Is it time for my annual blog update already?

Where has the time gone? 

I recently got all of my repeating patterns together to start looking for textile design work.

It's something I really enjoy doing and would love to see these on clothes.

That said, watch this space for news of more AussieBum underwear designs coming soon.

Art Test

It's not everyday you witness a ridiculous act of self harm to your country and see your freedoms and opportunities vanish and realise that you're trapped on an island full of idiots and nationalistic twits who are prepared to pay more for everything just to have a few less 'foreigners' around. 

Today is the day our stupid leaders triggered Article 50 - signalling our with drawl from the EU.

   

And there's more bad news. I also heard back from a job that I'd applied for. They said no.

I was really disappointed for a couple of reasons. Firstly this position was for an innovative company in Sweden that I really admired and would have given my eye teeth to work for and they approached me, which seemed like a positive. Secondly I'd have an out for leaving England, where I really don't want to be right now and this all seemed really encouraging.

After a half an hour chat with someone from recruitment that seemed to go really well I agreed to do an art test. Normally I roll my eyes and refuse these time consuming tests as everything on the art front with me is already on line and presumably they like my art style and my professional abilities as laid out in my CV. But, like I say - this is an amazing company that I'd love to work for.

So I spent a week working on their brief. I took time from work and gave this project everything and then submitted the PDF I'd agonised over laying out nicely... then nothing. For weeks.

Today I got a barely personalised email saying thanks but no thanks.

I understand that companies must get loads of applicants and art is perceptual but to get an email saying they've been extremely fortunate to have an overwhelming interest in the role, and have been able to select profiles with very strong visual styles that fit effortlessly into the visuals we're targeting for our future games. They tell me this after seeing my art style, approaching me and then making me spend time on an art test. 

Sorry to whinge - I just need to get this disappointment out of my system.

Night lights

If you are a member of the exclusive club who likes what I do you'll be pleased to see these night lights I've designed with the illumination company Locomocean.

These are the samples that were previewed for buyers at this week's Spring Fair in Birmingham.

There's something for everyone, providing they like unicorns, zombie rabbits or cup cake cats and you obviously do otherwise you wouldn't be reading this blog.

Loving how this one turned out. Ice cream meets mythical beast in the form of the Unicone.

I've been drawing the Zombunnies for ages so it's nice to see them in a physical form and these chaps are about a foot tall and the colours are amazingly vibrant.

I'll let you know when and where you can buy them when I do but in the meantime check out the Locomocean site for updates.

Billie's of Brighton

I've just hung up a selection of Corbett originals in one of my favourite Brighton breakfast haunts: Billies. Swing by and get one of their amazing hashes - the perfect accompaniment to a hand draw ink rendering of a greedy seagull or some other weird creature I've drawn.

Birds of Paradox

I like drawing birds, ideally with multiple heads or weird hornbill protrusions so what better way to get this obsession out of my system that create 40 of the little blighters for a Line sticker set.

Head over to the Line Store and get the set for all your messaging needs. It'll be the best 79p you spend today - and I'll get almost half of it.

Don't forget you can still get last year's hot sticker sensation: 'The Zombunnies' at the Line Store too.

Willo The Wisp

I caught myself absent-mindedly doodling Evil Edna from retro cartoon series Willo The Wisp. Surely this series is worth a reboot - the characters are so amazing. Turns out that it was rebooted ten years ago - who knew? I sketched up the rest of the gang too. I really like the characters of Mavis Cruet the fairy (in an ideal world Olivia Coleman to voice) and the Moog.

Zombunnies Line Stickers

There's a set of Zombunny stickers you can use to spice up your conversations on Line now.

I'm not sure what the UK usage is but I know Line is big in Japan and the rest of Asia.

Treat yourself to the sticker set - it's only 69p. That's bargain!

Illustration collection 1

I'm putting together a selection of images for a catalogue to show off my illustration oeuvre. Here's the first page. I'm hoping it shows me as the adaptable pen for hire that I am.

