Gareth Cavanagh knows his shit!

Funny how people become part of your support network without you meaning them to! It's Gareths last day at the studio today and I am throwing my toys out of the pram about it! He is such a brilliant animator and I have learned loads from him. You would all do well to follow him on Twitter @GarethCav :) I guess this is a #FF! :D ***EDIT*** AND HIS LOVELY WIFE MAKES THE BEST WHEAT FREE CUPCAKES :D

You can find her facebook page here!

Worry Wart pg 9

Wow 9 pages already! Although this is a cheaty one I guess... not really a comic. Just an image! To read from the beginning click here!

Worry Wart pgs 6, 7 & 8

Here are some new Worry Wart pages ^-^ To read from the beginning click here!

Kitty Hawk preview cover!

TA DAA! Here is the cover for our FREE preview that we will be circulating at cons this year :D Look! There's the title! That's that exciting news I was blabbering on about! Oh and it's FREE. I'll be sticking some WIPs up on the Kitty Hawk blog soon too so clicky!

Worry Wart pg5

To read from the beginning click here!

Worry Wart pg4

To read from the beginning click here!

Worry Wart pg 3

Oh it's fun... o_0

I will just be updating these as and when they come to me. It's a little bit of a break for me from my other comic stuff so there are no rules :D

To read from the beginning click here!

Worry Wart

This is intended to be a personal diary, just to spring clean some of the shit that's clogging the filing cabinets of my brain, making it hard for me to function ^-^

If you know me well you will know I have had anxiety for nearly 4 years and I am currently taking a drug called Citalopram! For those that didn't know, well, now you do! I have been on other drugs and have had Cognitive Behaviour Therapy but lately I have relapsed. My life has changed so much over that time that I am struggling to make sense of possible causes, triggers, cures, safety behaviours and so on... This will hopefully help me to share and explain some of my fears, actions and hopes.

I just need to draw some of this crap out!

Launderette

I no longer have a washing machine in my life so I have to use the local launderette! I was really nervous about going for the first time but as it turns out, it was surprisingly fun! :D

Kitty Hawk Pg4 Progress

Juuust wondered if I should show the stages of a page as I work on it!? :D I added some buildings, I DON'T LOVE BUILDINGS AS MUCH AS RUNNING NOBODIES.

Kitty Hawk WIP

I've taken a week off work this week to... work. >:D Here is a WIP of page 4. It's a splash page - turns out I love drawing nobodies running in terror :D

IT'S SO ROUGH! GAH!

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

The film I have been working on for nearly 2 years is currently released at cinemas in the UK! Aardman Animations 'The Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists' has been getting awesome reviews - it really is AMAZING! :D I love love LOVE every second of this film and I am so proud to be involved! I have an anecdote about every single shot and I know every line off by heart! I would be the most ANNOYING person to watch this film with EVER!



On this film I was a CG Lip Sync Animator - working in a team of 3, we animated all the lines of dialogue and expressions that would be needed for each shot. Mouth sets were created for each character and this meant the stop motion animator in control of the shot could concentrate on the characters performance and action safe in the knowledge that the dialogue and expressions were synced and worked out ahead of time :D



The film above explains the process and I got to animate the little mouth in the box! I have never done stop motion animation before so it was so awesome to be given a unit to myself for the afternoon and work on the other side of what I'd been doing for nearly 2 years ^-^ (MASSIVE thanks to animator Andy Spilsted for the opportunity!)



This is me at the premier with my gal Cutlass Liz! :D

Go see it NOW! You won't regret it! :D

Bayou Arcana: Small World

My contribution to the Markosia published 'Bayou Arcana: Songs of Loss and Redemption' is completed! It is a 14 page behemoth penned by Matthew Craig and is released in May in time for Bristol Expo :D It has not been a smooth ride! But here, have a page!



Now I shall have a week off from working around the clock and maybe just make do with my one full time studio job? Then: KITTEH! I have some well exciting news regarding the Kitty Hawk comic but I don't know if I can talk about it yet! ISN'T IT ANNOYING WHEN ARTISTS DO THAT!?

