tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279754772024-03-06T20:00:26.634+00:00Hypervox - Shaun Raven's Cartoon Blog from darkest Essex...Cartooning in Colchester, Essex!<br>
(All cartoons featured in this blog are copyright Shaun Raven, and may not be used anywhere else without permission...)Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.comBlogger344125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-91816914697806763972019-04-09T14:41:00.002+01:002019-04-09T14:41:21.675+01:00As you may know, I’ve been trying to concentrate on my pin up art, but my drawings have been a bit – well, crappy…<br />
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So, I thought I’d try a few things out. Firstly, I changed my pencils from my trusty Berol Verithin (sky blue) to Col-Erase blue (which I really like, because they hold a point for longer). The results were… inconclusive. I struggled to get the small detail I wanted (a problem which I thought switching to the Col-Erase mgiht solve) but then I looked at the sketchbook I’m using. It’s a cheap L&N sketchbook that I bought for caricature work, and it’s got a LOT of tooth, so I thought to my self “Is it the paper?”<br />
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To cut a long story short, I changed the paper to standard copy paper, and the Col-Erase simply flies across – much better! I then looked at my style…<br />
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I’ve always had a problem with detail – I concentrate too much on it, to the point where it takes over the whole drawing. I’ve tried writing this mantra on top of each sheet…<br />
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C-KISS = Cartoon – Keep It Simple Stupid!<br />
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That, and referring to a copy of Christopher Harts “Drawing The New Adventure Cartoons” <em>whilst</em> I’m drawing has helped a lot.Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-7852397945985305182018-07-20T12:15:00.000+01:002018-07-20T12:14:59.945+01:00To Didg, or not to Didg–that is the question…<p>I write this blog mainly for my own use – it acts as a kind of online dumping ground for ideas, thoughts, pictures and stuff.  It also acts as my souding board when I need to think about my art.</p> <p>I recently bought myself an iPad Pro – and it’s great.  It lets me work with vectors (Affinty Designer), photos (Affinity Photo), and cariactures (Procreate/Medibang Pro).  It’s a very good tool.</p> <p>And yet, the amount of art I have created rcently has dropped.  It could be that I’m overworked in my day job (which has certainly been the case of late), but I’m more concerned that i…just...don’t…like...using my iPad.  There’s something very…tactile about taking a pencil, placing in on paper and starting to draw.  I relax when I draw this way, but if I try and draw on my iPad I get tense, tired and irritable.  It’s odd.</p> <p>Colouring seems to be a different thing with me.  I’ve coloured sketches digitally in the past and achieved nice professional results…</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAYp8tUGwI23UK6IriV1wP66e0blk44ZDJv1BYyk751VDBbybWfaTDAkfnqGfDQJ3mIuT0Wji_SWX_QC3ZuhHm-D5_Xjs2HBzUhfXJLIoetJuUO00r51e_nyZyyJcH0D15aBaJw/s1600-h/Shaun+raven+liz+taylor"><img title="Shaun raven liz taylor" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" border="0" alt="Shaun raven liz taylor" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RgFWG9JLfVxAwys88VTjUe3UAIq1EFwD4FKYpUsEg-y5VBZ-w90uA3QtwFNlMI2na0dxoRSRee2rWHuq_j0tlaFnrU32YMFb8v89ICve6rrmQ3Hk7orInwpgn5chrXiwtoFHxQ/?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a></p> <p>…and yet, something like “Tuco” here makes me feel… happier.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nXsOKk2BkoBQboANx4a8Z8YwQJo6f4Hc5F0TnrA8J36MaJ7xbDZ7wiF2BJO-4hVtr3I0z5lTMoxVSZudB5avMlhjr-XYoZK2rZIAhw0nazVMYitTCpK2SiUQJJ5xitALjOcr3w/s1600-h/tuco%255B2%255D"><img title="tuco" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" border="0" alt="tuco" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSddDcpDEMLTSj4b_ogeI7DiXp28O5fi5o87KFm3WRYe1x2s4pcCiGiBb0wjIVtVihqYQTFzX1s3qqzPzJ-e3XOa9fcRsGSB9AADYuGFvR9F99O-63Q9AoUXkRpJ6dgtGrEpxcw/?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a></p> <p>I can’t tell you why this is, but it makes me realise one thing – paper is for drawing, not a glass screen.</p>Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-42051685912365358282017-09-13T14:59:00.001+01:002017-09-13T14:59:38.297+01:00Manual=Speed!<p>Note to self:</p> <ul> <li>Drawing and inking one cartoon digitally – 35 mins</li> <li>Drawing and inking same cartoon on a piece of paper – 8 mins.</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>Do the math….</p>Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-54491704602891086382017-08-01T13:07:00.001+01:002017-08-01T13:07:40.388+01:00Martin Landau<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEIfXYB_E5y_psLm62jCexBdLOpi86KobXY5S0rophRgq8KfcjsVlucXGTnWvXg5g4TebB8aMpBEXjRXhVnEtPCKwXDympMP8xAp49FfY1uNbJnoE8zCCNFRN9JhuMAQyoQ1eBw/s1600-h/martin+landau+-+small%255B2%255D"><img alt="martin landau - small" border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRY8UyEC649Vl_3HI9bPoAye1xRJlqRMYMXHbLR9amJBCxYi1nBOaz0fgX2zJmdOFaeFdH2hpLCdyYQYCPuRqNzkTGvQDhApw3kmCQOu9_RJMQ-wMGyvoRY3jP_anCD8XJUYq9yg/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="martin landau - small" width="174" /></a><br />
