Skinny Elbows

Season's Greetings!

2011-12-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

A quick festive post to wish old friends and new, personal and professional, a Merry Christmas and the most prosperous of New Years!

"Look to the future now, it's only just begun..."

Skinnyelbows on Game Art at Confetti Nottingham

2011-11-09T02:24:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I'll be doing a quick lecture about Game Art in all its forms at Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies in Nottingham tomorrow at 4pm (that's Thursday, November 10th from 4pm, fact fans!)

(Above)

The Confetti Cafe.

I look forward to meeting new faces, inspiring them and hopefully shedding some light on the realities of working in game development...

I'll see thee then, then!

Skinnyelbows: Now on T-shirts, Hoodies and Stickers...!

2011-11-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Feel free to pop on over to my REDBUBBLE page to see some of my original designs that you can get on Men and Womens size t-shirts, hoodies and also in sticker form. Here's a sample of the first wave:

Hope you like. We shall see if I sell any, it's a nice way to get some extra use out of my doodles.

I'll be adding more and more as I make them, so be sure to check back from time to time...!

Cover 2000AD Prog 1757

2011-10-28T04:31:00.000-07:00

Here's my cover to this weeks 2000AD Prog 1757, "Flight of Angels!":

(Above)

2000AD Prog 1757

"Flight of Angels!"

As always it kicks off with a brief from Tharg, who wanted Angel Zero on her glider, zooming at the reader - guns blazing. BLAM!

I knew John Burns was drawing the strip, so I started to think about the strips he did for Look-In but, as I didn't merely want to imitate Johns superlative style (one of the finest comic draughtsman right now) - I wanted to be sympathetic to the artwork and story - that led me to Arnaldo Putzu, cover artist for Look-in magazine.

Me and my sister used to get Look-in when we were children and, while I never knew his name at the time, I LOVED his covers.

(Above)

Arnaldo Putzu at his best...

Using his bold use of colour as my starting point I ran up two thumbnails based on the brief:

(Above)

Two similar but different treatments,

colour was the driving force on this piece.

Tharg liked the one on the right here, but he made sure I kept her eyes on the reader in the final piece - a small but VERY important point for many covers.

It's the eyes that can grab the viewer.

Now, the reference shot - here I am rolling about on the floor to get an idea of how you'd hold the guns if you were in that position. I look daft, I know - but you've got to break a few eggs to make an omelette. And I sure look like a stupid egg...

(Above)

Posing can be fun, rolling around on

the wooden floor - just be

careful of splinters.

From there I hit Photoshop hard and painted up the final piece you see below.

(Above)

The full artwork minus cover furniture.

Here's a detail of the piece so you can see it close-up - hopefully the eyes are fixing you with their gaze...

(Above)

"Look into my eyes... "

And with that, Tharg was happy, I was happy, so we're all happy! Right?

Another fun cover for the Galaxies Greatest Comic, it really has to be one of the best gigs in the Universe!

2000AD Prog 1757 is in the shops now! - you'd be crazy to miss out ;)

Until next time, my fellow Earthlings!

Reminder: Games Day 2011

2011-09-19T05:22:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

Just a quick reminder to say I shall be attending Games Day 2011 with those lovely folk from The Black Library this coming Sunday the 25th September, 2011 at the Birmingham NEC LG Arena!

So, if you have any of you have copies of my Black Library covered books, Horus Heresy books or posters (there may also be numbered and signed limited edition prints available on the day), feel free to bring them along to get signed. I believe I'll also be taking part in a seminar about the Art of Black Library!

Oh, and there'll be a bunch of people who write words as well, so you can talk to them about sentences and paragraphs or something... ;)

There may even have a special sneak preview of upcoming artworks on my iphone for anyone who asks very, very nicely...

Tickets available here: Games Day UK 2011

UPDATE - it looks like all tickets are sold out, see you all there!

First Look: Cover: Aurelian

2011-08-30T02:22:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

So, we've had the Pledge, The Turn and now, the Prestige moment...
Those nice folk at Black Library have now revealed my artwork (in their newsletter) for the new Horus Heresy novella by the über-cool Aaron Dembski-Bowden, titled: Aurelian

(Above)
Intense!
The result of a lot of
Hans Zimmer soundtracks
and a well outlined brief...

Needless to say the messageboards have been getting a lot of heat, people seem to like it, which is always nice to know.

Either way, I'm proud of it. Aaron has a knack of pushing the boundaries of what to expect in a cover and this one didn't fail to push against that. Check out his 'blog for a far wittier take on the cover art.

Sheesh, that boy's a GREAT writer... Cheers Aaron - you wonderful bundle of talent!

Next up on my drawing board, assassins and aliens...

Music To Paint By...

2011-08-25T02:41:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

I just finished a nice big cover for my brothers and battle-sisters at Black Library and, by way of a teaser (kind of), I wanted to share the musical inspiration for the piece (the best bit comes in at 2:50 in):

YEEEAAAHHH!

Without giving too much away, this summed up perfectly the mood I wanted to achieve with the piece.

More often than not, I listen to soundtracks when working, mostly Hans Zimmer. Or have my iPhone on shuffle, so it'll keep me amused when it bounces from Lady Gaga to Dragonforce to Ennio Morricone ;)

So, anyone else use particular pieces of music to get them fired up?

Art Prints at Games Day 2011

2011-08-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

A quick note that Black Library will be selling limited edition prints of the 'Path of the Seer' cover at Games Day 2011, alongside Jon Sullivans' awesome 'Battle of the Fang' cover:

(Above)
Come buy me at Games Day!

You'll be able to see all the insane* amount of detail that went into the cover in this print, there's even a special tribute to an 80's band in there, if you can find it ;)

See you there...!

* Well, 'insane' may be a bit extreme, but I did dream about swirling lines for nights after...

Cover: 2000AD Prog 1745

2011-08-02T01:15:00.000-07:00

Here's my cover to this weeks 2000AD Prog1745, 'First Blood':

(Above)
2000AD Prog 1745:
The MkI Blackbloods
in their menacing glory.

A neat little brief from Tharg, with the BlackBlood MkI's looming over and reaching out to grab the reader... What's not to inspire an artist!

I took a few reference photos - as always, to get an idea of poses and look for any of those subtle shapes that can sometimes lift an image. In this case it was the angle of the little finger when the hand opens like that. Yeah, that was my big discovery in this pic. Little fingers! GO ME!

(Above)
The little finger, the way it's angled - LOOK!

Anyways, I drew up a thumbnail I *felt* delivered on the brief, luckily for me, Tharg the Mighty liked it:

(Above)
I submitted just the one thumbnail this time,
sometimes a risky approach, as I felt it most accurately
portrayed what Tharg was looking for.

So I went ahead and painted up the final image, as you can see here:

(Above)
The final image, painted in Photoshop.

Tharg was happy, I was happy, we're all happy! Am I right?

I still get a thrill doing covers for the Galaxies Greatest Comic, it really has to be one of the best gigs in the Universe!

2000AD Prog 1745 is in the shops on Wednesday - you'd be crazy to miss out ;)

Until next time, my fellow Earthlings!

Interview: Scotch Corner

2011-07-19T03:21:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to point you to a neat little interview with the lovely people over at the Scotch Corner blog, where I talk about how I started off my illustration career and my work in general - go read!

Cool as der cucumber, ja?

First look: Cover: Path of the Renegade

2011-07-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

What a week! First off, space marines actually in space; now I introduce you to my new Dark Eldar cover for Andy Chambers' new novel "Path of the Renegade", from Black Library - out early next year.

(Above)
Like the Eldar novels,
I lavished little details on
this image - not immediately
visible in this preview...

And here's the piece in it's front cover glory:

(Above)
The design and type always
sets off the image to a tee!

I'll do a proper post with process, as and when the book comes out - Excellent!

First look: Cover: Know No Fear

2011-07-14T01:25:00.000-07:00

Hello one and all!

So, Black Library have put the final (lo-res) image up for the new Dan Abnett Horus Heresy novel, "Know No Fear" and here it is for your perusal:

(Above)
Zero-G punchup!
Ultramarine Primarch, Roboute Guilliman
PUNCHING THE HEAD OFF
a heretic WordBearer

(Above, detail)

The face was inspired
by the previous Ultramarine I painted
for 'Battle for the Abyss'

(Above)

I LOVED adding the details
on this one, the blood globules hanging in space,
the ship detailing and all the rest.

The idea for this image was to have a true 360 degree punch up, so the cover was designed to show some combat if you turned the image round to any angle.

I added a harsh lens-flare with lens dust, the kind of which you see on the NASA Apollo Moon-landing photographs (a great inspiration for this piece)

Well ,that's all for this time, when the book's out I'll do a full process post - sketches and reference. But for now, enjoy the hard vacuum of space...!

Process: Oil Paint: Still Life 2011

2011-06-27T04:43:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

A quick diversion, if you will - to the realms of oil painting...

Here's a process summary of a little still life I finished in-between jobs:

(Above)
The basic set-up in the studio.
An oil decanter, grapes, silver bowl
and a platter.

(Above)
Process.
The bowl feels overworked.
Next painting I'm going to vary the
rendering between looser strokes
and refined areas of detail

(Above)

Still Life, 2011
Oil on Canvas
8"x10"

It was done in one afternoon, approx. 4hrs, in that quick 'alla prima' approach that I enjoy.

The next paintings are a larger format and a more complex subject material - my children!

Until the next time...

First look: Cover: Age of Darkness

2011-06-17T01:42:00.000-07:00

Hello One and All!

Here's a nice clean version of the new, NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING ANTHOLOGY "Age of Darkness" from BL Publishing, showing a slightly evil Horus grinding an Imperial Fist Marine into the dirt (a certain Christian Dunn's idea - so BLAME HIM!):

(Above)
Horus is *starting* to go all evil,
so he's not TOTALLY spiked up yet...

As is usual, I started off with draughting out thumbnails - just two thumbnail ideas this time, as I had a pretty set idea as to how I wanted this cover to look. Luckily, Black Library were happy with them and chose the first thumbnail to work from. Then it was simply a case of paint, Paint, PAINT!

(Above)
The initial thumbnails,
BL correctly stated I'd made
his armour too purple -
n00b mistake ;)

(Above)
Horus Detail, armour heavily based
on the classic Adrian Smith
Horus vs Emperor art.

(Above)
OOF! BOOT TO THE HEAD!
See his panicked eye behind his eye-lens -
that's me, that is ;)

Cool, so that's the skinny on the new Heresy cover - I'm off to finish putting some more spikes on this here certain xenos cover I'm currently working on...

Unused Star Wars Battlefront Concepts

2011-06-15T03:45:00.000-07:00

So, Star Wars Battlefront 3 wasn't even finished (let alone cancelled) when we tried to get number 4 off the ground at the now defunct Free Radical Design (now Crytek UK)

So here a few pages of concepts produced for a game that never saw the light of day:

(Above)
Environment concepts -
chiefly based around
an infiltration of a
Kaminoan Cloning Facility.

Also, we were working on some crazy Alternative Star Wars Timeline ideas - where the good guys were the bad guys and vice versa:

(Above)
The good guys were the bad guys,
and the bad guys were the good guys.
WHO'S CRAZY IDEA WAS THAT?

