New subject post

I thought I would try a new subject, off topic from art in a direct way.

Coffee!

I am not a big coffee drinker but I do enjoy a cup now and again. At home we have instant coffee, above, the image shows a new brand I am trying out and drinking at the moment, Nescafe Suraya from their 'Nescafe Collection' range, see the range here on their website

I find it a real pleasure to drink! It is aromatic as they claim on the bottle and has a smooth bitterness to it that is very enjoyable.

So it looks like this is a real winner as an instant coffee for me. I actually bought the Suraya coffee on Sunday in the supermarket as it was on special offer, but two 100g bottles for £5 which is a good price. The other bottle I bought is Alta Rica. I have had the Alta Rica before and enjoy its taste.

The current diet plan I am working through at the moment allows black coffee with no sugar to be drunk but to be honest, I can never really enjoy coffee that way. I have to have some milk and a couple of sugars to make it a pleasure to drink. So what I do is limit my coffee drinking in this way to just two cups a day max.

I guess the balance of drinking water and coffee during the day helps keep my fluid intake going and makes it interesting. As a creative person, variety is important as I can get bored very easily.

What coffee do you drink?

Completing the rock band

Click on images to view full size!

Finished the art for the rock band project this morning, apologies for the late post because of that!

I am really pleased that the band members are all really over the moon with the results.

This week I have a number of commissions on the drawing board once again. So as usual I am busy juggling this work and also my private projects that I want to push up to speed.

I am also thinking about how to move this blog onto the next step change.

So, YOU are vital to my ideas here. I would love to get feedback from all my readers on the following type of questions..

1, Is the content interesting to read, is the balance right, do I need more art and or more copy/text written on each post?

2, If the blog moved to another service, would you follow it over and view pencildreams at different URL?

3, Would you like to see posts on other topics and or my views/reviews on gadgets/techno type stuff?

If you could reply to these questions I would be most grateful and I will think about how I can do a give away for those that do!

MY STUDIO!

Comic idea

One project that I have been wanting to do for some years now and with the ease of using an iMac and having a MobileMe account, along with photoshop and of course a Wacom tablet and pen, is that I can get it off the ground as a start...

Needs more work but this is just the very rough first idea for APPLES R BLUE.

The name APPLES R BLUE was something I used as a title of a small e-book I created a few years back, it was on the subject of marketing and how people can make positive steps to grow their business, nothing to grand, just based on my experience and it sold mainly to friends in the art world.

One of the key aspects of marketing is having a catchy name or tag line, something that is unique and would be remembered. So APPLES R BLUE was born and it seems to work! You will remember that name now, just wait and see!

The above rough strip is on a new website, go here to see http://web.me.com/sjh62/applesrblue

I can't decide if I should build the website on my iMAc and MobileMe account or use my WordPress account?

We shall have to see how that turns out but I do now have the domains registered, so they are safe!

Daily shout!

In a somewhat reflective mood today for this post.

I seem to spend a lot of time doing stuff and not actually achieving the goals I set out to tackle.

My problem is having too many hair brained schemes and ideas.

Life also seems to get in the way. Not an excuse, just a fact.

Next week I should have seen some free time but a couple of things have taken that away. That is OK as I am working on commissions that are creating earnings for me, but i have the yellow mouse project I want to explore and also, an idea to put on the web an online comic and cartoon gag site.

All this is not a real problem, I can manage and plan my time priorities to make it happen but I thought I would share with you some of how my brain works!

As a creative personality, I have ups and downs, highs and lows and lots of zany ideas that really should not see the light of day! It is something I have to live with and as the television detective 'Monk' says, "it's a blessing AND a curse..."

So with commissions to get done and a private project for my old Vicar to help with a charity event, some of the idea stuff will have to take a back seat yet again.

The online comic idea is one I want to explore further though, so I do hope I can get that off the ground before Easter!

Mouse comic strip

Click on image to view full size

Something I have been wanting to do for a long time, had to rush it but as a first effort, well I am happy with the result!

Hope you like it!

Mouse

Minor adjustment and a tail added as suggested by some good friends and they were right!

Rock on dude.....

red hot off my wacom..........

Rock Band step 2...

Here is the line work for the illustration I am doing for the rock band 'The Collectors' at the moment.

UPDATE- Small changes made and now adding colour slowly.......

Next stage is adding colour and also the bands name and tag line 'text' to the image.

Working in photoshop makes this a very smooth operation and I can alter the font for the text with ease once it is added to the artwork.

My Studio

This is the view from my studio window, right in front of my face almost!

