Wednesday 30 October 2013

Things I have failed to learn, whilst failing to learn tap dance. On comics et al.







A bunch of pages from the last week, still attempting to become comfortable working with pen and ink. Not so sure it's happening. anyhow, I realised that I hadn't posted any drawings in over a week, so there you go.

My thoughts on comics are many and varied. They are pretty much what I'm happiest doing in life. But at the same time I've been putting a lot of thought into why I draw them, what I have expectations of and why, whether any of that matters at all... All the neurotic bull really. 

At the end of the day, If you want to draw, then draw. That's what it should really be all about. Then money gets in the way. except it's not really in the way. It's that old ridiculous assumption of hobby vs... well, career I guess. 

Soseki wrote a nice line somewhere... something like "If an artist is unable to make a living off the publics patronage, the best he can do is to lie down and die"

But comics has no real money in it anyway, right. most successful comics artists make money as Illustrators, which then enables them to then spend their spare time making little books filled with images, for a small audience.

 Im not gonna write anything else, because I'm bored of my own tone. 

Tim Krieder writes about (not) working for free  HERE

Nick Drake's ma... a fine artist in her own right.

Molly Drake - I Remember


Sunday 27 October 2013

This is it baby.


As it goes with this pointlessly narcissistic sunday portrait thing. I started wearing a backpack again, instead of my shoulder bag, but aside from that nothing exciting's happened in my life today.

I enjoyed Frances Ha, saw it in NewYork back in June. 

              David Bowie - Modern Love 

Oh, and lastly... I finished my Wes Anderson Binge, missing out Bottle Rocket, because I saw it not so long ago, and Rushmore, because I don't got the dvd. Besides those two I hit all the rest... Just lovely films, they work darn well watched over the course of a week...

fireworks at twilight in the park behind my house. I have a good view from my bed.

Tuesday 22 October 2013

Nothing Much.





Something I drew this eve. drawn small, and with my first female lead. I just always found girls too hard to draw... It's a poor excuse I know, and one that I'm going to have to rectify.

Just re-watched the Royal Tenenbaums. It remains great. I'm in the process of re-visiting all of mr Anderson's films... A special film maker with a unique and imitable style, and a great ability of wrapping theme in minutiae without detraction or distraction... things are subtly yet remain in plain sight... Blah Blah blah... anyway all his films hold up well to repeated viewings.

Dylan horrocks on Artistic crises and dealing with life in THIS GRAND COMIC from way back in 1990 during a time in old London town.
This is a great song by a swell band. 

                       Make-Up - The Choice




Monday 21 October 2013

NERVOUS IN A CAPE issue eight


So... I have no intention of printing anything for a time if ever... I'm just learning comics, and to be honest the stuff I've put together is pretty sub par and self indulgent... so what the heck... I've put up a large chunk of it OVER HERE on my TUMBLR

Im pretty shit at promotion, and this stuff is pretty shit anyway, but there it is. go read.

anyway, Im off to the drawing board to reassess everything, and to try to start working for real. 


Sunday 20 October 2013

THIS IS ME. AS I AM, REFLECTED IN A BIZARRE FASHION. WILL YOU STILL MARRY ME ON THURSDAY?

On sundays I take a self portrait with my old phone. I think this window had two layers of glass slightly removed, thus the effect.

TV on the Radio - Staring at the Sun


I really do have nothing much to say. My sincerest apologies.



Learning how to use pen and ink. Experiments from yesterday. 

Fin.

oh, Wes Anderson returns in march. Hooray.

Thursday 17 October 2013

If I see you holding a glass of wine, I'll count to one hundred thousand and ask you to the dance

On the top is a drawing using pen and ink that I just made... I'd forgotten how freeing it is to work with them. You have to lose control to gain something or other... The double page spread is from a 12 page story Im using for the next issue of Nervous in a Cape... finalised colours and texture.


A list of things that make me feel a little bit warmer inside, whether or not it's cold outside:

The thought of myself as a high flying investment banker.
Giving directions to a softly spoken gentleman.
Listening to zak sally interviews.
10+179 X 33.25+4 divided by the cost of a flight to Paris in 1979.

Meanwhile on the other side of my dizzy spell...


I just love this song. I must thank Wes Anderson for introducing me to it the next time I see him.

                     Nico - These Days

Things I drew in my sketchbook.


Wednesday 16 October 2013

IF the bell doesn't ring, you don't HAVE to answer to anyone baby


I start to piece together certain things, then the house of cards all falls down... It's not made any better by a bar of chocolate, not even if it is a mars bar. "I know myself, but that is all..." I think that's the line... not going to check though... even if a copy of this side of paradise is sitting over on my bookshelf as I type... 

I walked in the rain and contemplated nothing... I've always liked to assume that I'm actually thinking during my jaunts around town, but in reality Im simply feeling a few insignificant things, and a larger pervading sense of detachment. hmmn... I don't even cut a romantic enough figure to be considered a flaneur I'm afraid.

merde.

I like his work.

