Mega Dungeon

I like jobs with realistic deadlines and fast payment - I wish they came along more often! This cover image for gamingpaper.com was one such job. A baby dragon stalks through the tunnels in Mega Dungeon All Stars, a Pathfinder adventure.

The Mad Monks of Bierbrau Monastery!

I'm getting quite a few requests for my ink sketch style and during the guest posts break I did some character sketch work for my friend Paul Scott on his new board game The Mad Monks. He needed six sketches of the players characters and also a front and back view of each to be used for a laser etched player counter for the board.

The blarb for the game: Join the monks of Bierbrau Monastery as they race for the barrel of beer, using any tactics they can from chastising with the big stick to humbling with the holy book. On hand is the Abbot to make sure the nobody gets seriously hurt. A fun knockabout game for 2-6 players.

I figure I can stretch these out over the next three weeks so to begin here's Brothers Carl and Albrecht. And as an extra here is the counter drawing for the Abbot of the monastery who didn't require a sketch to go with it.



© 2011 Paul Scott - Rathbone Games

Jonday - Beornings Settlement videos

So way back when I recorded one of the paintings I made for The One Ring, and now it's out I can share the series of ten videos that was the result of that recording.

Start here:


I recommend watching over on Youtube, where you can get it in HD.

Stairway to Hell

The doctor will see you now... run away!



This is part of a one shot due for release early 2012.

Egyptian Queen/Goddess/Whatever

I was having trouble getting going the other day, sometimes it's hard to focus. So I drew this instead of page one chapter 5 of 'The Wedding of Jena Makarov'. I feel better now.
Oh and it's drawn with pencils and Copic Markers.

The Red Skull

This was a freebie sketch done for one of the punters at our recent appearance at the Kingdom of Adventure game/comic shop in Kirkaldy (thanks to Dave for having us). I've added a quick dash of colour over the photo here just for the sake of it. For those paying attention (obviously not me) i should have been posting the last of my A-Z's this week but forgot over the Scotch Corner holiday -** huge thanks to all of the incredibly talented guys who have been posting here for the last month or so (and of course to Graeme too as he organised it all) **- when i realised i thought about quickly doing someone like Zzaax as that's all of a five minute job but then thought of a (hopefully) better idea but it's way more time consuming so it'll have to be Z for... next week instead.

Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions game.

Occasionally I get the opportunity to work on storyboards for AXIS Animation for game trailers and cut scenes within games. This is certainly a fun departure from the normal day to day comic work and teaching. Most of the time we work under Non Disclosure Agreements while the project is scheduled. This proves quiet frsutrating at times when all you want to do is scream and shout at the wonderful work that the studio is doing.

For my part, I am brought in at the start of the project to work up the boards with the director from the client's script, sorting through story-telling problems or technical restrictions ('no rain!') and generally refining it to a point where the animation team (with riggers and modellers) can get underway. Occasionally there will be a call back for last minute changes but that is very rare as most of the potential problems are dealt with at the initial session.

The released end product provides a strange sense of deja-vu for me. Yes, the scenes and compositions are mostly what I decided on and supplied to the director but the polish, texture and movement work by AXIS Animation studio really brings life to the scene and a finish I could only have dreamed of!

For last year's Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions game I was aksed to work on the opening scene and following in -game cut scenes. The game was released to critical success and a sequel is underway. See if you can spot the Glasgow Kelvingrove referenced museum interiors with Mysterio.

Here is the trailer for the Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions game. Take time to explore the rest of the AXIS Animation studio work. Some talented directors, producers, modellers and animators there!

Hunters

A few months ago I had an impromptu job to paint some big game hunters for Gorilla Board Games - a fun and quick job to illustrate a handful of characters for their Hunting Party game. There was a quick turnaround on the job, so it was a good time to concentrate on the process of painting and streamlining my techniques so that I might get them to the client as soon as possible. Here are just a pair of the batch produced.

Also I'd like to say a big thank you to all of our guest contributors over the last six weeks or so, who have posted top (and inspirational) artwork on Scotch Corner. Cheers all!

Holmes and Watson

These two ink sketches where a first try out with some new Copic Ciao pens that I bought recently. I've been a steadfast user of Promarkers for colouring my sketches but I wanted to give Copic a go, and I have to say with mixed results. I love the brush feel to the Copic and in fact no matter how I scanned them in I couldn't quite capture some of the levels of tone the pens produced but I dislike the patchy effect of laying on blocks of colour. For instance the jacket Holmes is wearing is very patchy and if I'd coloured that with Promarkers it wold have been a lot smoother. Still it's with experimenting that you get to know what your equipment can do. The sketches themselves are of Jeremy Brett as Holmes and David Burke as Watson from the excellent Granada Television series. Holmes was done in the Cool Grey range and Watson in the Warm Grey range, rather suitable for those characters I think.

