6B Portraits

Haven't blogged for absolutely ages so here is some recent work, I'll keep this short and sweet.

2x A4 graphite on Bristol board portraits. 

"Kimberly" and "Jordan" (commissions now sold.)

I have been using graphite more and more recently as opposed to my usual ink and wash. I love that almost effortless midtone a 6B gives you and using a rubber where the light hits to create contrast.

When looking back at some of my very early portraiture I can definitely see a new found maturity to my recent work. My style has become more refined and I guess just through repetition and practice more sensitive and less characature.

Past is Present

"Past is Present"- I saw this written on a gravestone many years ago in the cemetery where my Grandparents are now buried.

It has always stuck in my head.

  

As an artist and I suppose a human being, I am stuck in the past (in a good way I like to think although anybody unfortunate enough to live with me will i'm sure debate this !!)

I collect second hand garb, vintage cameras, clothing, records, comic books, board games, video games, shoes, tea cups, annuals, dress patterns, sunglasses, postcards, books, photographs, you name it the chances are I collect it. 

The trick is to see potential in pretty much everything as long as it isn't bloody or stinky. My collecting doesn't bother me, it keeps me afloat mentally, but I am certain it does other peoples heads in at times. My floor boards are buckling, nobody wants to live with me!

However, I like the idea that other peoples pasts are my present, I love pre-loved.

   

One of my big passions, the big cachiiiiing when charity shopping is stumbling upon old photographs. 

As an illustrator/artist in general, I think it is so desperately hard to be original, especially when there are so many of us, everybody wants to be us, and a lot of us don't need to be technically very good anymore or really use our noodles at all. 

My resource bank has always been my own photographed imagery (except for when I went through a large period of time stalking z-list celebs in gossip collums)but I have found on the whole that I seem to fall out of love with people visually quite often.

Finding old photography is hard. For some reason shops put a high price on anything black and white. How can you put a price on someones memories? 

It is sad that photographs end up doing the charity shop rounds. It makes me sad thinking that someone could discard them in this way, but this is coming from the perspective of someone who holds so much pent up importance in everything: I guess you can't take them with you.......

Here are some really cool photos that I picked up most recently. Some are dated 1945, some were taken in Mexico, lots are from Ohio in the 50s, and some are from 1960s Peterborough.

Stumbling across these was by far my best secondhand discovery in ages and I must say, I am yet to top it.

I like to imagine what the people in the pictures dreamt, what they liked to eat for lunch, were they happy?

They are very much present to me.

        

 I have real issues with putting a price on anything that I create which is too personal to me, I guess it is similar in experience to the way I clutch on tightly to battered old cameras and shirts that are too small but might just fit.....one day. 

I have been working on some drawings from old family photographs that we discovered when clearing out my Grandparents house and although drawing from these brings me great pleasure, I don't think I could ever part with them. Perhaps the idea that they are far too much a part of my present past has something to do with it. Maybe it is the hoarder in me claming up at the thought of a drawing of my Grandad hanging on a strangers wall, he isn't yours, he is mine, you can't have him. Who knows, maybe i'm just a weirdo. Probably.

Anyway, here are a couple of not so amazing scans of some work that I have been doing with my found family imagery.

 

    

 

TIME IS OF THE VANILLA ESSENCE

3 MINUTE SKETCHES USING  

MY FAVOURITE  

MOST BELOVED COMBO: 

THE SLICCI AND WATERPEN.

I WANTED TO STEER CLEAR OF MY USUAL  

INTENSE FOCUS TO DETAIL AND JUST ENJOY  

THE MOVEMENT OF MY PEN AND THE  

FAST-PACED CAPTURING OF EXPRESSION.

A SOMEWHAT THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE  
COMPARED TO MY USUAL BUMP AND GRIND. 

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A COMIC BOOK NUT AND  

AM FEELING MORE AND MORE INCLINED TO  
START WORKING ON SOMETHING OF MY OWN.           