Right... zzzzzzZZZZzzZZzzz

Ian Matthews

Ian Matthews (as some of you might know if you follow me on Twitter/nosey around on my blog) is the writer of a comic I am working on! Kitty Hawk Kicks Ass is a project born out of our bonding over action/guns/girls/comics and is due to be released this year! Infact, have a progress shot to prove I am actually beavering away (albeit slowly whilst I finish my Bayou Arcana strip!)



Anyway ~ as well as being the writer of this 42 page action-filled visual assault and having penned another comic on the way about a bad-ass Bunny, he is also an uber talented model maker! :D I happened by his CV and stole a copy to alert you to it! Slide your eyeballs over this:





Sweet, no!? He's worked on childrens tv show Igam Ogam and Aardman Animation's The Pirates! He's so clever I hardly understand a word he says! :D

Ian is available for projects and commissions so drop him a line! You can find out more about him here!

He is also my very bestest fwend! ^-^

CICAE 2012

I will be appearing at Cardiff International Comics and Animation Expo to show some animation work as part of Swansea Metropolitan Universitys 3D Computer Animation table. I will also have some works on display from my forthcoming comic 'Small World' in Bayou Arcana: Songs of Loss and Redemption Vol 1 and Kitty Hawk Kicks Ass! both due 2012! Here is a poster I will be displaying among others! Come and say 'hi!' I will hopefully be showing my showreel and chatting about the industry and animation with any one who will listen! ^-^

Bayou Arcana: Songs of Loss and Redemption

Due for release in May 2012 - launched at Bristol and published by Markosia Enterprises is the highly anticipated horror anthology Bayou Arcana. Brainchild of James Pearson and featuring works by both established and up and coming creators, Bayou Arcana brings together the best of the UKs male and female comic book wordsmiths and artistes!

For more info and to pre-order your copy visit Markosia's website!

Also featured in the Guardian!





Here is the first colour/style test of the strip that I'll be illustrating: 'Small World' by Matthew Craig! There are so so many cool people in this book I can hardly contain my joy at being a part of it! It's no secret that I'm a Cy Dethan fan and both he and the legendary and lovely Nic Wilkinson are featured, as well as Jennie Gyllblad (also cover illustration!) and Sara Dunkerton!

11 Second Club - July 2011

Here is my entry for the July 2011 '11 Second Club' animation competition! I have never entered before but I've definitely got the bug - I had so much fun! And the clip for August is amazing!

Apologies for being a little quiet on the ol' t'interwebs for this month but hopefully you will agree it was worth it!

Wish me luck with the results - there were over a hundred entries the last time I checked!


Wow... now to play 'catch-up' big time with other stuffs :D

Kitty Hawk Kicks Ass! July update

If you wander over to the Kitty Hawk blog you can find some updated content! Magic words from Ian and some scribbles from me! It's updated on the first of every month so don't forget to follow us ~ all the cool kids are doing it!

Short Comic : Mug

I will never understand Pantsmans territorial behaviour regarding mugs... if anyone uses his mug once it's over - he can never love it the same! Also introducing our new housemate! Possible recurring character!? He is pretty weird... ;D

Short Comic : Infamous

Lately I've been watching Pantsman play the PS3 game 'Infamous,' and wondered why in the HELL he didn't take some of it's aspects into his own life!? He is so sure to make the right decision in game, but in real world scenarios he screws me over time and time again...

Another UPFEST photo!

Check out this awesome photo I was sent! I don't know the lady in the pic so I hope she doesn't mind me posting this! She's certainly got the pose nailed, shame about the face ;D
In other news my board has been featured in the news reports by BBC Bristol and ITV WestCountry! Aaaalright!

UPFEST 2011

Phew! What a PERFECT weekend I've had! I wish it was UPFEST every weekend! I got down to the Tobacco Factory to pick up my paints and find my board at 10:00 - I didn't stop painting or leave my post until 17:30! And I think I happily chatted to people the whole way through! My face still hurts! Thanks to EVERYBODY that stopped by, said a kind word, brought me sweets, bought me a step ladder cause I didn't think my shortness would be a problem (Thanks Dave!) or just stopped to take a photo or have a nosey! If I could high five everyone I would. It meant so much to me and kept me going all day long!