Jonday - The One Ring is out

So regular readers will know that pretty much all I've gone on about for an age and a half is this Middle Earth role playing game I've been working on. Well over the summer break the game came out, and two years of work was released.

Coming back after such an incredible array of amazing guest posts so ably wrangled by Graeme it's easy to feel rather inadequate! So without further ado here's my personal favourite image I made for The One Ring:

August Guest – Tim Hamilton!

1) What was your first published work?
Beyond some mini comics I did via the mail way back in 1982 or so, it would have been “The Trouble with Girls.” A book written by Gerard Jones and Will Jacobs published by Malibu Comics way back in 1988 I think. I learned to draw comics as I did that book and fell on my face all the time. Gerard eventually wrote some DC comics and I rode into the mainstream on his coat tails!

2) 
Who or what inspires you?
Depends on what part of my life, or day, you are talking about! As a child I found these little paperback books that I guess my older brothers left behind. They were collections of “Peanuts” and “The wizard of Id” newspaper strips. I sat and read them straight through and after that I had to have the newspaper everyday so I could read Peanuts and just about every other comic on the comic page! Even Nancy. So, I say the Sunday Funnies inspired me first as far as comics went. On any given day younger musicians or artists who are putting out fantastic work inspire me. For example, Michel Fiffe just self published his book, ZEGAS and it looks great! I felt inspired to do the same once I had a look at what he did. I can either be terrified by young, talented people or be inspired by then. Being inspired by them suppresses my urge to kill.

3) What would be your dream job to illustrate?

At different stages of life, I have achieved what I “thought” would be a dream job here and there, and found that it was not as wonderful as I imagined. “Wanting something and having something are two very different things,” as someone wiser than myself once said. I do think you should do what you really love doing. Many people don’t as it is sometimes very scary to make that leap or it’s just too hard. I love to draw, always have. So having said what I just said, I think being able to design any aspect of a movie, animated or live action, would be a dream job. Be it fantasy or historical I love research and brain storming visual ideas.

4) Tell us a bit about the illustration you've sent?
I send along a page from an upcoming project I’m working on called “Army of God.” It about the L.R.A. and is written by David Axe. I like how this page came out even though it’s depicting some horrible stuff that actually goes on in the Congo.
I also sent a piece from “Adventures of the Floating Elephant,” the comic I do over at Activatecomix.com. Although this summer I took a little break from posting pages every month! September it starts again! And just for fun I posted a pin up I did for our studio sketch blog “Drawbridge.” For about a year most of us did a sketch EVERY morning on that blog. We kind of slacked off this summer and so did I until I realized something very important. I CAN’T draw for s**t during the day unless I do a warm up drawing in the morning!

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
“Army of God,” which I mentioned above will start appearing on Cartoon Movement in January. That will run for about 100 pages. Other than that I’m working on self-generated projects that may or may not ever see the light of day. Looking around at the publishing industry I think it may be time to try out that new fangled digital publishing platform!

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?
Wow. I’ve drawn since I was 5 years old. I don’t know. But I once dated a woman who was in Veterinarian school and was fascinated by all her studies. I snuck in with her and watched her do neurological rounds and sometimes helped her (shhh don’t tell!). At that time I wished I had taken that path and have always loved dealing with animals. I guess the short answer is “Veterinarian.”

7) 
Where can we see more of your work (web links)?
You can read “Adventures of the Floating Elephant,” here:
 http://activatecomix.com/23.comic
I do a humorous comic strip on my own site every Monday, Wednesday and Friday called “Brother Sasquatch.” You can see that one here: 
http://hamilton-tim.pair.com/CUTBLEED/
Almost every morning I do a warm up sketch and post it on Drawbridge along with who ever else can keep up with me! 
http://draw-bridge.blogspot.com/

August Guest – Dan McDaid!

1) What was your first published work?
I've done a bit of fanzine and self-published work - which I would really recommend to anyone as a way of honing your craft, getting used to the pros and cons of the job etc. - but my first paid work was doing illustrations for the (now sadly defunct) Doctor Who Yearbook. I have a page from that framed on my mantelpiece. It's a few years old now, but I'm still terribly proud of it. Gareth Roberts - who's done a load of telly Doctor Who - wrote the perfect story for me - gleaming futuristic cities, flying taxis, turtles with jetpacks. Brilliant.

