Autumn is here...

Leaves

and the leaves are ready to fall.

I have had a horrible shoulder ache for days now... So bad  I can't sit by the computer for more than a few minutes at a time, so no digital painting. Aaaagony! Instead I have been propped up watching The Mummy with a sketchbook in my lap and ice pack strapped to my back. I managed this... pencil sketch with brushpen for face number 13. I do love brushpens. Yes, I know, it's not digital, it's a messy and wet art utensil... what must I be thinking? Well, I may yet give it the digi treatment once I'm better ;-)

Bring out the bronze

Aichel - wip

Aichel again. Work in progress.

It's sossery!

Young Gaius - wip

Had an urge to imagine Gaius from Merlin as young sorcerer. I’m a bit stuck with this one at the moment. But I’m ill right now and progress isn’t really happening. Ho hum.

Night Cap

Gerry - wip

... No I'm not referring to alcoholic drinks before bedtime. I'm currently holidaying with my family at my parents' house replete with Photoshop and my travel Bamboo. The ceiling light above the computer in my old room is really rather horrific, however, from a painting point of view. It's right above me, creating a sort of light sheet between my eyes and the computer monitor. And I have discovered the best way to counteract this is to wear a cap, seeing as the shade on the cap breaks up the light. Also, the colour space and accuracy of the monitor is anyone's guess, so apologies if the colours are a bit odd. But I'm not complaining! Merely explaining. After all, I can paint... and that's awesome! :-) So, here's a wip of Gerry from New Tricks... a show which has been going for ten years, but which I only discovered three weeks ago. Go figure ;-)

Beautiful nightmare

Ben

I like writing, always have. Sometimes I have really vivid dreams with plots and characters and I wake up and try to write down as much of it as I can remember. A few years ago now I  had a snippet of a dream... about this guy. I'm guessing I must have been exposed to something Frankenstein's Monster-esque at the time. I don't remember anymore. Long story short, I woke up intrigued... Who was he? What had happened to him? Unfortunately the dream offered up very little in way of answers to these questions. I have been trying to piece his story together ever since. He didn't have a name, so for now I've called him Ben and although his story is still on-going I can promise one thing... he'll get a happy ending :-)
I decided to road test a brush from the 'Ditlev Fine Art' PS brush set which I have had for ages but had yet to use.

Still got the bug

Percy - wip

Although my sore throat and cough have now gone, my fascination with Doctor Percy Trevelyan has not. So here's another portrait of the good doctor in the making.

They call me a little grown up...

Sketch of Bradley

... See, I'm upset because I've always been stuck
But I don't know what it is I'm without
Guess I'm in love with always feeling down

Electric Guest - This Head I Hold

The eyebrow of doom...

Gaius - wip

Hello Merlin fans... sorry it took me a while to catch up. Yes, I've started watching Merlin. And as is my way... it is neither the super lovely Colin Morgan playing Merlin nor the dashingly handsome Bradley James playing Arthur... or indeed the always awesome and charismatic Anthony Head in the role of King Uther (I love that name... Uuuutheeer!)... who has got all my 'bat senses tingling' as it were. Nope... It's the court physician, Gaius, played by 'shame on you he's old enough to be your grand father' Richard Wilson. But by Jove how I can't help but love the old potion brewing, scruffy looking, ex-sorcerer and his 'eyebrow of doom!'

Blowing a gale...

Aichel - wip

Sooo... I'm still not done with this one. I'm slowly getting into the skin detailing... I've got a bit stuck on the hair though. It's becoming somewhat windswept... which is ok... I'm just not sure if i like the overall look of it. And I'm experimenting with a stubbly beard thing. It's a bit all over the place.
I blame Merlin... It's got me distracted.

Labour of love...

Aichel - wip

Aichel is one of those funny characters who plays such a huge role in the story although he isn't actually in it. But everything that happens was set in motion by him, and all because of those he loved and those who loved him. He was the man with the plan, and even though he knew the plan would have to involve him dying he never strayed from it, much to the annoyance of those he left behind. Partially because they deeply mourned his loss and partially because he wasn't really one for leaving clear instructions.
I've only attempted painting him once before and he just didn't look right. Mainly because I couldn't quite see him. But then James McAvoy popped up on Tumblr the other day and the fog seems to have started to lift.
But I'm tired now and must go sleep.
Work in progress... just add it to the pile ;-)

Decisions, decisions...

