Inktober2020 - Fish

 

Fish (Revisited)

(markers and Photoshop)

It's hard to believe it's been a year since I last drew a cartoon, but then it's been a pretty weird year so far. Despite all the controversy around Inktober, I thought I'd give it a go again, so following the first prompt, I drew the Fish below. 

Not content with that, however, I reworked it again with digital colour and a photo of fish I took in Valencia, and the result is above.

Inktober 2019 - The Castle Drawings

Well, Inktober 2019 came round and because I'd missed Inktober 2018 by virtue of being hard at work in Crete, I determined to give this year's event a go. However, I have a poor track record in keeping up with challenges and even this first drawing came unwillingly. I simply sat down and drew what came into my head. 

And that's how it went for a week, but I became conscious of how much thought I was actually giving to each successive drawing, willing it into a series. And so, after a week I gave up. I'll post the other six drawings below, but as they're so clearly cartoons rather than serious drawings, I'm also posting them here on The Cartoonist's Hat as well as on Boogie Street.

All were drawn with a Pilot disposable fountain pen in a Pink Pig square sketchbook.

King

This week's challenge from Illustration Friday is : King. I've dug out another cartoon from the Archive (originally done with a sketching fountain pen and ink), changed the caption and run it through Photoshop to colour it.

It's nice to be back on the treadmill.

Fun

I came across the original of this cartoon today and whizzed it through Photoshop.

Super Noddy

(Ballpoint pen and digital colour)

In my early days of cartooning, I had a particular fascination with various incarnations of Little Noddy. Looking through some old papers today, I came across this survivor of that period and gave it a bit of Photoshop colour.

Cutbacks

This week's Cartoonists' Forum Competition is based on the theme - Cutbacks.

At the Potato Opticians

(Mixed media)

The original wording of a cartoon submitted to this week's Cartoonists Forum Competition.

On the Shelf

(Mixed media)

I took this down from the shelf today, reworked it and .... back on the shelf it goes.

Bicycle

(Mixed media)

This week's Illustration Friday challenge is - Bicycle. I offer this informative drawing.

Shy Boy

(Mixed media)

One of those characters you sometimes find lurking in a folder in the drawer.

At Home with The Flyer

(Fibretip, A4)

I found this in a short pile of rough drafts tonight and thought I might as well finish it. Not like I have anything else to do ...

Surrender

(Fibretip and digital colour)

Ignavus, called The Poltroon, led his people to many glorious defeats.

A last minute illustration for Illustration Friday's challenge - Surrender.

'Umble

(Fibretips and felt tips)

Resolution

"Let's make a resolution to do something about the bats in the attic this year."
(Fibretip, digital colour)

My contribution (with a grateful nod to my mate Roy) to this week's challenge from Illustration Friday: Resolution

Nasty Party

(Markers, coloured pencils, A6 cartridge)

The Cartoonist's Hat

(Marker, digital colour)

"It's perhaps important to point out that I find cartooning and painting almost totally incompatible, in that they each require a different mindset. When I wear my cartoonist's hat I cannot paint and vice versa."

"In 1973 .... I gave up all thought of art college. The cartoonist's hat was firmly on for the next 15 years."

"If [painting] keeps me sane, it's worth it, but every now and again I find my head itching for the cartoonist's hat."

Those are quotes from an article I wrote for my fanzine, PIE in the SKY, in 1992 and serve to demonstrate the ongoing difficulty I find in working in both fields at the same time. It ought not to be so difficult. I've mentioned before that Wayne Thiebaud draws a cartoon every day and while I'm far too modest to put myself in the same paddock as Thiebaud, if he can do it, I don't see why I can't. Maybe not every day, but I don't see why painting and cartooning can't co-exist in my art practice.

All of which is by way of announcing the opening of my new blog - The Cartoonist's Hat. There's more work to be done on it in terms of banner headings and the like, but I've copied across all the cartoons from Boogie Street, together with contributions to Moleskine International Exchanges. From now on Moly work and pieces done for Illustration Friday will appear only on The Cartoonist's Hat. If you'd like to keep up with those things, why not subscribe to posts using the handy widget in the sidebar?

Sneaky

(Black marker, colour in Photoshop)

A contribution to the latest brief from Illustration Friday: Sneaky. I find I still get enjoyment from doing this sort of thing, but reactions (or more accurately, the lack of reactions) from readers of this blog suggest that these posts are of limited interest. I'm thinking that it might be useful therefore to set up a new blog to post cartoons and related drawings, such as Moleskine Exchange contributions. Watch this space.

Star Gazing

A rare return to a cartoon for Ilustration Friday. It was drawn with a fine point marker and coloured in Photoshop, for the set theme, Star Gazing.

It comes at a time when the Perseid meteor showers have been shooting through the earth's atmosphere. As usual, the clouds moved in after sunset in the north east to ensure the display was hidden. Perhaps they're only available on pay-per-view.

T-Shirt Diversion

Sometimes a bit of my earlier life catches up with me and I'm asked to produce a cartoon. In this case friends wanted a cartoon knight to be incorporated into a design for a T-shirt logo. After several days of toing and froing, colour corrections and adjustments, this is the character I provided.

Everyone involved seems happy with him, and he certainly looks pleased with himself.

Moly Time Again

In March I announced my involvement with the Moly Totem Pole project. For various reasons, I haven't been able to carry on with it. Until now. Here's my addition to Lauren's Moly, done in a combination of coloured pencils and markers: