cartoons and stuff

renewal 2

2010-01-08T10:08:00.003Z

Moving on...

As of now all blog postings and access to my web site can be found here at

http://www.pctoonart.co.uk

You can also keep informed of new postings and updates to the site by subscribing to my rss feed ...

http://www.pctoonart.co.uk/feed/rss

Please drop by for a visit look forward to seeing you there

Paul

Renewal

2010-01-08T01:10:00.000Z

Illustration Friday - Renewal
An experimental piece that didn't know where it was going until it was completed. Based stylistically around those horoscopes you see everywhere in the press this time of year looking what the new year may hold for you in the stars. Particularly relevant I thought if you're a capricorn, (hence the crazy hair!), and your star sign crosses the divide between old, (so last year) and the new, (renewal) that is 2010!
A very happy and creative new year to all.

Illustration Friday - Hatch

2009-12-17T01:56:00.000Z

Hatch
After the success of Match of the Day, I think I may have found a gap in the tv marketplace and so introduce to you Hatch of the Day! It follows the same winning formula of big hatch action and analysis and who knows, if successful there may be appetite for Hatch of the Day 2, The Big Hatch and, I know I'm pushing it, Book of Hatches! Goodnight.

Illustration Friday - Crunchy

2009-12-10T02:14:00.000Z

Crunchy
The credit crunch would be a whole lot more acceptable if was renamed credit crunchy! And who better to safeguard the key to irresponsible spending than Captain Credit Crunchy! So any leaders of the economic world reading this blog entry in need of a mascot ...........(credit crunchy rates apply!)
An adobe illustrator creation.

Illustration Friday - Music

2009-11-24T00:09:00.001Z

Music
In the true spirit of rock'n'roll! A rough'n'ready cartoon for a change, as an antonym to my vector stuff! Apparently these sets are not flying off the shelves in time for Xmas, although the intricate attention to detail is quite staggering. Comes complete with gaffer tape. Line art scanned shading added in Photoshop.

Illustration Friday - Unbalanced

2009-11-20T08:22:00.000Z

Unbalanced

Modifying an old illustration for this week's topic. Illustrator and photoshop.

Illustration Friday - Blur

2009-11-12T10:59:00.003Z

click on image to enlarge
Blur

If push comes to shove I probably prefer Oasis. However...., haven't posted in a while, must try harder! Standard cartoon hand drawn, coloured and constructed in illustrator and photoshop.

2009-10-22T02:24:00.004+01:00

Illustration Friday -Frozen

click image to enlarge

Frozen

Been too long since last posting so digging out an old cartoon that can just about fit the subject matter for this week's topic. Originally one of a series of six cartoon highlighting best web design practice for a company rolling out an intranet to it's staff, reaching it's audience through the power of funny wee drawings and, erm, biting wit! Hand drawn and coloured up in illustrator.

Illustration Friday - Pattern

2009-09-29T01:32:00.000+01:00

Pattern

In homage to those hidden 3-D images that would magically appear if you looked at the pattern for long enough - usually going cross-eyed in the process. Wait a minute, I'm starting to see something...

Adobe Illustrator and mouse, (since my dog has taken a taste for my graphic tablet's pen!)

Illustration Friday - Welcome

2009-09-17T01:45:00.001+01:00

Welcome

... to my world. First thing I thought of when I read this week's topic, and just couldn't shake it! (But Jim certainly could!) Welcome to my World was a big hit for Jim Reeves in 1964, the year he died in a plane crash, and only a year after country legend Patsy Cline suffered the same fate. Both pilots of those ill-fated flights it emerged later were trained by the same flight instructor! Strange but true....

An Adobe Illustrator creation. For Dad

Illustration Friday - Strong

2009-09-10T03:14:00.000+01:00

Strong

Strong cheese at bedtime, a recipe for nightmares! An experimental piece that went off on a tangent, but if it stops just one person eating copious amounts of cheddar before sleeps my mission will have been accomplished! An Illustrator creation.

Illustration Friday - Magnify

2009-09-02T00:35:00.001+01:00

Magnify

Vector vs Bitmap illustrated at 400% magnification - in your face literally!

(For maximum effect click on picture to, er, magnify...)

Illustration Friday - Caution

2009-08-28T00:23:00.004+01:00

Caution
If it doesn't say jacuzzi, it probably isn't!

Illustration Friday - Wrapped

2009-08-20T13:44:00.004+01:00

Wrapped
The lesser kilted sausage, traditionally prime sausage wrapped in a kilt made of bacon(!), but in Scotland at least, proud to wear the national dress. Sadly in decline due to the imminent arrival of tea-time! Line art and vectors courtesy of Adobe Illustrator.