2) Who or what inspires you?
When I was very young, probably Jim Mooney and John Romita Jr. That’s who was drawing Spider-Man when I was a kid, and man was I crazy for Spider-Man. Marvel Grandreams would also reprint stuff from before I was born in their big, hardback annuals, so I would read Romita Sr and Gil Kane doing those early Kraven the Hunter stories and the Death of Gwen Stacey, stuff like that. And there was a Superman annual – I just picked it up again on eBay – by Jim Starlin, where Superman and Supergirl fight Mongul, and Supergirl ends up flying so fast she flies out of reality, past the bounds of life and into the realm of, well… God. And Superman flies after her, but the Spectre stands in his way. Beyond this point, mortal man was not meant to see. But Superman – who, reading back now, was kind of a pushy, arrogant idiot, forces the point, gets past the Spectre and goes mad when he sees the Universe for the Moebius strip it actually is. Then God Himself turns up as a huge flash of light and tells the Man of Steel to watch his bloody step from now on. At the risk of coming over all Grant Morrison, there’s something elemental and Promethean about that story, and it scared the crap out of me as a kid. It still scares me now, a bit.

Then in the nineties I got into the Image style of doing things. There’s a whole load of art from that time where I’ve just gone mental with the cross-hatching without really thinking about what was supposed to go under it. Awful. Then I discovered Bruce Timm, Alex Toth and Jack Kirby at about the same time, which brings more or less to where I am now.

Alternative, romantic answer: the missus. Seriously though, she puts up with an awful lot of rubbish from me – mainly my extravagant moodswings, all the way from vainglorious boasting to crippling ennui – and keeps pushing me to keep going on, to keep reaching for what I want. I’m not saying I’d be lost without her, but I’d probably be doodling cocks for cash in grotty hotel rooms.

3) What would be your dream job to illustrate?
I've kind of already done it - I've been a Doctor Who fan since I was ten or so, so all my life I've been drawing TARDISes, Daleks, Cybermen. And I'm also a Kirby nut, and I've kind of got to do that as well with Jersey Gods. So with those more or less ticked off, my dream job now is just to work with great writers making cool stuff. And maybe write something of my own.

4) Tell us a bit about the illustration you've sent?
These are a few pieces of Doctor Who art I’ve done over the last few months, a couple for American publisher IDW and one for Panini. I’m never going to tire of working on Who, I think, it’s always going to fascinate me, even when I’m ancient and doddery. That’s probably a bit sad, isn’t it? And then there’s something from a more-or-less secret project I’m working on AS WE SPEAK.

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
I’m working on a couple of projects with the fine folk of Oni Press; one, a kind of freewheeling, picaresque, Hitchhikers’ Guide-ish adventure, and the other a more serious-minded prestige hardback kind of thing with a couple of incredible writers (one of whom is pretty bloody huge, though in a different field altogether). And I think there might some Elephantmen in my future as well.

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?
Question does not compute. Honestly, it’s this or death.

7) Where can we see more of your work (web links)?
Find me here: http://danmcdaid.blogspot.com or here: http://danmcdaid.com or on The Twitter: http://twitter.com/danmcdaid

Eclectic Guest – Len O'Grady!

1) What was your first published work?
My first credited work was the Dredd Megazine cover featuring Judge Dredd vs. the Testosterone Women. Cliff Robinson was nice enough to call and compliment my colors for him- totally made my year.

2) Who or what inspires you?
Depends – I'm a visual magpie – but I do love to see a nicely composed page, where they nailed the storytelling. Good concept design is always a joy, though it seems to feel that there's a "sameness" to a lot of the work out there recently.

3) What would be your dream job to illustrate?
I'd like another crack at Dredd. It's been more then four years, and I think I'd do better justice to old Stony Face.

4) Tell us a bit about the illustration you've sent?
This was a quick piece based off the Morrigan of Celtic Myth – imagine a cross between Athena and Kali and you'd be on the right track. She regularly appears as a crow on the battle field.

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
I'm still on Secret History for Delcourt right now, I'm also coloring a mini series of D&D for IDW. Right now though, my focus is on getting back to drawing FARSEEKER – it's been a hard year, but that's my baby.

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?
Probably something with my hands- maybe some kind of craftsman.

7) Where can we see more of your work (web links)?
www.lenogrady.com or www.act-i-vate.com

Eclectic Guest – Declan Shalvey!

1) What was your first published work?
My first published work was HERO KILLERS, written by Andy Winter, who also published it under Moonface Press. It went on to win an Eagle Award for Favourite British Black and White Comic, which was a fantastic thing to happen with my very first comic.

2) Who or what inspires you?
I have a group of favourite artists, JP Leon, Goran Parlov, Sean Murphy, etc. I get very inspired when I look at other artist's pages and try and deconstruct their work and apply it to my own. I find a lot of movies and TV series inspiring. Playing some Mogwai in a dark room also gets my artistic gears turning.

3) What would be your dream job to illustrate?
Daredevil. Punisher. Uncanny X-Force. Something dark and compelling, at the risk of sounding pretentious (which I'm sure I do). The crazy thing is, I've had such a great year or so, and am now actually working for Marvel, that these 'dream' jobs are actually quite possible. I'd love to do a Vertigo book someday, something like Northlanders. These days I've had to draw lots of character I've always wanted to draw, and I'm constantly pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.

