Novelist

I have a lot of ideas/techniques flying around my head at the moment that I would like to try out, perhaps too many, so much so that I end up sitting down doing nothing because I'm not entirely sure what to do first. So in an effort to focus, I'm just doing the first things that come to me, without thinking too much about it. It tends to go all pear-shaped when I think too much. I wonder what that says about me. This is one of those things, just trying out different ways of putting images on paper. I hope you like it!

Eeeeeeeeeeee!

Work in progress...

Isn't it always.

Frontier Adventurer's!

A quick coloured doodle-atron. Well, there's the truth of it.

Breathing Space & Hachette Cover Roughs

Corr blummy, what a couple of months! I must apologise for my lack of bloginating, the 'Friendly Fire' Cogg & Sprokit adventure has really had me tied up, but it is now complete and ready to rock! Well, it's already started being published in The Phoenix (I believe we've had 3 of the episodes already!), but all 7 are now done and in the bag, and man; did I love doing it! It was all 'BLAM!', 'KABLOOIE', *emotional scene*, 'SMASH!!' etc etc, and I'm very proud of the litte guy (the series, not Sprokit. Although I'm rather proud of him too) And do not fret, Cogg & Sprokit shall return for an explosive Christmas special, and I maaaay have another comic series in its planning stages, but I'm not sure who told you that. But it's now time to get back to grips with my online personna - that means more blog posts, an up-dated site and I'm really going to smash out a whole load of new children's book artwork too, before all the comic and book deadlines re-appear!

So, to start things off: above are two rough covers I did for Hachette for Hilary McKay's 'Casson Family' series (well, one of the books, 'Caddy's World'). The brief was to have a really messy, fun cover filled with elements that happen in the book, but unfortunately this is as far as it's going to go. The artwork is going in a different direction (though it had nothing to do with my artwork, I'm assured), which is a real shame, but I still had a great time and experience on this comission, and thought I'd show you guys the primary sketches. I did a whole load of them, but these two were my favourite's, I think. I hope you enjoy! So, uh, yeah, catch you later.

Cogg and Sprokit in: 'Friendly Fire'.

HIGH FIVE! This week marks the start of my next Cogg and Sprokit 7-part mini-series, 'Friendly Fire',  in The Phoenix! I have been working my proverbial socks off on this extended adventure (don't worry, my actual socks remained firmly on my feet throughout the entire production), so I really hope that any readers who happen to stumble upon this adventure really do enjoy it. It revolves around a race between the world's top adventurers for the fabled treasure 'The Sapphire Sun'. But as tensions grow, so too does Cogg and Sprokit's partnership, and our favourite boy and hippo double-team decide to go their seperate ways and find new partners. GASP! 'It cannot be!!!', I hear you cry, well, perhaps a quick subscription to The Phoenix Comic or journey to your local Waitrose is in order so you can pick up some copies and get a few damnable answers!

But seriously - (and I know I'm biased), but The Phoenix is constantly supplying the ultimate in top quality children's comics, every single week, and what could be cooler than getting kids into comics, right? The creators are doing incredible things in that comic, the artwork is sublime, and the stories gripping, so if you haven't, please do check 'em out! It really is an honour to be in a comic alongside such talent. If you're having trouble finding issues, the Phoenix website has a great list of stores that stock the comic, and a list of back issues you can order direct, too. Convenient, huh? But yes. I shall stop preaching my sales pitch, and leave you to enjoy some awesome comics.

BIRTHDAY ILLO.

An illustration I did for the ever wonderful Laura Anderson for her birthday. It's an in-joke, but I thought you guys might still enjoy a baby monkey, riding on a pig.

The (very) Dark Knight

A current obsession of mine...

And speaking of Batman, check out who's looking on in wonder at Cogg's athletic abilities in this weeks' Olympic themed Waitrose Weekend Magazine. If you have a Waitrose nearby, do try and grab a copy, they're free and the pages are littered with everyone's favourite Phoenix characters having a rather splendid game of catch around the articles!Just what I would do if I were 2D.