Well, that's a brief snapshot into the brief life of a cancelled game ;)

'Til next time, everyone!

Back from the edge...

2011-06-06T02:50:00.001-07:00

Hello All,

I'm back from the other side of oblivion - AKA, moving house and stuff and I've emerged leaner and meaner than ever (well, not so much of the lean, actually, and not mean at all)

So, here's a little of what's been going on in my absence...

A little bit of work for the BBC:

(Above)
Doctor Who for the Sarah Jane Adventures

(Above)
"Affirmative, Master" - K9

And some charity work for the new 'Spirit of Hope' comic from the Comic Book Alliance:

(Above)
Spirit of Hope

All profit from the title will go to help disaster victims via Second Harvest and the New Zealand Red Cross.

Right - that's us nearly up to speed - what I can't show you is ALL the stuff that hasn't even seen print yet - Mechs, Monsters, Avatars, Spaceships, Robots... y'know, like EVERYTHING else!

More soon, I PROMISE...!

First look: Cover: Deliverance Lost

2011-03-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

Hello All!

So, Black Library Live! 2011 has been and gone for another year and what a great day it was - it was great to meet up with all those who enjoy the books, hobby and artwork.

A big THANKYOU for making all the hard work feel worthwhile.

Many folk saw the new Corax artwork for 'Deliverance Lost' by Gav Thorpe and Black Library have now put the final (lo-res) image up for your enjoyment and scrutiny:

(Above)
Corax in orbital drop.
The brief wanted an Art Deco hanging garden city
something we've never really seen in 40K before

Thankfully the artwork has gone down a storm. It was inspired by a specially commissioned illustration by John Blanche - Corax has never been seen before, so who better to define his look ;)

(Above: Detail)
I was inspired by the idea of a 'Dark Knight' style
base-jump mixed with 'Star Trek' orbital drop.
WHOOOSH!

Anyway, here you go - feast thine eyes upon it and feel free to leave a comment.

See you soon!

Process: Oil Paint: Regent Street 2010

2011-03-02T03:44:00.001-08:00

Hello All,

Just a quick process post about an oil painting I recently finished. I wanted to do a contemporary landscape, so I chose Regent Street, London. The aim of doing an oil painting was to re-connect with the notion of being an artist - especially after the busy year that was 2010. I wanted to re-establish those traditional skills that are easy to move away from when you've been working digitally for so long.

After a few sketches and reference photo's were taken, I launched into the painting. Below you can see my process:

(Above)
Regent Street painting in progress

As you can see I used a saturated umber as my ground, mainly because I wanted to get a real warmth to the painting, which would mainly be that rather flat Portland stone colour. Also, I painted it in elements, sky, left side, right - a kind of Alla Prima approach over several days.

The final painting (apologies for the poor quality, will get a better pic when the weather is better)

(Above)
Regent Street, 2010
Oil on canvas
24"x30"

It's exciting for me, as I've been able to acknowledge a more traditional and considered approach that will, hopefully, inform my future work. I've already gessoed a load of other canvases and panels, so I'm looking forward to exploring the posibilities of oil painting, still life and landscapes further.

I've got a few other paintings almost finished which I'll post up as and when they're done - keep those eyes peeled!

Cover: 2000AD Prog 1721

2011-02-11T12:18:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

A quick post about this weeks 2000AD, with the cover art by yours truly:

(Above)
Basing it on the Henry-Flint-drawn
Shakara strip meant I could
try a more limited palette

I'll do a proper process post soon and maybe Pete Wells over at the EXCELLENT blog, 2000AD Covers Uncovered may have more material at some point as well.

Right, that's it for now, Dr Sketchy's tomorrow.

See you in the funny papers...!

Doctor Who: The Design Conspiracy

2011-02-03T06:44:00.001-08:00

So, here's a quick piece on an artwork created for The Design Conspiracy's 10th Birthday:

(Above)
Doctor Who: 2005 Revival
Digital, 10"x10"

The brief was to choose a year from the decade The Design Conspiracy had been operating and illustrate it. So, obviously, I chose 2005 - the year Doctor Who was 'regenerated' onto our screens again.

(Above)
TDC HQ, London

The exhibition was held at TDC HQ in fashionable London and we had a great time, meeting up with old friends and making new ones.

(Above)
Cheer up, Neil - it's Doctor Who!

Cheers!

A New Year - a new 2000AD cover!

2011-01-10T02:41:00.000-08:00

A Happy New Year to you all!

Here's a teaser from a new cover for 2000AD:

(Above)
SHAKARA!

I'll be sure to put up the full image and process when the Prog is out, sometime soon!

Also, I shall endeavour to update this blog more regularly, as my attention wandered last year with the sheer workload I had - but that's a good thing right?

So fear not, True Believers, there is plenty more work to be seen...!

3DS Max 2011 Reviewed

2010-12-10T05:06:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

My review of 3DS Max 2011 is up and over at 3D World Magazine:

(Above)
The latest release of 3ds Max
adds significant improvements,
but are they worth the price
of the application?

Go check it out - and tell them I sent you!

Catchup - Thoughtbubble 2010

2010-11-28T13:48:00.001-08:00

Yo,

Updates are few and far between at the minute 'cos of sheer workload, so here's a quick link to mine and Graham McNeills' adventures in Leeds, at the always amazing Leeds Thoughtbubble convention, via The Black Library:

(Above)
Click on the link to read.

So, as an update proper, I'm working on a new piece for a new publisher, finishing up on a couple of logo's and I'm about to start work on a new Graham McNeill Horus Heresy cover: "Outcast Dead", oh, and a 2000AD cover to keep me company over the Christmas break.

Phew!

I think my New Years promise should be more updates, more regularly.

Hockley Hustle

2010-10-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

Just a quickie...

I'll be a guest of part of the 'Hockley Hustle' event in Nottingham this weekend:

I'll be on a panel talking about writing and art alongside Darius Hinks, Alex Davis and Damien Walter.

So, if you can find me, feel free to come and say hello...!

Interview: Sci Fi Art Now

2010-10-13T16:40:00.001-07:00

Hello all,

A quickie to say that an interview with my good self has gone online over at Sci-Fi Art Now:

(Above)
My moody publicity shot,
maybe another one is in order...

I talk about my inspirations and process, classic comic artists and tools of my trade - plus there are some (hopefully) handy hints for any aspiring illustrators out there.

Enjoy!

TimeSplitters 4: Unused Concepts

2010-10-07T06:21:00.001-07:00

Hello All,

Just a real quick, image heavy, post about some of my old work (2-3 years ago) I did for Timesplitters 4, before I left to go freelance and Free Radical Design went under :(

Americana

So, here we go with the first batch - I like to theme my concepts so as to keep a consistency in design. It might not be overly obvious, but with these I had been looking at a lot of Harley Earl/ 50's Americana and J.C. Leyendecker:

Ancient Greece

For the Greek themed levels I went for a full on (original) 'Clash of the Titans' vibe, especially with the Zeus concept:

Hammer Horror

And finally, I love Hammer Horror films - I don't like modern horror, bleurgh, too vulgar - but I imagined a sexy kitsch and fun take for the horror levels (my kind of horror) :

I figure I may as well put these out there, cos they won't ever be used - just left to gather cyber-dust in some forgotten folder on the computer. Hope there's something there for you to enjoy!

Proper post soon...

Cover: Legion of One

2010-10-06T05:25:00.000-07:00

Hello, All,

Sorry about the lack of posts, but sheer workload has meant that I've been unable to maintain the blog as much as I'd like. But, that'skind of a good thing, right?

Anyway, this is the latest cover for the Horus Heresy Audiobook "Garro: Legion of One" by James Swallow:

(Above)
Cover Artwork for Garro: Legion of One.
But exactly WHO is that on the cover...?

Here's the blurb:

"Nathaniel Garro, loyalist Death Guard, and hero of the Eisenstein, has found a new calling in his service to the Emperor. Surrounded by a cloak of secrecy, Garro travels the galaxy in pursuit of his new goal. His quest will lead him to heart of the most destructive warzones, and reveal a secret that will change the course of the Horus Heresy itself..."

and here it is in the final design:

(Above)
Yeah, Classy!

You can pre-order it here and here - tell 'em Neil sent you ;)

Also, Games Day has been and gone - and what a day it was, sketching and signing all day. It was a shame I couldn't come the day before to catch up with the authors, as they're a great bunch and good company. Ah well, that'll teach me to BREAK MY LEG!

Here's a few pics from the BL Art Seminar me and Jon Sullivan gave (thanks to all that came along) from Shane McElligots FB page:

(Above)
"So, an Ork, A Space Marine
and an Eldar walk into a bar..."

(Above)
Erm, stop looking at my plaster cast, Jon.

Anyways, a big thankyou to all that came along and made us feel welcome and appreciated. I'll be working on that "Music to Draw Space Marines By" album for next time ;)

Next up - magazine work and the Sarah Jane Adventures...!

Represented by Lemonade

2010-09-03T02:09:00.000-07:00

...And now, for some rather exciting news…

I am now being represented by Lemonade Illustration Agency.

It's exciting to be part of such a talented group of artists/ illustrators and I’m looking forward to working with Lemonade on some varied and interesting projects.

You can see some of my work on their site here.

Regarding new projects and quotes you can either contact them here or contact me directly.

To celebrate, let's have some Kirby Crackles...

(Brush idea courtesy of PJ Holden)

Excelsior!

Aftermath: Dr Sketchy's Nottingham

2010-08-17T05:12:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Here's a few scans from my attending the recent Dr Sketchy's event in Nottingham last week, alongside the talented Jake Gumbleton, Ryan Stevenson, Ben Newman and Dan Baker.

I'm definitely going to attend another event, the sittings were pleasantly short and the models were pleasantly pleasing to draw.

(Above)
Quick (5mins) pencil sketches
concerned with halftones and edges.
148 x 210mm,
Graphite pencil on paper

(Above)
The short poses meant having to concentrate
on constantly finishing and not obsessing over linework.
148 x 210mm,
Graphite pencil on paper/
Conte crayon on coloured stock

(Above)
Unusual objects and interesting fabrics
made the rendering all the more interesting
148 x 210mm,
Graphite pencil on paper

After all that, it was into the Nottingham night for beers, mojito's and, eventually, kebabs.

Rock on!

New Comic Project

2010-08-13T02:55:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Can't say too much about it (I want the content to be a surprise) but here's an early test image for a new, one-off, self published, anthology project I have in the pipeline with the Awesome Al Ewing:

(Above)
Major Amazing is on his way...
©2010 Neil Roberts

The final project name is still under wraps but, for the time being, I'll drop some hints as to how it progresses.

Exciting stuff!

Nemesis: New York Times Bestseller!

2010-08-10T01:50:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

Well, we've done it again! We've made it onto the New York Times Bestseller list with James Swallows' fantastic 'Nemesis':

(Above)
There, look...!
26) Nemesis, by James Swallow (Games Workshop)

Well done, it seems James unlocked an achievement!

Well done all of us - these books are really doing rather well, aren't they!

SFX Interview

2010-07-23T01:28:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

The superb SFX magazine have an interview with little old me up online at:

http://www.sfx.co.uk/2010/07/21/interview-neil-roberts/

(Above)
Nemesis, James Swallows' latest book
in the Horus Heresy series.

..where I talk about the Horus Heresy, Warhammer, being freelance and my various inspirations. Hopefully there's something in there for the whole family...!

Right, back to the 30K, I need to find a certain Son of Horus...

Autodesk Airshow

2010-07-20T03:45:00.000-07:00

Ooh, before I forget, I'll be visiting the Autodesk Airshow event tomorrow (21st July) in Farnborough, to get the full 3ds Max experience.

If any other industry types are there, make sure to say hello!

3D, a barbeque and cutting-edge strike-aircraft - what's not to like...?

Recap: Signing, Nemesis

2010-07-20T01:05:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Well, I had a great time at the GW Store, Oxford Street Plaza, signing and sketching. Alas, I was so busy, I didn't have time to take any photos - so I've cribbed these off James Swallows blog to make up for it.

As always, meeting everyone was a pleasure - even more so with the biscuits and doughnuts we were kindly offered. There were people from all over the globe, from Dulwich to L.A...! Signings are so great, you realise your work has a life beyond the final .PSD file - that people actually like and respond to your work - it's always inspiring for the next several months until the next signing/ event.

Sophie and the GW store staff were excellent hosts and looked after us very well, I believe we were signing and sketching solidly for the whole 2 hours... man, my wrist hurt after all that.

After all that, we headed over to El Camino's (again) for spicy Nacho's with the T-Birds from the cast of Grease. Strange, but true!

Then we visited the National Portrait Gallery for the BP Portrait Award exhibition and to view the John Singer-Sargents they have there, but I'll save that for another post...

Signing this weekend

2010-07-15T01:59:00.000-07:00

I shall be visiting the Big Smoke (London) this weekend to sign copies of the new Horus Heresy book 'Nemesis', alongside author extraordinaire, James Swallow:

James Swallow & Neil Roberts Book Signing
Date:
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Time:
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Location:
Games Workshop, The Plaza 116/128,
Oxford Street, London, W1D 1LT

Here's the book blurb:

"After the horrors of Istvaan V, Horus declares outright war against the Imperium. In the shadows of the Emperor's Palace, powerful figures convene.Their plan is to send a team of assassins to execute the arch-traitor Horus and end the war for the galaxy of mankind before it's even begun. But what they cannot know is that another assassin is abroad already, with his sights firmly set on killing the Emperor."

I'll be signing and sketching whilst I'm there, so it'll also be a chance to get some rare Neil Roberts pen and ink art - so, catch the "Roberts Rock 'n' Roll Roadshow" while you can.

See you there!

Friday afternoon quickie...

2010-07-09T05:44:00.000-07:00

Hello all, it's Friday and I'm yearning to have an easy afternoon in the sun.

So here we go with a small, quarter page piece I recently did for Fantasy Flight Games:

It was a quick turnaround and a good chance to get more painterly with my style. It's taken from the new expansion book 'Lure of the Expanse' (not a comment on my underwear, actually) for the excellent 'Dark Heresy' RPG - here's what the blurb has to say:

"Lure of the Expanse, the latest book for Rogue Trader, features three adventures set amongst the unexplored stars beyond the Imperium. Wealth and glory await those with the courage to venture into the farthest reaches of space. In "Eye of the Needle," your Explorers will travel to the perilous port of Footfall to learn of a dark prophecy of long-lost riches. In "The Heathen Trail," the Explorers find themselves on the path of uncountable riches... but they must cross the wild tracts of the Heathen Stars. Threats abound, but can the Explorers transform danger into rewards? Finally, in "The World Beyond," the Explorers discover the location of the legendary treasure world. Now, can they prevail against a host of enemies?"

Here's a detail so you can see up close:

(Above)
Might need to get an electrician to look at that, mate.

Buy it here.

Excellent! Now, go and enjoy the sun! (correct as of time of writing)

Stay cool, y'all.

Cover: Path of the Warrior

2010-07-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

Quick note, Gav Thorpes' excellent "Path of the Warrior" is OUT SOON!

Go buy/ pre-order - and then tell all your friends to do the same.

"The ancient eldar are a mysterious race, each devoting their life to a chosen path which will guide their actions and decide their fate. Korlandril abandons peace for the Path of the Warrior. He becomes a Striking Scorpion, a deadly fighter skilled in the art of close-quarter combat. But the further Korlandril travels down this path, the closer he gets to losing his identity and becoming an avatar of war."

Order/ buy it here , here or go into an ACTUAL BOOKSHOP and buy it from a real person *shudders*.

Here's the full artwork, in all its highly-detailed and ornate Xenos glory:

I'll do a proper making of post sometime, the detail I put into this was ridiculous.

See you soon.

Doctor Who at Glastonbury 2010

2010-06-28T03:49:00.000-07:00

As many of you may know, I'm a HUUUGE Doctor Who fan. I always have been since I first saw 'City of Death' all those years ago. Having a daughter who loves it means I can enjoy it all over again, like the first time.

Matt Smith as the Doctor has been an absolutely inspired bit of casting, and here he is at Glastonbury 2010 with Orbital, doing the only song of theirs I like (and it's not even theirs). I especially love the fact it's the Radiophonically Workshopped version they sample:

Cover: 2000AD Prog 1686

2010-06-28T01:52:00.000-07:00

Now, this is from a few weeks back. (We've been moving house and enjoying the sunshine)

This is my cover for 2000AD Prog 1686, entitled "Borough Boys":

(Above)
Bosh, sorted, Guv.

As always, it started with 3 sketches based on Thargs brief:

(Above)
Quick thumbnails, about 480x640 each.

With one chosen, I went on to take some reference photos (hey, no laughing at the back! All artists use some kind of reference) :

(Above)
Amazing what you can do with an old suit, raincoat,
dressing gown belt, plastic rifle and
pulling a few Les Dawson faces.

I'd read that Savage was originally based on Stanley Baker, one of the great physical British (specifically Welsh) actors from the 60s/ 70s. So it made sense to get appropriate reference:

(Above)
Stanley Baker. Fantastic actor, go watch Zulu or Hell Drivers, NOW!

Then it was over to the computer for final image and paint-up. Here's the piece minus the logos and stuff:

(Above)
As the great Gene Hunt said:
"Don’t move, you’re surrounded by armed bastards!"

Right, I'll keep on with my blogging from now on. Might be going to a Dr. Sketchy's event next month - I'll keep you posted.

UK Games Expo

2010-06-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

A real quickie, in between work and setting off:

I'll be a guest at the UK Games Expo in Birmingham this Saturday, where I'll be sketching, showing my portfolio, signing and chatting about my work!

Hope to see you there,

N

SkinnyElbows Website Update

2010-05-24T05:18:00.000-07:00

Back from Bristol Comic Expo - what a great chance to meet new people and, PHEW! what a scorcher, as they say!

So, I've had a load of stuff come out in the last month or so, so I've updated my website, www.skinnyelbows.com, with over 20, yes, I said 20! new images.

Here's a few samples:

(Above)
Matt Smith, the Eleventh Doctor Who.
Manga Studio and Photoshop

(Above)
Cover to 2000AD Prog 1673 "Crimes of Passion"

(Above)
"Path of the Warrior" by Gav Thorpe

Also, I've got a whole bunch of other stuff I'll blog about very soon...!

Bristol International Comics Expo 2010

2010-05-11T08:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, there's a lot going on right now. We're moving house, there are degree student projects to grade and I've got loads of work on - let the good times roll!

A quick post to say I'll be a guest at the Bristol Comic Expo next weekend (22nd to 23rd May) - alongside the likes of Chris Claremont (wow!), Pat Mills (woah!), Clint Langley (cool!), Al Ewing(sweet!) and a bucketload of comics talent from all over the world (skills!)

Only 3 years ago I attended my first 'Con with portfolio in hand, only to be given some harsh but sage advice from various pro's.

Now, here I am, on the other side of the fence - it's amazing what hard work and determination can do.

Should be good - look forward to seeing you there.

VOXX: Illustration Workshop

2010-05-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

I'll be doing an illustration workshop at the VOXX/ CPI Media Office in Grimsby this Saturday, 8th May, 10am- 3pm:

I'll get a post up detailing the aftermath next week.

That is all...!

Star Wars: convergence theory

2010-05-04T02:30:00.000-07:00

Just saw this lovely image for the brand new 'Star Wars:Force Unleashed 2' game:

(Above)
Starkiller at the crossroads.
TM Lucasarts, 2010

Can't help but looking a little familiar:

(Above)
Luke Skywalker at the crossroads.
Neil Roberts portfolio piece, 2009.

Obviously I don't have copyright on a pose, Lucasfilm IP and certainly no right to point out that the two bear a striking resemblance to each other, but still...

Wales Comic Con 2010: The Aftermath

2010-04-26T01:33:00.000-07:00

Well that was fun!

After a couple of hours in the car early Sunday morning, I arrived to set up at Glyndwr University in Wrexham - sitting next to the ever-pleasant Staz Johnson and Neil Edwards.

Also attending were the likes of Danny John-Jules and Dirk Benedict, cool.

Highlights were doing a sketch for the BEST Star Trek: TNG lookalikes I have EVER seen - wish I'd had a chance to get my photo taken with them - next time...

Coolest of all was meeting Marc Silk, the voice talent behind Stingo, Slugsy and a whole host of other cartoon voices. That's sure to get me some serious brownie points from my children. Sorted.

I spent the day signing and sketching - drawing mostly space marines at this event, there were loads of GW/ BL fans attending, those Horus Heresy books have a powerful hold over everyone who reads them.

(Above)
Kenny and his 'Marine vs Aliens' sketch.
(Photo courtesy Kim Randles Facebook)

After a pleasant and uneventful drive back, I arrived home and had a lovely cup of tea. Job done.

Next posts: limited edition books, Eldar and being a magazine cover star!

Wales Film & ComicCon

2010-04-23T03:24:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

A quick message to say that I'll be appearing as a guest at the Wales Film & ComicCon (Click the link for a full details) this coming Sunday, 25th April.

The event is being held at Glyndwr University, Mold Road, Wrexham between 10:00am & 5:00pm. In addition to me, there will be a host of guests from the likes of Red Dwarf, Star Wars and Torchwood - y'know, that kind of thing... I'll be in geek heaven!

I'll be doing the usual signings and sketching - so do come along, say hello and get a sketch done by yours truly.

See you there.

Hi-Ex! 2010: The Aftermath

2010-04-13T01:38:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while so I thought I'd belatedly post up my experiences at the recent Hi-Ex Comic convention in Inverness.

(Above)
Outside Eden Court, the 501st Garrison check for droids.
(Pic courtesy Joe Gordons' Flickr)

First up, I want to say a big thankyou to Rich and Vicky and all the organisers who made the event so much fun.

After a solid two day drive, stopping off at Stirling at a fantastic B&B, we made it to our holiday cottage 20 miles outside of Inverness - literally in the middle of nowhere, fantastic. Just like the But an' Ben in The Broons.

The opening Saturday of the event was slightly nervewracking, sitting at the artists table alongside the likes of Colin McNeil, Charlie Adlard and Simon Fraser.