4) Tell us a bit about the illustration you've sent?
This is a cover for a new series for Evil Ink called 'Key Of Z'. Nathan Fox is doing the covers for the series, but I was asked to do a variant for the first issue. Was a lot of fun. My girlfriend is a colourist and was good enough to colour it for me.

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
I've just finished the Thunderbolts Point One issue, which was a hell of a lot of fun. Just getting started on issue 166 of T-Bolts now. More to come. Have the odd cover popping up here and there too.

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?
I'd like to think that I'd have concentrated on writing if I hadn't gone down the drawing route. When I was a kid I thought if I couldn't make it as an artist I'd join the Gardaí (Irish police force).

7) Where can we see more of your work (web links)?
Obviously, a lot of my work can be seen on the Eclectic Micks blog and my own blog at http://dshalv.blogspot.com. I also contribute to another group art blog called Comic Twart.

Eclectic Guest – Stephen Mooney!

1) What was your first published work?
'Freakshow' issue 1 from Irish company Atomic Diner. It... wasn't attractive.

2) Who or what inspires you?
Mostly specific movies these days, and then there's always the handful of artists whose stuff I'll always look for; Jim Lee, Adam Hughes, Travis Charest. Most recently I've really been digging Brazilian artist Ivan Reis' stuff.

3) What would be your dream job to illustrate?
Ever since I began drawing my dream was always to be a pro movie poster artist. Comics-wise, gotta be Batman, with Hal Jordan/Green Lantern a close second.

4) Tell us a bit about the illustration you've sent?
I like this one because I got to colour it myself, which is pretty rare if it's not a cover. The character is 'Moonstone' from Dec Shalvey's current book at Marvel, Thunderbolts.

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
Just finished up on a 'Teen Wolf' mini-series for MTV/Image. First issue is out next month, I think.

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?
I would have gotten a real job I guess! Probably something involving natural history, maybe a museum curator. David Attenborough is a big hero of mine.

7) Where can we see more of your work (web links)?
www.moondog-themoonblog.blogspot.com and www.eclecticmicks.blogspot.com

Eclectic Guest – Bob Byrne!

1) What was your first published work?
Technically my first paid and published work was an awful Italian cat on a pizza delivery menu when I was 16. He had shades and a baseball cap on backwards. Brimming with 'tude.

2) Who or what inspires you?
I love Sergio Aragones, Soft Boy, Antonio Prohias and another Spanish name; Manuel Vazquez Gallego. 

3) What would be your dream job to illustrate?
Spy vs Spy.

4) Tell us a bit about the illustration you've sent?
I made this a couple of years ago. Nick Roche was considering getting a Wacom Cintiq like  Stephen Thompson,Will Sliney and me. The other Micks are all pen and ink suckers so me and the other digital lads were trying to persuade him to make the move. I loved drawing this and taking the piss out of the lads. I thought it would kick off a fun war but nothing happened. Thompson reigning supreme with his superior artistic abilities, Will with his girly eyelashes exhorting the prime advantage of digital production as being able to use dopey 3D buildings with a million windows, me as The Blob talking in Spanish as I just moved over here and I put on a serious amount of weight from eating too much.

I've only met PJ once or twice so all I had on him was the incessant Facebook and Twitter posts about nothing. Then we have Mooney who is the nicest bloke in the world, he's the moral compass of the group. And finally we have Dec Shalvey, I could do a series of posters about slagging him, his leather coat, his problem with pizzas etc but here I went with his done-to-death ink splattering and his love of Eastenders and 'Corrie' as he calls it.

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
Sloooowly making more Twisted Tales for 2000AD. They take ages to make. I do a hastily produced webcomic every week too as well as other bits and pieces.

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?
Probably Cognitive Science. I would have loved to have studied that or Linguistics. I really love the idea of how shapes communicate ideas, be it the shapes that make up the Roman alphabet you're reading right now or Japanese or even just a stick man slipping on a banana. It's all very interesting innit.

7) Where can we see more of your work (web links)?
www.clamnuts.com/webcomic

Eclectic Guest – Will Sliney!

1) What was your first published work?
My first published work (like most Irish artists) was Atomic Rocket Group for Rob Curley's Atomic Diner.

2) Who or what inspires you?
In comics, what inspires me is the potential to create huge universes that other creators can then play in and create more.
Illustration wise I pretty much draw up all my inspiration from comic book artists. I love discovering a new artist that I hadn't paid much attention to before, collecting as much of their work as I can find, then studying it for hour on end.

3) What would be your dream job to illustrate?
Spider-man. A big, rip-roaring 24 issue epic. I would love to get to draw one Giant volume of all the Star Wars movies too. (Both perhaps a bit too epic but hey you said dream job right?)