I love the old “Mission Impossible”, and after hearing about the death of one of my favourite actors, I really thought it was time I gave him a shot. I first saw Martin in “Space 1999” as Commander Koenig, the first season on which was absolutley fabulous (the second was pants, but we won’t go there…:) ). Later on, I realised he’d been in “Mission Impossible” (I sort of caught that program in the 70’s before Landau’s stint) and it wasn’t until then that I really was a truly great actor he was, as well as being a gifted cartoonist!<br />
This was drawn in my new sketchbook – a Moleskine Watercolour A4 sketchbook to be presise – which takes watercolour and ink pretty well. Initially I found that the baby oil I use to blend the pencils came throug the other side of the paper, but I’ve since found that Zest-it pencil blend does not, so I’ll be using that in this sketchbook from now on. The ink lines are from several different fountain pens each filled with Platinum Carbon Ink. yes, I know what I said about the ink in the previous post, but that’s because I didn’t shake it (blushes). I decided to use a sketchbook as I wanted something to collect my sketches in, rather than having them loose!<br />
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Since this picture, I’ve started doing Peter Graves – this time using indian ink (Talens) with a dip pen fitted with a waverly nib (a’la Quentin Blake) which I really enjoyed using. Currently waiting for it to dry…Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-44521786330520377212017-07-10T13:52:00.001+01:002017-07-10T13:52:39.769+01:00Waterproof Ink<p>It’s been a frustrating day at Raven Towers.</p> <p>In preparation to move my caricature work into a Watercolour folio, I wanted to find some proper waterproof ink (as you know, I use watercolour for the base of my caricature sketches, and having waterproof ink is a must).  So, here is what I’ve tried…</p> <ul> <li>Noodlers Bullitproof Black Ink (in various fountain pens)</li> <li>Platinum Carbon Ink (in various fountain pens)</li> <li>Sumi Ink</li> <li>Kuretake Black Ink 60</li> <li>Winsor & Newton Indian Ink (my last resort)</li> <li>Various pigment markers - such as Sakura, Faber PITT, DR, Kuretake Mangaka</li> </ul> <p>The results were dissapointing…..</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikS0ng_ONxfBWfaltvQKtKqFlnwjNLpMMUHxikNKPAfixY2UNtCVzc3LVPtV7DvRhsI3x9m8o4JUTcIqOeaiDOJ01tbJS1UPl8_1fOjeJQ5oFO8QMDiQ0DIW0uY4ZW1aTR9aoa9g/s1600-h/20170710133915538_0001%255B2%255D"><img title="20170710133915538_0001" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="20170710133915538_0001" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhATgJ4uXfMDcsDNDaXtyv68F3wDDfMFTb7f_amJEU_lDUKzhKm9BHkms2KvXrz69ZF9FYRlthuSTg5YeIUEmiwDWl9p4hUKrgU9VI8yIc-GjHU6RCJxQwKurr1fsrFHbUBwEXg/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="160" /></a></p> <p>As you can see, virtually everything apart from the W&N and the pigment markers wasn’t waterproof – even ink that <em>specifically</em>  said that it was.</p> <p>So, I’m left using either pigment markers, or W&N if I want to use brush or dip pen – fountain pens are OUT (a real shame, as I like my Rotring Artpens…)  I might have to try some Rotring drawing ink and compare that…</p>Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-91280218222623802532016-12-20T14:36:00.001+00:002016-12-20T14:37:41.112+00:00Ian McKellan as “Magneto”<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCyKoUnzZAKsHVEECXucSz7Nxa-DqTs2v2rn-78PEZeiJENpto5up5bPs3net-eFOaR-UeIfOaGElqiMtrQbLhYPFQmwKVFbjKyiHeTSsUk0z2HdPR34rBUinoDdStD8oFxCeHw/s1600-h/Ian%252520mcKellen%252520-%252520Magneto%25255B2%25255D.png"><img title="Ian mcKellen - Magneto" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Ian mcKellen - Magneto" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LZCzoh1XItbVzY0qz34CvLKKLA89naqNYYkYrT50v2Jk9ihkEURvPz1WUakruPE-B0KzoNwxgaTy5mHC3s94_niLCgvn2v_ZFwWoJHINatTzEDHxYRK3Qgf70OyUgrC0_t__FQ/?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a></p>Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-48758182178756678572016-12-20T14:32:00.001+00:002016-12-20T14:32:50.224+00:00To “Pro”, or not to “Pro”–iPad that is…<p>Today has been an interesting day.  Over the last few weeks, I’ve been looking into the iPad pro, and asknig myself “is it really worth it?”</p> <p>Well, the answer to that depends on a lot of factors.  