a random collection of sketchbook work, photos and prints

This is a random selection of my images showing other styles and media that I have used.... I will fill up this page more as I go.

Pumpkins monoprint

Santa Monica Beech, from UCLA photography Darkroom course

sketch of local church

In the style of Johanna Basford (negative image)- (artist chosen by another OCA student as contemporary illustrator)

Original sketch for above which I then scanned and inverted

Animals in style of Quentin Blake for fun and an illustration of old Macdonalds far for my Nephew

line drawing

monoprint of small boy

Assignment 1 - Hello Card finished

Final Hello Design

This was the final design, it is a sort of dreamscape, incorporating things that make me feel positive, things that inspire me daily and also some examples of previous work. The envirionment is something I feel passionately about,  and can get lost in colours,  living things, the sand, sunshine and waterfalls, the elements at work. We grow vegetables at an allotment, and watching things grow from seed is constantly amazing if not always succesful. But there is so much man made stuff that should be incorportated... music (hence the dancing self), books (far too many to be specific), and I've also included some paints, pencils etc. I referenced Children's Laureate, Anthony Browne in this picture with fried egg plants, pencils and butterflies growing out of the ground, and icecream trees.  In an interview for the Lightbox at Woking Browne talks about Children as Natural Surrealists, - and hearing this interview gave me the idea of presenting the Card as a sort of Dreamscape which gave me the freedom to incorporate all these influences into one image . I chose my previous work based on styles I enjoy and materials I am confortable using but I was slightly hampered by needing the colours and textures to contrast with the main image, so anthying too bright or too detailed didn't work. I put the images together using Adobe Photoshop Elements, by cutting holes in the main picture and laying layers of images behind the holes. These are the ones that I chose...

My son at 18 months - pencil, charcoal pencil and chalk

Prague street in the ice - Oils

pencil and chalk on grey textured paper

Photo of Santa Monica Arches from UCLA photography course

Portrait - pencil, and smudging eraser

2 brothers, conte crayon and chalk

self portrait - monotype

Conclusions: I am happy that the final image actually communicates the cluttered nature of my brain!! I'm also happy that it shows the exuberance and enthusiasm that I feel for this course. I could have done it so many other ways, with darker undertones and some of the other ideas would have been pleasingly simple, and some showed a better sense of ambition. Most of these are detailed in the other Hello Post. I found this exercise a challenge but feel that I just about cracked it, in the end. 

Assignment 1 - Hello Card the process

This post describes the process I went through to come up with the final image.

I wanted the card to express my enthusiasm as well as something of my aspirations and I also wanted to incorporate some of the work that I have done to date as well as showing some of the materials that I enjoy working with.

The first mission was to come up with an image of myself encapsulating my attitude to the course surrounded or sprouting ideas and images... so to the sketchbook..

1ST ATTEMPT

 I was intending to put examples of photographs, paintings, prints, pencil drawings and portraits in frames along with idea bubbles, but, it didn't seem to show the enthusiasm that I feel. So I decided to do some quick thumbnail sketches of other ideas which might work....

One was of me luxuriating American Beauty Style on top of a bed of images... but this didn't seem to be me...

 Anther idea was looking into the mirror as if doing a self portrait and seeing other images in the background, but this was too retrospective. Then I played with the idea of going through doors made of previous images and arriving at a door marked OCA, but that felt too complicated.

2nd attempt

Then I tried a gallery space lined with previous pictures and a door at the end marked OCA, an open ceiling with clouds parting - light coming from the door... But this felt too heavy!







This idea was one of my favourites. I liked the sense of purpose of climbing over my previous work displayed as building blocks, but the rainbow colours should be emanating from behind the OCA block. I liked the simplicity of this idea.

Then I played with simpler ideas of me sending up balloon ideas into the air, but whilst I like these images, they do not do enough for this assignment.

Exercise 2, 2nd attempt

1st attempt

 This was my first attempt at an illustration for an article in the Independent about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. In the article it is described as a 'plastic soup'.The World's Rubbish Dump: a tip that stretches from Hawaii to Japan

It's invisible from satellite as it lingers below the surface, and was happened upon by a former Sailor Mr Moore by chance in 1997, on his way back from a Los Angeles to Hawaii yacht race. For this illustration I focused on his story, and tried to make visible a few Tesco Bags etc that might be recognisable.

pages from learning log

I also played with the idea, as described in the article about it behaving like a monster "It moves around like a big animal without a leash... when that animal comes close to land.... the garbage patch barfs and you get a beach covered with this confetti of plastic'.

pages from learning log

I played about with this idea in my sketch book for a bit, and then decided that the most shocking thing was actually the size of the 2 patches.













