Gizmo is Go!

A few pages from the newly published 'Gizmo' Book by Oxford University Press. amazon. Just at the start of a new book by them at the moment - something about Knights and chickens - should be fun!

History Man

I've not posted my BBC History Illustrations for a while. Still having fun with them!
1. 'Swein Forkbeard' - Illustrating the first viking king of Britain. I tried a quick linocut for a change for this one, still meaning to do my regular style for the final, but the client liked it and went with it!
2. 'Napolean Submarine' - Illustrating the supposed plan to rescue Napolean from St Helena by means of a new fangled submarine. Loved trying to mimic an old plan/drawing for this.
3. 'Mob Caps' Where did the name come from fro the cloth caps?
4. 'Groom of the Stool' - Illustrating the job someone had of wiping the Henry VIII's royal bottom!

Economist Drive

4 of 10 small icon illustrations for The Economist. Quick deadline and small pics but enjoyed coming up with ideas and the images.
1. A comment on the new Google Glasses.
2. Goal line technology.
3. Tablet computers that you can use on take off and landing.
4. Damien Hirst has an art gallery.

Going Dutch

Another pencil one for BBC History. I'm liking this technique although it does take a lot more time. I love using the layers in photoshop to add the colour but also to colour the pencil lines. This one illustrates the saying 'Dutch Courage' which meant having a wee drinky before battle (usually gin).

Big Risk

 

Wellcome Trust have done a redesign of their 'Big Picture' Mag. After a lot of nagging they've used some of my illustrations at a larger scale - hurrah! This one to illustrate 'managing risks'. Click this link for more - Wellcome Trust

'Like' a lot

47,000 likes! This old pic seems to have found its way onto a science facebook page. So far it has received over 47,000 likes. That's a lot of people seeing my little joke!
Originally the idea came up for one of the articles in the Wellcome Trust's 'Big Picture guide on evolution about Finches on different islands that had developed beaks that had adapted to the food sources available on each island.

Dr When and the Dialects

New direction? I'm looking at using my pencil lines in the final artwork rather than always doing an ink line. I'm liking this rougher way of working (although it has taken longer).
The article asks how far back in history we could go and still understand people in this country. By reading certain books of fiction we can learn a bit about dialects in history.

Dr When

I'm looking at creating some final images using my pencil work and getting excited about the possibilities. I like the way this wee rough looked when it was coloured up. I was looking for an image that looked at using literature to go back in time - to learn about and be able to speak the 'english' language of our ancestors.

Punc(tuat)*ion: Gro-up!?....

 A historical article about punctuation marks. I decided to try to draw each punctuation mark's characters and try and create a scene with them. I like the way this one's turned out - complete with all my own collage. Got fed up with searching for textures online so picked up the digital camera. That's my skin, stubble, jumper, hair and a suit from the wardrobe!

Lice to see you...

Illustrating 'gaol fever' - epidemic typhus - a bacteria usually transmitted by body lice. Apparently it commonly occurred in the appalling conditions of Britain's prisons before Victorian reformers cleaned them up.

Hector's House

An illustration to show the comparative size of a Hector's Dolphins and a Blue Whale for 'Splash' - the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Trust magazine

Twin Perks

Twin royals - which one gets on the throne? A topical subject from BBC History when the press was speculating about Princess Catherine's pregnancy