Christmas 2008

Well it's Christmas already and what a year it has been. I've just seen that the cover artwork for 'Hunky Monkey' and 'Adventures of the Aluminium Can' are online so all good there. Looking ahead to the New Year, 'Pirate House Swap' has gone ahead which is great news. London Zoo job has expanded beyond all recognition to include posters, cafe window illustrations and all sorts! 'Rabbit and the Big Red Scooter' is to take off soon as well so that will be roughed out then coloured up... Currently sketching out the Alphabet images for Ladybird and also trying to finish off the 'Weather book' for Tango so that should all be wrapped up pretty soon. I'll be back soon folks :o)

Mayor of Lincoln's Christmas card image

This is the image that Lincoln council asked me to come up with for the Mayor's annual Christmas card image, which will be sent nationwide as well as internationally!

Happy for Christmas everybody! :o)

Newspaper Article Nov08

This is an article in the local paper about the award I won back in October. Great stuff! :o)

Radio Show

I was asked to be a sofa guest for the local BBC radio station. Judy Theobald has the mid morning show and her producer asked if I could do a picture book style illustration of Judy. It went down very well with her because I made her look younger..... :o)

Nasen Award Certificate

Tango sent through to me the certificate I received on the night of the awards. So here it is.... :o)

Weekender Article

Article in the local paper about the awards that Ted and I won the other week. :o)

Nasen award winner!

Went to the annual Nasen awards at the Russell Hotel down in London on Thursday 16th October. Came back very happy after winning the Children's picture book category with 'Best Friends' that came out in February 08. Great fun book that's about a boy in a wheelchair and his friend going on adventures together!

The Terrace formal opening

The Terrace where my studio is based was formally opened last Wednesday with Wayne Hemingway OBE coming to make a small speech and declare it open. The Mayor of Lincoln was present too plus many other local governing officials and the local press. They asked me to produce two small pictures to be presented to them on the night so I came up with these. Picture book style images of them both.

Cafe Portico

The Cafe here at the Terrace has it's first day today and my artwork is all over the walls. As they are all for sale, hopefully loads will be bought! :o)

NASEN Award

Found out last week that one of my books, 'Best Friends' has been shortlisted for an award. Ceremony is in October so fingers crossed for that one :o)

Exhibition starts today!

Waterstones exhibition starts today and will be showing for a month. Should be a great little project to be part of.

Newspaper Article

This is an article about me and my work printed in the local paper. How I came to doing illustration for a living plus a few helpful tips on how to get started :oP

Waterstone's Exhibition

I was asked a few weeks ago to provide some work to be exhibited in the Waterstones here in Lincoln. Starts on the 4th August and goes on for a month. Some published work will be shown and some yet to be published work. Should be great fun! :o)

Templar Meeting "Rabbit and the Big Red Scooter"

Got back on Friday from a meeting with Templar down in Dorking with my agent. A picture book has been commissioned with them and is to be published around June 2009. It's called 'Rabbit and the Big Red Scooter' and is about a Rabbit that gets very jealous of a Hare that turns up in town one day. It's a great story and scribbles are going down now for it,looking to finish the book towards the end of January. The picture above was the sample that won the commission with Templar...Looking forward to getting stuck into this one! ;o)

Stinky Speller

This Illustration is a sample for a text I was sent last week. I took a passage about one of the two characters being a 'stinky speller'. Still to finalise the two characters for this title but the two rabbits are working pretty well.

Hedgepig

A sample Hedgehog I did just before the weekend for my portfolio. Animals seem to be going well at the moment so will probably sit down at some point and do a few more. I'm thinking about two rabbits for the book 'I'm Not' I was given last week. We shall see but keep checking back for new samples and how the books are going...!

Sandpit Kid

A new sample done in a slightly different style to what I have been working in recently. Really trying to intensify the look of my pictures for the high end trade picture books that my agent is targetting and I'm almost there! Keeping the elements that work well in the style I use plus using a few extra other techniques to 'beef' them up a bit. Doing Educational material most of the time gives you bad habits but it's all good :oP

Me and my Mammals :o)

New image with a little guy holding his pet animals!

Egmont pitch

Learnt yesterday that I managed to seal the Egmont pitch I had to do a sample for last week. Great news! Looking at a series of 5 books for this project, will be starting as soon as finalised deals have been made. Get in!!

Dozy Dave

New character I have come up with while doodling. Looking to develop my animals as these are working really well at the moment according to my agent. So 'Dozy Dave' has been created, this little monkey can't do much right and gets into trouble everywhere he goes!

Blast Off!

Self promo illustration carrying on the theme of my little guy in his cardboard box. This time he has made it into a spaceship...