So eventually I went for a much clearer image - treating the 2 patches like islands in their own right, but making them look slightly like sea monsters.

final image

Illustration Exercise 2

The purpose of this exercise was to extract meaning. I selected an editorial by Daisy Waugh from the Observer, describing a sack race that she competed in when staying with the Scottish Grandparents and the horrible competitive nature which overwhelmed her.

"it's a sort of non-negotiable humiliation ritual imposed on every guilty parent..."

"no matter how good her previous intentions, any plans to behave in a proper lady-in-law like fashion will be forgotten".

"The man on the Tannoy blew his starter whistle and we were off. Bounce, Bounce, bloody bounce... But I didn't panic. No, I've been here before (for more years than I care to count)... Mrs McDonnell was already down - and there went Mrs Mc Dougall... Ooh! Oops. And there went one of the sister-in-laws...

"Help!" She cried out. "Daisy, help! I've done my ankle"

"Out the bloody way!" I yelled. And bouncd on by - to victory. More or less. (I came fourth, okay?)'

sketch book page 

Despite the fact that I have a feeling that I should have chosen something a little less 'narrative' I went on - and came up with a prelimanary page of sketches.


I tried to get a range of emotions - convey the competitive nature, maybe have a few 'ladies' genuinely enjoying themselves.



 Below I considered adding a bit of Scottish Background, but then decided it would confuse the message. I also felt that the image needed a sort of 'sub-plot' - scared animals or children....

I looked back at the text and noted the conclusion to the article..

another sketch book page

"Aversion therapy reader. Must be the trick to successful child-rearing. Lead by really bad example and your children will be so appalled by your behaviour they wind up doing the opposite."

So I added some children into the left hand midground of the final image and heightened the sense of competition by having a fallen competitor steal the ribbon.

bounce bounce bloody bounce

Exercise 1, Eric Ravilious

 I chose Eric Ravilious, as his documentary subject matter interested me, and the way in which he controlled his image and his messages.

His stark style distances the viewer, it doesn't generally invite an emotional response, (Brechtian?). This effect is partly because his figures are often featureless, or entirely absent. I think this reflects the time that he was working, between the wars and during the 2nd World War as a war artist. Precision of composition, colour, message, plus a use of common iconography seem to characterise much of his work. When confronting his work as a War Artist, his pictures are still very cold, devoid of an emotional response.  Almost in denial. His letters from his time with the Navy are very 'boys own' - he is excited rather than horrified, he doesn't seem to try to convey the frightening or exhilarating. His depiction of a bomb being defused was called 'rendering mines safe' but later retitled  'Dangerous work at Low Tide' - which seems to sum up his reluctance to get involved in the dirty side of war. Very British

one of many sketches and photos from my sketchbook

For his High Street Lithographs,  which can be seen by following this link.

Eric Ravilious High Street Lithographs


his colour palette was 4 (and combinations thereof), so I looked along our High Street for shops that might have been around at that time, but had a modern twist. I photographed many, some of which would have made more of a statement about the times that we live in, but I plumped for the traditional Bike Repair shop in the end.

composition sketch 

The photo had no figure so I created a Ravilious inspired figure emerging from the shop. I then broke down the colours into what would have been plates had I had the ability to do a lithograph.
I figured that as Ravilious himself only had to design the plate and then hand it over to skilled craftsmen for the Lithographic stages, this might be true to his involvement with the image!

Finished High Street Pen and Ink design

Exercise 1, John Burningham

I looked at John Burningham's book 'Seasons', which has some very emotive images Seasons (Random House). I was impressed by the way that his illustations, in this and in other books appeal to a range of ages. I tried to copy his use of pencil, wash, ink and eventually splattering ink in the final piece, I also used cross-hatching which he uses in many of his pictures e.g. Mr Grumpy's Outing. 

My first images was of Autumn, which I then reworked to add more foreground details. I then tried Summer - eventually going back to my first image of Autumn and attempting to get a bit more of the 4 seasons in 1 day feeling of a blustery autumnal day.

This was the finished image, but I'm not sure that I don't prefer the one in my sketchbook. I do like the splatter effect though. I feel it is very autumnal.

Here I tried to add a bit more interest into it, but I found the composition a bit too busy.

And here I attempted to do a Hazy Lazy Summer Day

 Here I took on board his book 'Opposites' and did my own version. He talks about trying to have a subplot, 'Thou Shalt Not Bore' is his mantra. Here I tried to make the subplot about the little boy having a very small sandwich and being underwhelmed, and jealous of the the big boy having a massive one. Simple! Too Simple?

It may be that the simple drawings and the 'unfinished' look of some of JB's illustrations that make him appeal to this era. Maybe we like to have something a bit rough around the edges, obviously hand drawn to contrast with the slick technology that surrounds us.

(note: makes me think of Aardman Animation, who are most succesful when you can see and 'feel' the plastercine - their computer generated films are less satisfying to my mind)

Here I have illustrated a poem that my sons love in the style of John B, but with a different style of figure.