Illustration Friday Modify

2009-08-04T09:50:00.004+01:00

Modify
Better be a bit careful with my description here. However here are some of the required tools and products to further enhance the natural beauty of the female form, or in technical terms 'chucking on some 'slap' before a night on the town'! Artwork scanned and then traced and "modified" in Illustrator. No animals were harmed in production of this illo!
- As an afterthought I've included initial black and white artwork to further embrace the topic and illustrate the modification process

Illustration Friday - Idle

2009-07-28T02:04:00.003+01:00

IF - Idle
Introducing the idle eaters, like odour eaters, but instead of removing bad smells they get rid of lazy sods wherever they may idle. Character designed in Illustrator, I'm going to lie down now.

Illustration Friday - Tango

2009-07-21T17:55:00.003+01:00

IF -Tango
Not a lot of room for creative manoeuvrability - re this week's subject matter, unlike the dance partnership depicted here strutting their stuff! Scanned line art, traced, coloured and assembled in Illustrator. (p.s dancesteps may lead to serious injury and are for illustration purposes only!)

Illustration Friday - Hollow

2009-07-16T00:32:00.006+01:00

Creative block illustrated. When there's nothing, nought, zilch! - it's completely hollow up there! Slightly different artistic approach, line art scanned, traced and modified in Adobe Illustrator.

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Now playing: Wolfstone - The Prophet
via FoxyTunes

Illustration Friday - Hierarchy

2009-05-07T16:47:00.003+01:00

IF - Hierarchy
The organisational hierarchy of the freelancer. It's a tough job but someone has to do it!
Adobe Illustrator

Illustration Friday - Fleeting

2009-04-15T03:33:00.006+01:00

IF - Fleeting

The photograph, a fleeting moment captured for eternity. Although before the advent of flash photography, probably a fleeting two minutes or so! Watch the birdie!
A fleeting Illustrator production.

Illustration Friday - Talisman

2009-04-07T11:11:00.003+01:00

IF - Talisman

In days of olde, the warrior would often draw inner strength from his talisman. In addition to aiding virility, it looked good under disco lights and could dazzle from a great distance.
Banned under health and safety regulations for decades, it has recently been reintroduced into society as "bling"!

Illustration Friday - Poise

2009-04-03T00:24:00.003+01:00

IF - Poise

Is poise a feminine trait? Raking the archives for subject matter this week. This work is probably around four years old, originally for a fashion store pitch, came to nothing but interesting project nontheless. Tweaked slightly but don't think my style has changed dramatically in that time. Character design using Adobe Illustrator and a wee bit Photoshop.

Illustration Friday - Subtract

2009-03-23T13:48:00.004Z

IF - Subtract
Take two items from seven on the clothes line and what are you left with?
A criminal conviction and the strong likelihood of personal injury!

Illustration Friday - Legendary

2009-03-19T00:28:00.003Z

IF - Legendary
One legendary guitarist and his legendary guitar.
Interesting fact no.62.
Eric Clapton's guitar, "Blackie", so named because it was, er, black, sold for $959,500.00 in 1994 making the most expensive guitar sold at auction ever! Another of Eric's guitars "Brownie", guess what colour that was?, sold for a paltry $450,000 by comparison, but at least I got some change from that one! Illustrator and Photoshop

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Now playing: Eric Clapton - Sinner's Prayer
via FoxyTunes

Illustration Friday - Intricate

2009-03-12T00:05:00.003Z

IF- Intricate
The intricacies of the modern family, illustrated! First post of the year, have I missed anything? Illustrator is the tool of choice, my current state of mind the inspiration, so anything can happen, but this is what you get.

IF - Similar

2008-12-11T00:45:00.003Z

Similar

...but different!
and you thought santa's only problem was delivering presents to every home on the planet within a few hours of an evening? Adobe Illustrator and another hair (brained) inspired idea.

IF - Vacant

2008-11-06T00:43:00.007Z

Vacant

Originally a christmas card design for a client, hairdresser funnily enough!, but fits this weeks topic quite nicely. And hey, only 48 sleeps til Christmas! Created in Illustrator.

IF - Late

2008-10-22T15:44:00.004+01:00

Late
This is the place 96%* of lateness originates.
(*Based on a random number I just thought of!)

IF - Punchline

2008-06-13T15:02:00.003+01:00

Punchline
Been playing around with this concept for my pctoonart relaunch, (which hasn't happened yet!) and thought it would fit in nicely with this week's IF topic, and a little self promotion never harmed anyone. May try a flash animation version for the website. Stay tooned!

