Illustration Friday - Faded

This weeks Illustration Friday is Faded.

I never used to buy my wife flowers, because in an attempt to get ones monies worth from them, they'd always end up looking utterly dead before being ungracefully tossed into the bin. Hardly a fitting finish for something once so beautiful.

These days I still don't buy her flowers, but thats probably because I'm tight.

Today, I Close Early

A Break From The Daily Grind

Read my article 'A Break From The Daily Grind' on the Freelance Fact File website. It might inspire you to jack in your job, and try something different...  read it  here:

Travelling Light

This illustration is almost reality - whenever we go anywhere for more than a couple of days, we seem to take everything except the kitchen sink. The only bit that doesn't ring true is the dog - we don't have one.

Illustration Friday - Sight

This weeks Illustration Friday is Sight. It's inspired by the day I finally had my eyes tested - I couldn't see a thing. My focus turned to finding glasses that suited my piggy eyes and fat face. God I look intelligent in glasses - I should have become blind years ago!

I'm Hot, You're Not

I've just found this on my hard drive whilst spring cleaning after updating my main website... It was illustrated ages ago, and has never seen the light of day...!

Illustration Friday - Kernel

Here's this weeks Illustration Friday - Kernel. I thought I'd think about what genius idea a country bumpkin would cook up out of Corn, the wonder crop of our age. It's used in pretty much everything man-made, from cornflakes, fuel, plastics through to medication, and according to my mate Mandy, it's also good for clearing out your insides too.

I have an agent...

I have an agent! See my work on KJA Artists webiste here:

Like Mother, Like Daughter

I've had this in my sketchbook for some time, and finally worked it up. There's another version of the same idea - Like Father, Like Son which I'll aim to work up next...

Illustration Friday - Hitched

Love and Marriage
Love and Marriage
Go together like a Horse and Carriage.

Or so they say.

Little Chimp Society feature

I've been featured on The Little Chimp Society... here

Hopefully the stories of my sabbatical will inspire others to do a similar thing...

Twitter (again)

Yes, I've joined Twitter again. I've no real idea why, but maybe this time, I'll actually get to grips with it. Find me here : https://twitter.com/#!/bunky_bear

Out Of Order

My second illustration in almost 20 years of a Sit & Ride Panda.

The story of the Sit & Ride Panda is a long and bitter one, which clearly still haunts me. When I never got to ride on my very own Sit & Ride Panda almost 20 years ago, the reason truly was OUT OF ORDER. And hence this homage to the tale.

These days, Rhettman desperately pulls a similar face when I drag him away from Troy the Sit & Ride Tractor in the entrance of the Co Op. In time, he too will understand why not every little boy gets to ride whenever he chooses.

*I'm still on the hunt for my 1950's Sit & Ride Panda. If anyone knows the whereabouts of one, do please drop me a line.

Pencils Rock

Well, it's official. I love pencils, I hate pens.

Here's my top 7 Pencil Plus Points:

• They're substantially cheaper than pens
• They're more environmentally friendly than pens too (Actually, I'm not sure this is true, but I'm sure it must be true to some extent. Wood and graphite, versus all that injection moulded plastic)
• They don't dry out
• If you break one, it doesn't ruin your shirt
• You can fashion the tip to your personal preference, using anything sharp
• They organically change, getting shorter and shorter, and blunter and blunter through use
• They're pressure sensitive

Of course, they're not perfect. You have to keep sharpening them, not easy for a compulsive pencil sharpener misplacer and your work can become unintentionally smudged if you're not careful.

But whether its a standard red 2B Staedtler Pacific, or the super heavyweight solid graphite Pitt Graphit by Faber Castell, which requires a special over-sized sharpener, I'm far far happier with a pencil in my hand than any pen money can buy. 

Donations of unusual or unwanted pencils readily accepted.

Maybe Next Time

Found a sketch of this in an old sketchbook... worked it up this morning...

Illustration Friday - Jump

Library

Mmm, I think I've completed my first self-portrait... it's entitled 'Library'.