Initially I thought people would be looking at me as if to say "Just who do you think you are, sitting next to professional comic artists?", after a while (and making sure my portfolio was open and prominent) I realised I am a professional comic artist and people were interested in chatting and getting sketches done.

Phew, panic over.

(Above)
The artists table: GaryErskine, Simon Fraser,
Alex Moore, Carlie Adlard Colin McNeil and little old me.
(Pic courtesy Joe Gordons' Flickr)

(Above)
Artists hard at work sketching for charity,
whilst I stand up and look like I'm about to pick a fight.
I was in fact having a nice chat about the nature of freelancing.
(Pic courtesy of the Hi-Ex Gallery)

I spent the next two days sketching constantly, with all the proceeds going to the chosen charity, Children 1st. I believe the total raised so far is in the region of £2000 - so well done all.

What was particularly nice and a definite strength of the show was the broad remit it had, it covered comics, gaming and childrens books - and the crowd reflected that. I drew plenty of pictures for some lovely wee boys and girls, one cheeky chappy didn't have any pennies left for a picture of Darth Vader I did for him on the Saturday only to return, briefly, on the Sunday and thrust a shiny 10p in my hand. Gawd bless ye, ye wee scamp.

(Above)
The Games room, friendly people getting everybody involved in the hobby.
Run by the great chaps at Kingdom of Adventure.
(Pic courtesy of the Hi-Ex Gallery)

There were other moments that I'll merely list otherwise this'll turn into a mega-post that nobody will read:

Going out for the all-you-can-eat buffet was an eye-opener and certainly not recommended if you haven't eaten much during the day.

Chatting to Cam Kennedy was real fun, he was a real seasoned pro with a cheeky glint in his eye.

Talking to Colin McNeil about his influence on my Black Library work was great, hope I didn't bore him too much with talk about rim lights.

Discussing with Al Ewing about the direction of some exciting 'self-published' future projects.

The chaps who noticed I was there on the Saturday and brought their entire Horus Heresy collections to get signed on the Sunday, cool.

And generally, meeting other artists, writers and publishers was fantastic experience and I'm sure I'll see them again at the many other Con's this coming year.

(Above)
2000AD creators and fans - great people all of them.
I am there, at the back, in the shadows -
look carefully, you'll see me.
(Pic courtesy of the Hi-Ex Gallery)

Right. After that, my family and I spent a lovely few days exploring Loch Ness (sadly, no monster) and surrounding area, only to get snowed in for a few days whilst the Highlands experienced freak blizzards. Mind you, I got to make a great big snowman with my kids. Ace.

(Above)
Beautiful Loch Ness on the drive from Inverness to the cottage.

(Above)
Blizzards, snow, grey clouds. The roads were shut.
It was very much like the Shining.
"All work and no play..."

On the journey home we spent a whopping 15 hour drive back home, stopping off at the Deep Sea World to break the journey up.

All in all, we had a fantastic time - best of luck with future events!

So, in future news, Wales Comic Con, Bristol Comic Con, Workshops, more book covers, a 3D World article and even more comic covers.

Stay tuned.

Strip: 2000AD Prog 1678

2010-04-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

Ta-daaa! My first interior strip for the Galaxies Greatest Comic, "Chrono Cabbie" with script by Alec Worley, painted art by me and lettering by Annie Parkhouse.

If you want to know just what the hell is going on, get yourself down to your local newsagent/ comic store and buy yourself a copy today!

It seems to have gotten a positive response from people, so I'm a very happy man.

Dream... come... true...!

Hi-Ex! 2010

2010-03-24T03:16:00.000-07:00

I'm looking forward to heading up to Inverness this weekend as a guest at Hi-Ex, the Highlands International Comics Expo. Me and loads more artists and writers shall be there, some of whom I'm very excited to meet; I'll have my autograph book at the ready. Whilst there, I'll be sketching to order - with any proceeds going to the Children 1st charity.

New issues of Dogbreath #22 will be on sale and I'll be venturing into the Games Room to see how the RPG and wargame sessions go. Also, I'll be selling (and signing) prints of some of my covers, so feel free to come along and say hello - it'll be good fun.

See you there.

Workshop Sessions: Huntingdon

2010-03-23T02:47:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

Last Thursday I spent a fantastic day of workshops at Huntingdon Regional College, at the behest of Andrew - whom I met at this years 'Black Library Live!'

(Above)
Huntingdon Regional College.

I knew the day was going to be special when I arrived and found I had a special V.I.P parking space. Oh yes, I said V... I... P...! Check it out:

(Above)
Yo, for real - check out the VIP.

The whole day was very well attended, with the morning sessions talking about approaches to and problem solving within concept art.

(Above)

Great turnout - everybody was keen and enthusiastic.

(Above)

The importance of silhouettes.
As taught by 'The Skilful Huntsman'

Then it was over to the students to practice what I had preached. They all did a great job - taking on board the basic ideas and having fun making stuff up. Well done all.

(Above)

Busy at work.
Silhouettes based on 'Old Ironsides' -
the nickname of Oliver Cromwell, from Huntingdon.

After a lovely lunch, we spent the afternoon talking about 3D, modelling and rendering. I used some of my early Black Library projects as examples and explained to the students basic core concepts such as subdivision modelling, 3 point lighting and the importance of clean topology in their models.

(Above)
One of my early 'Horus Rising' models.
Talking about subdivision smoothing and lighting rigs.

Then, as a last bit of fun, I took requests from the crowd to draw on their whiteboard. After each sketch I got a round of applause. Yeah, that's right, APPLAUSE!

It was quite humbling to get that kind of response to my doodles, the only other time I've seen that happen was when I went to see the late, and most definitely great, Tony Hart at my school in High Wycombe. I figure I'm in good company.

(Above)
Tyranids, Predators, Cloud Strike and a Space Marine (in helmet)
Now, where's my round of applause?

Although if anyone is really deserving of applause it's the students who were keen, attentive, polite and hard working. They made the whole day worthwhile. I wish you all the best.

A big thanks to Andrew-Fovargue for the photos and for organising the day.

Next up: To the north of Scotland - HiEx in Inverness...!

Recap: Signing, London GW

2010-03-15T04:08:00.000-07:00

Hello, it's been a while since a solid beefy post, mainly due to deadlines/ illness/ family commitments/ more deadlines.

So let us take this opportunity to talk about the signing Mr. Graham McNeil and I had a few weeks ago at the Games Workshop store in the Plaza, Oxford Street, London.

Graham has already posted his write up here, so I won't go into too great a detail again, in case our stories don't corroborate.

I travelled down on the Friday, and visited all the comic shops I could find - and found a truly wondrous cavern of artists materials, Cornelissen & Son - where I could have easily spent a small fortune. We had a meal at Monkeynuts in Crouch End, where I had the best steak and pepper sauce. Good times.

Google maps on my iPhone made simple tourist-style wandering a truly revolutionary experience. London seemed a far more fun place to explore with the power of the internet and GPS in my pocket.

(Above)
Abracadabra! International Magic Shop on Clerkenwell Road.

I also took the opportunity to visit the International Magic Shop to say hello and stock up on more Bicycle cards. They were extremely welcoming and offered us a cup of tea and a chat. I shall be visiting again, methinks.

(Above)
Chatting to Dan Havardi about composition or colour palettes or something.

I arrived on time, having successfully negotiated the London Underground with help from my sister and a shiny new Oyster card (thanks, sis!). The whole session went extremely well, Mark, the store manager commented that it was the busiest signing he'd ever seen. Graham and I were signing and sketching for a solid 2-3 hours, if I remember correctly, and only when the queue petered out did we get a chance to have a quick chat.

(Above)
nabbed from Graham's excellent blog

The wonderful staff kept us well fed and watered, even some of the good people in the queue brought us doughnuts - that is above and beyond the call, good work all! Mark and the staff gave Graham a parting gift of a fantastic Magnus the Red conversion and I received a diorama of Leman Russ and his wolves. Cool.

(Above)
Awesome conversion - very flattering as well. Good work chaps!

After that, Graham dashed off to sign some books at Forbidden Planet and my sister and I went to El Camino in Soho for a big bowl of Nacho's. Had a quick mooch about some more shops and then back on the train filled with drunk football fans - finally getting home to my beautiful wife and children. Life is sweet, as they say.

(Above)

A plate of Nacho's - my benchmarking system for any establishment.
El Camino's were amazing.

Thanks to all that made it such a memorable day, thanks for the doughnuts and thanks for the compliments.

See you all soon.

A Thousand Sons: New York Times bestseller

2010-03-11T06:16:00.000-08:00

Double WOW! - fantastic work Graham, Black Library and little old me, we've made it onto the New York Times bestselling novel lists:

(Above)
There, highlighted, look... it's us!
22) A THOUSAND SONS, by Graham McNeill (Games Workshop)

I'm aware freelancing can sometimes about peaks and troughs of success, so I'm currently savouring this monumental peak in my career by having... tonsillitis *cough*

Still, I have to say how proud and honoured I am to be associated with such an incredibly successful, talented and decent bunch of people as those who consistently put out such entertaining and high selling books. Not only to those who make the books, but also those millions - yes, that's right, I said MILLIONS, who have bought and read the series - without you good people supporting us and enjoying the books, we wouldn't be here.

Bah, this is beginning to sound like an Oscar™ acceptance speech.

Anyway, here's to much, much more.

Excelsior!

Cover: 2000AD Prog 1673

2010-03-02T01:45:00.000-08:00

It's been a long while since any real posts (deadlines and all), so here we go with another 2000AD cover for the Galaxies Greatest Comic.

My initial idea was for a "90's rave version of Dredd in a Denim advert" - but with more mutants:

Add to that a dash of Brendan McCarthy 90's colour palette, a hairy chest and a good dose of digital painting and voilà, the finished product:

Apologies to Jon Haward and Chris Blythe, as the reference I had for the piece was the B&W line art - so I went ahead and gave her blue hair because it contrasted well against the pink. It was only when I recieved my contributors copy did I notice that she had green hair - I think no-one seems to have noticed!

It seems to be a cover that has split the online fans, which I'm quite pleased about, it's better to have an opinion than not.

With that in mind, here are some of my favourite comments regarding the cover from the 2000AD messageboards, copied and pasted ad verbatim:

W.R. Logan - "Cover: Would go in to my worst cover ever catagory."

DanDontDare - "That cover could have been so much better - the actual artwork is fantastic, but I loathe that pink background Ugh! "

Jamescor - "All the purples on the cover remind me of McCarthy for some reason."

Mikey - "Cover I like this; initially I thought I'd eaten a funny mushroom, but on reflection it's eyecatching and different with being greatly executed."

Tim Tailz - "Havent got round to reading it yet but the cover is superb."

Good work all, thanks for caring enough to post - that's why I love 2000AD fans (myself included!)

Best selling, numero uno...

2010-02-24T03:33:00.000-08:00

Now then, now then... guys and gals... this news, just in:

"A Thousand Sons" is the Number 1 selling SF and Fantasy book this week!

I'm incredibly proud to be working with such an esteemed group of authors and publishing team - everybody pulling in the same direction... to success!

I have to take some credit for the success of the books what with the covers being mine and actually being of rather good quality, but the authors can do that much better than me, after all it is their name in big letters on the cover.

Well done all - onwards and upwards.