4) Tell us a bit about the illustration you've sent?
Its one of my Star Wars pieces that I did when I tied down my first Star Wars gig. I plan on doing a pinup of every character from the movies over the years.

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
I cant say unfortunately. I'm working on my first creator owned book which will be a large Irish epic Tale. I have a number of other projects about to be announced too. One for IDW, finishing up Farscape for Boom Studios and a second creator owned book.

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?
Hmm, does that include computer graphics? I very nearly went down the Engineering route. (Thankfully with the Recession in Ireland now, I didnt). Maybe Architecture. I would imagine if it was'nt creative I would get bored.

7) Where can we see more of your work (web links)?
Your father site (Just kidding) http://eclecticmicks.blogspot.com/ and my own blog http://sliney.blogspot.com/

August Guest – Paul Reid!

1) What was your first published work?
My work was featured in Art Review magazine in November,1998, shortly after graduation. I had my first solo exhibitions the year after in Aberdeen and then in Edinburgh. I don't often do two shows a year these days!

2) Who or what inspires you?
This could be a very long list! The most obvious inspiration for my paintings comes from studying the Old Masters. My favourites are Velazquez, Rubens, Titian and Gericault. When I first had ambitions to become an artist, however, it was in comics that my interests lay. 2000AD and the artists of that period were my inspiration. Brian Bolland, Simon Bisley, Glenn Fabry and Colin MacNeil were the ones I most admired. I vividly remember seeing a demonstration by Colin MacNeil in Perth City Library around the time he was illustrating Judge Dredd -"America" and getting the chance to see his original paintings.
Homer, Ovid and other ancient authors provide some of the Mythology I use in my work, though I also find ancient sculpture and vase paintings helpful in sourcing subject matter. The Weird Tales of H.P.Lovecraft and his contemporaries and also the Science Fiction of H.G.Wells are favourites of mine-"The Island of Dr Moreau" by Wells was a direct influence on a large painting called "Odysseus on the Island of Circe" which I finished a few years back. On Circe's Island, the companions of Odysseus were transformed into various animals by the witch, before being rescued by Odysseus. In the painting I decided to have his men in a transitional stage between man and beast, much as the creatures are in Dr Moreau.
I should also mention the movies of Ray Harryhausen, which were my first introduction to the Greek Myths when I was growing up.

3) What would be your dream job to illustrate?
This is difficult for me to answer as I pretty much get to paint what I please! I do love painting the Minotaur, however, and would happily do so many more times.

4) Tell us a bit about the illustration you've sent.
The first is "Pan"-2010, oil on canvas, 105.5cm x 70.5cm. I have him sitting by a camp fire, in the mountains, with a few of his possessions. I prefer to have him with the goats head rather than a human one with horns as it gives him a weirder look.
The second is "Actaeon"-2009, oil on canvas, 70cm x 85cm. Actaeon was a young hunter who tragically stumbled across the Virgin Goddess Artemis whilst she was bathing with her nymphs. In her fury, she transformed him into a stag and he was hunted and killed by his own dogs. This was intended as a study for a much larger piece with the dogs included. I may get around to doing it one day!

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
I have an exhibition at The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, in August 2013 (festival show). It's another tight deadline! I'm currently painting a large Hercules for the show.

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?
I was accepted into Architecture at Heriot Watt, Edinburgh, at the same time as I applied for Art College in Dundee. I guess maybe I would've done that, though my heart would not have been in it.

7) Where can we see more of your work (web links)?
www.108fineart.com
www.scottish-gallery.co.uk
www.isisgallery.org
Twitter.com/Minotaur_man

August Guest – Phillip Vaughan!

1)What was your first published work?
Professionally, it was the Full Motion Video (FMV) cutscene for the game Deathtrap Dungeon for Eidos, way back in 1998 whilst I was working as a 3D Animator at Digital Animations in Glasgow. Working at DA at that time was a great experience for me, my first job gave me great exposure to the industry and we had a quick turnaround, so it never became tired. We did lots of cutscenes for Eidos at that time. I also managed to produce quite a few storyboards for the animations, which was nice! Before that I had been published in the small press, a comic strip called Korporal Punishment(!) which I produced whilst I was at Art College in Dundee.

2)Who or what inspires you?
Growing up it would have to be fellow Dundonian Ian Kennedy's work on Dan Dare in the New Eagle. I absolutely loved his technical work on the vehicles, but also liked the consistency of the characters. Once I got a bit older and graduated to 2000ad, it was the other Kennedy, Cam, that I aspired to. His Rogue Trooper work is very under-rated, and his painted colour work is amazing! The Light and Darkness War looked great! And of course Star Wars Dark Empire!! As luck would have it, I was honoured to work with Cam at Digital Animations on a couple of projects.

