Oscar Wilde

illustration friday : HATCH

“People who count their chickens before they are hatched, act very wisely, because chickens run about so absurdly that it is impossible to count them accurately”

Check that for a tedious link. This is a drawing of Oscar Wilde for this weeks illustration friday topic "Hatch". To be honest, I just wanted an excuse to draw Oscar Wilde. Mainly because he has such cool hair and a fur coat.

I done a drawing for emily.

Unbalanced

This weeks illustration friday topic was 'Unbalanced'.

I went with the first thing that came to mind just so I could fit in the bowerbirds again. I'm really enjoying just painting and adding in detail later, losing obvious outlines. My only problem is being able to do it on a dark background. I'd like to be able to have the crispness and contrast of something like this -

But I fear he uses more than watercolours.

The Vogelkop Bowerbird

The Vogelkop Bowerbird spends it's entire life building a structure around the base of a tree. He lines it with moss and displays things which he collects outside in a meticulously constructed arragement. It is essentially a love shack, not a nest.

The quality of his display and bower determine whether or not he will get a mate. And that is brilliant.

I've not posted for about two weeks now I think. I've been massively busy with my band's new EP, recording & mixing etc... But I should be back into the usual routine this week so all is well.

This is the cover I painted for the EP, which I'm pretty pleased with.

www.myspace.com/owlandtheechoes

Hunting

This is a painting I have literally just finished. I'm pretty pleased with it. I would be more pleased if I'd have come up with the composition myself, but alas I didn't.

As you can see, It's massively influenced by a Julie Morstad painting pictured here.

IF - Frozen

I enjoyed this weeks Illustration Friday topic. It is the perfect summary of my weekend.

I stayed up in Carlisle with my lovely girlfriend whos house is always bloody freezing, it's a big old Georgian thing with sinlge glazed windows, no carpets and the heating is never on.

We spent the whole time under a duvet, shivering and watching films.

Karen Ann Myers

Karen Ann Myers has some new paintings up on her website, which are absolutel amazing. I think I love everything about them. The patterns (as always) are incredible, the use of flat colour mixed up with shade. It's all wonderful.

I particularly love how unconfortable some of them make you feel, but you can't quite put your finger on why. It gives me the same sense of uncertainty as Edward Hopper's work does. Which is no bad thing at all.

I discovered her because of this painting (but I can't remember where I found it.) It actually inspired a song I wrote, which is probably the most pretentious thing ever but, meh. Just because I am THAT art school.

What I Wore Today - 14/10/09

Here is another "What I Wore Today" for the flickr group.

That is all.

IF - Flying

Blllerrrugh. Again, I haven't found the time to do anything particularly exciting this week for Illustration Friday, although it's an improvment on last weeks non existent efforts. I think that it is safe to say that I have lost any trace of working efficiently that I had last month. Oh dear oh dear.

Here is an owl.

twit
twoo

Melted Negatives

Here are some old burnt / melted / distorted / ruined negatives.

I bought a new scanner wot does film and everything last week, which is outrageously exciting. Apparently it's going to save me money getting stuff developed and scanned, but I still managed to spend £12 on three films today.

The Lighthouse Children

I thought, as I've just posted bits from my new book, I'd post the first book I did up aswell.

You can see the whole thing

HERE!

^ clicky ^ click ^ click ^

Charlie and the Wind

I started a new book yesterday. I have been wanting to for a while, but couldn't decide on a story. Here is my progress so far, the first two pages painted and scanned.

I still am yet to decide on a story, so I might just make it up as I go along. I'm sure that's how most authors work.

Vintage Guitars

A bit off topic. But here is my lovely new(ish) guitar! I don't feel it's been fully appreciated by anyone since I've had it so I figured that I'd put it out on the internet.

It has been lying around the college art room for years, gathering dust and paint and fingerprints. I was given it as a sort of leaving present from my art teacher. I sanded it all down, re painted it, fitted a new neck and bridge and cleaned up the electrics. So aside from the cracked scratchplate and the earth wire hanging out, it's as good as new.

Illustration Friday - Pattern

As a part of my new motivated lifestyle, I am forcing myself to post on illustration friday every week. Admittedly, it is now Wednesday, but never the less, here it is!

I'm not especially pleased with it, and wish I'd have painted the backgound properly myself instead of doing it digitally. The background is actually a William Morris wallpaper design gone blue.

I promise a more thought through entry next week.

"What I Wore Today" (but for yesterday)

I heard about "What I Wore Today" from my favourite illustrator at the moment Lizzy Stewart's blog. I thought it was a really good way of making me try to draw something everyday, so I thought I'd give it a go. I will put it up on the flickr group when I get home from food shopping with my mum.

College Work

This is my final painting from one of my college assignments not last year, but the year before. It was supposed to be infulenced by Georgia O'Keefe, obviously :) I'm quite proud of it so I thought I'd share.

Andy Kehoe

 

I have been following Andy Kehoe's work for a while now. I came across him from browsing the Tiny Showcase archives. (I say this as if he's some undiscovered artist, but I'm guessing he's probably doing allright for himself actually.)

I really love the colours he uses and the way he often contrasts his background with the subjects. He always seems to paint skies brilliantly too. Oh oh oh and I love the way he draws spirits and ghosts aswell - perfect.

Animals

These are a few sketches I did a couple of months ago. Not really sure what they're about to

be honest...

Kings and Queens

Jamie T has just relased his new album Kings and Queens, which is ridiculously good. I've got it on permanently at the moment so I thought I'd share abit of classic Treays in the form of Back In The Game. Big choon.

Foxes

I thought I might do a book involving foxes. Mainly because I can't draw children at all, but also because I'm re-reading all the Roal Dahl books at the moment - I'm currently on Fantastic Mr. Fox.

The Drums

I did a few drawings last week, straight from the pages of an old NME magazine. I came across a band called The Drums. I only did some drawings from the pictures because the band we're so interesting looking, but it turns out aswell, they make really good music.

They're playing a couple of gigs in Manchester late October which I will be sure to get down to.

I'm going to do this properly. Twit Twoo

I'm in full organization mode from now on, no longer shall time be wasted, facebook will be replaced with drawing and iPlayer with writing new songs. My gap year has offically begun, I am offically unemployed, on the dole and therefore a proper musician, and I am determined to make the most of my time.

I tried to start my new routine last night by going to tesco and spending all the pennies and coppers I have lying around my room; get myself some nice new fineliners, maybe a few notebooks, a pencil or two. Turns out I only had £2.27 which went as far as a pack of tesco value pencils and a packet of jelly tots. Not the best of starts I'll admit.

Many lists have been made on how to conquer the world in a year and so far I have checked off two - 'Get blogging' and 'Listen to a new album everyday'.

As far as drawing is concerned, I am going to start a picture diary sort of thing everynight, and write many books. Illustration Friday everyweek and start painting more.


I'm guessing that this burst of motivation will run out by Saturday, but until then, I'm sticking to being ambitious.