Will post properly once this magazine article and video tutorial is out the way - early next week.

(ooh, my new 2000AD cover is on this weeks prog# 1673)

Book Signing: GW Plaza, London, Sat Feb 20th

2010-02-18T07:46:00.000-08:00

A quick one as Graham McNeill and I will be signing copies of Horus Heresy: A Thousand Sons at Games Workshop, Plaza on Saturday 20th Feb from 12-2pm.

(Above)
Bring 'em along or buy 'em there -
We'll sign 'em.

Call the store on 020 7436 0839 for more details.

I'll probably 'tweet' during the course of the day and get any pictures up next week. Also, check the superb Black Library facebook pages for updates and photos.

As usual, I'll be sketching throughout the afternoon and I'll be happy to sign books, so I look forward to seeing you there!

Black Library Live! 2010: The Aftermath

2010-02-15T01:07:00.000-08:00

So Black Library Live! 2010 has been and gone - and what a great day it was for me and hopefully all those good people who queued patiently and were polite and passionate about the work Black Library produces.

(Above)
The polite mob, queuing in typical British fashion - good work, everyone!
Image courtesy the Black Library Facebook page.

Some of the the images are from my twitter feed: @SkinnyElbows, where I intermittently 'tweeted' during the course of the day:

(Above)

Black Library's lovely hospitality.
Next year it's got to be a bowl of M&M's
with all the blue ones taken out ;)

The main hall had games themed around the different novels, with the Prospero table being a personal highlight. They'd even sculpted Leman Russ and Magnus in the image of the upcoming Prospero books - I'll get some pics of them up ASAP.

(Above)
The "Art of Black Library" Q&A session.
A life in stand-up comedy awaits. Or not.
Image courtesy the Black Library Facebook page.

Also that morning: Darius Hinks, Lindsey Priestley, Jon Sullivan and I had a Q&A session where everyone seemed to have great and pertinent questions, even if I didn't have a great answer! It was a good chance for people to get to know what it takes to make a cover and how much time and effort goes into it. Thanks to all those who attended, you made Jon and I feel very appreciated.

(Above)
The signing in full flow!
Image courtesy the Black Library Facebook page.

After lunch it was the big signing with Dan and Graham, where we were signing solidly until the end of the day. I gave out a few sketches which seemed to go down well and most seemed interested in my BL portfolio I had on show - especially the new "Nemesis" and "First Heretic" pieces.

(Above)
A pint and the intense temptation of food...

After all that we headed over to Bugmans for a drink, debrief and general natter about stuff and nonsense. Then, slowly, we drifted off one by one as taxi's arrived, trains were to be caught and wives arrived to pick us up.

Oh, and we all had to leave by 6, 'cos they were testing the transformers or something.

A great day meeting the fantastic fans, authors, artists and staff of Black Library - here's to next year!

Coming Soon:
Horus Heresy signing with Graham McNeill
GW Plaza, Oxford Street, London
Saturday, Feb 20th, 12-2pm

Black Library Live! 2010

2010-02-09T04:58:00.001-08:00

Hello All,

This weekend is Black Library Live! event at Warhammer World/ Games Workshop HQ, Nottingham. I'll be there with other BL artist extraordinaire/ all round gentleman, Jon Sulliva n (check his site out - it's ACE!) to meet and greet.

If any of you are coming along, I shall be signing and I may be doing sketches all day, so feel free to please make sure to say hello. Below is the schedule for the day - I'm looking forward to meeting the BL crew and other authors - should be a good day!

**edit** I'm told the tickets are all sold out - w00t!

I'll get pictures up as soon as possible. See you there...

Cover: Dogbreath Fanzine #22

2010-01-29T12:58:00.001-08:00

Here's a quick one - the cover for the latest Strontium Dogs fanzine, 'Dogbreath':

This was a pure painting job in Photoshop, using a bit of reference to get the pose correct. I was going for a Frazetta/ Starblazer feel - sort of late 70's/ 80's vibe. Ace.

Apologies for the use of the word 'vibe' but I feel it's suited here.

Dogbreath is run by my good friends at Futurequake, Bolt-01 and others, who'll be selling this issue and plenty of other interesting reads at the up-coming Hi-Ex comic convention this March.

Note: I shall be a guest at said 'Con - very much looking forward to it!

Back to business, here's the plain version:

Hope you like, I feel I made some real headway in the direction I want to push myself with this piece.

Busy times...!

2010-01-19T02:17:00.000-08:00

Quite busy at the minute with a few projects, so here are some old WIP renders of some bad boys from Privateer Press: Ios (now renamed Scyrah) Warjacks:

These were modelled purely in 3DSMax, mostly using subdivision modelling, hard edged modelling and booleans (shudders) - with character sheets by the amazing artists over at Privateer.

The were rendered with VRay using basic settings and a lighting/ studio rig similar to that found in my 3D World article.

The above were a lighter class of Warjack, I also modelled a heavier class - love those huge shoulder pads!

The great thing about this project was that the 3D models also formed the basis of the box illustration - so what you see on the box cover is exactly what you get in the box. Very nice.

So now I can also class myself as a miniature sculptor as well. Here are a few shots of the final painted miniatures over at Privateer Press:

(Above and Below)
The final paint job - I'll leave that to the professionals, thankyou!

This was a very involved process from start to finish - and also very rewarding to see it all come together at the end. Hopefully in the not too distant future I'll post up a more detailed "How it's made..." for you.

Also, I'll put up the final illustrations. I'm sure you'll like them.

See you soon!

Now entering the... Twitterverse!

2010-01-18T01:24:00.001-08:00

Hello all,

I'm now on twitter, you can find me here: @SkinnyElbows

I'll shall still be blog-posting, it's just that Twitter will be where you can find out what I had for breakfast or if I'm watching Glee and all that kind of stuff.

Right - need to get these paintings for Fantasy Flight Games done!

Horus Heresy: First Heretic

2010-01-07T04:14:00.001-08:00

So, I can finally reveal the latest cover for the new instalment of the Horus Heresy series, "First Heretic" written by the ever rock-steady, Aaron Dembski-Bowden:

(Above)
Release date:
November 2010

To be honest, I was apprehensive about this piece to start off with - it's the series' first foray into exploring 'Chaos' (Aaron's absolutely the right man to write it) and I wanted to make sure the 'Chaos Space Marines' looked really freaky and the 'Custodes' looked super-cool. Luckily, Aaron had some fantastic ideas and inspirations, so I let his thoughts guide me. Very Zen.

I guess it'll be a while until this one comes out, so we'll have to wait until November 2010 when I can put up a "making of..."

If you're very nice to me I'll show you the full image at the conventions I'll be attending ;)

Horus Heresy Book Trailer

2010-01-06T02:41:00.000-08:00

Ooh, almost forgot - I'll be doing some promotion for the forthcoming Horus Heresy "A Thousand Sons" and "Prospero Burns" books over the next few months:

Cool, huh!

"2010: The Year We Made Contact"

2010-01-06T02:02:00.000-08:00

Well, Hello Everyone!

It's good to be back and on fighting form for the start of a new year. A year that promises making contact with extra-terrestrial life so I see...

Here's a quick recap of what I've been up to these past few weeks (in no particular order):

I've taken up studying Magic - something I've always wanted to do.
I got an iPhone - ftw!
Been busy securing more interesting, varied and exciting work.
Saw Avatar 3D - Mind-blowing stuff.
Been sledging with my children - great fun!!!

My wife got me Al Williamsons 'Flash Gordon' book which has some of the most beautiful line art I've ever seen - it's definitely something to aim for this year.

Also, I've been reading Walt Stanchfields 'Drawn to Life' books, which have been incredibly inspiring and have renewed my interest in how I approach drawing and sketching - a must read for anyone who wants to get life into their drawing.

So, that's the first post for 2010 - the first of many, I'll wager!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2009-12-18T07:50:00.000-08:00

I'm about to drop off the radar for a few weeks to enjoy Christmas with my family and friends.

So I'd just like to wish everyone who passes this way a Happy Holiday and a prosperous New Year:

Best wishes and see you all in 2010,

N

(P.S. It's snowing a blizzard here at the minute, lovely!)

3D World Article: Colonial Marine

2009-12-17T05:47:00.000-08:00

In the latest issue of 3D World, themed around thew release of James Cameron's Avatar, I have an article about producing digital maquettes for production use, here's the official blurb:

"In issue 125: We go behind the scenes at Weta Digital for a closer look at the much talked about Avatar, before sitting down with the 3D World advisory board for our 2010 industry predictions. Plus software and resources worth $293 on the CD"

My article (above) runs to about 10 pages chock full with information on how I approach CG art, using 3DSMax, Zbrush and Photoshop - now, that's got to be well worth a purchase!

As a taster - here's the final image from the piece, an Off-World Colonial Marine:

Job done!

The Bananaman Returns!

2009-12-16T06:16:00.001-08:00

This is a piece I did for fun quite a while ago now - my favourite superhero, Bananaman à la The Dark Knight:

I used to love getting Nutty comic every week - I used to copy out all my favourite characters on to sheets of A4 paper.

Nutty, Eagle and the annual Oor Wullie and The Broons collections were my reads of choice - I got into 2000AD and American comics much, much later.

Anyways, I wonder if Chris Nolan will pick up on this - could be a winner!

Poster Boy (Megazine 292)

2009-12-14T05:57:00.000-08:00

Just a quickie to say that in this months Judge Dredd Megazine (#292), I'm one side of a thrill-packed poster - one side is yours truly, the other is a right corker from Greg Staples.

(Above)

Megazine #292.
Cover by John Higgins

So - let's get this straight: cover by John Higgins, a poster by Me and Greg Staples and the collected Rogue Trooper by Dave Gibbons and Will Simpson - plus all the other great stuff in there. Go out and buy one, now!

Cyclops... AMOK!

2009-12-09T03:21:00.000-08:00

Here's a personal piece I recently finished for my portfolio, "Cyclops... AMOK!":

(Above)
Cyclops in a blinding rage.
Is that an X-Team symbol
I see being blown apart?

I wanted to have Cyclops in his classic Giant Size #1/ Second Genesis outfit - although the yellow gloves look a bit like marigold kitchen gloves. The thumbnail was pretty much how the final piece turned out, as I had such a specific idea as to the composition of the piece:

(Above)
The composition was an X shape.
From the rays of his beam at the top
into his visor
and back out into his stance at the bottom

I've got a real soft spot for Cyclops/ Scott Summers - I feel he always gets the 'bad end of the stick' when it comes to being a decent superhero and X-Mens field leader.

I've always preferred him to Wolverine and I think his visor is one of the coolest looking pieces of tech I'd want to see in the real world.

(Above)
Detail.
Pushing the expression as far as I felt comfortable.
Take that, Wolverine!

I'm getting off topic, but it sits up their with Robocop, Boba Fett's Helmet and the old-skool Cylons. (Geordi LaForge's headgear is pretty groovy- but it always looked like a hairband had fallen over his eyes)

(Above)
Cool visors/ Helmets.
Also an excuse to Google these images

That's all for now. I need to get on with a new 2000AD cover - see you soon!

In the news...

