Savage Beauty

Recently bought the Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty catalogue, and for ages i've wanted to try my hand at some fashion illustration. And what's more challenging than a McQueen dress made of clam shells from Norfolk i ask you? Yeah, exactly. Bit of a challenge, but i've enjoyed myself quite a bit, so this could be a pursuit i keep up. After all, i've finished university now, i need to figure out what i actually want to do with this degree i've (hopefully) acquired.

For Laney...

Who believe me, is rarely this ethereal in everyday life. In fact, i'd say she's the distinct opposite of floaty, more of a tropical storm. Hurricanes could happily bear her name. (She's going to love me for that...)

Muriel's (Maggie's) Wedding

Going through old negatives i've gradually (really slowly when i can be bothered) to scan and make all digital, i came across some photos of my aunts wedding that i never got around to printing. They're not great. The lighting's shocking. But, the people are more interesting, and a lot has changed since then. Falling outs, death, grief, arguments, polite exchanges. It's a while back. And although i'm proud to say the event could have rivalled an episode of Shameless, it's actual quite a good memory now looking back, drunkards, world war vets, spilled champagne. And i never noticed how interesting my family could be in film either.

And also...

I'd like to say recently, but, in the past 9 months, i've had so much on work wise, and i'm still going, but i'm really into relief printing. Don't know if anyone's seen this yet. But i love lino. And mostly naked folks. So of course they become what i think is some pretty good pattern making. It's for a book cover series at the mo, but you know, i love my prints (woohoo for confidence in own work) and i'm looking at things to use them further.

I like drew some swans or whatever...

I now work...

...from my old bedroom in Leeds. With the company of a dog.
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The Wild Swans, A Swan Prince.

Done with pen and ink. Firstly with pen. Gel ones from muji. Not really a fan of fine liners and drawing pens, they're a little too precise. Then scanned and reprinted on cartridge, something my printer is a little temperamental about, but this way the ink doesn't run. So then inked and coloured, and rescanned for tweaking. And that, in a nutshell, is my process for the moment for most drawings.

Also...

At the hospital (lgi) in leeds yesterday post horrific afternoon, in that new jubilee bit, I found a rather serene roof garden. Downfall being you can't smoke on hospital grounds. Lovely view none the less...
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Drawing up ideas.

My new work station seems to be train carriage tables. Bit bumpy but I'm getting used to it. In all a bad week but I won't bore you with the details. I'll just blog what I've recorded so far with my rather handy phone camera...
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Pretty lights where a monster killed stuff...

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