Here are some progress shots: I wish wish WISH I'd taken more photos.. I know people who have so hopefully I can scrape some better ones together for this blog post!


First Roughing in.. I relaxed after this! But it was nerve-wrecking laying the first bit of paint...


ESPECIALLY since this is what the guy behind me had done by that point! What a talent! His name is DANK (I think? If anyone knows please correct me!?)







Few more progress shots before the only one I have of the finished piece...



Weird huh!?

The fest was heaving and the mood was so hyper! I was surrounded by some amazing artists... I had to remind myself to have a look around once in a while to see what they were doing! Here are some faves:





Cheo said some nice words about my piece this weekend! I wish I'd had the balls to introduce myself to him when I had the chance :) I wish I'd taken a photo of his piece on the butchers shutters but here is his Gorilla -



And I don't know who this guy is but sodding WOW...



There was so much more I wish I could post here but there is shit tons more on the UPFEST webby and Facebook Page! Please have a look!

Also, in other news, the canvas that I posted last week was also sold during the show! I wish I'd seen the guy that bought it.... but then I might have tried to talk him out of it like a shy weirdo artist....

Anyway, thanks to everyone again who made it down :) Hope you had as much fun as I did!

My UPFEST Canvas

Ladies and gentlemen; boys and girls, here is my canvas piece for the UPFEST show for this weekend - 4th/5th June over at the Tobacco Factory in Bristol! It is for sale at £120 for 24" x 12" mixed media on canvas. You can buy it at the show and money raised will go to NACoA Charity! Yay!
As well as an eclectic exhibition there will also be over 200 artists live painting on every scrap of wall available on Raliegh Rd and North Street and many more locations around Southville! :D
I will be butchering a board in the Vector Car Park... pleeeeease drop by and say 'Hi!' ..Pint of cider!? Words of wisdom!? ..Give me a friendly wave!? ...Don't throw rotten tomatoes at me!!
Also keep an eye on the Try Again pub... they're gunna paint over that reet big Yoda!! :D

Lorenzo!

Lorenzo, as many will know, is one of my favourite artists around! He does solo stuff, but is mostly known for this collaborations with writer bro' Robin, collectively The Etherington Brothers! Together they make awesome comics for kids, chiefly Monkey Nuts and Baggage, but also have work in The Dandy!
Bristol peeps will know Lorenzo from his Weapon of Choice live shows and exhibitions as well as his many contributions to Ink Dot!

He also releases his sketchbooks - and I have been lucky enough to get him to doodle an original drawing in the 2 books I've bought - his 'El Sketchbook Lorenzo Deluxe Collection' and 'El Sketchbook Lorenzo Volume F.I.V.E'

Here is one:



But the COOLEST thing in the world is having Mr Lorenzo Etherington Himself ask me to sign his bought copy of Tales of the Spiffing - and request a doodle!

So here it is...



And there you have it... I've made it. It's totally official.

Please check out these links - you have just found yourself a new favourite artist!

Happy Bloody Easter!

Just for a bit of fun :D Japanese school girls with swords seem to be coming out of my ass these last couple of days...

UPFEST

I will be one of the artists live painting at the annual Upfest in Bristol this year! Upfest is Urban Paint Festival and is held at the Tobacco Factory in Bristol on the 4th/5th June :D
The event attracts some seriously awesome painters and writers from the graffiti scene and also some illustrators and animators too! Boy am I nervous!
I am hoping to get a little dark for this one so expect some creepy art updates as I get ready for the event!

Right... suppose I'd better get good or something...

Short Comic : Voucher

My colleague and friend Michael Green challenged me to creating a comic in my lunch hour based on a concept he'd written on a post it note! The concept was 'A character finds a super-power coupon and chooses a power to redeem it on!' This is the result...

Caroline eating an Octopus

While my friend and colleague Caroline was animating in Korea, she encountered the common occurance of eating Octopus so fresh that it would still move! She said her friend felt it's little suckers 'kissing' her cheek! Caroline has a blog too and it's chock full of wonderful beautiful drawings! Go go go!

Short Comic : Haircut

Yes. Yes this happened. I thought, being a bit artistic, haircuts wouldn't be all that taxing...