The Grand Beauty is the film. An amazing piece of cinema, with a great soundtrack. 

Arvo Pärt My Heart's in the Highlands Else Torp and Christopher 


An old page from an old sketchbook. drawn in Chicago this summer.

I want to exit now.


Sunday 13 October 2013

Just be sure when they catch you it's not for some stupid shit your doppelganger did whilst you were on holiday



Three pages from the next issue of Nervous in a Cape... the first one is the introduction to a story and character... The next two are pages eight and ten from a tale under the working title "cough".  I'm hoping to have it all together by the end of the month. At the moment I'll probably just put it online, maybe print an edition of 10 or so for my own vanity, money being pretty scarce.

Click to read the previous issues... ISSUE 7 and ISSUE 7.5 

Boulet has a great New York comic on his blog... amongst many other swell comics.

Anyhow... 


And here's me in the rain this morning. For my sunday self portrait on ancient phone thing that I do. Neither my coat or shoes are waterproof.


This also happened whilst I was clearing out stuff.



Thursday 10 October 2013

In which the artist asserts that he is a 'slow burn' and cannot be expected to leave any immediate impression on the crowd, to general booing

Something that I drew half an hour ago. I wanted to draw freely not caring about lines or words, after an evening of tighter drawing on this...


 A sketchbook page from today. 



I have to dig my way out, I'll use pen and paper... then build a rocket ship to the moon, once I'm there I'll take off my helmet and quit. The Inscription on Bukowski's grave reads "don't try"... But occasionally  I still feel the need to.   

Yesterday I finished reading Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon. It was good. Very good. pretty much every Chabon book I've read thus far has been enjoyable, particularly Kavalier & Clay, Wonderboys, and Manhood For Amateurs. I thought The Yiddish Policeman's Union was just fine, and good in parts, and I liked his short stories, though can't remember any of them offhand. He uses the same themes without them ever feeling in the slightest overused. A rare talent indeed. Ho hummn.


A list of things no one will understand or care for if you ask them:

 - the price of a medium size free range egg on saturn.
-The size of my feet as a twelve year old.
-The best route to Alderaan from Dundee.
-The cost of a glass of semi-skimmed milk in a pub.


       Calvin Frazier: This Old Worlds in A Tangle

Monday 7 October 2013

I don't even know WHICH cell I woke up in, but it had bars on the window and a locked door, so I knew I was probably in the same building.



Pages one and three from a story I'm working on for the next Issue of Nervous in a Cape. Drawn yesterday. The man is investigating a crack in his heart. Mostly wordless, because I have nothing to say on the matter, but I think I'll need to have a few sentances to explain the metaphor's.

If I walk for two hundred thousand miles, will you buy me a cup of tea? If I grow an extra hand, would you mind vacuuming the living room? If I fall into a pool of acid, don't put the forks in with the spoons.

These are the things I think about when I walk around town. I look at peoples faces and feel so sorry. sorry that none of them really look that happy, but when they laugh loudly it irritates me. always has. nothing is that funny. fuck it, a little smile is enough. ho humm.

As I've often said I talk (write) too much nonsense. But at least my blog has pretty pictures, eh.

*****space for polite applause*****

Beat happening is my favourite band, and I find all of Calvin Johnson's side projects of interest... here's another band he made music with in in the early 1990's, along with Doug Martsch from built to spill...

           The Halo Benders - Don't Touch My Bikini


EXTRAEXTRAEXTRAEXTRAEXTRAEXTRAEXTRAEXTRAEXTRAEXTRAEXTRAEXTRAEX
last week at my friends band's album launch I was not a winner.

Sunday 6 October 2013

If I could jump to the moon, I'd probably just contemplate how to make money from it.


Maybe I can, maybe not.. It doesn't matter much either way... On sunday's I take a self portrait with my crappy old phone. When I put on my headphones the first song I heard in the day was Colours 

Saturday 5 October 2013

At times walking backwards seems the only way to move forward



A comic drawn today, the idea jotted down in my sketchbook in august. Also... the probable cover to Nervous in a Cape issue eight... I'll let you know, but hopefully by the end of the month something may exist. 

Warren Craghead draws truly beautiful things.

This album is the good stuff

Elizabeth Cotten - Freight Train and Other North Carolina Folk Songs...


 A pretty scary tale of police chasing statistics, and the corruption that can bring along for the ride over at THIS AMERICAN LIFE

Last time I put up some pages from a story about a radioactive man... here's page six of nine, slightly different font nowadays... It'll be in the next issue for sure.


Tuesday 1 October 2013

Today I am radioactive, baby. The by-product of a time travelling lifestyle.



Things that I drew today. When I find a star to wish on, I'll send it to Isaac, so he can sort out his life.

Anyhow. I talk (write) too much nonsense. At times theres nothing to be said. I have this feeling that if you were to see my face you'd understand it all and forgive me. 

Alas...

In the meantime take a listen to

Jack Kirby's PENCIL DRAWINGS were just right.

Oh, and I put up a bunch of these draws up on my TUMBLR