Zombie Doodle

Been a while since I've seen 'the walking dead' so kept myself amused with a walker sketch, trying to draw more sketches each week, quick and quantity is the main aim here so more to come.

If your on Instagram you can find me and more sketches and pics there, look for @MCCANNOID

2014 Art Recap and Xmas Art Gifts

Happy new year all and Welcome to 2015!! Hope last year was good to you. Before I start posting artwork from the new year and all things related, I wanted to do a quick recap of last year on what art direction I went, did I achieve what I set out to do and was it productive in terms of creative Output. I also want to share four traditional paintings I completed as gifts/commissions over the festive holiday period.

2014 was definitely the year I returned to my more traditional roots, using watercolour, acrylic, charcoal, pencil and pastel to paint portraits, studies or other things just for fun but I was also fortunate enough to have some commissioned worked last year that further raised my confidence in my own ability to grow and improve my rusty skills. Although there was some digital and graphic design work I had completed there was also a string of irreparable faults with my technology hardware but somehow I managed or looked beyond this. It was a big set back for my digital ambitions with unmanageable costs at the time but it gave me time to step back, look at what I was doing, where I wanted to go and why, it also gave me a glimpse into what made art, painting and just creating for the sake of it so enjoyable and meaningful to me. To be critical of myself, I didn't produce enough, to be optimistic, I did produce some unique pieces of real value to those who received them as gifts or as commissioned pieces of art, this was especially felt during the holidays with the following four paintings.

I don't really have resolutions for 2015, I would rather carry the lessons I've Learnt from 2014 and grow past that, taking with me what I've done right and what I need to do. So here's a summary:

1. Return to Digital, Get the Tech Logistics Sorted, take what you've learnt and use it.
2. Produce Way more Art, paintings,drawings, design, sketches, stay accountable to quantity.
3. Keep Producing Art of value and content meaningful to yourself and others.
4. Monetise more efficiently, Think in business terms of how you will fund and fuel your creativity.

I've already given myself a list for this month so I'll be busy, currently working on some traditional portraits, a children's book and drafting a web comic, here's to 2015!! its time I got on with it.

Harry Potter Studios and GOT Exhibhition (2014)

Two of 2014's highlights were my visits to the Harry Potter Studios outside London and a special Game of Thrones Exhibition in Belfast. I highly recommend them both as they feature set pieces, props, creatures, costumes, concept art and designs, although the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour is based near Watford outside London, The GOT exhibition I believe is something that pops up annually in various locations, the time I went, it was situated in the Waterfront building, Belfast, so keep an eye out for it.

The Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio tour was a real surprise and treat for myself especially as I'm not even a big Harry Potter fan but I was truly captivated by the sheer scale of the sets from  Hogwart's Main Hall and Chambers to the cobbled way up Diagon Alley. The Creatures, masks, costumes and prosthectics were really something to behold, the animatronics were both amazing and creepy as some features came to life.There was so much for Harry Potter fans to take in surrounding the family details, its world and culture, the forces of good and evil, I was fascinated but struggled at times to keep up, but I managed to take a break and refresh myself with some butter beer! The concept art was amazing along with the detailed set designs and models, and by the end of the tour was probably the best bit.... a breathtaking vision of Hogwarts in big-ature form.

Though smaller in scale and features the HBO Game of Throne Exhibition held its own as an impressive spectacle and display of Westeros' finest and feared. Most of it featured well known character costumes from the show, beautifully designed and detailed, along with the more rugged and grim wears of fugitive wanders or dwellers beyond the wall. The props were a delight, from weapons, jewellery and set pieces, all build up the stories, lore and history of it's world along with the memorable and shocking scenes from the TV series. The creature features were also present with hanging model dragons, a very cool dragon head and painfully bloody Dire Wolf's head, all too chilling with dreaded thoughts of the Red Wedding. Despite this, I was cheered up immensely with my chance to sit on the Iron Throne and Experience the Joyride of Looking beyond the wall from dizzying heights using the occulus rift set up.

A4 Acrylic Paint: Bene Gesserit Sister

I've using a lot of water colours, charcoal and pencils lately so in a bid to do something different and refresh some long slumbering practice I've turned to acrylics. Still had some in the house and I miss the bold colours and contrast I use to get using them years ago, so to start I used a simple A4 canvas and began to paint a female face keeping some scatter magazine references at hand. At the beginning it didn't look like anything expect a creepy child's painting but with time and persistence it soon evolved. At the end I got used to a black background and instead of adding hair I could add a shoal or nun's garment but that wasn't my style, then it reminded me of the witch/priestess order from Frank Herbert's Dune so I went with that in mind. I kept everything outside the face relatively quick and less detailed than the face, next time I'll buy some better, more detailed brushes and work with a larger surface to achieve such detail. Here's my progress, just goes to show even from crude beginnings if you trust yourself and keep going to get somewhere.

Charcoal Gorilla (and process)

One of my animal studies using traditional mediums, charcoal and chalk on green paper, the study uses photographic reference, exercising accurate observation and hand/eye coordination, details can be difficult to achieve with charcoal and chalk but it is great for establishing value and light.  I'm no expert as I taught myself along the way but here's my process.

Sketch outline lightly with pencil, the first stage is generally the most important., use eye (or grid) to measure shapes like head, body and eyes, be loose and messy narrowing down an accurate layout of shape and important focal points such as face. Look at outlines and the negative shapes (background) then spin and check 360, No details here, as this will be mostly covered up, tidy layout outline with eraser.

Establish main values and lighting, biggest and darkest shadows, usually leave chalk to very last. Smudge shadows with tissue paper to keep hands clean and achieve medium shadows, outline with charcoal.

Smudge and add details, build up image with charcoal  details and shadows, the gorilla here is still all charcoal the lighting has changed to make it appear brighter. Don't be too precious about the lines you draw, if u need to smudge in more value do it but keep medium tones (paper) and light (Chalk) areas charcoal free, put in the time here, if your starting image is accurate trust in the process and go at it.

This is the finished image. Finish all details, suggest fur details with charcoal strokes and light chalk brushes, use charcoal pencil (or sharp edge) for line details, zoom in your focus to ensure focal points like face are detailed and lit accurately, zoom out to ensure overall value with head, body, face has been established and works, bring the background up to scratch, lightly smudge as this will put it out of focus and establish distance. Leave it, then come back with fresh eyes, call it done when your happy (or when your done).

Sci-Fi Pen Doodles

Recent Portrait

Heres a recent portrait I completed with watercolour, I've been doing more and more portraits as comissions, gifts and portfolio builders. Its been a few years since my last portrait or painting like this so it was a welcomed return to traditional artwork, I also tried a few little warm up runs before going at it. I really like painting people but even more so animals as their feedback is always consistant. More like this to come.