IF - Forgotten

2008-06-11T00:18:00.004+01:00

Forgotten
Just goes to show, there's no hiding place from bad fashion, (like I would know!) The desert island was the inspiration for this week's topic and the punchline borrowed from an old published cartoon of mine, reworked in Illustrator. On reflection tho, I'm not so sure if it's the shipwrecked individual that's forgotten or the flares that should be!

IF - Baby

2008-05-30T14:02:00.006+01:00

Baby
(get off your horse and drink your milk!)

This is quite an old image, still in my portfolio page, which was used as a nonsense filler to illustrate the quote "Get off your horse and drink your milk".The fact it fits neatly into this week's Illustration Friday topic is a good enough reason to dust it off for another viewing. Illustrator 9

IF - Worry

2008-05-28T00:41:00.005+01:00

Worry (!)
Nervous flyer? Well things aren't about to change anytime soon if your oxygen mask tumbles down from above. Maybe time to check if that wee whistle in your life jacket's working. Then again.... Quickly doodled in Adobe Illustrator

Illustration Monday - Electricity

2008-05-19T07:58:00.005+01:00

Electricity
Missed the cut-off (!) date for this one, but worth putting on the blog anyway. All about record profits for the energy people, who on the face of it appear don't appear to be using much themselves. Give me a slice of that pie! Created in Illustrator.

IF - Wrinkles

2008-05-02T10:53:00.003+01:00

Illustration Friday - Wrinkles
If those nice people at Adobe ever went into the beauty market, there could well be a monopoly
Produced in, erm, Illustrator.

IF - Primitive

2008-04-23T00:59:00.009+01:00

Primitive
I mean who uses curlers these days? (I don't that's for sure!). Nessy getting ready for a night out with the girls. Well it could happen... Adobe Illustrator

IF - Fail

2008-04-15T10:41:00.005+01:00

Fail
If a picture paints a thousand words....

Illustrator - Handy Hint

2008-04-11T07:41:00.001+01:00

Illustrator - Convert to Grayscale

This is a handy hint if you want to see quickly how your artwork converts to grayscale, a pretty useful tool if colour issues are starting to detract from the image overall. (I use it a lot!)
Simply Select All, then go to the Filter menu and select Colours then Convert to Grayscale. Worth noting is that any patterns or gradients within the image will retain their colour values but like in the image above, you can use this to your advantage.

If you found this Handy Hint useful please add a comment.

IF - Save

2008-04-10T01:51:00.003+01:00

Save... for a rainy day
...and if I'd saved up enough, an umbrella would top my shopping list! Although an ark might be more appropriate these days. Produced in Illustrator

IF - Homage

2008-04-02T00:00:00.003+01:00

Homage... to The Boss!
It's always a good idea to keep in with the boss, especially with a world tour on the go and not a snifter of a ticket for love or money! Exclusively composed in Illustrator. Magic!

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Now playing: Bruce Springsteen - Youngstown (Live)
via FoxyTunes

IF - Pet Peeves

2008-03-24T21:26:00.003Z

Illustration Friday - Pet Peeves
..and stretch for the remote control! A bit of an eighties breakfast phenomenon and probably the reason wide screen tv's were invented. How you were meant to replicate the manouveres while slumped in the armchair with a bowl of cereal in one hand and mug of coffee in the other is anyone's guess!
Flash, Illustrator and a large pinch of salt!

IF - Heavy

2008-03-17T15:53:00.006Z

Illustration Friday - Heavy
Heavy metal I suppose or just plain "heavy", (man!).
Flash and Illustrator

IF - Garden

2008-03-11T10:49:00.002Z

Illustration Friday - Garden
Oh, for a managable garden! Flash and Illustrator

IF - Leap

2008-03-04T12:08:00.004Z

Illustration Friday - Leap
Lover's Leap has always held connotations of romance and tragedy, wouldn't it be a nice comfort if there was something down there to cushion the blow! Character drawn in flash and imported into illustrator.

IF - Multiple

2008-02-28T00:54:00.004Z

Illustration Friday - Multiple
Not really sure what I was aiming at here, one of those pieces you just play about with for the heck of it. Anyone know a good psychologist?

Vectoroony

2008-02-27T01:46:00.003Z

I was searching in the depths of my hard drive for a long lost image for my web site galleries, (coming soon!), when I stumbled across this piece which I did on an Illustrator CS2 tryout. I like it so I think it deserves it's moment of glory on the blog. More random Vectoroonies coming soon!