'Shoo Mouse, Shoo'

New book just came in called 'Shoo Mouse, Shoo' for Oxford University Press. Get the brief this Monday coming so should be a fun project to undertake. Outline of the story is a mechanical mouse is let loose and goes round annoying everyone, who think's these up? :o)

'Pirate House Swap' is a Go Go Go..!

Just learnt that a book I did some samples for last summer has been approved by Random House so the brief is winging its' way to me next Wednesday....

New Studio!

Finally moved into my new studio up at 'The Terrace' here in Lincoln. It's going to be a hub of activity from now on so keep checking the blog for new work coming soon! :o)

Space Poster

Just finished this project where I had to create an A2 poster for teachers to show the pupils and to ask them questions about strange new worlds etc.. There are three other half A4 images that are to go into their magazine as well!

New computer is on it's way! Studio is coming together so should be in very soon! Eeeeexcellent!!

Scholastic Cover Round 2

Had the feedback from Scholastic this morning, both covers went down really well and the editor loved them! Came back with some changes though on the 'Boys' cover. Wanted more movement in the illustration as it felt quite static. A boy has been added to the tyre swing and a squirrel has been added for some extra humour. Facial expressions changed slightly too for a more animated look.

Scholastic Cover

Project that I finished this morning for Scholastic, week turn around from start to finish on this one so was pretty tight! They wanted two book/magazine covers to show off that reading can be fun when you are younger and if you are a boy as well!

Patrick Moore Jnr

This is an illustration for a client who is producing an A2 poster and some A4 flyers to go in their Primary Choice magazine. The theme is Space and the fascination that kids have with it!

March of the Animals in February!

Just a quick illustration I did between jobs at the moment. I hadn't done many animal self promotional pieces so here's one for the folio! :o)

Harry's Under the Sea..

This is a possible image for my story I'm currently putting together. He has a great imagination and turns his 'household Cardboard box' into all sorts. Here he is 'Under Da Sea'!!

Harry's Box

A self promotional image for my portfolio. This could be the start of an idea for a book I have about a boy and a cardboard box! :o)

Had an email this morning as well from Random-House about a Pirate book that I did some samples for last year. Sounds like the wheels are in motion there which is great news!

Got the keys to my new Studio..!!

Go Kart Go Finals

This book was sent off this morning to the designer I was working with at BigTop. These are just a few samples of the finals. Overall I'm pretty happy with them, there was a lot going on in some of the scenes as you can see but I think the concept of the book has come across pretty well :o)

Go Kart Go

A before and after illustration for harcourt publishers for a book I am doing at the moment. The first one was a sample page to show them the possible style of the work and the second illustration is the finished piece with their feedback and comments applied! They wanted less going on,less of the dangerous material lying around (nails,open paint etc..)

Just finished this piece of a very proud looking boy standing in front of some crocodiles...make your own mind up what is going on here! Possible concept for a book as well... Self promotional work for portfolio!

Behind you!

This is an illustration literally finished in the last 5 minutes. Self promotional work day today to add to my portfolio. This work in progress does exactly what it says on the tin, I've always enjoyed drawing scary things and the look on the child wondering what is going Bump! in the middle of the night :o) Mwahahahaha
Thinking of possibly turning this concept into a Children's book so watch this space for development..

Kids in the Park

Children's book self promotional image that was handed in this morning to my agent after some tinkering with my new style that has been developing over the past year.

Pass the Jelly,Nelly

Illustration from my recently published book called 'Pass the Jelly Nelly'. Had the FedEx dude call this morning with a package and I hadn't a clue what it was, nice surprise to see it was 10 copies of this book that was only finished in November.
It's an Educational book teaching kids using a word bank to complete the sentences on each page. Published by Blue Apple December 2007..

Flinty McGinty welcomes you to my Blog!

So this is my Blog! Wow I hear you say... :o) It will contain new/old pieces of work, plus some work in progress from time to time! Using this to document my year in 2008 and to illustrate(no pun intended) to people what goes on in an illustrators head and life during a typical year!
Next books to be in print are 'Pass the Food,Dude' and 'Best Friends' so keep a look out for them! I will try and update it as much as possible...


This particular sample was sent in to my agency for a possible project for Egmont. It's a book called ' Flinty McGinty and the Blown Away Day' An extremely fun and interesting story about one old man and his mission to get his scruffy dog 'McGonagall' to the 'Pooch Parlour' for his birthday treat. But something tries to get in his way on his journey through town.

Not long also to the big move into my new studio! Exciting times!!

Needless to say all my images are copyrighted, so no tea leafing :o)

Copyright in all the images on this site is the property of the artist.



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