Song 10 - December

So! looks like we're having a black Christmas...

Song 10

"Roses For The Dead" by Welsh emo rockers Funeral For A Friend from their second record "Hours".

Get out your lace and crosses boys...

Killer Queen – Reeko

Hi! Mum & Dad? See this? This is what I spent all those years in after school classes, extra life drawing lessons, years of careful patient encouragement, expensive trips to galleries, Christmas and birthday presents, hundreds of pounds in art materials and got into huge debt at university for.

Ladies and gents... Hitler in drag.

I'll get my coat. Where will I be? By the Hammersmith flyover, drinking turps, shouting at rats and wondering where it all went wrong...

Killer Queen - Gallusness

Right ok lets see if having tickled this up I can post it in a vaguely consistent fashion to how you guys normally do it…

My entry was a hark back to 50's B-movies and was going to feature a giant killer queen bee or a queen ant. I opted for the ant, as bugs and aliens and all things Starship Trooper esque have been on my mind this month (check www.gallusness.com for the full story).

So the big bad killer queen ant looks hungry. It's also been properly worked out and drawn up to ensure no October type situations occurred. Roll on December.

Killer Queen - Jones

Now, I realise with this and 'Die, Alright' I've gone a bit 'blood splatter gore' with you but hopefully it's subtle enough to not make people think I'm a psycho...

The concept was my first thought as soon as the name of the track was released and I'm pleased that I've pulled it off fairly well! That said, I'd like to have worked more on the setting/context/layout/composition aspects of the final illustration, but I'm happy with the idea and the portrayal/detail of the character.

Song 9 - November

The song for this month has been chosen by Gallusness. Here's what he has to say.

Mwah ha ha ha ha ha. Reeko & Jones have entrusted the task of the shuffle to me this month.

There's over a month of solid music this could potentially be. There are some classics, some obscure stuff, some stuff I don't even know and haven't heard yet. More worryingly there are some guilty pleasures in there as well.

Sharp intake of breath, close my eyes hit shuffle and it's Killer Queen, by Queen from the Sheer Heart Attack album. Hmmmmmmmmmm, game on.

Set it Off - Jones

Hey hey.

Much like Gallusness this month, I was almost instantly struck with the idea that I wanted to depict. I had visions of setting off fireworks or explosives, quite an energetic and textured piece, with the words 'Set it off' joined up, as if they were a cable from a detonator.

Unfortunately I hit problems after I had drawn the custom type (which I'm actually quite proud of - will update my own site with some crops at some point), as I couldn't find a context or layout to display it in!

Eventually I settled on the composition you see here. I'm still not completely convinced it's as well composed as some of my other work, but (as was pointed out to me by Reeko recently) the idea of IST is a chance to experiment, and experiment I did! I've never been really into custom type but it seemed a natural direction and great opportunity, so I took it.

So here it is.

Set it Off - Reeko

I wanted to do more with colours and texture this month as I was all super planned and early... I'm pleased with the result, even if conceptually it's a bit weak! But then I've always been a bit of a weak concept.

Set it Off - Gallusness

Ok so this month I had a belter of an idea, and sat on it for three and a bit weeks. Then on finally putting pen to paper realised it was going to be too difficult to properly bring it to life. One quick reinterpretation later and I came up with an idea for a simple clean image. Gallusness has gone spiritual and calm amid the current turmoil of the world. It¹s just a scene of serene calm as someone is saying goodbye to something dear to them. Setting whatever that is to wherever it rightfully needs to go.

No joss sticks were burned during the illustration process.

Just Die, Alright? - Reeko

Whoa! What's with all this posting the title before deadline stuff! I'm here! I'm here!

Today is my birthday. It's also the first 5 minutes off I've had this month. I sketched this on a train a couple weeks back and only have been able to polish it up to posting quality today. Also, I ain't finished with this... but I have run out of time! So what's done, is done. I plan on finishing this soon so if it turns out better I'll repost.

