Mr Clean - Reeko

Superman is known in comicbook circles as a goody goody two shoes "Mr Clean".

Underwater Love – Reeko

So, this has been a good challenge! I've enjoyed the limitations of "No computers". I've found it very liberating. No retouching, no stress, what my hand does with the brush pen is final. I even refrained from colour or contrast adjustments after scanning.

We are currently in the process of emigrating to Athens, Greece. I had big plans for this month but ended up packing the paints before I'd had time to do the artwork! So I turned to my tiny moleskine and switched my idea into a little series of images. When drawing in my sketchbook I often represent my ideas in a more abstract way. I then work up the idea, playing with composition and gathering reference to make the final artwork.

This little story is about a sailor being rescued by mermaids who, for some reason, need to enter from the surface of the water!

Ok, roll on the next month and the next limitation!

(Trying not to look at all the flaws I could fix so easily in Photoshop! Trying not to look at the...etc etc)

Charlie – Reeko

"So much more than Charlie's waking me

To my core and Charlie's shaking me "

Oh... Charlie!

Untitled – Reeko

So, here's how the train of thought went.

Untitled. So he doesn't have a title. Who doesn't have a title? Do I have a title? Yes, I'm a "Mr". You have to be outside society to have no title. Who is outside society... A homeless person perhaps...

I tried to convey some of the bleakness of the song in the image. Oh, and the reflections in the pavement were a real experiment and I'm still not sure they quite work. Ah well, onwards and upwards!

Have a great month.

Tell Me A Lie – Reeko

As soon as I think about the Fratelli's, I automatically conjure up the first video I saw (probably for that do-de-do song) that featured a lavishing of 19th century imagery and as many "burlesque" dancers as they could round up on a wet Wednesday in Shoreditch.

Going down that route I imagined a Moulin Rouge style scene with one... gentleman caller... arriving swiftly after the next, the first sneaking out the back as she says "Why, Sir? What kept you? I have been waiting for you alone all evening..."

Bellow is the process, the main jump being a twist in angle half way through as I thought the image was just a bit static. Also, changing the arm into a silhouette really helps draw the eye rather than using colour as I had originally planned to.

Traffic In The Sky – Reeko

This month, well firstly I thought I wasn't going to post at all! Then I finished stuff earlier than I thought and discovered to my delight that I had a whole day to play with.

I decided to paint this one in acrylic on board... mainly because I just wanted to. I've been looking at a lot of painted work lately and fancied having my first bash at it for... ooh, could be 5 years?!

The idea comes from this line in the song, "Shadows of the planes...". What you may not be able to see is that the figure has a toy plane in his hands.

Have a great month!

Apple Tree - Reeko

I had 5 goes at this one. This one sucked least.

I was a bit under the weather one dark January day and decided to spend it doing my entry for this month. Several expensive sheets of Fabrianno that I may as well have just wiped my bum with later, I came up with this.

It's the result of chasing my self into a cul de sac with an idea bubble diagram. I think the train of thought was something about trees being factories and GM crops... oh well.

It's about a bazillion times better that the Adam and Eve stuff I was coming up with originally, so at least I got one point off the shop floor creatively. Roll on February!

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...

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

The Sound of Secret Minds – Reeko

The Sounds of Secret Minds – Owen