   

WE ALL HAVE OUR FAT DAYS

FIORENTINA PIZZA WITH EXTRA SALAMI,  

CHICKEN BIRYANI, 

GARLIC NAAN BREAD,  

MUSHROOM BAAJI, 

 POPPADOMS WITH MANGO CHUTNEY,  

CHICKEN IN BLACKBEAN SAUCE, 

SPECIAL FRIED RICE,  

CHICKEN CURRY,  

CHICKEN FRIED NOODLES,  

SAUSAGE AND MASH,  

PRAWN COCKTAIL,  

SMOKED SALMON WITH CREAM CHEESE,  

EGGS, BACON, SAUSAGES, MUSHROOMS AND TOMATOES,  

CARAMEL SHORTBREAD,  

CHEESE CAKE,  

FUDGE CAKE,

CARROT CAKE,

LEMON CAKE,

COFFEE AND WALNUT CAKE,

BIRTHDAY CAKE (HAPPY BIRTHDAY)

CHICKEN KEBAB, 

CHIPS AND DIPS,

BATTERED SAUSAGE AND CHIPS,

SAUSAGE ROLLS,  

CHICKEN SUPER NOODLES,

CHIPS AND GRAVY,

TOASTED EVERYTHING, LOTS OF SALT,  

I JUST REALLY REALLY ENJOY EATING. 

 

I DIDN'T EAT ALL THAT IN A DAY BY THE WAY,  

THAT WOULD BE FILTH.

I DIDN'T EAT ANY OF IT AT ALL (LIAR)

NOTE, THIS ISN'T A SELF PORTRAIT  

ALTHOUGH IT PROBABLY SHOULD BE.

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW...

FULL OF REMORSE, I AM A NEGLECTFUL BLOG OWNER.

THINGS HAVE BEEN WILD IN CRUNCHVILLE  
RECENTLY JUGGLING JOBS AND LIFESTYLES 

(MOSTLY JUST PLAYING XBOX  

AND READING COMICS.)

HERE IS A MOLESKINE PORTRAIT I FELT INSPIRED  
TO PEN WHILST LOOKING THROUGH A BOX OF OLD  
PHOTOS IN MY GRANDADS EMPTY HOUSE. 

AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE IT HAS BECOME APPARENT  
TO ME JUST HOW MUCH PHOTOGRAPHS  
FREAK ME OUT. 

ESPECIALLY OLD PHOTOGRAPHS OF MYSELF,

(THIS BEING ONE OF THEM.)

FOR ME IT IS LIKE LOOKING AT ANOTHER LIFE, 

ONE TAINTED WITH REJECTION AND  
DISAPPOINTMENT IN MYSELF
(OH HOW WE ONLY REMEMBER THE BAD!)
I WASN'T PRETTY ENOUGH OR  
MASSIVELY OUTSPOKEN OR CONFIDENT.

I WANTED TO BE  

JUDY GARLAND.

BALLET WAS MY THING.

MOST NIGHTS I WOULD TRAIN TO COMPETE,  
TO BE THE BEST I COULD BE. 

I DON'T THINK I WILL EVER LOVE SOMETHING  
AS MUCH AS I LOVED TO DANCE.

ANYWAY TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT,  
WE ALL KNOW WHAT THESE THINGS RESULT IN: 

FOR THE LUCKY FEW A ROMANTIC CAREER,  

FOR ME A HANGOVER  

AND A TAKEAWAY.

I'M NOT BITTER, I LOVE MY LIFE.

IT JUST MAKES ME SAD ON  

OCCASSION WHEN I STUMBLE  

ACROSS THAT LITTLE GIRL  

IN THE RED SHOES  

WITH SO MUCH PROMISE.

HOW MUCH I'D LOVE TO TELL A 2-18 YEAR OLD ME  

"DON'T LET ANYBODY TELL YOU  

THAT YOU AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH" (CLICHE) 

      

I WANT THIS ON A T-SHIRT, I AM GOING TO GET THIS ON A T-SHIRT!

THIS GIRL IS DEFINATELY ONE TO WATCH OUT FOR.

HER CRAFTY PEN AND INK WORK TRULY BLOWS MY MIND.

CHECK OUT CHARLIE'S FANTASTIC WORK AT:

http://monochromebib.blogspot.com

HERE ARE SOME PORTRAITS

FROM MY DEGREE SHOW.

ALL DRAWN WITH THE USUAL WEAPON OF CHOICE  

MY SLICCI PEN BUT FOR THE  

SOLID BLACK SECTIONS THIS TIME  

I USED BLACK PAPER.

I MADE PHOTOCOPIES OF A RETRO  

PATTERNED PILLOWCASE  

AND USED THIS AS A BACKGROUND

FOR THE FINAL PIECES.

I ALSO USED PHOTOCOPIES OF FRAMES  

TO FRAME MY PIECES. 

SOME MORE PORTRAITS IN THIS SERIES 

CAN BE SEEN UP THERE^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  

AS MY BLOG HEADER.