Deklan Jasra - wip

Note to self... decide on an outfit before you begin.
Spent most of this evening just deciding what clothes I wanted him to wear. I'm still not sure. I think he's beginning to look like a pirate.
Work in progress.

It gets everywhere, dammit!

Deklan Jasra - wip

Another super quick sketch from last night.

In his capacity as hyperspace scout for hire Deklan spends a lot of time exploring and plotting new hyperspace routes. An extremely dangerous, but also extremely well-paid, occupation. Most of his clients are mining companies who have made fortunes by digging out the riches beneath the barren surfaces of desert planets. As a result most of Deklan's new assignments starts with him standing somewhere under a scorching sun, squinting and thinking 'Oh. great... more sand.'

The Grass King

King Eirian - wip

Sooo... I just fancied something different tonight, and since I managed to fit in a bit of writing over the last few days I thought I'd do a quick sketch of one of the characters I'm writing about.
Elf king Eirian - the Grass King - Lord of Euraid Meysydd.
This is his more informal look since he's about to go off and do a spot of fighting.
His looks are inspired by Bradley James, brought about after one of my fellow singers who is huge Merlin fan said I should do Colin Morgan as an elf and then added 'Arthur would make a good elf too'. So there... so if you ever come across this Mr James... You have a wonderfully inspirational face, thank you!

Squeeeze

Captain Rogers+Sergeant Barnes - wip

So, I've had to travel home to a family do, followed by a lovely long visit from my parents. No time for any painting for almost two weeks. Then I had a weird reaction to something and my eyelids swelled up. Slowly getting back into it again... I feel so rusty. Anyhooo... here's a little wip of some post ws cuddles. :-)

Up all night to get Bucky...

Bucky - wip

But not tonight. My eyes feel dry as sandpaper. Bed time. I'll finish this one later.

Buck-ered up...

Bucky Barnes

Another wip for the pile. Face number 28. Sergeant Buchanan Barnes again... And I still don't understand nipples.

Ooh la la!

Vulcan beanie

First painting on the new computer.
Considering how my stress levels have been blowing the meters of recent it seemed only logical to spend a few hours testing the new machine making a painting of someone who is almost infuriatingly calm, my favourite Vulcan, Spock. In the episode 'The City on the Edge of Forever' Spock hides his 'Vulcan-ness' by wearing a beanie. Not only was it hilarious, it was also super cute :-)
The tablet handles a bit differently and the screen is rather bright even after colour calibration... but I'll get used to it, I'm sure.
Welcome, new beastie :-)

The long dark teatime of the soul...

... to quote the wonderful and very much missed Douglas Adams.
Since my painting of the lovely Sean's wrinkles a creative drought has come over me. Don't get me wrong, I have attempted about ten new paintings over the last week and a half. And I have discarded every one of them. They just didn't 'feel' right. I have no idea what has happened... but it's tremendously frustrating. I wait all day to get home from work so I can paint - when I'm not going singing of course - and then... nothing! I paint into the night, then look at it and go 'meh' and then delete it all again.
So for lack of anything else... here's a sketch of the Earl. This time portrayed at more the age that he has in my western.
If you see my creativity lying around somewhere, give me a shout... Haven't got a clue where I've left it.

The Earl - sketch

Hooded poncho

Tried a more sketchy look today. And a poncho... with a hood. I do love my ponchos. I wish my ears would get better.

Markus Kingdom - revisited

Markus Kingdom - v2 in progress

So, I've been a bit ill again. Cold, sinus problems etc. Trouble is I can't focus on anything when my head feels like it's about to explode and I have stupid headaches.
So to ease myself back in to a spot of painting today I decided to revisit a character from earlier - Markus Kingdom. Having changed the way I work somewhat since my first attempt at this fella I've wanted to revisit him for a while. This is closer to how I actually imagined him. And closer to the original sketch I drew which I have also posted here. Work in progress.

Markus Kingdom - pencil sketch