3)What would be your dream job to illustrate?
I would definitely love a crack at a Judge Dredd or Strontium Dog! I would love to illustrate a revival of 80's Eagle stalwart Doomlord, Eric Bradbury style (or maybe just bring back the photo-story, gotta love that smoking jacket Doomie!). A recent game animation commission turned out to be a bit of a dream job, but cannot talk about that until later in the year - the joys of Non Disclosure!

4) Tell us a bit about the illustrations you've sent?
The first is a commission for Zarjaz, Judge Fish written by David Withers, which is featured in the latest issue (Zarjaz 12 with a great cover by Alex Ronald!) I experimented with producing this totally digitally, modelling all the elements in 3D then digitally inking in Manga Studio. I really like the brushes in Manga Studio. I intend to invest in a Wacom Cintiq to speed up my workflow on jobs like this.

The Strontium Dog image is a cover mock up, again produced in Manga Studio and coloured in Photoshop, I'm pretty happy with the pose.

There are a couple of pages from a Dredd sample I did for a previous issue of Zarjaz. These were drawn the traditional way, then tidied up in Manga Studio and coloured in Photoshop.

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
I am currently working on another strip for Zarjaz, this time a 6 pager which will be published in the new year. I have also set up a Comic Art module at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, www.dundee.ac.uk/djcad where I teach part-time. This will be kicking off in September. I am also working on various freelance 3D animation jobs which are at various secret stages of development ; )

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?
When I was a kid I only ever wanted to be a comic artist or an animator, and I have been lucky enough to end up working in this field for all of my professional career… I cannot imagine doing anything else!

7) Where can we see more of your work (web links)?
www.v14.co.uk and http://twitter.com/#!/phillipbvaughan

August Guest – Dylan Teague!

1) What was your first published work?
It was the Fatty Olympics in Judge Dredd Lawman of the future. This was a comic aimed at younger readers and was released alongside the Stallone film, so that was the costume used.

2) Who or what inspires you?
Good drawing and good design. My favourite artists create a whole world that you can get lost in. Moebius, Serpieri, Bilal and Boucq are a few of Europe's best. Steve Dillon, Steve Yeowell, Brian Bolland and Dave Gibbons are the artists that really got me into comics at the start. I used to buy all of the old Titan reprint books.

3) What would be your dream job to illustrate?
A Blade Runner type story, or anything Sci-Fi really.

4) Tell us a bit about the illustration you've sent?
I've been doing a few commissions lately, have just finished a set of Preacher ones and next on the list was a Johnny Alpha. I've sent through a few of the stages. Tried out using a bit of water colour on the background here so I could cover the space a bit quicker.

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
I'm working on another book for Delcourt and have also just finished an illo for an Ipad magazine called Project.

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?
Not sure really, I've never had a proper job other than being a paperboy! I love films so maybe I'd have got into something like that, it's something I'd like to get into at some point anyway.

7) Where can we see more of your work (web links)?
I've got a blog here: http://www.dylansdrawingboard.blogspot.com/
Deviant art page here: http://dylanteague.deviantart.com/
and I've recently joined google+

August Guest – Lee Carter!

1) What was your first published work?
After I finished my illustration degree in 1996, I managed to do a fair bit of freelance, I had a lot published with Arcane "the role playing magazine" (Future Publishing), including a really bad cover, and do you remember The "Spinchiller" collection (Eaglemoss), well I did a few kids horror illustrations for them too… ooh and I did two cards for Wizards of the Coast. So it started off well but I don't think I was ready or good enough, so I disappeared into the world of video game development for the next 13 years or so. We did win a Bafta award for one of our games which was cool, and I got to design lots of cool characters for Sega and worked on a Bond game too.
But illustration work soon came back into my focus and I think I did over 70 illustrations for the Black Library (Games Workshop) and my first proper comic art was published in Liam Sharps "Event Horizon" anthologies, then some stuff for Boom Studios and ImagineFX.

2) Who or what inspires you?
I have to admit I was pretty narrow in my inspirations, I had a hell of a lot of Paper Tiger art books when I was a kid, which I think Patrick Woodruff was my favorite at the time. I didn't make the most of art history while at college, my head was too deeply embedded in the pages of 2000ad. I loved pretty much all of Thargs robot art army, most of all Sean Phillips, Duncan Fegredo, Bolland, Fabry, MacNeil, Chris Weston, Steve Dillon, and so many more… when I did look out outside of 2000ad I loved the work of Bill Sienkiewicz, Phil Hale, Ashley Wood, and the stuff that modern concept artists are putting out is amazing. I was also lucky enough to meet Ben Oliver while at college and also while on my degree, his art knocked me off my feet.
Right now I'm inspired by the urban exploration Website's, love that stuff, reminds me of been a kid and wandering around the Hartlepool industrial estates.

