remake.
Between the creation of these two images I adopted a different style (in approx 2010); I am now all about the brushes and ink, whereas the first one was all pens and Photoshop. The first one was carefully compiled digitally from at least three different drawings, whilst the second was created all in one go. This change really reflects my current ethos too; just get it on paper and don't faff around with it too much.
Immediacy over tediacy? (Okay tediacy is not a word). Post-haste rather than fix it "in post".
Incidentally I'm not really a big Mumm-Ra fan. He functions as the "straight" villain next to the tomfoolery of the Mutants, but that's about it; functional. Skeletor on the other hand is just great; always entertaining, always a laugh. Just try watching the Filmation series, Alan Oppenheimer deserves a star in Hollywood. Donald Trump has one for Christ's sake.
As you can see, I've given up on comedic-pun titles for this blog, and it's with some degree of irony here because this post deals with comedy.
Following on from my last post, the next many-drawings project for the BBC was The Top Ten Comedy Kit. In a nutshell, a bunch of comedians created top ten lists for a BBC3 short-form series and my job was to turn these lists into illustrated elements. This was done for you, the internet user to "remix" into funny animations on the online Mixital platform.
The official blurb makes more sense, is also longer and less lazily written than mine... HERE
So because Jessie Cave mentions a Haribo ring in "Top Ten Things about My Dream Wedding", I created a mean illustration of a Haribo ring... and so on. Other list providers include Michael Spicer, Jack Carroll, Nish Kumar, Mae Martin, Lazy Susan, Ken Cheng, comedy duo The Pin, Mandem on the Wall, Jamali, Steve Bugeja and Holly Walsh.
I'll put a collage below and then some of my other favourites in full, forgive me if I gush over these; I'm a bit proud of how they turned out.
Some stuff and The Queen.
Roy Lichtenstein-esq explosions,
the works!
Aw, is that Emma's Special Bow?
(Wiggles reference).
Love the chair. It is based on an actual chair; I'm not a furniture designer.
Hi! ...Last year I created hundreds of illustrations for The BBC (possibly slightly less than a hundred, I didn't count...feels like hundreds). Two projects were responsible for most of these: Operation Gold Rush with Dan Snow and The Top Ten Comedy Kit.
Operation Gold Rush was a series on BBC 2, in which "history guy" Dan Snow and company trail through the wilds of North America and up to Canada's Yukon territory. Info and videos HERE.
From the safety of my shed in the mild and mostly wet UK, I created images and elements for the online video game version (see also link above). Well, not just a game, but also a game maker which alows you to put my drawings to creative use as you create your own levels and goals. Those drawings included...
Characters: Indians, simple townsfolk, bandits and hunters...
More characters, such as this beardy prospector
"There's gold in them thar hills etc..."
Trees.
Birds such as an owl and Bald Headed Eagle.
These are numbered for potential animation sequencing.
Dan himself, the hero of the game.
I also created this sweet animation of Dan on a horse.
I always make a point to use the word "diverse" in describing the range of projects I have worked on. Well, this one come straight out of left field. That being said, I had worked with famous footballers before ...and by "with" I mean as an unknown entity, on the same project, for vastly different salaries. Sad face (not really sad, I'm always happy to be employed).
Back in January, I worked on a commercial starring several Manchester United football players. The ad was for international fruit juice brand Chivita and the post-production company I worked with were Bark & Bite (Manchester). In the advert, the players (Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford and Eric Bertrand Bailly), drink some juice before gathering round a Chivita themed pinball machine "Chivita, 100% Pinball" as the illuminated backboard says. See the video here...
As you can see the scenario is like an analogue version of Disney's Tron; the players are miniaturised and play football-pinball against the machine. My role was to create the artwork for the sides of the main body of the machine as well as the "backbox" sides and "backglass" where the score is displayed.
Combining fruit, football to make it look hopefully interesting and pinbally:
The sides of the main body of the machine.
Kaboom! The sides of the backbox.
Aside from a supermarket-load of fruit, that backglass is where my illustration of the players comes in. First drawn separately, they were composited together like the reflections of the players themselves, frozen in time. ...Just watch the bloody thing, it's hard to explain!
Wayne Rooney
Eric Bertrand Bailly
This is the final post-transition backbox with the
players in their frozen reflections. Some of the above
elements were created entirely for mock-up and some
were in the final commercial...
...Such as the fruit corners. Thanks for reading!!!
First mentioned in a previous post a couple of years ago, this sequel to the famous works of 19th century author Lewis Caroll is at the stage where several pages have been created and are now in the process of being submitted for potential publication.
Small children in peril;
guaranteed page turner.
Writer (and comic book artist in his own right), Bret M. Herholz brought me on board to this project an embarrasingly long time ago, in fact if patience is a virtue, then Bret is a man who seemingly has it in spades (and hearts, clubs and diamonds in case you wondered if pun was intended). Finally though it has begun to take shape and I'm pleased to say it has been a joy to scribble thus far. I genuinely feel like a comic book artist at times. It's a good feeling!
"Someone" to the rescue, but whom??
My role is pencils and inks, whilst Bret (aside from writing) handles colours, lettering and those fiddly speech bubbles. This is Bret's blog http://www.bretmherholz.com/ which contains reams of his own published works. This project also has its very own cinematic trailer...
A big hello to readers of my blog. Hope you're all doing well, whoever you are! Or should that be "whomever"?
I am currently running an art auction on my facebook page. As the title of this post suggests, it's in aid of The National Autistic Society. I have always had an empathy for those with the condition, it speaks to my own social awkwardness and obsessiveness although I cannot begin to comprehend a world with such aspects ramped up several notches. Nor can I understand the trauma sufferend by parents and guardians of the afflicted.
Fortunately some help is at hand in the form of a wonderful charity: The National Autistic Society. LINK < click that to discover the great work they do.
Now on to the meat of the post. I am attempting to raise £500 by selling as many A4 sized artworks as it takes in order to reach that goal. The auction is currently in full swing and taking place on my facebook page LINK, bids are placed in the comments section. A drawing is auctioned for up to a week before being posted to the winner after he or she has donated the winning bid to MY JUST GIVING PAGE. Then a new piece immediately goes up for auction.
Postage is free to the entire world!! So there's no reason not to bid, unless you are completely broke and/or hate my scribbles... kind of acceptable, though it makes me sad.
So far I've sold two, the third did NOT sell. Which also makes me sad.
"1995 AD" (featuring Judge Lance Ito) SOLD for £30!!
"Biggles Vs Giant Wasps" SOLD for £50!!
"Arnold as Conan" UNSOLD
"Tall Order Skeletor" currently on auction until
Wednesday 22nd March at 10pm GMT
Anyone is welcome to donate regardless and to contact me about that unsold pic of Arnold Schwarzenegger. I am open to selling it after the fact via a donation to the Just Giving page LINK. Happy bidding, remember to like that facebook page for updates and of course to get in on the action!