The image is based around all those horror flicks where the actress with the cunningly ripped blouse screams in desperation as the killer climbs out of the shark pool/acid tub/mince grinder/molten lava/outer space to continue his ever so slow stagger towards his victim... "Just... die, alright?".

Welcome Gallusness! Hope you can keep up man, 'cos I'm struggling!

Ain't no quitter though... I'll be back. Game on!

UPDATE

As promised I've had a tinker and added a background. This is what I had in mind...

Song 8: October

So here it is, song 8, and with it an opportunity for newbie Gallusness to get a whole month under his belt, and for Reeko and myself to once again feel the excitement of a new challenge!

The song this month is 'Set it Off' by Welsh ragga-punks Skindred.

Ready?
Steady?
Go!

Die, Alright: Jones [The Pedant's Revenge]

And now I'm posting this on behalf of, um, myself.

The instructions were to create light hearted results so here it is! I like it, it was the first thing that popped into my head and it gave me an opportunity to do exactly what I had been looking forward to doing - a really simple 'screen-print poster' style image.

In case you have to ask, the common misconception is that the featured item is a 'dice', when in fact it is a 'die' (dice is the plural). So...

'It's not a dice, it's a DIE, ALRIGHT?'

Die, Alright: Gallusness

I'm posting this on behalf of our newest contributor. Here's what he has to say for himself!

"Hey, I'm Scott who shall probably be known henceforth as gallusness. It's my first contribution to IST so thanks go to the chaps for having me. I love the concept (of IST) and hope to contribute with a full months thinking and illustrating in future. This one could've done with more tlc but the standard of Owen & Reeko will keep me on my toes going forward. To explain my solution for Die Alright, I actually looked at one of the lines from the song 'And the way I feel tonight is gonna make me die all right'. I thought (and please excuse the cheese) what could you feel, at night, that would make dying alright? I reckoned how about the urban myth that is falling in your sleep. You know if you hit the ground you'd never actually wake up. I'm guessing most folk have had those occasional dreams where you've woken up by randomly kicking out? But supposing you were comfortable with accepting your fate, could you die alright by seeing through your fall? My take was to capture this as it was happening...

Just wait to see how the other guys answered the title. Looking forward to next month and properly breaking out the pens & pencils as a starting point. Oh and in a shameless plug if anyone else wants to see what else I get up to please swing by www.gallusness.com cheers."

Song 7 - September

Alrighty then.

Bunking off to do illustration time is shortening, but I feel it's important to keep putting the title out there.

The song for this month is "Die, Alright!" by The Hives from their compliation album, "Your New Favourite Band".

I'm looking for light hearted results here!

Becoming the Bull – Reeko

I've done it, partly. I'm looking all my grainy graphic pencil strokes as I type. When I have some time, probably at the weekend, I'll scan, finish and post.

My bad.

UPDATE 5/9/08

Becoming the Bull - Jones

Yeah, here's my entry. Gotta dash so no rant or big preamble this time. Hope you like!
It's pretty dark innit!
O

Song 6 - August

Wow, we're on a roll. And Summer is here. Or, it was. Um, where's it gone? Probably under something... Hmm, I'm sure I had it here somewhere................... Let me know if you find it!

The song for this month is 'Becoming the Bull' by Atreyu. Gotta love it!

GO-GO-GO.

Everything Has It's Point – Reeko

Right then. Early posting? Better nip this one in the bud!

Well I'm early too! So there! One whole day! And I got home late from freelancing last night so there too.

My tiredness generally leads to bit of melancholy, hence the riff that is to come. Read on, dear friends!

Pencils. They break. They have a point and they break. Generally when I'd rather they didn't. I use a mechanical one. Well, it's slightly mechanical. Kind of like the way a bow and arrow is mechanical in that they have one action and one moving part. Simplicitity to be used everyday. And you could kill someone with it.