2009-12-08T07:22:00.000-08:00

Hello,

Just a quick post as I try to turn the internet back on itself. I've made it onto the superb FPI blog, which has a nice little post about my recent 2000AD work:

(Above)
The FPI Blog.

Go check the blog out if you haven't already - it's a great place for the latest SF/ Fantasy/ Comics/ Toys/ Everything/ Anything news.

...and be sure to tell 'em SkinnyElbows sent you!

Cover: 2000AD Prog 1665

2009-12-07T02:41:00.000-08:00

Tharg is being very good to me at the minute - he's given me plenty of lovely covers to do and here's the latest cover for Prog 1665 : (Sinister Dexter) "The Deadliest Duo":

It was great fun working on this one as it's a step away from the explosions and gritted teeth that usually appear in my work. Also, I love the way there are no header/ footer bars on this, the image just bleeds off the page - luvverly bit of design, Tharg!

As always it starts with a sketch:

Then my wife took a few reference photos with me 'in costume' holding various plastic toy gun props - hey, no sniggering at the back!:

Then I painted up the final version, paying close attention to their expressions, I wanted them to look like they'd just stepped out of a futuristic/ cop/ buddy/ hitmen film ( a sort of Beverly Hills Cop meets Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer):

Here's a little fact, fact fans... Dan Abnett, the writer of Sinister Dexter, is also one of the fantastic writers for the Horus Heresy series, of which I do the covers - Oh, and did I mention that Dan is an AWESOME chap!

The great thing about 2000AD covers is the quick turnaround - you do the illustration, next few weeks it's in the shops - sorted!

Supergirl

2009-11-30T01:17:00.000-08:00

Like many red-blooded males, I've always had a soft spot for Supergirl - mainly due to the 1984 Helen Slater film, which I always thought was great fun.

Here's a personal piece I created this weekend, over a couple of hours. Supergirl on patrol over a Kandor/ Chicago/ Seattle type city.

(Above)
Supergirl, keeping an eye out for trouble.
Don't peek up that skirt.

"Sexy but strong" is how I always envisaged Supergirl - I like the idea that any superheroine other than Wonder Woman can be powerful (and not just great big boobs in a super-suit, Power Girl!)

In other news - I'm about to start work on a new cover for the Galaxy's Greatest Comic, 2000AD - which sounds like it should be a fun piece - I'll keep you posted!

Murky Depths #10

2009-11-25T03:29:00.000-08:00

A quick plug for the excellent Murky Depths magazine - of which I appear not once, but twice!

One is an illustration for Mike Carey's prose piece 'Now! and Then!'. Also, here's a sneak peak from the strip 'Finger', a Victorian-childrens-horror-nursery-rhyme, by Lavie Tidhar:

(Above)
What's going on, what does it all mean?
You'll have to buy a copy to find out.
Make sure to tell Terry I sent you.

That's all for now, see you soon.

Judge Dredd 1988

2009-11-23T02:22:00.000-08:00

Here's a piece from my archive (AKA my parents loft), a drawing of Judge Dredd by me from waaaaay back in 1988. I was a mere 13 years old. I've put it side by side with one of my recent covers to show just how far I've come in terms of art style:

(Above)
Dredd on his Lawmaster.
What a difference 21 years makes...!
I love drawing this guy - never gets boring.

1988 - the year of Bros, Rick Astley, Dungeon Master on the Amiga and Laser Squad on the ZX Spectrum. Great days!

As two great philosophers once said though "The best place to be, is here. The best time to be, is now" - which is a fancy way for me to say that I'm on Twitter - yep, I've made the leap! follow me here:

@SkinnyElbows

Also in the news - Thoughtbubble was great! A really well run show with a broad spectrum of people - both visitors and guests. I'll post up a quick review of my day there soon.

Thoughtbubble 2009

2009-11-20T02:01:00.001-08:00

Just a quick one to say I'll be attending this years Thoughtbubble, part of the Leeds Comic Convention. The roster of artists and writers looks amazing (not withstanding yours truly) for a con just in its second year and I'm really excited to see what it has to offer:

If you're going, keep an eye out for a tired, but still handsome, artist wandering around - that'll probably be me - make sure to say hello!

Skinny Elbows.com is GO!

2009-11-19T01:57:00.000-08:00

Oh, before I forget, my shiny new website has gone live, so go here:

www.skinnyelbows.com

I'll keep the site regularly updated as artwork is published. Also, it has some artwork I haven't put up here yet, so feel free to browse and have a good look around.

Big thanks to Russ for making it all happen.

Battletech: A Time of War

2009-11-18T16:05:00.001-08:00

So, as promised, here's the cover for RPG rulebook 'Battletech: A Time of War':

The blurb for the book describe it as...

"It is the 31st century. Mankind has spread to the stars and spawned titanic stellar empires, each controlling hundreds of worlds across a thousand light years and beyond. Yet the sins of man have followed him from the cradle of humanity.

Political machinations of feudal lords plunge whole sectors into war; unscrupulous merchant starship captains smuggle weapons to their own faction’s enemies; greedy military commanders demand tribute from worlds they’re protecting; animalistic pirate kings harvest high technologies and human slaves in lightning raids; betrayals from oath-bound allies leave honorable soldiers growing cold on forgotten worlds; death at the tip of knife from a concubine turned assassin to avenge a world and love lost: it is a time of war.

What empire will you swear allegiance to: a warrior merchant of House Steiner; the honorbound samurai of House Kurita; the vat-bred warriors of the Clans; a mercenary that fights only for the highest bidder?

Choose your life in the universe: a MechWarrior piloting the thirty-foot-tall BattleMechs that turn the tide of any battle; a spy deep behind enemy lines discovering critical secrets; a merchant carrying critical supplies; a scientist unleashing the latest cutting edge technologies?

How will you become a legend?"

Sounds exciting, huh!

So, as always it always starts with a thumbnail.

As this was for an RPG rulebook, there was a lot of ground to cover as it had to have all the major houses visible and they all had to be doing something specific to their clan. So getting all the elements in shot and working together was the first hurdle.

The first sketch was deemed too 'head on' and lacked any drama so it was quickly revised to a worm's eye view for more 'oomph' - I also tilted the main characters head to the side as if she were in mid-chat with the pilot behind her - it gave the scene a more natural rhythm.

(Above)
The initial thumbnail

(Above)
Worm's eye view - although, technically, I don't think worms have eyes?
The star placement was changed so it was more astronomically correct.
This stuff doesn't happen by accident!

The first stage was the block in. I posed up my generic characters and got the layout as per the sketch. The Mech and distant shuttlecraft were also placed to give it all context.

(Above)
Using simple blocks of geometry that will get ZBrushed at a later stage.

I modelled the mech, background and shuttlecraft. The main characters were refined and sculpted and lit accordingly. I went for a strong key light to simulate the harsh light of a distant sun. The rim lights I'd paint in later.

(Above)
Everything in place, I'll model the BG elements next.

The background elements were modelled and everything was textured using rudimentary textures and UV maps. The alternative materials and shadows were rendered and it was all taken into Photoshop for the final composite and paintover.

(Above)
Final image.
The BG elements were great fun to work on - each section had it's own story.

The final image looks pretty good, It's always a pleasure working on illustrations with women in it - it makes a nice change from the usual. Also, I'm trying to be bolder with my colour choices, whilst still keeping a good sense of layout. You might have seen it in my 2000AD covers recently.

The downloadable BETA for the rulebook is available for purchase here.

How it's made - 2000AD prog 1659

2009-11-16T01:44:00.000-08:00

So, just a quick post today, 'cos I often get emails about how I set about creating cover art. I'll concentrate on my recent Dredd cover for 2000AD, from a few weeks ago:

(Above)
Prog 1659 in all its Technicolour glory!

It always starts with a sketch, in this case I did 3 quick B&W thumbnails for Tharg, of which he preferred thumbnail #1:

(Above)

Thumbnail_001 - the chosen one!

(Above)

Thumbnail_002 - classic Bolland angle

(Above)

Thumbnail_003 - off roading it!

From here, I quickly mock up and render a version of the cover using various items of stock imagery and models from my now extensive library of 'bits'. It's amazing how quickly you can build up a good resource for use in any illustration.

(Above)

Initial render and Photoshop composite

Then on to the fun part - the final paintover, painting in detail and effects, adding in elements that would probably take days to set up and render (yes, particle effects, I'm talking to you!).

This is where I tie all the pieces together, getting character into the expression, adding in film grain and some EFX to give the image some 'pop'!

(Above)
Final image with all the bells and whistles.
I received a lot of great feedback at BICS for this one.

In a nutshell, that's how it's made. I use the computer merely as a tool, the same way other artists use watercolour, airbrush or oils.

As usual - if anyone wants to drop me a mail about this or any other piece, commissions or any potential work- feel free to contact me at the email up there on the right. Alternatively, if you'd like leave a comment don't be afraid to do so.

Next up - Battletech.

Sculpey Head

2009-11-09T01:17:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics of the Super Sculpey head I mentioned I was going to make a few weeks back:

I modelled it using a wire coat-hanger bent into shape then I blocked the head shape out with tin foil and thin wire to give the Sculpey something to 'grip' on to. I then modelled the head over a few hours whilst I watched Generation Kill on my PVR - great times!

I din't take any WIP photos as I didn't know if it would turn out okay - next time I'll document any such adventure - I'm sure someone will find it interesting!

I based my sculpture on Loomis and Bridgmans planes of the head sketches - I didn't want to base it on the Asaro head model as I wanted something more bespoke and suited to my needs.

Once modelled (using basic 'student' modelling tools) I baked the head for about 20 mins in a medium oven. I might have overcooked a few areas, but I wasn't worried as I was going to spray it a neutral 128 grey acrylic that I purchased from my local Boyes store. I didn't want a white base because it tends to 'bleach out' when photographed.

So far I've been using it for sketching and thumbnails for future covers. So it's already proving its worth.

If anyone is considering doing something similar - I say, do it! Sculpey is a great material and sculpting is a real extension of your art skills.

(Above)
Reference pose for an upcoming illustration.
Looking mean with a green plastic toy rifle,
surrounded by toy garages - wearing my Crocs.
Freelance a-go-go!

Oh, in other news, my PC is back to it's old ways of crashing at random moments - they're so random they're becoming almost regular. I'll have to get it sorted with minimum impact on those ever present deadlines! Such are the highs and lows of the freelance lifestyle!

Cover: 2000AD Prog 1659

2009-10-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

WOOHOO! I've only gone and done it, I've bagged myself A 2000AD Dredd cover!

(Above)

Dredd on his Lawmaster in the Cursed Earth.
Image courtesy 2000AD Online

I'll do a 'How it's made' in the near future - I'll bask in the saccharine, self-satisfied and extremely pleasant glow of a dream coming true for a while.

I think this calls for an even stiffer drink.

Edit: I've even made onto the superb Forbidden Planet Blog!

Gamesfest 4

2009-10-26T02:47:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update of recent events, this weekend I attended Gamesfest 4 which is a relatively new and small but fun games convention in Watford.

(Above)

Watford Colosseum - not a Gladiator in sight.
Although there was a Samurai at the back.

After a slight miscalculation in travel times (thanks Sat-Nav!) and a couple of closures on the A1 south-bound (thanks Highways Agency!) I finally arrived and set up shop at the Artists & Authors table, where I spent the whole day drawing Space Marines, Eldar and loads of Sisters of Battle for the very patient men, women, boys and girls that gathered at the table.

