Frank Auerbach is an artist whose work fascinates me. I drew this series of portraits last night and stopped at the last one. I'd quite like to paint it though I'm not sure the transfer from digital to paint would work. The first of the blue ones is most like his own style. The various guises are like conversations with the various artists who influence me, and that is an idea that I know Frank Auerbach shares. You're never alone when you are painting, you're deep in conversation or debate with all the other artists searching like you for the truth.
Hello Internet. I have been busy. I think it might be spring, or something. So again I will give you a medley of my latest produce. Firstly though, I read in the The Week today that it is a myth that television can harm your eyes. So that is good. It comes from the early days of televisions when the sets actually emitted a small amount of radiation but tests done on modern children and modern sets show no damage. So ignore my last post. ALL WRONG. In other news: Here is that painting I mentioned. It's from a drawing I did ages ago. I have also been priming some new canvases today which is exciting. Infinite possibilities! It's my mum, she's looking a bit more worried or is it suspect (?) than before. I sent this reel on spec to a local animation studio. I don't know if the email will get through though or if they have any work to throw my way. It can't hurt to ask though. I have been doing a lot of digital painting lately which I just love. It is so immediate and gets me involved every time. Lets see, I will chose the highlights and pick out my favourite for you which is always the final destination (ie when I get there I stop). The first is called Hunter and I worked this out on Saturday: Yes, well, you can see some of my process by the precursors, and I spend far too long trying to decide which I like better. It depends on scale of course and mood. It is a lot of fun and a recommend it to anyone to get free with their computer. I am beginning to realise it truly is a tool like any other; As valid as a paintbrush and far more versatile. The problem is scale. You draw it at one size but can zoom in and out at will, and how it would look as a piece of art depends completely on how it was printed. There would be another 20 permutations right there. (There are 20 permutations in my file for this. I saved you from them =). In a way it is a shame to put them next to each other because they inform your reading of them. If you saw them on their own for the first time about 1 or 2 meters wide, I think they'd be really quite different from one another despite being relatives. If you'll indulge me further I now take you back to Thursday when I worked on this series called SW. I know this one should come first but chronology is not everything. To my mind these are a bit stronger than Saturdays'. I love the two details above but this one below is the favourite I think. As you can see its pretty graph inspired which relates to my last post when I doddled some graphiti like shapes when on the train. I like graph, but it interests me more the way they draw the shapes rather than it being an actual word. It's the style that counts. I also like the way their fonts are politically subversive while being intrinsically likable. They are very good cartoons in their own genre. So many graph artists would blow most graphic designers (the generic crew not you frustrated artists of cool) out the water if they had the right connections etc. Hum, So. I am sorry about this I hope you're not tired, but there is still some more work I did. I just like to share you know. Be glad I am not telling you everything that goes on in my life or listing my shopping wishlist or something. Some people manage to talk about such things and make it interesting so I will press on and hope my soul on screen is enough. Clearly souls are not for everyone though, especially not barefaced and cheeky ones. Boku Maru everyone. This last set is called Concrete levels. I drew some bricks and was surprised to find fairies living there. You know what? I think it might be coffee. I started drinking coffee again. Its powerful stuff, especially if your body is a temple like mine... (what!?). So were you wondering if I'd forgotten about Catonip Towers? Of course not, with three cats to boss me around I haven't got a chance to forget! I have to go make the supper now. If you happen to like any of these pictures you could always ask me to get one printed nice and big on some archival paper(?) I found this very cool place in Dalston that does it very well. They printed a poster for me already so I would go there again for any requests. Clearly you have to come to me though - I am an artist I need the money. People forget.
1) I am updating Catonip Towers more than weekly, just as I draw them really, so go and look if you haven't. 2) I painted this today (a digital painting) it's called Red/Blue Day. I painted in oil yesterday as well but I haven't photographed it yet. Digital and oil painting is similar except I can work much more quickly on the computer and change colours and brushes without pausing so it becomes more instinctive - no time to think. But when painting in real life the physicality of it, the time it takes, the work - through your body not just your hands-brain is part of the outcome. They are closely related but the differences are also good for variety/exploring. This should be very large and viewed from far away... or small where you can peer in at it (like on a computer) you can enlarge by clicking on the image. 3) These are some doodles from a recent train journey. I like them and might use them for something more. But here they are for your eye tickles. 4) And finally, it's time for me to go to the optician. Now you know everything. Just a little update to say I have posted a new installment of Catonip Towers, and also, you might remember my wittering on about Not wanting to draw the Birds cartoon in Black and White and stuff about lettering. Well in the end I did draw the Birds in Greyscale, despite having already done it in colour. It is very different in Black and White and in fact it taught me that monochrome has its own virtues and I went on since then to draw Hack which is all black and white, so I learned something good in the end. Anyway, the point is, if you are interested you can go look at the Birds in greys, and compare it to the colour version. Also different fonts. You wouldn't believe how many versions of everything I usually do. If I don't, I tend to feel like it isn't the best possible permutation, or at least I haven't made absolutely sure it is. I mean, it might be, sometimes you do land on it first time, but I like to be thorough. Ok enough now.
ps. I am always playing around with how best to present things. I have the scrolly thing which means you can read it and slide to the next page, or there's the gallery where you see all the pages at once and then get them page size if you click and can click to the next, or finally there's the in-page way which is where they are just laid out beneath each other, least exciting, so you have to scroll down to get to the latest one. I don't know which is best or easiest for reading. I vary it up a bit. Dow! Am I blogging about blogging? Oh no. Also Lawrence, if you're reading this, I hope you don't think because I am drawing my cats that I am not up for doing a webcomic, if you have one on the boil fling it over Scottish style. Don't they fling things up there? I guess its the mountains. Do do do dooo dooo do doooo. Dog Whisperer=latest addiction. As you may know my love for cats and Merlin in particular knows no bounds. AND SO, I BRING YOU:
CATONIP TOWERS. A weekly webcomic (if I can control myself) about the three cats that live here in Catonip Towers where I am also allowed to live as long as I am good and only for a short time. Because I am so excited all the time apart from when I am not, I have ALREADY drawn the first episode: CATAPULT. You can see Catapult on the Catonip page I have created especially for you. Enjoy the randomness that is Merlin comics. |
The ARTIST
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