Monday 31 May 2010

Travis Millard

Look! Travis Millard his and hers personalised envelopes! Aces!

Travis remains hands-down my favourite illustrator around. And if you have an hour to spare watch this - listen first hand to his haphazard approach to a career in the seedy world of illustration.

I also urge you to all buy one of his fantastic zines or failing that grab a copy of his book Hey Fudge which compiles a few of his out-of-print zines including the much sought after Micheal Jackson one. Two thumbs fresh!



Friday 28 May 2010

Zine Sketches Take 1 - Tom Waits

As keen and studious readers of my blog you will be more than privy to the fact I have a fantastic zine coming out shortly featuring a sterling array of illustrators such as Stones Throw Records in-house illustrator (well near as dammit!) and Sofrito playboy Lewis Heriz, all-illustrating, all-screenprinting, all-soy milk drinking Ben Javens and Lizzie Stewart fresh from her stunning 'The Men Who Built Magnitogorsk' exhibition in Leeds to name just three of the twenty odd involved. Each illustrator or designer has drawn me their favourite musician or band and I have pain-stakingly compiled them into a beautiful screen-printed zine which will be available by the end of June.

In the meantime in an attempt to diffuse too much excitement and over-anticipation here are some of my shitty skecthes what didn't make the grade. Fret not - my final contribution is actually quite good!

This is Tom Waits. Or more precisely the bastard off-spring of Tom Waits and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It's not very good. There's more to come too. I'd be great on Dragon's Den. Here are some shitty examples of something I want you to invest in. Are you keen? No? Oh okay - I'll just see myself out then...

I found it very hard to settle on a favourite musician too. I love Tom Waits circa 'Swordfishtrombones' and 'Rain Dogs' and admit to having a tiny man-crush on him in 'Down by Law' but I can't claim to be a completist or nowt. So for now you're just going to have keep guessing who I went for. In fact if you guess correctly you'll win yourself a free zine!

Thursday 27 May 2010

Big Antidote Final Piece

Somehow I forgot to post up my final contribution for the Big Antidote project so here it is - click on the image below for a big version. The project seems to be gathering some momentum although it's slightly frustrating some folk can't adhere to simple guidelines to tie it altogether. A pox on them.

I shouldn't really be mouthing off too much having just re-read my effort. The layout is a bit confusing. Back to my Scott McCloud guidance books I think... Actually speaking of Scott look at this website - facial expressions technical help!

Tuesday 25 May 2010

Office Drudgery

Inspired by several years too many of local government employment behold 'Fucking Office Drudgery'. Painted in acrylics and inks - enjoy - I certainly didn't.

Monday 24 May 2010

C is for Crow Print Session

Here are a few hastily taken photos from the C is for Crow printing session I did a few weeks ago. Screen-printing from home is for the most part fun but can throw up some interesting obstacles like finding places for your prints to dry when you haven't got a drying rack. Not sure Annie is totally mad about me cleaning screens in the bath either. Feel free to get in touch if I'm endangering our lives with the use of various screen-cleaning chemicals in a domestic bath-room.

The print run went well - managed to pull 45 good prints from a batch of 50. I'm currently going through the good ones and adding an ink wash to each. I should have them up for sale in the next few weeks but I need to set up my new Etsy store so it may take a little bit longer.

I'm also fine-tuning the illustrated musicians zine laboriously in In-Design and I'm hoping to screen-print the covers in the next two weeks for a late June release. Still need a decent name though. It's been a long time coming and for that I apologize. No internet combined with creative constipation is to blame. That and the fact I'm terminally fucking lazy and would rather drink beer in my garden.






Monday 17 May 2010

The Limpwrist

This was a drunken attempt at doing a vaguely narrative comic strip in one evening without being too precious about the results.  It's alright but jumps a bit - I should've planned out the panel sequence a bit better really.  

Thursday 13 May 2010

Ella Doran wins everything at the Grand Design Awards!

As some of you will know my proper job is Design Assistant to Ella Doran and we were invited to the Grand Design Awards for 2010 where Ella was nominated for best wallpaper.  Well she only went and blooming won it for her Geo wallpaper!  She then proceeded to win Best Product for 2010 for the same wallpaper and we all ran up for a piece of the celebratory action!  For more information click here.  

Monday 10 May 2010

Imaginary 7" from Samandtheplants!

Ever hard-working, always fantastic Samandtheplants has a brand new imaginary 7" available and it's free!  Download it at Kennington Records now.  Now if someone could explain to me how to download streaming mp3s onto macs I'd be ever so grateful.  'Youth Group' is blinking lovely.  I only wish there were a real life 7" I could get my grubby mitts on but them things is damn expensive to make yo.  

As if that wasn't enough there are still a few copies of his eerie extraordinary instrumental album Supernatural Lancaster available via Finders Keepers Records.  GO!

 

Friday 7 May 2010

Vote Charles Pieman!

He's an unscrupulous bastard but goddam it he gets results. Besides how could you not trust that smile?