Monday, January 30, 2012

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Wonder Woman

Of all the DC 52 titles that I've read ( not too many of them I'll admit ) the one I most wanted to be good was Wonder Woman. I am a big fan of the George Perez reboot in 1987 and even the TV show which I watched when I was a kid ( which my Dad was a big fan of too...hmmm...) Of all the bigtime Superheroes she seems to be the most complex and potentially interesting. Though the comics often were not.  So I'm REALLY happy about what Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang have done, at a stroke giving the character some serious gravitas and giving the book a real sense of clarity and purpose.
This is total fan art.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Back Cover


This is the back cover (sans text , barcodes etc.) for the sequel to the book from last week (Triple Ignition). A full colour version of this exists, which i probably slightly prefer, but the colour was removed from the Houses of Parliament area in this version in order to sync more with the front cover treatment.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Another Roller Grrrl sketch.



I love roller derby. Simple.

This sketch of Sarah is one of many characters we are including in the Roller Grrrls project. It was done with brushpen at A5 on 90gms tracing paper. You can check out more images by clicking on our hub at rollergrrrls.com

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Cuirassier


A mostly finished piece of personal work which has been on my desk for waaay too long. Love my Napoleonics, so I do. French Cuirassier (the heavy cavalry of the day) from around 1810.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Jonday a bit late today

Just imagine I'm an American. It's hardly lunchtime there.  Busy ole time just now.

Anyway here's a piece I was working on a few months ago when I had free time and stuff like that:

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Guest Post - Simon Jacob!

1) What was your first published work?
A story in Mighty World of Marvel (#9 if memory serves, which it does increasingly unreliably these days) - an anthology reprint published by Marvel UK. It did however have some original material, the first of the Alan Moore/Davis Captain Britain revivals I think, as well as a ‘Talent Showcase’ (or cheap filler, if you prefer) which featured my first ever attempt at a full strip, called ‘Disenchantment’, fondly remembered, if only by me. It ran for three episodes (one, maybe two, in a Savage Sword of Conan reprint, again by Marvel UK, a spin-off/cash-in on the Arnie film version of everyone’s favourite Cimmerian).

2) Who or what inspires you?
Almost everything. Artistically I’ve always been drawn to book illustrators of the Golden Age, like Arthur Rackham, William Heath Robinson and recently the shimmering, luminous work of Edmund Dulac who deserves to be a great deal more lauded than he is. The late, great Ronald Searle is always an enduring influence.  Early comic book heroes were Neal Adams, Marshall Rogers, Walt Simonson (particularly Manhunter – a pretty obscure back up feature from DC, I think). I discovered 2000AD just in time for Bolland’s Dark Judges and the Mike McMahon Slaine which for my money has the best artwork of anything, anywhere, ever. Brilliant.

3) What would be your dream job to illustrate?
Anything vaguely medieval and fantastical. If it involves drawing armour, I’m at the front of the queue. Like many, I got into Conan early, through the lure of the Frazetta covers for Ballantyne books and would love to have a go, just once, at the darker more medieval version of Conan that lurks behind my eyeballs.

4) Tell us a bit about the illustration(s) you've sent?
The Barbarian King – who am I kidding – it’s Conan, done to exorcise the glimpse I caught of the recent movie trailer.  Wrong, for me at least, on every count and very disappointing, especially as it has probably scuppered any chance of there being a decent version made in my life time. Woe. I drew this just to make myself feel a little better.

The Wizard of Wychmaze – because I’ve just finished it. It’s a character that I’ve been batting around for years and may see life somewhere, sometime. Or possibly not. There’s a great Frank Kelly Freas book cover (Martians Go Home, I think) and this is my homage/rip off.

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
To be confirmed but strips for sure and a great deal more writing (for comics) hopefully. I’m getting back into drawing after only recently re-uniting with my mojo. We had become separated and it was left wandering aimlessly in the Desert of Distraction for years. Until a few weeks ago, the last strip I had drawn was fifteen years ago, at which time I was still communicating with the writer by letter. By letter! With stamps and everything! It’s unbelievable how things have changed in that time but I’m really enjoying what I’m seeing out there and the possibilities of what I can do. I have a new house, a half built studio and plans to be prolific over the next few years!

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?
I sort of did end up doing it. I’ve spent the last few years working for Fender, the US based guitar manufacturer. Music and guitars were my other great passion and I’ve been lucky enough to be involved right in the thick of the business.

7) Where can we see more of your work (web links)?
There’s a bit of recent stuff here; http://shiantu.deviantart.com/

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Red Lilly

Another drawing from my convention. It looks a bit like a cross between Lilly Mackenzie & Red Sonja. 

Friday, January 20, 2012

Triple Ignition book cover

This is the cover for a new book which has just been released on Kindle (the paperback editions will be available very soon). You can pick up a Kindle copy from Amazon here. Not really an illustration job as such for this one as we ended up going for a more graphic approach. The initial flag elements were created in illustrator and then everything else was done in Photoshop. This is the first in a proposed series of four books - i've also done the cover for the second book so it will also probably appear here soon.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Daredevil. Sketch.