It belonged to my Grandfather who was a toolmaker & draftsman on the London buses. They designed tools that would go inside parts of buses that weren't designed to be opened and fixed. Sort of like NASA, but with men smoking woodbines and going down the pub for two pints at lunch. This is all through the post war years to the Eighties. In the post war years things were tight due to the war. After that, things were tight because it was London transport.

My Grandfather's pencil is made of metal and is essentially a clamp for lead. It's a proper tool, all solid and heavy. The leads are thick graphite pencil leads. I had to learn to use it as it's a bit tricky to get a good line out of. Now, I love it.

I was given a box of his art supplies when he passed away, everything held together in organised bundles with brittle elastic bands that snapped when you moved them. Yellow plastic French curves with little pieces of aging sellotape on them. To be honest, it took me ages to go through them. When I finally did, I found the pencil. My trusty tool and my link to a quiet witty man.

Didn't really mean to write about that and I've just looked back up at my image! Not really all that suitable! I'll just point out for the record that the robot is not supposed to be my Grandfather, all right?! If anything, it's me.

So, what new title have you got for me Mr Jones?

Everything Has it's Point – Jones

So how about this then? Posting early, in a feeble sucking up attempt to appease the IST warlords who fastidiously monitor the punctuality of posts to this fine blog, and PUNISH those who are late to join the fun. They happen to be very wordy warlords as well, hence my ostentatious use of the word 'fastidiously' (and 'ostentatious') - another attempt to avoid punishment and further shame.

Anyway, this isn't a dictionary, so on with business. Everything has it's point. Not necessarily true. Consider seagulls, chavs and men's nipples. No, I must argue that not everything has a point. 

However, many things do have a point but unfortunately that point often becomes lost in the swirling winds of life, and so those things tend to become overlooked and in time, their use seems to fade into non-existence. 

One such thing is the focus of my post/illustration/RANT this month, and that is the use of indicators on cars - particularly fast, expensive and sporty cars, driven by men in expensive suits who are considerably richer than us minions and so it is apparently their RIGHT to own the road and not feel the need to tell other drivers or pedestrians what the HECK they are going to do next! [breathe]

For example, as a pedestrian waiting to cross a side road, I like to look to my right (and my left, of course) and see if a car is coming and if it is, is it likely to turn into the road I'm crossing? You know how I know whether (a) the car is going to turn, and as such I should wait until it has passed before crossing; or (b) the car is carrying straight on, meaning I am free to cross and not risk my neck (not to mention my elbows, my spleen and my skull) in doing so? 

INDI-BLOODY-CATORS! 

Every car has them! They're usually activated using a little lever/stalk on the left of your steering wheel (on the right on some models I believe) - up for right, down for left. Just flick it with your finger - it doesn't take much - and astonishingly, other road users will suddenly be aware of your intentions and will not be placed in a situation of peril due to your laziness!

THAT, people, is the point of indicators.

Here's a picture of an indicator/cornerlight.

I thank you.

When The Night Feels My Song - Owen

Ahem. Time for an apology.

It has become apparent that my commitment to the Illustrated Song Titles cause has been somewhat lacking in recent months. I have allowed other elements of my life (lazing on a beach in Turkey for example) to distract me from the task in hand, and for this I'd like to offer my full and sincere apologies. I'd like to think that this has been a mere blip, and that I will have the opportunity to put right the wrongs from the past. 

With this in mind, I have decided to submit a rough sketch I did as preparation for my June entry (When The Night Feels My Song) and didn't have (or make) time to vectorize.

Please accept my apologies. I hope we never encounter this sort of ugly situation again in the future.

Song Five

Right then, since Jones was super busy and then on a beach for a week last month, looks like he might or might not post.

All together now, Loo-oo-oo-ooser!

So, song five;

*Ahem*

"Everything Has It's Point" by Rival Schools from one of my favourite all time records, "United By Fate".