(Above)
The drawing machine at work!

Geek Alert: I even managed to get my precious copy of Fighting Fantasy: Starship Traveller signed by Steve Jackson himself, wikkidz!

(Above)
My precioussss...

It was a great day, my fantastic sister, Dawn - who printed up the large posters - kept me company all day. I was looked after by the organisers very well; being watered, fed and kept amused by being sat RIGHT NEXT TO THE SPEAKER SYSTEM!

Joking aside, I look forward to seeing what those good people at Gamesfest have in store next year.

Super Sculpey!

2009-10-21T02:02:00.001-07:00

Ooh, look what turned up in the post the other day!

(Above)

Ooh! Polymer Clay!

Who'd have thought some polymer clay and modelling tools would get me so excited. Having read loads about sculpting (thankyou Smellybug and Bruno Lucchesi). I've decided to jump right in and get cracking with some small maquette tests - generic heads, planes of the face, that sort of thing - basically a lot of stuff James Gurney talks about in his book, Imaginative Realism - which I raved about in my previous post.

In other news, my PC nearly had a fatal wobbly on me, luckily it turned out to be a dodgy old graphics card:

(Above)
Rust in Peace, dear friend.

Lecturing is going well at the University of Lincoln, there's more comics covers, magazine articles and book covers on the horizon. And finally, I'll be appearing at Gamesfest at the Watford Colosseum (sounds a bit gladiatorial) this Saturday - so if anyone wants a book signing or a sketch - come along and say hello.

Right, a modelling armature - I need to find some wire coathangers...

Imaginative Realism by James Gurney

2009-10-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

Last week I ordered the book 'Imaginative Realism' by James Gurney from Amazon and it turned up in the post a few days later - good work, Amazon!

So, to sum up my review, I..love.. this.. book.

For a professional like me in the field of Sci-Fi and Fantastic art this book is everything I want to read about, from the initial thought process to thumbnails, composition, laying out and the painting of fantastic imagery with every point he makes lavishly illustrated.

(Above)
Image courtesy James Gurneys' Blog

James Gurney (his blog is here) is the creator of the Dinotopia series as well as being a consummate artist (such an understatement). His sense of realism whilst portraying the fantastic is sublime and his technique - chiefly using oil paints - has a direct link to the great Leyendecker, Rockwell and Pyle, all of which gives his work a timeless and classic quality.

(Above)
Image courtesy James Gurneys' Blog

Here's the book blurb from his blog (now there's a mouthful):

"Most art instruction books show you how to draw or paint something you can see: a still life, a landscape, or a portrait. But what if you want to make a realistic picture of something that you can only imagine? This book shows the advanced or intermediate artist the time-tested methods used by artists since the Renaissance to bring your dreams into reality.

Chapters include: tradition, studio setup, preliminary sketches, history & archaeology, people, dinosaurs, creatures, aliens, architecture, vehicles, plein air studies, composition, and careers. 400 illustrations in full color."

(Above)
Image courtesy James Gurneys' Blog

I can't recommend this book enough to anyone who is interested in imaginative art or in seeing a great illustrators working methods.

The great thing I've always loved about being an artist is that I feel there is always something to be learned, there's always something to be tried out - I'm already thinking of incorporating some of his techniques in my future works, so I'll keep you updated as to the results.

Sneak Peek: Warhammer Ancient Battles

2009-10-14T13:37:00.000-07:00

I'm now fully immersed in an exciting historical project for Games Workshop, I've been aching to do historical illustration for a long time and now the chance has come up, I'm trying to produce something with a narrative, historically accurate and dynamic. A nod of the hat to the unequalled Angus McBride. Here's a sneaky peek:

(Above)
"Uh-oh, this doesn't look good"

With these pieces I'm getting back to basics, these are straight (almost oil 'effect') paintings done in Photoshop, no fancy lens flares or overlay effects - just good, old fashioned drawing, tones, values and edges. I'm really enjoying it, I want to do more!

I'll keep you posted when they're published and I'll put up all the pieces for your pleasure.

Cover: 2000AD Prog 1656

2009-09-30T06:24:00.001-07:00

Excuse me for getting excited, but I've just done something I've always wanted to do!

The Galaxies Greatest Comic, 2000AD has just published my first cover - Prog 1656, "Morked for Death":

(Above)
Johnny astride his Mork
Image Courtesy 2000AD Online

I think I'll let this post sit here for a bit, whilst I take in the sheer joy of achieving a LIFELONG ambition...!

Time for a stiff drink.

Aftermath: Games Day 2009

2009-09-28T03:56:00.000-07:00

Just a quickie to say thanks to everyone (including my old chum, Hans - hope you won that Golden Demon!) who took the time to come and say hello, get their books/ t-shirts signed and have a chat about my work - it's always great to meet both the familiar and new faces who appreciate the time and effort that goes into each piece.

(Above)
In the Main Hall - wave after wave, the people kept on coming.
Pic courtesy Black Library Facebook page

(Above)
Darius Hinks and I get technical in discussing the finer points of layout and composition.
Pic courtesy Black Library Facebook page

(Above)

The ever-delightful Xhalax and I deep in conversation.
Pic courtesy Black Library Facebook page

Not forgetting a big THANKYOU to the BL staff who looked after me in the Hotel and made me feel very welcome at the show.

In similar news, I'll be attending the British International Comic Show next weekend (October 3rd-4th) so if anyone is going that way, make sure to say hello!

Reminder: Games Day 2009

2009-09-25T11:16:00.001-07:00

Hello All,

Just a quick reminder to say I shall be attending Games Day 2009 this coming Sunday the 27th September - so if you have any of my Black Library books, Horus Heresy books or even posters, feel free to bring them along to get signed. I may even have a special sneak preview for anyone who asks nicely...

I look forward to seeing you there!

...And now for something completely different: Oil Painting

2009-09-10T01:29:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick post covering a little side project of mine.

On the back of recently attempting to emulate an atelier approach to life drawing classes - with some success - I've taken up oil painting as away of complimenting what I'm learning with the life drawing.

(Above)
'Robot'
Oil on canvas, 8"x10"

I've started with some still life studies of my children's toys, and I'm trying what's called an Alla Prima approach, which means 'first strike', you dive straight in and paint the final image immediately, without waiting for the paint to dry or layering on glazes and all those other incredibly classical and respected techniques.

Also, the great thing about it is that it means I can get a fully resolved painting done within a couple of hours, which is always good.

(Above)
'Fairy'
Oil on canvas, 8"x10"

I was inspired by an American artist called John Howard Sanden (whose book on portraiture should be a compulsory educational text!), the artist John Singer Sargent and also the well used technique of lost, soft and hard edges and how they interplay and focus the eye on an image.

I'm interested in how these techniques will apply to my illustration work, I'm already trying them out so I'll let you know how I get on when the pieces are in print.

Oil painting feels a more mature medium than acrylics, which I've always used and which I've really enjoyed. After I finished up these pieces I pencilled up a load of other canvases so I can dive straight into more painting when a free evening crops up - so I'll keep you posted!

Now- Back to the Cursed Earth!

Local news for local people

2009-09-07T01:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I seem to have made quite a stir with my recent Dredd piece, so much so that my local newspaper ran a little article in last weeks edition of the Louth Leader - I even made the front page:

(Above)
Look - there's me on the left...
at the top...
above the strange veg!

I just have to be thankful I made it above 'Strange Veg' otherwise I'd never be able to live that down...!

Here's the piece as it appeared on page 3:

(Above)
The chap who wrote it, Charles, was a keen Dredd fan and I feel
he enjoyed writing the 'Top 5 Dredd Facts' piece to accompany the article -
Nice one, Charles!

Great stuff, a couple of local people have since recognised me and stopped to talk to me about it which is always nice! I imagine CNN or BBC World News may be next on the list ;)

In other news, I'll be appearing at this years Games Day at the NEC on the Sept 27th, so if you want any books or posters signing, bring them on down and I'll deface them with my signature!

(Above)
Games Day in full flow - Sept 2006

Also, I've recently been pencilled in to be appearing at the big Horus Heresy signing at the Forbidden Planet Megastore next February - I'll talk more about this nearer the time, I guess.

Workwise, I'm currently doing some more 2000AD/ Megazine covers and a nice, big set of illustrations for an Iron Warriors book from BL Publishing.

Oh, and it looks like I'll be doing some lecturing at the University of Lincoln on their Computer Science course - all those years in the games biz might amount to something yet!

Peace out, y'all.

Cover: Judge Dredd Megazine

2009-08-20T04:12:00.000-07:00

Well, here's a piece I've been aching to talk about, and now it's in the shops... the cover for Judge Dredd Megazine #288!

(Above)

Judge Dredd Megazine#288:
Dredd looming over a troubled Mega City-1

After meeting the Mighty Tharg a couple of times at the Bristol Comic Expo, I'd put it to him about doing covers for 2000AD/ Megazine. After a few emails had been exchanged, I set about doing a couple of quick thumbnails:

(Above)

Thumbnail #1: Old Stoney Face above MC-1

(Above)
Thumbnail #2: More Dredd visible so you can see
all his cool bits, shoulder pads, badge and elbow pads

Of the two, Tharg preferred the mid-length body shot, so I took a quick reference photo and set about making Dredd in 3DSMax and ZBrush:

(Above)
Me attempting to strike a Dredd power pose.
We'd just moved in to our new house
so the studio was in a right old state!

The image was finished off in Photoshop, dropping in a red background, a few low-key lens flares to give it some kick and finally a few layers of colour correction and grain to tie it all together:

(Above)
"I AM THE LAW!"
The final piece sans logo and blurb.

I can't say how cool it is to see my artwork on the cover of the Megazine! Which I clearly remember reading during my lunch breaks when it first came out way back in 1990. To be on the cover of the self same comics I read as a youngster will always be a real buzz.

(Above)
The finished product in my local newsagents - Woohoo!

As for this cover, Tharg seems to have liked it and I've recently completed another cover, hopefully to be used some time soon - but I'll save that for another post.

Harrier Attack 1982

2009-08-10T03:34:00.000-07:00

This piece is a quickie to try my hand at something else:

(Above) Harrier bombing run, May 1982

I'm a huge fan of aviation art, especially anything to do with Harriers and Spitfires - they are just beautiful machines! I was trying to get a real sense of energy in this one - hence the painted motion blur and low, dynamic angle. I'm aware the weapons payload probably isn't correct, if anyone wants to correct me - fire away, as they say.

I was going for an old-school Airfix vibe, some of my favourite kits were the Harrier, Spitfire, Lunar Landing Module and Messerschmitt ME 109 - aahh, the smell of glue and enamel paint... great days!

3D Logo: Privateer Press

2009-08-03T01:15:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Well here's another piece I recently completed for Privateer Press, a 3D textured version of their Warmachine logo:

(Above)

The new Warmachine Logo for Privateer Press

It was a fairly straightforward task - the bulk of the work being the laying out of the pipes and grills - a 2D sketch being translated into a 3D scene will always require a certain amount of tweaking to compensate for perspective shifts.

