Sneak Peek!

Well, I have been talking about it for a while now but here is the first sneak peak at my minicomic comig out next month, It is titled Trademark The Pencil and this cover for the first (maybe only) issue and is inspired by my love of patent drawings. Stay tuned for the release coming out real soon!

Katniss

I started doing archery a few weeks ago and went to a club to get some pointers. During the induction the instructor laughed as he explained the increased interest in archery since the release of Hunger Games and it's bow and arrow wielding star, Katniss Everdeen. I felt pretty old at that moment realizing that I came because I thought Robin Hood was cool...so I illustrated Katniss to remind me of that day.
 

Sound Check

I took my sketchbook with me to a Fringe music show called Vane of Barbs and had a few moments to draw the drum kit during soundcheck. I've always had a fascination with drum kits, all the slight adjustments and fine tuning that can be done on each stand and drum make up some real interesting shapes that are really fun to draw. Got a few strange looks from audience members who must have thought I was reviewing the show, hehehe, I guess I was in my own way.

Jazz Cat

The past few months I've been creating some minicomics in secret and tested a lot of new techniques and refined some old ones. It's been a really cool experience making pages that don't really have to make any sense and creating bucket-loads of characters that don't have to be constantly refined or ever introduced in a second issue. For this comic I wanted to see if I could create some interesting perspectives in each cell and capture some of this cool cats cheeky nature.

Biker 30

My brother recently turned 30, so to celebrate I created an illustration for him that would capture his love for motorbikes and skeletons, while also incorporating the number 30 somehow. The above illustration is the result. Rather than my usual half digital process of colouring, I created the picture all by hand and transferred it to a piece of wood and put a simple frame around it which was the icing on this birthday cake.  

CFS Breakfast

I recently illustrated a poster for The Piccadilly Kitchen to advertise a fundraiser for the CFS (Country Fire Service). A group of cafes around the Adelaide hills hosted free breakfasts for all CFS volunteers in recognition of the days they spent fighting the fires that swept through last month. Thanks to all members of the CFS for all your hard work.

Robotsus

I'm planning on releasing a mini-comic within the next few months and this bird loving robot named Robotsus is one of the many characters that make a star appearance in the comic. He spends most his life sitting on the park bench observing the world around him...and by world I mean birds.

Nepal Sketchbook

Hello and Happy 2015 to everyone following my illustration adventures. I finished 2014 with the adventure of a lifetime, trekking in Nepal with my wife as part of 2 Reason Trek. While I was there I kept a sketchbook of all the interesting things I saw... and there were a lot! I relied on my camera to catch all the memories I missed in my sketchbook and in doing so realized how much life I could catch in a scribble, the kind of life that doesn't seem to translate in a photograph. I hope you enjoy!  

Himalayas!

Sorry blog for not posting this past month. My head has been in the Himalayas as I prepare for the Everest Basecamp trek! After heaps of preparation I'm off tomorrow with my wife. If you want to travel with us (metaphorically) then follow this link...2 Reason Trek. See you in a month!

Catz

Sometimes I create an illustration that develops a backstory in my head as I draw...this is one of those illustrations. The backstory usually begins and ends in my head but this time I wrote it down and I'm slowly putting it together which means it may end up as a comic. So for now I'll claim this as a teaser for whats to come...maybe?

The Infinite Word

The more time I spend in the Bible the more I realise I will never fully understand it! Every word is intricately connected to another and each carries specific meaning and translation in it's own context. I could devote a lifetime to deciphering a single biblical principle and still learn something new on my dying bed. It is this infinite nature that gives me perspective on how small I am.

Early

It seems that every year Christmas advertising is getting earlier and earlier. If I was to put up my tree when Christmas ads started appearing, I think my tree would be dead by the time it got to Christmas, it may have even completely decomposed. That's not to stop me counting down the days early though!

Summer Rain

There is nothing more incredible than the smell of rain before a summer storm. The tar cooling down at my feet and the black sky above trigger so many memories I find it hard to keep track, or keep my eyes open. I can't explain in words what it does to me so I made a mock comic (perhaps the worlds shortest?) to try and illustrate this sensation...whatever it is?

Sail'arrg

It's real cool when you meet someone that absolutely loves what they do. It seem so simple, they really like something and just pursue it with all their heart. This sailor is no different, he lives for the sea and loves everything about it. He put it best when he said, "Sail'ns me life!"

Ducky

There are a few different types of weather that we just aren't made for. One of those seems to be rain. As soon as it comes down people seem to scatter as if trying to avoid falling knives. While we run for cover the ducks (who appear to absolutely love the wet weather with their waterproof outer and feather down inner) play around in the puddles. I wish I was a duck sometimes.

Ted

I found a Scrubs DVD the other day...4 hours later I realized I had'nt moved from the couch! Although it wasn't a productive night, I coupled it with a few ink drawings of the character with the most interesting face and personality...Ted.

4 Wheel Drive

I've just come back from a weekend hiking trip in the Flinders Ranges where I got to test out my new boots. We walked through water, mud and grass. We climbed boulders and scrambled up rocky cliffs. All of this was possible (or at least easier) with my cool new boots which don't look very new anymore.  

Pop Asia

It seems that most Saturdays I find myself watching SBS Pop Asia, an hour long program dedicated to the best pop music videos from around Asia. I don't know why I enjoy it so much but I have a feeling it's to do with the incredible amount of effort each artist puts into making their hair look so perfect. Maybe it's also the cheesy, sometimes nonsensical storylines that follow the music. Anyway, this is my tribute.

3 Style

In an effort to experiment and push my style as an illustrator, I created 3 illustrations of the same character in different styles. It pushed me a little further from my comfort zone and taught me a few new tricks which I'm hoping will add something fresh to my work.

The first illustration was done with ink and brush in a comic style similar to alternate American comics. I was pretty comfortable with this style but adjusting to the bold line work took some getting used to.

The second illustration was done entirely in Photoshop but made to look like cut paper and pastel. This is a style that I always find in Disney and Dreaworks "Art Of" books; it seemed like it would be the easier of the 3 but turned out to be the hardest.

The last illustration was a simple graphite sketch with basic flat colours, similar to the Gorillaz characters created by Jamie Hewlett. I learned something new with each style and look forward to where it leads.

Skate Bird!

I rented a book from the library titled The Fundamentals of Illustration. It had a few exercises at the end of each chapter that intended to grow your skills as an illustrator. One of the exercises was to create an image without drawing, which meant no pens, pencils, paints or any other hand-directed media. Instead they encouraged you to "draw" with paper, found objects and photos. This was a big leap out of my comfort zone which relies heavily on drawing; but I'm happy that I tried something different, otherwise this super cool lentil faced skater bird may have never been created.