3) What would be your dream job to illustrate?
Dredd has always been my ultimate goal, don't know why he has had such a effect on my life choices. I was so jealous when Judgement Day came out… zombies and Judge Dredd, two of my favorite things :)
Right now I would love to do more Dredd and I remember years ago doing a John Constantine meets Batman sketch, which I believe has just a happened in SwampThing… anyway Constantine is my second best character next to Dredd, that would be very cool.

4) Tell us a bit about the illustration you've sent?
Picking some work to show is very hard, so I will go with what most people seem to like, Zombie Nazi dude, this a early concept piece for the director of Out-Post 2, which I believe Alex Ronald has done a lot of great work for… looking forward to seeing the film.
I may as well pass you the Judge Dredd image I have just finished for fun and my favourite Dredd panel from a recent strip. Really enjoyed working on Tony Lee's Necrophim too and also a character sheet for the "X" as a boy.

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
At the moment I'm in the middle of a move, moving cities too, so I have been careful about what projects I take on as I don't want to miss any deadlines, but I have a big project with Com-X going on, I'm illustrating the second book of a the "45" trilogy. Blue Spear is the first book after "45" and I'm doing "X" which would be the 2nd book I think… Andi Ewington is a great writer so I'm looking forward to getting stuck in.
Like most 2000ad artists, I wait to see if Tharg has any more plans for me too. Oh and I got a call to do some concept art the other day, so I will see if that pans out too.

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?
I really wouldn't like to think about what I would be doing if it wasn't for art, got to admit that my childhood and teenage life was a bit wayward but comic art was my secret passion and it kept me on the straight and narrow and give me a goal. I went to the worst comprehensive in the North East so my exam results were a collection e and fs, but I got a A in art :). Education seemed to be all about the industry surrounding Hartlepool, basically getting the kids used to the idea of working in factories and steel works… not for me, I didn't like getting dirty :). And now if I can inspire any kids to be artists I consider that very important.

7) Where can we see more of your work (web links)?
Right since I left Bizarre creations I have become far more social and have been able to increase some web presence, so if your interested I have a rather nice website here http://www.lee-carter.co.uk but I tend to be more active on my blog http://mrleecarter.blogspot.com and my deviant art account http://mrleecarter.deviantart.com oh and now twitter too http://twitter.com/#!/MrLeeCarter

August Guest – Warwick Johnson Cadwell!

1) What was your first published work?
First work was Concept Design for Aardman Animation's Chicken Run about 2 weeks after college finished. Though first 'printed' were 2 drawing's for newspaper ads for the Inland Revenue, very easy job, paid loads. I thought "I CAN draw for money, I'll live like a king" That hasn't gone to plan so far.

2) Who or what inspires you?
Mostly everything. I get regular inspiration from people who I'm in contact with/ snoop at through twitter, blogs etc. People progressing with and finishing projects are great and enviable inspiration.

3) What would be your dream job to illustrate?
Something big, with lots of pages that I get paid for. I enjoy the prospect of trying to work in areas I haven't tried or have avoided. Having to draw things like misty eyed clowns or big eared caricatures or exploded diagrams are things I'm happy not to have tried but they be lessons worth learning if I ever do.

4) Tell us a bit about the illustration you've sent?
It's from my 'quick to start, slow to finish' book Gungle. Which is to be published by Blank Slate Books next year.

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
Nelson is coming out later this year from Blank Slate Books, I'm extremely happy to have been part of that. Today, I'm trying to finish work on illustrations for a junior reading book for Walker books. I am working on a strip with Dan Lockwood for Self Made Hero's Lovecraft Anthology 2, out next year. Also, a few discreet plans for proposed submissions for future work. It's Gungle that is my main project at the moment. I'm wrestling with it at every opportunity. Though, there will be another comic out from me from Blank Slate before then.

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?[
I've done plenty of jobs in my time where I sneak a drawing instead of data entry or do a moleskin page while engaged in some other working environment. (I have not drawn while driving the boats I skipper, I think I'll avoid that one). Point being, I'll be drawing whatever I do, I'm not a full time artist yet at this time, tried it a couple of times but have had to go back to paying day jobs after a while. Hopefully, I'll try again soon.

7) Where can we see more of your work (web links)?
My blog
http://warwickjohnsoncadwell.blogspot.com/
My Agent
http://www.eastwing.co.uk/artist/warwickjohnsoncadwell/

August Guest – Peter Richardson!

1) What was your first published work?
The cover to a book titled Lyrico (of all things), written by Elizabeth Farmer about a girl with a flying horse. Published by Piccolo books, which was the children's imprint of Pan books.

2) Who or what inspires you?
The world about me, there's always a lot to get excited about and of course other illustrators, film makers, artists and musicians.

