Ghosts in the Temple

This had been sitting round for a while being almost complete. I finally put the finishing touches on it today, and I've just got to sign it now. I'm very fond of this painting, it just came together so nicely and so easily. It was done over a painting that just wasn't working, but the old painting did help to shape the composition, so it wasn't wasted in a way.

Painting in Progress

This painting's still in progress. There are a lot of stages it went through already, which helps add to the texture. The lighting's is bleaching the photo in the top right corner, but that's kinda nice, maybe I'll lighten it.

The big face on the left was based a little on the Curio robot, but it's starting to look a bit like Eve from Wall-E.

Happy Snow Days!

Watch out, I'm going to get you with a snowball!

There hasn't been snow like this in Ireland since I was a little kid. I'm remembering what it was like to play in the snow 'til your gloves get soaked through and your fingers go numb.

Yesterday Stephen and I made a snowman out the back of the local Starbucks (and the back of Subway too. Okay, maybe we're not in Ireland, this could be anywhere). I scrounged around in the rubbish and came up with two Volvic bottle tops for the eyes, which couldn't have been better. Stephen called him Paul Newman since they are blue.

We got some photos of the two of us holding Paul Newman's hands, thanks to a couple who were passing, but only some of the photos would work on my femputer. Well, Stephen has them, let's see what he posts.

Near Death Comic

Stephen's started something magical and I'm very proud, like peacocks. It's his first graphic novel and you can follow the creation process on his blog. It's deadly!

We're currently enjoying the snow, sleet, hail, lightning and thunder from our warm apartment. You can usually see the city past this victim of the economic downturn pictured below.

My New Easel

I've inherited a couple of easels, but this is my first bought specifically for my needs. Stephen bought it for me for Christmas. It's a Mabef M33 easel. It's very tiltable, and most importantly just light enough for me to move about the place (which is some feat with my spaghetti arms), but still sturdy.

Another of his presents is on the floor behind, the Fat Duck Cookbook which is resting on the bookstand my Dad made for me many moons ago. The cookbook has tonnes of Dave McKean's illustrations in it, which is why Stephen bought it for me. I presume he's not expecting any culinary miracles.

The painting on the easel was started before Christmas, I painted it resting on my desk to begin with. I'm much happier painting on the easel.

Self Portrait

Here's a little sketch of yours truly. I used a Koh-i-noor Nexus, which I bought in the US years and years ago.

Chris the Christmas Tree and the A&E

We got our Christmas tree yesterday. It was Stephen and my first tree together and Stephen's first live Christmas tree, he's enjoying the pine freshness throughout the apartment. He nicknamed him Chris.

Anyway it was all so exciting I ended up in A&E last night with the most incredible pains in my stomach, just an extension of the illness I've had for the last three weeks. I had been feeling a whole lot better recently 'til then.

These paintings were done a little while ago. I painted them on the floor (not directly obviously, they're on 100% cotton paper) on a large sheet of plastic. Stephen's getting me an easel for Christmas, I do have a portable easel stored away, but there's something about working on the floor I always enjoy. But when we get the sweet Mabef easel I picked out I'll be a bit more organised and be able to paint bigger paintings too.

Red Riding Hood

Screentone Cowboy

I haven't really had a chance to do any sketching before in Manga Studio, I just went straight to work with it to ink my latest book. This here cowboy is the first sketch I've done with the program. I've used screentone before, but only the physical stuff.

Viking Marauders

This is another illustration from the Robin the Hoodie book. It might be my favourite. It's not often I get to draw vikings, so I decide to go with the fetching, but historically inaccurate, horns on helmets.

Best-Loved Irish Legends

I haven't had a chance to post these before, these are a couple of the illustrations from Best-Loved Irish Legends. The deadline was really tight on it, it worked out at about 2 days per spread (which is two facing pages to you non-publication types). I put loads of work in to make sure the illustrations were still good quality.

Tiger Lily

This is an as of yet unfinished painting. It's quite small and I'd like to paint a larger version eventually.

I'm illustrating another book at the moment so most paintings are on hold for the time being.

Hey Red!

My back started hurting again today, I also skinned my big toe and hit my funny-bone. I knew it was going to be a good day when I got up this morning.

Stephen's adopted this painting and all I know is big, red hair is awesome.

Robin the Hoodie

I recieved my copy of Robin the Hoodie yesterday. I'm really happy with how it came out, it's the first book where I've inked it physically. Stephen and I are moving in opposite directions, as he uses more digital media I use more physical stuff, it's how we keep the force in balance.

There was some ink splatter I wanted to use behind Crack Beard, but the printers were worried about how it would print. I mocked up a version anyway for my own sake (but it's elsewhere), it helps the smoke stand out.

Update: I just discovered the Crack Beard story was dropped. Dang! That was one of my favorite illustrations.

Stephen Working

It's nice to be back at my desk after the forced hiatus, and here's a sketch of my view from said desk. Stephen working away with my lectern in front of him, he's either drawing Die Hard: Year One or doing his sketch for Eclectic Micks, maybe I'll take a peak and check, I don't think he noticed me sketching.

Watercolour Sketches

My back's still out, but it is getting better. I haven't been able to do much and it's driving me stir crazy, so now and then I do a bit of sketching and what not, until it gets too uncomfortable. These paintings are the most recent of these art therapies.

I haven't touched watercolour in a good while and I was going to say something more here, but I have to recoup from being hunched over blogging on my laptop. Cheerio!

Baby got back problems!

I threw my back out yesterday doing tumbles, apparently I'm not 4 years old anymore. Today I did nothing but quest for pain relief.

On the plus side my A4 scanner is working again, although this painting was photographed along with the one from the previous post. The lighting was far from perfect for this, but whatever, you get the gist.

Scanning Issues

The lil' scanner I normally use is bust, and the A3 Brother scanner makes everything way too saturated. I spent the last hour trying to either make little scanner go now, or trying to adjust the colour settings on the Brother. So photograph it is, of course that's not great either, but it's nice to see the picture in situ. The second image is what the Brother scanner did, shame on it.

Another Red Head

My new book came out yesterday: Best-Loved Irish Legends. I saw it on the shelves in Waterstone's when we went to town today. I might just post some art from it, but in the meantime here's another lady, painted in a loose choppy style.

Red Hair, White Nipples, Warm Heart

Here's another of my looser paintings, this way of working uses up so much more paint and fairly gunks up the brushes. Why the white nipples? . . . Got milk?