2008-02-19T00:46:00.003Z

Illustration Friday - Theory
Any mathematicians stumbling across this image, enjoy the joke, don't study the detail!
Pen and Ink, Illustrator

2008-02-14T12:43:00.003Z

Illustration Friday - Choose

Hmmm, tough call!
Pen and Ink and Illustrator

2008-02-05T00:50:00.001Z

Illustration Friday - Blanket
.... for quality you can feel, also machine washable!
I know, I should be in advertising!! Flash and Illustrator

2008-01-24T11:15:00.000Z

Illustration Friday - Plain
(Plain to see, she should've used self-raising flour!)
Very quick sketched effort this week, drawn in flash.

2008-01-17T02:24:00.001Z

Illustration Friday - Stitch
A slight change of style this time around. Started out as a cartoon, not quite sure how to categorize the end result tho! Usual tools of Flash, Illustrator and Photoshop and a little
splash of Rock'n'Roll for inspiration..

2008-01-09T14:07:00.001Z

Illustration Friday - 100%

Introducing Will Power!
Might explain why so many new year resolutions bite the dust!
100% Illustrator

2008-01-03T02:58:00.000Z

Illustration Friday - Soar
Or more likely - Sore! Originally used for a Charity Parachute Jump promo. I know, fills you with confidence doesn't it? From what I remember all the volunteers jumped in gorilla suits for a laugh! Just added background for the purpose of this illustration.Pen and Ink, Photoshop and Illustrator.

2007-12-28T03:45:00.000Z

Illustration Friday - Horizon

A very loose interpretation this time round, but if it was someone else's money, Maximum Exploitation would be hanging in my lounge! (although I could lose myself in Blue Horizon),
(then again, Verical Insomnia, has a depth of expression.....

2007-12-20T01:52:00.000Z

Illustration Friday - Backwards
(or to be more precise Going Backwards - you will be!)
A seasonal illustration depicting the joys of Christmas shopping. Been there before! Drawn in Flash, inspiration found in every shopping centre, or mall, at this time of year.

2007-12-14T13:55:00.001Z

A Christmas Greeting to all Visitors

My christmas card to all pctoonart /cartoons and stuff visitors, with blatant advertising to boot! Well, it's what the festive season is all about. Isn't it?

2007-12-12T12:14:00.000Z

IF - Little Things

The Little Things only album Actual Size included the hits, I Can't Back Down (Anymore), and the haunting The Tide is 2 High (4 me).
Flash, Illustrator and Photoshop

2007-12-04T12:25:00.001Z

Illustration Friday - Excess

Well, it is the season for excess isn't it?
This illustration started out as a Christmas card concept for a hairdresser who thought it was, well, a bit excessive for his clientele. Looks like I must agree with him! Pen and ink, Illustrator and Photoshop

2007-11-29T13:41:00.000Z

Spice Rehearsals Hit Setback!
Breaking News Cartoon
With little more than hours to go before the Spice World Tour kicks off, I began pondering on how rehearsals might,(or might not!), be going. Still, reassuring to know the "differences" that tore the band apart in the first instance can finally be laid to rest. I imagine the reported £10 million each Spice will earn doesn't even come into the equation. Scary Spice indeed!

2007-11-27T00:17:00.000Z

Illustration Friday - The Zoo

The Usual Suspect
Hopefully doesn't need explanation
Adobe Illustrator and a twisted mind!

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Now playing: Eric Clapton - Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
via FoxyTunes

2007-11-20T01:55:00.000Z

Illustration Friday - Superstition
Ever thought what Lady Luck might look like or what the personal
competences are for the job? Thought not!
Drawn using the drawing tools in Flash for a change.

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Now playing: Led Zeppelin - What Is And What Should Never Be
via FoxyTunes

2007-11-14T20:41:00.000Z

Illustration Friday - Scale
My latest experimentation for IF. Line art scanned, 'traced' and
added into the Illustrator melting pot.
How many "scales" can you see? ...answers on a postcard to...

2007-11-06T12:32:00.000Z

Illustration Friday - Hats
Another posting for Illustration Friday, again produced in Illustrator.

2007-10-31T22:46:00.000Z

Illustration Friday - Trick or Treat

Hopefully a weekly exercise now my blog is up and running.
A fun experiment created in Illustrator

2007-09-24T19:16:00.001+01:00

Hello and welcome to the first entry in my blog, Cartoons and Stuff. Here you'll find regular postings of new and experimental work as well as older stuff from the archives.
Whether you've stumbled across this space by accident or design, I look forward to hearing your thoughts, comments or suggestions.

Paul