A quick sketch at an event. Never drawn the character before but pleased enough with the end result. Would like to play more with the acrobatic nature of Daredevil (skewing angles and playing off the vertical) All good.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Freedom Fighter


In the nightmare infested Russian Federation of Nightfall's "The Coldest War", a freedom fighter hides from the shambling horrors which stalk the night. ©AEG 2012

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Trundling over Westminster

Dalek_Westminster_GNREID.jpg, www.gnreid.co.uk When it comes to drawing Daleks I like to play around with them a little bit, one way is by changing around the colour schemes but its also fun to place them out of continuity. For this sketch I've placed an updated 2005 design Dalek into the classic 1964 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth' scene of Westminster Bridge, nothing drastic but a nod to the past.

I still haven't attempted to draw the updated 'Paradigm' Daleks. I've slowly accepted their design but I have to question the reasons for their change other than a marketing ploy. If the producers of Doctor Who really wanted to re-boot the Daleks and make them feared again why on earth did they decide that each time you've got to see one after 'Victory of the Daleks' it was in a defeated, battle damaged or immobile state? Essentially undermining any 'fear factor' from their last full appearance?

Monday, January 16, 2012

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Dante

I was at a convention last weekend, sitting drawing in between chatting to people ( and sometimes during )
I'll miss the buggar when he's gone.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Prince Namor (reimagined)



Another doodle done for the Whitechapel 'reimagined' slot - the current one is for Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner. The instruction for this one was pretty much to ignore the existing version and just use "The child of a human sea captain and of a princess of the mythical undersea kingdom of Atlantis” as the brief. Makes sense as the proper character hasn't really got anything fishy about him - no idea where the winged ankles and spock ears come from bu not really what you would relate with underwater creatures. Dabbled with making it a full on monster but decided to keep it as a 'human' character that could actually still be used in a similar way as the existing version within the marvel universe. Wanted to make this one seem a bit happier with his lot in life though, rather than the grumpy Namor that is the default. Only decided to do this at the last minute tonight hence the last minute post.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Coldest War


Art from the last set of Nightfall CCG which I worked on at the end of summer, being used on the box as well as the card it seems.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Straighten up and fly right!

Tritovore_GNREID.jpg, www.gnreid.co.uk This chap is from the 2009 Doctor Who Special 'Planet of the Dead' and he's a Tritovore, or as we know them a guy in a boiler suit with a fly head. I actually like these aliens as they remind me very much of earlier 'classic' Who style villains or monsters and the limitations faced by designers to come up with something convincing. They are obviously very well done and have a classic horror feel and look to them, well until they are revealed as being on the 'good guy' side of the story and then they just sort of hop about watching the Doctor for a bit. Still they looked good for a man in a boiler suit.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Magic User

A drawing I did while on vacation, sitting in a ski chalet NOT skiing because it's raining.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Judge Dredd - rough head sketches


Hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year. Just breaking in some new brushes and thought i would do some rough Dredd head doodles- of course i have just now seen Gary's post from yesterday - DROK! No Scotch Corner resolutions this year - only just managed to stay sane posting something new every week last year (the month or so of brilliant guest posts helped acheive that though). I imagine this year i will be posting some older stuff, some sketchier stuff (like this) and probably some completely random stuff too - who knows. Finally got around to installing Artrage3, Manga Studio and loading up a Bamboo Pen & Touch - all of which were purchased well over a year ago and i've never had the chance to use yet so will probably have some learning scribbles from that stuff along the way too.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Dredd panel. Pencils.



A Dredd panel from a forth-coming episode for the Megazine. It has been twenty years since my only ever Dredd story (Twin Blocks, written by Garth Ennis, a Twin Peaks spoof/homage) This particular two-parter will appear later in the year and was written by Robbie Morrison. A delightfully wicked script from the fellow Scot and a joy to work on. Thanks to Matt Smith for making another dream come true. Batman or Daredevil next?

Would love to do a Magnum Force inspired episode of Dredd and raise my personal bar artistically. Possibly Dredd cleaning up a district wide, multi-level riot block war with skyscraper sized robots and include a scene where the use of a nuclear warhead is used as crowd control. Dredd... turned up to eleven. Any writers out there got a hook?

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

More of the ole' mono


More from my back catalogue again today - NDAs coming oot my behind, as always. Nature of the beast.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

TIE with your boots on!

DarthVader_TIE_GNREID.tif, www.gnreid.co.uk Happy New Year! A new year and a new Vader sketch, everybody loves Vader. Drawn him countless times now and never drawn Luke, nobody ever says 'Draw Luke Skywalker' (awaiting that written in the comments now). Did you know that Vader's tie fighter is called a 'TIE advanced x1', bit of a crap name really.