3) What would be your dream job to illustrate?
I'd LOVE to get back to drawing comics, as in real comics/ graphic novels where you collaborate with a story teller and just concentrate on delivering the best artwork imaginable without having a committee on your case asking you to dot every i and cross every t. This happens a lot with educational publishing which is where a lot of the work for jobbing illustrators resides these days.

4) Tell us a bit about the illustration you've sent?
Well it's an artwork from just such a project but at least I was allowed to design the look and feel of the stories and the characters they were centred around.

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
I've just finished a gi-normous project that has kept me tied up for the last six months and I am actually looking forward to doing a few works of my own before I start to succumb to the never ending anxiety of the self employed, scurrying around like that little rodent that appears at the start of Ice Age, eyes bugging out, teeth chattering etc, etc at which point I start stressing that the phone hasn't rung and no one is commissioning anymore.

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?
God only knows - I am otherwise unemployable. Might have pursed a career in journalism I suppose.

7) Where can we see more of your work (web links)?
I have a website which is located here: http://peter-richardson-illustration.com check it out for links to other sites where I am doing my thang.

August Guest – Martin McKenna!

1) What was your first published work?
My first paid work was for Games Workshop on Warlock magazine. I was a mere child, and opened my first bank account with the proceeds.

2) Who or what inspires you?
This week it seems to be Edward Gorey, along with a good dose of Sidney Sime.

3) What would be your dream job to illustrate?
I'm probably working on that now, if I don't bugger it up. I'm illustrating a picture book for children, and writing and illustrating two more of my own devising, all due for release from the very kind folk at Scholastic who are helping me with the hard words. Although the writing's been much tougher and has taken me far longer than expected, creating entirely my own thing (and not just illustrating someone else's) is where it's at for me at the mo'.

4) Tell us a bit about the illustration you've sent?
It's the cover I did for The Headless Highwayman, one of four for the Grim & Grimmer books by Ian Irvine.

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
More covers in a horror series called The Shadowing for Egmont (two are out already); a range of steampunk-inspired sculptures I've designed of Victorian literary characters including Sherlock Holmes, they're coming out soon; but most of all my picture books mentioned above which I'm slaving away on.

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?
Zoo keeper. Regent's Park Zoo was one of my favourite places as a child, and I wanted to be behind the scenes in green wellies. This desire only grew stronger the day me and my mum got sprayed in the face with urine by a tapir. Another time at the zoo my mum's handbag went on fire, and I like to combine these memories and imagine the tapir was heroically dousing the flames. Anyway, I've always seen myself in a pond scrubbing a reclining tapir's belly with a broom, they love that. I suppose it's not too late.

7) Where can we see more of your work (web links)?
www.martinmckenna.net will do it, although it's horribly neglected while I've been busy doing something or other. I'll update it one day soon I swear.

August Guest – Matt Soffe!

1) What was your first published work?
Two strips in issue 21 of Dogbreath – the Strontium Dog fanzine. I’ll always have a soft spot for Johnny Alpha.

2) Who or what inspires you?
A variety of people and things – Mick McMahon, Arthur Rackham, H.P. Lovecraft, 2000AD, the films of John Carpenter and David Lynch, dreams and nightmares. The small press scene and all those involved in it constantly inspire me too – being part of it is great fun. There are a few individuals I’m in regular contact with and we all play off each other and gee each other along. Trying to make it as an artist can be a lonely business at times – thank god for the internet!

3) What would be your dream job to illustrate?
Anything for 2000 AD! In particular I’d love to take a crack at a classic character like Rogue Trooper or Slaine.

4) Tell us a bit about the illustration you've sent?
I’ve sent in a few (or is that a deluge?) – some are portfolio pieces, one or two were produced for a collaborative art blog, one is the front cover for a survival horror novel called ‘Six’, and some are panels from the forthcoming graphic novel ‘My Maker & I’ that I’m colouring, and is due to be published by Accent UK at the end of year or early 2012. The art for this is by Dan Duncan, who has recently been hired by IDW to draw the new run of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. His stuff is a joy to colour, full of energy and style.

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
Well that would be the aforementioned graphic novel, amongst other things. I’m also drawing and co-writing a new strip with that enigmatic scribe known only as ‘Emperor’ – I’d describe it as ‘if Lovecraft had written Twin Peaks’. It’s a project which is very close to my heart, and which has been gestating in my head for at least a decade, and it’ll hopefully debut later this year in a new comic which is in the works as we speak. There’ll also be other bits and pieces in the small press – another cover for Paragon and a strip in Zarjaz which I’m very excited about too.

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?
Owning an old-fashioned toy shop.

7) Where can we see more of your work (web links)?
http://mygrimmbrother.blogspot.com/
http://mygrimmbrother.deviantart.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Matthew-Soffe-illustrator/25107818254