We have lots of wildlife that visits our garden and my studio looks out in the garden. It is great to see the birds and squirrels and many colours of the plants as the seasons roll by.

Inside my studio it is a bit of a mess and for the last two years I have been trying to tidy it all up!

It seems to be an ongoing project and I really must pull my socks up and get it finished!

Another busy week, have the cartoon illustration to finish for the rock band and at the end of the week, weddings to draw and entertain for.

I also want to make a few changes to my Yellow Mouse if I get time!

Gerald Scarfe

One of the biggest names in the world of caricature art has helped create a unique and special car for the Teenage Cancer Trust, to help raise funds for this very important charity.

Click Here to visit the website

I think it is a wonderful way to have fun and raise the profile of such a charity like the Teenage Cancer Trust!

Click here to visit the Teenage Cancer Trust home website

Changes...

From time to time when working on a commission, a client will receive their finished caricature and be happy with it but feel they need a few changes.

That is no problem for me. Once I have the artwork finished in photoshop, I make sure I keep a photoshop file of the artwork with the layers in tact, that way it is easy to go back and make changes.

The Harley Davidson picture above was a real hit but needed a couple of small changes, a glass of vino instead of an oil can in her hand (thought that may require a change) and the bike stand needed to be up.

The changes were made this morning and without any problems.

It is great to meet a clients requirements and give them a very positive customer experience.

The Collectors

This is a very rough sketch of the rock band that I am working for at the moment. You may have to click on the image to view it full size.

Here you can see my blue pencil rough. This has been scanned into photoshop and the layout planned to match their heights. They are great characters with a mix of short, fat and tall...!

Next stage will be to 'ink' their heads as final line work.

Then add bodies to the heads.

I shall post my progress for you to follow over the coming days.

Yellow Mouse

This is a project I am doing for myself at the moment. I am writing a children's book about a Yellow Mouse who is the wrong colour or is he?

More about this in the coming weeks.

New idea...

This past week or so I have noticed a new idea pop up on other artists blogs and I like it!

Artists like Jan OpdeBeeck are drawing celebrities because it is their birthday and so posting the caricature on the celebrities birthday.

I think it is cool and will have a crack myself. But for now, have the project to start for my new client a rock band called 'The Collectors'.

Shall post more about this once I have some art sketches down for the project. I am preparing what shall become their logo for the band.

It is exciting as the guys are all mostly my age range and all very friendly. The bass player is even a big YES fan just like me!

Later today I hope to have a sketch to share with you.

Ordered from my new website

Here is another caricature that I finished this morning.

The client ordered it direct from my new website www.1st-cartoon.co.uk

Tonight I am going to music rehearsals for a band who want me to caricature them for their band logo, that should be great fun!

Today's commission work

Here is the caricature that has been fun to work on today!

Busy BUSY!

Working on the commission today but also answering phone calls from businesses trying to sell me stuff I simply do not need.

For example, a guy from Mumbai, India called this morning telling me they can save me money on my telephone bill! Then another business here in the Uk trying to sell me Google Search Engine rankings...

They always seem to ignore me when I try to say no in a polite way, then it's personal! I joke around and waste their time as they are wasting mine and have disturbed me in mid flow for drawing.... grrrr!

Hope to post something later today.

Caricature completed

One down 3 to go.... hehehehe....

Daily shout!

Yesterday was a hectic day. Went to church but had to leave just before the end to get to a job at a golf club.

The job at the golf club was drawing guests at the new club captains welcome party or captains drive as it is known.

It was a great success and everyone wanted to be drawn! I managed to get away 45 minutes after I was supposed to have finished. I was feeling tired after!

Once home we had dinner and then my son made his way back to university after coming home for the weekend.

Today I have a busy week with four commissions to get done. I shall finish the colour for the piano and pilot and then get the sketches done for the next one which is a wedding couple on a motorbike!

Then I have a boss to draw for some of his employees who are getting the caricature as a gift for him.

Also this week I am drawing a caricature for a band who want to use it as their logo for their marketing and al that kind of stuff. I am going to their rehearsal on wednesday night to meet them in person. They are local guys and it should be great fun, I am looking forward to this project!

I hope to post the sketches as we go.... so do please come back and see how it all goes!

More caricatures!

This was completed yesterday afternoon for a client who has booked me for an event.

You may have to click on the image to view full size

Hot of my wacom!

Current commission in progress.....

Remember that today is Red Nose Comic Relief day, raising funds for good causes....

Making a fool of myself!

