Animals with Jobs

Only a week and a half left for my exhibition in Norwich Playhouse. You should totally go and check it out, (my work is up the stairs on the way to the auditorium, Adam's work is down stairs in the corridor).

I'm not going to even try and be modest, it looks awesome. Go... right now... seriously. Drop what you are doing and get your butt in the Playhouse, (they were also doing some rather tasty hot cider when I was there. If that doesn't sell it to you, frankly, I don't know what will). 

Anyway, since the exhibition is almost over and I've had a fair bit of positive feedback, I'm actually going to have a really small print run on the images so... if you want to buy and own one of these limited edition beaaaauties yourself, drop me an email and let me know. I'll sign them and number them and everything... like a professional. Yeah, that's right. You heard me. 

So you can get a better idea as to what on Earth I'm talking about, here:

Wicked. Also, if you haven't already, like my Facebook page. It's all the rage right now, all the cool kids are doing it.

Yeah, get on that social media...

xx

Facebook and bad quality photos

So, I am terrible at updating blah blah blah etc,

HOWEVER,

I have started a new facebook illustration page, which I seem to be much less precious of, so I'm posting up a lot more things on there. It's mostly just quick roughs and unfinished things that I've taken bad quality photos of, but it's quicker and easier. So if you like my stuff, you should probably go and have a gander of that!
(Also I'm probably not going to posting comics and stuff on that one, so it should remain swear free lol)
https://www.facebook.com/JoBowesIllustration

Just in case you don't, here's a poor scan of a clown fish to tide you over until I have a bit more time:

He's mega grumpy because he's not very funny.

Woot, 

Over and out.

x

Quick post of some things

So, as I mentioned previous, I have some work going up in the Playhouse in Norwich so I thought I'd put a couple o pictures up on here. They're either roughs or spoof work, but progress is starting to happen and I thought I'd post something because the comics are going to be on hold for a while.
Here, have a gander:

Myth (almost the end of Jan? Whhhhaaaat?!)

So! 

First post of 2013 and I have to admit I have spent longer doing my hair in the past then I did on this comic. But I needed to achieve something, so I declare this thing finished! Boom. 

The word was MYTH. 

Oh yeah, and there is a lot of swearing in it. Sorry if that offends your peepers. Try not to read anything out of the speech bubbles if you're offended easily. 

In other news, I'm putting up some work in the Playhouse Pub in Norwich in March if you're near by and fancy a gander. I'll keep you posted on progress and examples etc a wee bit nearer the time. 

Right now I'm going to drink my lemsip, crack on my onesie and put myself to bed. ^_^

I hope all of your new years were wonderfully awesome. 

Yeeeeeeeaaaahhhhhh ( cough, cough, wheeze, wheeze, sniffle <feel sorry for meeeeeeeee I'm siiiiccckkkk )

x

Merry Christmas and all that jazz

I've been busy making things and not posting them, like a pro... 

Here's some stuff:

Firstly, 

Cards:

Plus here's an in-joke Card I did for my friend Kyle 

(not that he received it =/ shhh):

Secondly, 

An Illustration Friday Comic of the theme 'Snow' (I actually did two after hating on the first one then realised they kind of fitted together anyway). I didn't finish colouring it but hey, it's christmas,... I've had food, beer and presents to take care of. Hard life. 

Also, I've realised that they don't load big enough to actually read them properly, but if you right click 'em and open in new window they'll load full size.

And lastly, 

 here is a house!

ooooooh ain't it nice?

Love to ALL of your mothers! I hope your Christmas has been super awesome and here's to a sooooooopa doooooopa 2013! 

Boooooooooooooooshhhhhhhh!

xx

Illustration Friday- Stretch

Yeah that's right. I achieved a goal. BOOM.

So I still have to work on a few things, especially when it comes to colour, but oh how I'm enjoying this ^_^
BON BON BON.

Oh yeah, and look at this...

http://lizziewatts.tumblr.com/

It's amazing.
Nuff said.

x

New Rules.

Hello... does anyone still look at this?
Because I'm sorry if you do. I haven't updated in so long and the guilt is shocking, but lets put it behind us shall we? You can forgive me right?
Please?

Good.
It's in the past.
Rafiki says so.

So anyway, many things have been happening over the past few weeks, some that I'm proud of, some less so, but unfortunately, I've decided to have a blog blackout on them, but maybe in a few months I can post a bit about them all.

In light of this, instead of ignoring my blog completely like I've been doing I've come up with a little plan to help me split up my week a bit better, give me a break from book work, and have a bit of fun!

I'm going to do a little mini comic a week based on whatever word has been picked by Illustration Friday! http://illustrationfriday.com/
Yay! (But before we get ANY further, I'm not promising it'll be every single week. Some weeks are obviously busier than others and I don't think I could handle the guilt knowing I haven't done it. Still, I'm going to give it a bloody good go!)

I've been meaning to do it for some time actually, and I have many many plans for sketches, but I get so bogged down in the details and distracted by other things that I miss the deadline then just throw it on the 'things to look at one day' pile.
And because of that, I'm going to enforce some rules!

1. Whatever I have done will go up on thursday night... unless I'm out drinking, in which case it'll be friday (I have to be realistic when setting rules apparently).