When The Night Feels My Song – Reeko

Bang! Smack! Pow! Have some Mexican Robots and some lov-erly brushes Mr Jones!

This was all painted in black ink, the type was supposed to be redone in a typeface but I love the sketchy way it came out even though I just sketched it straight in. Although I have to hold my hands up and say I retouched it quite a bit to make it legible.

Song Four

Yeah yeah yeah, May was a blip for me. And I suspect June might be too - I've just accidentally picked a really difficult title! That's the thing with being honest and going with the random selection as agreed! Ah well, are you ready...?

Drum roll please? No? Alrighhhhhty then.

The song for our intrepid explorers of illustrative enlightenment this month will be pop/reggae/radio hit 'When The Night Feels My Song' by Bedouin Soundclash.

How the heck is that gonna work?! Good luck all...

All That's Left - Jones

So, um, yeah. Bit embarrassed really this month... TOLD YOU SO! Ahem, excuse me...

Time really got away from me and I didn't end up having enough of it left to do the super cool ideas I had for this fantastic title! How annoying.

Anyway, excuses aside, here's my rushed, slightly scraped together, and in all honesty, probably half-arsed depiction. Please be gentle Mr Reeko! I'll get back on it this month, honest.

All That's Left – Reeko

So, I figured it was time to throw the smack down.

Yup I broke out my big guns, pen and ink baby! I'm sticking with robots, in fact I might even make it a "theme"... at least until I get bored with it... and produced a nicely contemplative piece all is glorious grey scale.

And I know Jones won't be posting until tomorrow due to broadband issues so I'm gonna get a full day's head start. Game on...

Song 3

Oh yes! Number three. The bank holiday weekend has put us back a bit but here it is! I'm sure a couple days (ok, 5) won't matter that much in the long run.

What that? Get on with it? Jeeze...

"All That's Left" from "The Artist In The Ambulance" by the simply astonishing Thrice.

Full lyrics here for those that like to use that for inspiration.

Go team go!

For the Heart I once Had – Reeko

Yeah yeah yeah. First shmurst that's what I always say, especially when I'm not first. When I am first I tend to say things like "WINNER! ME! I AM THE WINNER! You? LOSER!". But enough about me...

Negative space boys and girls. That's what we've got going on here. both in my robot themed image and in Owen's excellent tasteful submission.

In Owen's picture the space between the crack and the swing figure draws you through the empty cold and gorgeous layered greys to the fading hills beyond. Your eye is then thrown around the piece providing interest and challenging you. If you don't ask questions of your audience why are they going to spend time with you?

Now with my piece of jackassary I'm messing with your perspective. The space between the heart and the robots allows me to throw you all over the place to look up to what's above. Positioning the viewer in a very definite place in the image.

And you people thought I just throw this stuff together... ;)

For the Heart I Once Had - Owen

I'm proud to once again be the first to post their submission.

This month's effort is deeper and more sensitive than March's blasé and comical entry. I struggled for inspiration from the title alone so I used the lyrics as direction, particularly the first verse and chorus:

Heaven today is but a way

To a place I once called home.

Heart of a child, one final sigh

As another love goes cold.

Once my heart beat to rhythm of the falling snow

Blackened below, the river now flows

A stream of molten virgin snow.

For the heart I'll never have, for the child forever gone

The music flows because it longs

For the heart I once had.

I know, I know, it's deep man.

Well here's the illustration, hope you like.

Song 2

No, I'm afraid the song for April won't be Song 2 by Blur. 

It will in fact be 'For the Heart I Once Had', from Finland's own operatic, classical heavy metallers 'Nightwish'.

Submissions due by Wednesday 30th April. Get going, team!

The Sound of Secret Minds – Reeko

The Sounds of Secret Minds – Owen

Challenge One

The first randomly selected title is;

"The Sound Of Secret Minds" by Japanese punk muppets Hi Standard.

Let battle commence!

Welcome!

We're so on!