Doodle for Comic Relief

Spaceman doodle for Comic Relief, please fee FREE to use this is you would like too... avatars or website usage, etc etc....

Created this just now as I was warming up my hand.... drawn directly in photoshop using the Wacm Intuos tablet and pen.

Draw draw draw boy....

Again, have a stack of commissions on my desk, so I am currently working my way through them for my clients.

As soon as I have some sketches I will repost later today.

Diet news, I have my weigh-in this afternoon and I am hoping that I will have shed a few pounds and get to my lowest weight for some years..!

here is the blog of my diet counselor (not sure what to call her!) click here

Finished...

The completed caricature...

Today's commission work

Put this together this morning for my client, waiting for approval of the caricature and then it's on to finish with colour. The subject is his wife and daughters, his wife is a tv presenter and singer. So she has a microphone in her right hand. She loves handbags, hence the gucci bag!

Working in photoshop with layers makes this a smooth process, changes can be with ease and the colour added on a separate layer.

Ok, back to the wacom for the next commission.... more soon!

Today's activity

Well today I have a stand at a large wedding fair.

I shall be showing off my services to potential clients who are planning to tie the knot!

The way I approach this is to offer a free caricature and draw as many people as I can and while that is going on I have my laptop running a powerpoint slideshow and as my wife accompanies me, she can answer questions and together we can 'sell' the caricature service and with a bit of luck, secure some work.

The wedding fair starts at 11am and closes at 5pm.

We are hoping for a successful day!

Example of a caricature ordered from my new site

This was completed yesterday and the client was very happy with the result. The caricature is not exaggerated to much and could be called a 'cute caricature', but the important thing here is that this met the client's expectations.

This caricature was ordered directly from my new website that allows people to chose and pay for a digital caricature. It is working very well and I am very pleased that so far it shows a possibility for me to push it further.

If you would like to see the site, please stop by www.1st-cartoon.co.uk

The finished caricature for today!

Above is the finished caricature that I have been working on today.

Click here to learn about Justin Scott, an excellent drummer!

On the Drawing Board

Currently have a few commissions on the go, so a busy time.. but above is the stat of one of them.

This is a drum kit I drew yesterday and the subject is a professional drummer, first steps as I build the 'picture'..

Back to the pen and tablet for now.....

New web pages..

I am in the process of updating my main website at the moment.

The current Gallery has given me problems over the past year or so and now I am changing that to a new way of displaying my gallery pages.

I have built new pages n my iMac and these shall be the way people can view my gallery via drawn4u.com

Here is a sneak peek of my celebrity page CLICK HERE

Hopefully my webmaster will be able to make the changes soon and then I shall have more freedom to change and add new work to the gallery when I wish.

Should be fun!

Elephant man

Please click on image to view full size.

Here is my caricature from the Tokyo convention I was drawing at, it is of two friends who are outstanding caricaturists and who I greatly respect. They thought it was very funny and liked it!

Tonight!

Tonight I am going to a cartoon meeting to do with the organising of the London International Cartoon festival 2010.

I shall be at the Cartoonists Pub in London, 76 Shoe Lane, London EC4A 3JB

Start at 7pm with a finish around 10pm

Please feel free to join us as it is open to all and I shall also be drawing caricatures for free!

It will be a lot of fun!

Japan trip

Click on image to view full size

Here is my take on the Japanese caricature artist Taka.

Taka is a great caricaturist and has bundles of great talent.

He liked this one and I had loads of fun creating the caricature for him!

Sunday stuff

Friendship and art?

I wanted to mention the importance of friendships and art and how these play out in the life of an artist.

Many people ask me how I have the ability to draw so well, I have talked about this before, and I must stress that I still have along way to go before I can put my hand up and say that I can draw, anyway, one aspect to drawing is how your life pans out day to day.

Some artists are almost reclusive and lock themselves away but I have found in my own experience that having friends is an important factor in growing as an artist and developing your skills.

I am very fortunate to have many friends all around the world. There is also a group of very special close friends who are like mentors to me and people who I greatly respect and admire.

Everyone I meet and spend time with has a very positive impact upon me. I learn from them.

The growth of a person in their art has a direct correlation to the ability to have friends and also, more importantly, offer and give friendship to others.

I think this is true for whatever you 'are'.. having friends is always a blessing.

One exciting thing is how you can make new friends over the internet!

By getting involved in forums on your subject you will soon find that friendships are made and occasionally, the chance to get together and meet can also happen. It is a great experience.

That is one reason why I love visiting the USA and Japan, I always have the chance to catch up with many of my friends who are based there!

Thank God for friends!