Surviving November

What a week. Thursday I had dental fillings which have given me constant toothache since. Apparently it might ease off, it might not, time will tell. I'm left with the possibility of a root canal in the next few weeks, Ho-Hum. I'm fed up with dentists messing with my teeth. "The operation was a success but the patient died" keeps popping into mind.

Friday morning my computer's Hard Drive refused to boot up. Hurah! That means I get to go and spend £700 on a new computer, at last. On one hand I get a nice shiny up to spec machine that I can sit in front off for hours and hours going "oh" and "Ah!" and on the other, Christmas is just around the corner! I could have spent time and less money sorting the Hard Drive, but you know, sometimes you have to know when to give in.

Sunday, climbing the sofa and stuff stacked in the corner I fell off a shelf and landed on my left side. Battered and bruised. Ridiculous!

Nice things have happened in between. Seeing friends and visiting the Harley Gallery and Open Studios. Helen cooking some lovely meals and watching snow fall to erase mud and coal from my world, at least for a few hours.

Have been doing a few storyboard sketches too for a story by Ben Haggarty. There will be about 29 when finished so I had better get on with it.

Stay warm.

Work in Progress…

Screen shot of what I’m working on right now. Colouring ‘flats’ and listening to Fever Ray.

Prep Sketch

Preparation sketch for a short story  illustration. Drawn in a Moleskine sketch book I will scan this then print it out larger as the template for the finished pencil drawing. Composition is important at this stage. The ominous shadow to the right balancing with the Cordwainer lost in his work on the left. I‘m thinking of making more of the bottle of wine on his work bench, to suggest he may be drunk, no such luck. The candle is also important and will have to be bigger, this is casting shadows and illuminating the image from inside.

The Old Hag Spat

Detail from another project I am working on but don’t want to say too much just yet. This is a close up from a series of drawings for a  story set in London and the ‘Cordwainer’ community.

Ten Details…

From ten banner designs. Have finished the large scale artwork and awaiting the final go ahead to send the artwork off to be printed on large sheets of PVC weather proof material.  This is for a project celebrating the heritage of a Wakefield area, that 550 years ago was the site of the Battle of Wakefield.