June ... and the little birdies are a tweeting in the evening air

Right, this is an other of these mixed posts. With some old stuff from the early 70's and a couple of more recent bits.

So let's start with some more old covers; which link to the April post, most were done in brush but at least one, the last of the four [here], with added pen line.

THE LAST REQUEST

 No idea what happened to the original art but I recently found my original copies of the magazine.

Another from around that period was done for a smaller format magazine. I think this has appeared before in my blog, but have added it here as another part of it's ''history'' relates to figures and characters I was designing for a proposed strip for White Dwarf Magazine. They'd asked me to come up with an idea and make a submission, which I did. The reply ran to a variation on 'Thanks, but no thanks'. But I felt some of the characters I was planning to use in the strip needed airing somewhere. OR... as they say, waste not...

 These last pictures, were produced for a German Magazine, which liked my work and contacted me to send some fillers and here, for this issue, illustrate a story by Van Vogt. The magazine was called 2001 [1978] and I've reproduced the cover below.. Sadly, after a couple of other small German jobs, I heard no more from that quarter. What was fun was they wanted SF work not Fantasy which was refreshing.
I don't have the originals these were scanned from the magazine, which I found I still have.

This next is a variation on a comic fanzine cover I did around that same period. First the cover... and then the variation

I cannot remember which came first... 'the chicken or the egg'; I suspect the later, but the robot design itself dates even earlier from work produced in the very early 70's.

Now, as promised, a couple of new pieces. Occasionally [actually rarely ..laugh] I have, as mentioned, been commissioned for reworkings of older work such as 'The Warlock' or 'Balthus Dire' for example but occasionally I'm asked to recreate an original piece 'full size' such happened to recreate a picture of Chadda from Shadowmaster, by Steve Jackson, in the Fighting Fantasy related series. First the original used in the book ... this copy found on the internet.

Next the 'newer' version, and newer is right as although this mimics the original it is not a slavish copy.

Last, a couple of small colour studies produced for the Dungeonworld game, similar to those done before [see earlier posts].

That's it for now ... next some Games Workshop related bits I think. 

Space, Doctor Who game, Warhammer and other bits...

Shocking I realise but here is another June post. Must be the weather [grin].

This post will feature some space related bits, including some sketches made as possible 'ideas' and as I found some 'original' drawings a bit about my involvement in the Doctor Who: The Game of Time & And Space.

So let's start there, in truth my memory is sparse but I was approached by Games Workshop around 1979 to do some counter designs for their new board game Doctor Who: The Game of Time & And Space. I had recently [I cannot remember which came first] produced some black and white playing card designs for another of their early board games called Warlock, which I will cover during another post. I was credited for the work I did for the Warlock game, but not on the Doctor Who game.

The original samples I've found, which I will post below, along with some scans I found of the counters from the game, were small. This was because as the final pieces were to be small, it was important to hold image without losing detail so the actual drawings were very small. The brief was fairly straight forward, if a little weird in places if memory serves. For example some characters clearly linked to the TV series whereas others did not. But one thing I've learned over the years with some clients there is little point in either making suggestions or arguing, though luckily I've also worked with others who do encourage, if relevant, my input.

Anyway, onto the the images.

First a scan, for those not sure what the box cover [not my artwork] looked like.

Now scans found of the original counters. First as sheets.

 Now some scans of the counters used in the game

 

 Finally, those original drawings I mentioned.

Above: these two are shown larger than the original scale to give you and idea of how small they were.

 Finally, a sketch of Tom Baker as the Doctor shown at original size.

Now, here are some Sketches with a Space theme ...

 

Finally, for this post some more space related pictures, including two old Warhammer 40,000 pieces that appeared in White Dwarf magazine.

 

[above] Sample page never seen before. This is a good example of my experimentation with pen and brush.

This is retouched photocopied page

 

 

 These [above] all date from the mid 70's 

Two examples [above] from the book 'Heart of Ice' by Dave Morris, and below a couple of Warhammer 40,000 pieces used to illustrate articles in the Games Workshop magazine White Dwarf.

This last [above] is for an up and coming game called 'Thousand Suns'.

So there you have it; another post done, next should be another Warhammer related post and then it will be about the Warlock cards I designed for that game, and a 'special' Fiend Folio related treat!

Well, maybe [grin].

DEATH .... an up and coming premier!

Update to the film 'DEATH'.

Do check out the trailer [ see link below] and if you watch and blink you'll miss the two bits that feature my work! lol!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1822203/

But it has a really nice soundtrack, from the little I've heard, from Simon Woodgate, and if you know ways of spreading the word then please do Martin a favour and do!

Now for something a little more esoteric [or something].

Along time ago, to eke out a living I did some work for Penthouse magazine, it didn't go very far as my saucy postcard approach was considered 'not raunchy enough' for its illustrious pages. I never knew what happened to the work, it was never 'sold' and never returned [ah the work I've 'lost' over the years.... sigh], but one piece did appear in an illustration website a few years ago. How it got there .... I have no idea, who 'owns' my work .... you guessed  .... I have no idea, but I had no objection [per say] to see it put on as an example of my work [lol]. Well recently another piece has been 'posted' and as I stated earlier .... for those die-hard completists of my work here they are ... 

    So there they are .... Now a shameful plug.

Also seen for sale on Ebay ..... for even more dedicated completists [cough] there is an old fanzine I did some spot artwork for ..... this dates before the 'Fighting Fantasy' titles - Copper Toadstool 5, Vol. 3, no. 5.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110831691890?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Lastly, just completed a couple of small pieces for Kobold Quarterly Magazine and will hopefully be able to publish soon. Till the next time.

A Question: To crit or not to crit ...

I have had a couple of queries over the weeks about giving advice, and one intrepid has sent me a piece to crit. I'm happy to do this [once] as I've a couple of pointers to offer, which might be of help to the artist. But, and here is the Question, do I do it with my next post, or later? Feedback please, including anything you want answered .. this is a one off offer guaranteed to not survive its sell by date. 


From the redoubtable Andy a couple more scans of my work.

Three spot pieces

Swamp Monster

 

So there we have it for this post ...I'll leave it to the weekend to see what comments or questions, etc. arise and [lol] assume if nothing is forthcoming to hold my crit. Be warned it could be as dry as old toast.