(Above)

The different passes used to create the final logo.
From top to bottom: Beauty (with embedded Alpha channel), Ambient Occlusion, Mask 1 and Mask 2

I'm pleased with how the piece panned out - the texture and lighting required a lot of attention especially as the client had a definite idea of how things should look.

(Above)
The 3D scene - one directional light in a 'studio environment' to simulate product photography settings.

The final piece has since been used across the board on their website and print materials. It's great when a project is finished 'cos you get to see the artwork in a context other than the dull, hazy glow of my monitors. So, make sure to check Privateer Press out - the concept art and miniatures are amazing - plus the 3D logo is pretty cool too!

Adventures in Life Drawing: 002: Atelier (-ish)

2009-07-15T03:02:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a few weeks since the last post about taking up life drawing - again - and I'm really starting to get into the art of being an artist - again.

Oh and I've been listening to waaay too much Pendulum after seeing their performances at Glastonbury and T in the Park - AWESOME!

(Above)
Pendulum - In Silico.
Can I do a CD cover for you chaps, please?

Anyway, I've been reading up on atelier method, representational art and all it entails: sight size, precise measuring and the like. It's been a real eye opener and I keep wondering, why wasn't I taught this at art college?

Every Monday at life drawing I've been doing my own atelier-lite training. Using a cheats sight-size to get the proportions and forms down, studying the values and rendering the halftone forms up with graphite pencils and Conte crayons. I have to say I love it, although I feel some spontaneity has been lost with the more formal approach, but you have to break some eggs to make an omelette.

(Above)
Graphite pencil on paper.
Using a cheats sight-size and plotting the overall volumes
and angles as the basis for the final rendering

I've got a veritable arsenal of tools I regularly take, a small compass for measuring, chamois leather for diffusing tonal values, putty rubber, small hand mirror for checking the reverse image, range of pencils, scalpel for sharpening etc. etc. It's like a small army mobilising every Monday night.

(Above)
Graphite pencil on paper.
Again, using a cheats sight-size and using values
to define the forms in the image.

As I've been attending the life drawing sessions, I've been reading Juliette Aristedes books: Classical Drawing Atelier and Classical Painting Atelier - both available on Amazon - and I've been using them as a starting point both thematically and practically - I certainly feel as though I'm making progress - where to exactly, I don't know, but so far it's an interesting journey.

(Above)
Conte crayon on paper.
Using comparitive measuring to plot the mass,
a chamois leather to diffuse the base tones and letting the
image appear as the halftones values are built up.

Maybe in a few years when the kids have grown up a bit I might see about doing a proper Atelier course - we shall see. All in all , life drawing is turning out to be great fun and a good way to keep my 'head in the game', artistically speaking - so I'll keep you posted!

Oh, yeah - nearly forgot - work wise, I'm doing some 2000AD work and more cool Horus Heresy covers. Great times!

Asteroids

2009-06-23T03:33:00.000-07:00

I've always enjoyed drawing spaceships since I was a child, this was a test piece to explore this area. The Explorer Class ship concept was one I'd long toyed with and I liked the idea of realising the old arcade game "Asteroids".

This image was created with 3DSMax (for the basic blocking out, lighting and rendering), ZBrush (for the detailing on the asteroids and ship textures) and Photoshop (for the final composite) .

Now that I've seen how I approach this subject matter I'm keen to work on more images with whole fleets of fighter craft, capital ships, dreadnoughts and explosions. That would be cool!

Trivia: Angry Robot/ HarperCollins Supremo Marc Gascoigne once pointed out that the ship design isn't as interesting as it could be - it doesn't really draw you in and, with hindsight, he's absolutely right! - I'll add more interest and intrigue on any spacecraft next time.

Privateer Press: Year of the Gear

2009-06-15T01:12:00.000-07:00

I'd always been aware of Privateer Press, I really like their big steampunk-style robots and 'chunky' design aesthetic, so I jumped at the chance to work on this piece - entitled "Year of the Gear" - a cover for their 'No Quarter' bi-monthly magazine.

The idea was to have Cygnar Major Markus 'Siege' Brisbane and Centurion Warjack defending a hill against a Cryx attack. After a few sketches, and some revisions from the Über-Kool Kris Aubin who was art directing the piece, we settled on the final design:

(Above) The initial thumbnail

(Above) the thumbnail with Kris' alterations -
as with any good art director they always improve a picture.

From there I went on to model, light and finally render each element and their separate passes - compositing and painting it all together in Photoshop. Sounds easy, right! Well, obviously there was much, much more to it than that, but I might cover the more technical and artistic points in another post. Maybe. If anyone is interested.

Near the end of the piece Kris wanted the Cygnar Centurion Warjack to be bearing its shield, to balance the image out - so I quickly modelled, lit, rendered and composited it and it looked great! I find that's how things work being freelance, whatever wants/ needs altering, I'm always happy to oblige! So, here's the final piece in all its glory:

And here's the piece with the final layout and typography added:

And for those still reading this post, here's a detail from the image, showing Siege in full flow:

(Above) ACTION!

Ace! I love this job, making this kind of imagery is what I've always wanted to do - and now I get paid for it!

Well, that's it for now, but don't fear - I've got plenty of other things in the pipeline (logo's, 3D models, more illustrations) of which I'll be showing you as time goes by, so stick around!

Horus Heresy: Tales of Heresy

2009-06-08T05:21:00.000-07:00

Time flies when you're having fun, eh! These Horus Heresy posts are fast catching me up, I think this is from one of the latest books to be printed. It means I'll have to start rationing the relevant posts until further books are out. Hopefully I'll be able to add a few more 'How-to' bits to the posts, 'cos it seems people like that sort of thing.

There will still be plenty to read about though, as I can finally start showing exciting and cool work from some of my other clients.

With this piece, the 'Tales of Heresy', I really wanted to capture the raw anger and power in the Primarch Angron as he leads his World Eaters into battle. I like the fact he's standing on the Imperial Aquila (the double-headed eagle), one of the first tangible references to the Warhammer 40,000 future to come.

This Angron was based on the sketches in the Horus Heresy Collected Visions books by John Blanche.

I was trying to be a bit more daring with my colour use in this piece, with the greens and reds (I'd been watching a few too many Hammer Horror films at around that time), I thought it'd give the image some Chaotic 'kick'. Plus, I was overlaying many layers of paint scribbles and imperfections to give it a ruddy, grimy, weathered feel.

Trivia: The rubble and debris are photo-referenced from the old RAF airbase near Manby in Lincolnshire.

Adventures in Life Drawing: 001

2009-06-02T02:26:00.000-07:00

Aah, no sooner have we moved into our new house than I have found a life drawing class to disappear to every Monday night! It's run by some old school friends of ours here in Louth, right in the shadow of St James' Church - it's a regular rural idyll here, I tells ya!

St James Church - Photo by Derek Roberts
(no relation)

Anyway, they're a really nice bunch of people of all levels and it's a fairly informal excuse to break out my art tools once in a while - there's no using the Cintiq there, *gulps*

I started this week with a few warm-up sketches using tools I'm familiar with, Blue/ Red pencils, Brush pen, WhiteOut pen and some Letraset ProMarkers:

(Above)
Blue pencils to define the overall form, Red Pencils to tighten the anatomy,
Black brush pen to define the shapes and Black KarismaColor pencils and WhiteOut Pens to add shading.

(Above)
Letraset ProMarker pens to block the shapes and shadows, Faber Castell Pitt and Pentel Fountain Pens to add the line details.
Again, WhiteOut pens substitute for the lack of an undo button!

Then I broke out my secret weapon - something I've been threatening myself with all these years... Charcoal!

(Above)
Charcoal: For The Win!

Using a totally different medium from my normal set was verrrry exciting, the potential use of 'sfumato', 'chiaruscuro' and 'tenebrism' (artsy- fartsy terms, I know - but they do apply here) to the sheer muckiness of it all - I loved getting my hands dirty! It felt like sculpting the picture as opposed to just delineating it. I know it doesn't look like much now, but hopefully this will inform my work and start pushing my artistic side upwards and onwards.

Anyway, I'm stiill buzzing from the thought of doing more charcoal drawing - I'll go and calm down and get on with some work, maybe a Johnny Alpha or two...?

The Times They Are a-Changin' / Luke Skywalker

2009-05-27T01:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been offline a few days whilst my family and I make the move from busy Nottingham to rural Lincolnshire. This should mean more help in looking after our two children, as both sets of Grandparents live up the road from our new Georgian townhouse (complete with its own study, from which I'm writing this blog - cool, huh!).

So, ideally, I should be able to spend more time working, woohoo!

Anyways, I digress - enough of my yakking and more pics:

"Luke Skywalker" was a portfolio piece to try my hand at likenesses. As an image I wanted to have a brooding Luke poised between the Light and Dark side, at the moment of choosing from the two paths. The intense contrast in lighting is quite illustrative and probably something I'd like to develop further.

"Luke Skywalker" Detail

He was fun to work on as, at the time, I was working at Free Radical Design on the Star Wars Battlefront 3 FPS project before it was moved over to another developer. He was made with 3DSMax, Maya, ZBrush and Photoshop. The bulk of the image was painted as I find it's easier to really get some character into an image if it's been hand finished.

Also, notice how I tend to add a low opacity CMYK noise 'grain' to the image to knock back the cleanliness of the finished render.

Trivia: The reference photos of me holding two wrapping paper rolls does not look anywhere as moody as the final piece ;)

Sneak Peak: Classic BattleTech

2009-05-11T03:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peek from a series of internal illustrations for Catalyst Game Labs' "Classic BattleTech" RPG books.

It was a quick job and I re-used a technique from an old colleague of mine, Nick Carver, whereby you paint the tonal values in black and white first, then lay down the colouring at the end. This was a more painterly job as time was so short and I'm pleased with the results.

Anyways, here's the image:

Ooh, intense!

Also, I attended Bristol Comic Con this weekend and had a great time meeting folks who love comics and those who love making comics. I had a few meetings that might, again, provide some interesting and exciting news in the near future - so, WATCH THIS SPACE!

Breaking News!

2009-05-08T00:43:00.000-07:00

Update time!

As if one post per month wasn't enough - now you get two in one day!

The newly announced cover for Horus Heresy: A Thousand Sons is up at the Black Library. Here it is for those who want to have a look right now:

I think this one turned out really well - especially when Darius Hinks' superb design work is added to the mix. Well done us!

And in other news, I'm in the process of setting up some verrrry exciting work with a world renowned publishing/ media house - I can't wait to go public with the news, it's going to make my year!

Right, deep breaths, got to calm down...

Horus Heresy: Mechanicum

2009-05-08T00:19:00.000-07:00

Back to the semi-regular posts about my work on the on-going (and best-selling!) Horus Heresy series. This time round - 'Mechanicum'

Like Legion there was one main character to focus on in this image, this time an Adeptus. The detailing on his mandible and chest box were great fun to work on, even if it isn't always immediately obvious. I find that the interplay of light, reflection and shadows at least hints at the intricate detail I like to add to the characters.

The Martian setting was great fun to do, with the Forge, the crazy mechanical creatures and robots all adding to the carnage.

Trivia: The background robots and vehicles are all old Citadel miniatures, Crusader class robots and Imperial Moles - for those interested.