2. Even if I HATE it, it's going on here, I'm trying to accept the mistakes and all that.


So, without further ado, it begins!

This week's word was Whiskers

Yay! Blog blog blog! 

KAAAAPOW!

x

I'm Siiiick =(

I'm ill today.
More ill than I've been in a good while.
It makes me sad.

So!
In order to cheer myself up I have decided to share a crude little comic I made for my cousin since she embarked for Uni a few weeks ago.

It's the adventures of Vodkins and Rumbalina (ft Ginny), and although these scans are pretty rough I think you can read the writing. *shrugs*
It frightened my Uncle something rotten, but my cousin enjoyed it! Anyway here:

Again, it was only a little A6 comic (mostly drawn on the train), but it was great fun and she really loved it, so I thought I would share it with you. Also, incase you're wondering, yes, those characters and stories ARE based on real people and real events.... and there will be more to come! 

...

If I can ever get out of bed...

Love to your mothers! 

xx

What's that? Oxford you say?! Yah!

So! Where the hell have I been?

I've been in Oxford that's where!

Here look at some pictures. They're nice I promise... 

The Natural History Museum Oxford, complete with dino footprints outside! I jumped in them, like a child. No shame, not at all. 

 

And here's a T-rex who you could quite happily just swagger your way up to and have a cheeky grope of. I bloody love it when you can touch things you know you shouldn't... no sordidity intended.

    These guys are everywhere, but this one reminded me particularly of my own awkward face so I snapped a pic.

And this is an old building I became obsessed with. I don't usually care much about architecture, but Oxford was soooooo beautiful. I am now one of those people who stare at buildings and take pictures in busy streets. It could be worse.

So yeah that's Oxford. It was grand. 

I also had the most amazing time working in The Phoenix HQ! http://www.thephoenixcomic.co.uk/ Check them out if you have no idea what I'm talking about, they are a truly amazing venture! It was so so interesting watching the business unfolding all around me and really exciting to see the company growing and expanding before my very eyes, and rightfully so considering how hard these guys work to make something so wonderfully brilliant for kids (small or large ones).

I spent most of the last two weeks drawing animals and constructing a giant spinning wheel of awesomeness, which if you want to actually see in action you'll have to go to the Thought Bubble convention in Leeds (come with me, we'll make a day of it). I was going to post a sneak peek, but I can't be dealing with trying to make the file a decent size to upload right now seen as it loves to make my computer crash, but here's a few animals that I drew for it. Have a little gander. 

Oh and some space things too?

^ That's a space pirate, obviously. 

There's a lot more where that came from and yeah that's what I've been doing... 

Oh! And I went to a lecture with Shaun Tan and Quentin Blake ages ago which was absolutely amazing and incredibly reassuring (Shaun Tan showed us a little comic about his average day and it was nice to see just how many parallels could be drawn between a professional and well... someone like me lol). 

They also had a draw off, where someone from the crowd would shout out a topic and they both had to draw it on camera. It was bloody amazing. Here, one last picture: 

I believe this topic was 'disguise', I think anyway (What really blew my mind was Quentin started with the woman's shoulder... what a bloody pro!)

So that's more or less where I've been at. 

Hopefully more updates soon, but with a big hen do looming and my to do list growing rather ridiculous, I'm not making any promises just yet!

BON!

x

Return of Ninja Santa

Yo yo!

So Christmas is coming, JOKING calm down, but I've finally got around to looking at my children's book!
I've only been planning today, and I actually didn't get very far, but hey I did jump over a little wall that was bothering me (more or less).
Here, this is how you should tell your child the truth about Santa.

So there we have it kids. 

Santa is actually a ninja. 

Further explanation will follow later in the week. I think I'm going to hand write all the text, I find it easier than having to decide on a font, even if it does mean i spend ages freaking out because i've done the wrong kind of 'a'. I do find it more fun and it just feels more like a part of the illustration too though make sure you point that out to me when I'm ripping up paper and swearing! 

Also I've just realised how grey my blog is looking, still colour will be back in force once this bad boy has been fully mocked up composition wise, (though something tells me I'm going to be forever tweeking, not necessarily a bad thing). 

Ciao! 

Oooh, I forgot

 Hello again!

I forgot to put this on yesterday!
This is a silly little venture I started a week or so ago when I was bored on the train and it turned out to be a lot more enjoyable than I realised. I never thought I'd look forward to a commute in my life... but there we go.
I finished inking it yesterday (not easy on a wobbly carrage when someone's bag is up your nose) and it's a little A7 comic book! It's a strange little story that I suppose is aimed at teenagers or something. I don't really know. *Shrugs* I just kind of ran with it and threw a dragon in at the end. I do love making up back stories for characters though (I do it at work all the time). The comic is far from perfect and I'm not sure if it'll even be legible (not helped that my scanner is being a bugger), but here, have a little gander!

So yeah!

That's been making the train journey go quicker. It's been quite a positive experience. I may have to invest a bit more time in actually thinking up a proper story, designing some characters (so they're not just wearing t-shirts and trousers) and drawing some actual backgrounds and environments (though in my defense most of this was set in a cave, so squiggly lines seemed fine).
Wheeeeeyyyyy.

Peace!
x