This really is the last of it

I know a couple of posts back I said I wouldn't mention that pitch again.

Well, I lied.

But only because I found these amazing stills of the charater.

 Expertly crafted by Seed Animation.

And it seemed a shame not to share.

So there you go.

And here it is in motion:

Loads of tiny images

 Here's a collection of tiny images that are pretty old. A lot of these, I did back in the 90s. Imagine that.

Frog spawn

I found these graphics from a puzzle title I was working on for a company that is no more. It never saw the light of day but I really like what I came up with - makes a change from sliding sweets.

Mag-Nets - the game of the future

Can this really be my first post in 2014? Looks like it is.

Well, I've been enigmatically busy working on concept and character designs for an old chum from my Pure Entertainment day who has a development studio in Devon, the Atlantis of England. His company, Total Monkery is making a multiplayer game for all your favourite consoles and computers.

 Here are some designs for a few of the fantastic characters you may encounter in the the game. I've been playing with various builds and despite my brain not comprehending the old school tester keyboard controls it's taking shape very nicely, thanks for asking.

Don't worry, it will all be totally 3D but we're going for some exciting rendering styles. If you want to follow the progress of this game, you can check out the blog on the Total Monkery site.

A bit more Grumpy stuff

Here some examples of the promotional art I did for the Grumpy game. It's interesting to see how the logo used to be, below. Hand drawn is the way forward!

And if you want to experience the joy of owning a Grumpy yourself you can download it from the App Store.

Alien Pets

Look. It's a space lady with some crazy alien pets. Aren't they just the cutest?

Mini gays

Here's almost all of the characters you can woo on either Mini Gay Boyfriend or Mini Gay Girlfriend. What a handsome bunch they are. There really is someone for everyone. If you haven't downloaded this (and I can't believe you haven't) for your IPhone, Ipod or Ipad then do it how at the App Store.

Physical Jerks

You won't be surprised to know that I am a physical adonis, a bit like Lord Adonis so it's only natural that I would do a gym themed exhibition. Of course, this isn't entirely true, I am an adonis but the gym show never happened. Well not yet but it still may as my gym which I visit sporadically are up for it. When it does, I don't think I'll go down this route which is why I'm posting it up. However I do like the hilarious Mussel Beach pun, which works so well as the gym is on the beach. Yes I know - in England!

Aren't they adorable

I'm working through an idea to make something with the most ridiculous eyes ever and I like the way these critters are going. There's a lovely 70s vibe happening here and I think the thing on my left was my subconscious crying out for Barnaby the Bear, who I'm going to google now to see if he did look like that - but I think he was red. Don't worry I'll link you to him.

Just found this and it's better than I remember it: Barnaby the Bear song.

Mini Gay Boy Friends

You'll be pleased to know that Mini Gay Boyfriend is well on it's way to selling 1000 copies and that's with out us even mentioning it. But now it's time for the big push so we can sell millions. If you have an iphone or ipad and don't own this, then get it now. It'll be the best 59p you'll ever spend. I think that's even less than a Turkish Delight these days. Tell your friends and download it now - you don't even have to be a gay.

Virtual pets & their virtual homes

My tidy up continues: Here's some (rejected) roughs I did a while back for a company working on some kind of virtual-pets-living-in-a-virtual-city game. Above are the inhabitants and below are the kind of buildings they'd dwell in. I may pass on these architectural designs to the London city planners. They need to be built in real life.

Children's game avatar roughs

I seem to be using this blog more & more to store work that I would normally bin. I'm getting to be a hoarder in my old age. There's something I like about these characters I designed for a kid's title that never got past this initial rough sketch. One of these days I may tidy them up and work them into something more polished. But realistically I'd only do it for cold hard cash as I lost a day of my life I'll never get back doing these and their environments for nothing. I'd better go before I get worked up. It's late.