The Cocky who cried lunchbags!

So here, for the only time EVER (unless another time occurs) a startlingly small glimpse into what has been going on lately and hence why things have been so busy!

Coming ever so soonish via Little Hare Books is a little number entitled 'The Cocky who cried Dingo' - which came together a little something like this!

FIRST - I decided abstract and boldly coloured backgrounds were the plan (partly as I didn't want to have to draw page after page of foliage - presuming the birds in the story were tree dwelling types - and they were!). And why not try a rustic 'torn paper' vibe to abstractly (see: thoroughly obscurely) simulate the Australian outback...sky in particular!

Now...I decided brown paper lunch bags would be the tool of my trade - why? Because they're brown! thus they're an actual colour THUS when scanned into the computer I can easily change an actual colour to another actual colour in photoshop much easier than if it were a grey or white piece of paper!

Next - a plan - and in the grand tradition of my previous complex plans - behold - my plan! Note the numerous pages with question marks - yep, intensely designed to the finest detail before proceeding to rip up lunch bags!

so here are two examples of the scanned bits of torn paper in place with the rough pencil sketches included...

And then after a bit of fiddling and drawing - some finished spreads!

EASY! Now all thats' needed is a cover design and then WHOOSH - another literary gem out into the world...all thanks to Coles lunch bags and grim determination NOT to repeatedly draw leafy leafy Australian flora!

Year 7 boy GETS PUBLISHED!

FACT! And I draw the picture to accompany the particular short story penned by this young lad. (I say 'penned', probably typed...kids today, do they even use pens?)

Yes indeed, rambling aside - kid writes short story about imaginary friends going pear-shaped, I draw the picture, it all gets published in an upcoming collection of short stories to be published by Black Dog Books in the name of charity! This is their second such volume of short stories for charity...the previous one afforded me the chance to draw killer rabbits!

And so once again, somehow my work leads back to 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' in one strange way or another. That's not dorky at all!

summer time. apparently.

Hi! Busy times as I get back on the horse...as it were. So here's a quick 'little girl of the month'! I'd forgotten all about this summertime lady, and given it's supposed to be summer in Melbourne (be it ever so patchy) - what better time to drag her out for all to admire!

So here she is - admire away!

2010 - and away we go!

Hi all and Happy New Year!

Welcome back to these blog postings in a year where surely i'll maintain this routine I've gotten accustomed too!

Of course, it's been a slow and reluctant drudge getting myself back into working mode so in the interests of maintaining my slackness for just one more day (promise!) - here's a bunch of photos I nicked off Facebook.

Refer to the last blog entry of 2009 and you'll see the Spamalot scenic design art I did...and now here, after a triumphant run this January - here's how the journey ended - behold these images of varying quality showing bits of the end result (be it during performances or during tech runs!)

Thanks photographers - your iPhones work well!

Merry Christmas!

And so I blog here for the last time in 2009! And by way of a festive gift, a bonanza of 'behind the scenes' stuff only some of you have seen before! (Bonanza's probably a bit of an over statement...perhaps 'meagre offering' would be better!).

Aaaaanyway, remember this?

Well, it began as concept art which then was turned into the 'already seen in construction' scale model which now after much, much, MUCH hard work from only a few brave and clever souls has been translated into a life size model!

As can be seen by this photo of me painting a bit of it - it's BIG.

Should you be at a loss of what to do and within reasonable travel distance of Frankston (please, hear me out) from New Year's Eve til January 9, you can witness this life-size scale model in action as actors, dancers and singers prance about all over it as they attempt to put on the best damn version of 'Monty Python's Spamalot' they can muster!

However - it all began way back in around May, June as drawings. Enjoy this sampling!

And lastly, to all you who've put up with the early sporadic postings and/or joined in once I forced myself to maintain a weekly routine - many thanks indeed! It's been a pleasure discovering more and more of you who read it (making it feel worthwhile to do rather than making me feel like I was flinging things out into empty darkness!).

Have a fine ol' festive season, Merry Christmas, Pear Noel (probly typed that wrong!) and do come on back next year...round January 15th - when we can start aaaaalll over again!

Who knows what random things will be required to be drawn in 2010?

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

It's clearly corporate Christmas time!

Hence this whirlwind rushjob! 'Need something in a day...thanks!'

Mmmm - well here it is Bob Jane! Despite the ever so tight deadline and slightly hokey concept - I quite like the end result! And it's always good to know I can manage something like this utra-quick when need be!

Merry Christmas to all who travel on tyres this festive season! Stick to the road and avoid everything on it!

Festive times have just begun...

...and yet, amongst the MANY little girls of the month - never did a festive design get done! Which certainly boggles my mind - and maybe one day will be amended - but not today!

Instead, we celebrate the birth of Summer 09/10 - with this beach babe - 'Little Sharkbite Girl'!

(And yes, I'm aware November lacked a little girl of the month - BUT do remember SHOCKtober ended with a GLUT of them...so spoiled you were!)

Ummm - so what else happened this week - Mazda required a Christmas card - thats' what! And here it is!

And for those who'd like to see it a bit better - it's a three fold thing that's meant to sort of be based on their current 'stencil graffiti' inspired TV ad campaign (yeah, Mazda's finger is firmly planted no the pulse, to the point of disrupting blood flow) - so the idea is that we begin in the city, where one might work...

...then home for the holidays (note the traditional suburban light coloured brick...CLASSIC Mount Waverley if nowhere else!)...

..then off to the beach to enjoy the good times only Mazda can provide! (theyr'e gonna photoshop in the back end of the latest wonder vehicle suggesting it's headin' on down the road to golden holiday bliss - Mazda style!)

aaaaah summer, aaaaah Mazda, aaaaah graffiti!