To begin with, let’s look at my digital cartooning history.  I started out using a HP TC1100 tablet pc and stylus (originallly made in 2006) and OpenCanvas.  This combination wasn’t bad, but OpenCanvas started to get a little glitchy, so I moved on to Manga Studio and Xara Xtreme.  This software forced me to upgrade my tablet rig to a Fujitsu Stylistic 5112 tablet pc.  I’m still using this rig, but lately I’ve moved the drawing side to a Samsung Galaxy Note Pro w/Sketchbook and the colouring to an iPad w/Procreate.</p> <p>In the course of moving hardware, my software requirements have changed accordingly, becoming much simpler.  All I want now is an app to create good linework, and one to create good colour work from that linework.</p> <p>So, what have I found?</p> <p>Firstly, that accuracy is important to me.  When I draw with a pencil, I expect the mark to be in a certain place.  With WACOM penabled tablets, even good ones like the Galaxy Tab Pro, there is an offset due to parallaxing between screen and stylus which can be very annoying and offputting.  i found this today when I was colouring my works xmas card with the Galaxy, and I’d never really appeciated it before – until now.</p> <p>Secondly, that software can make or break the deal when it comes to digital cartooning.  I’m not talking features here, but basic functionality.  Essentially, will the software let me create the way I want to, or do I have to fight it?  An example:  I was trying to pick an existing colour, something that should be easy (and in fact is very much so in Procreate), but found that in Sketchbook I was struggling to accomplish this basic task.  Yes, I know that it’s reletively easy, but something that simple shouldn’t break your flow.</p> <p>I’ve moved away from Tablet PC’s because I find that the software adds too mcuh complexity when I’m creating – I just want to get the drawing down, ink and colour it – I don’t want to have to fight through menus and options.  If I want to do vectors, that’s a different kettle of fish, but pushing pixels should be easy.  </p> <p>i’m starting to move away from the Galaxy Tab Pro because the s-pen <em>does</em> have some parallax and becomes annoying to use.  Also, there’s only really two apps that cut the mustard for cartoons on Android – Sketchbook and ArtFlow.  “Not a problem” I hear you cry.  But I answer that with “No – but they’re not Procreate”.</p> <p>I <em>cannot</em> explain just how good Procreate is.  It is the sole reason why <em>so</em> many artists choose the iPad to do their artwork.  I would seriously, rather colour my pictures with my finger in Procreate than use <em>any </em>other software – it’s that good.  My highlights are the brushes, the colour picker and the sheer pleasure that is blending.  If I <em>can’t</em> use Procreate, that’s a real deal breaker.</p> <p>So here we are – I’ve ruled out PCs & Android – that just leaves IOS & Procreate, and now we come to the final item – the Apple Pencil.  i took the time recently to try one with Procreate on an iPad Pro 12.9 at an Apple Store recently – and I was blown away.  The <em>accuracy</em> is astonishing.  There is virtually no parallax at all, and the Pencil feels natural to draw with.  Add the that the tilt sensor and …  wow, just wow!</p> <p>Not everyone will agree with my findings, but I will be moving to an iPad Pro 12.9 with an Apple Pencil and Procreate – just as soon as I can get the money together…. <img class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-smile" style="border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none" alt="Smile" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1LuChWygYC9aoVTUcLExZRCYtpcEYr-QbyWFp6mTVjcACaijvsTPZiq7fPAGhDkQgf2r7PWzxNBX2fFgGA0VVxmrHGMG_hwTN_J1P2rhWSHXQcP4y5mMkcvGhvkZyZqJg7Ujxw/?imgmax=800" /></p>Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-36345060956212986882016-04-05T15:56:00.001+01:002016-04-05T15:56:24.517+01:00The 10 Minute Epiphany...I've been getting very annoyed at myself this weekend, with my caricature work. I didn't seem to be able to get a good likeness done, and what I <i>was</i> doing was taking forever. After looking at the caricature tutorials again, I had an epiphany... I was taking too long. It was taking me over 40 minutes to get to a stage where the drawing looked <i>something </i>like the subject. To get better, I <i>have </i>to do more caricatures, and that means getting faster...<br />
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The answer? Simplify, and go back to basics.<br />
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Take a good look at the subject, but concentrate on the <i>shapes </i>that I see. Once I have the shapes in my head, I give myself 10 minutes to capture the best likeness I can with a blue pencil. Like this...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHz46qriTxqDfV4fvbc_T4QPidtixZQZlwJaOYP4jUeebey3mKIf0aFI5iZr3kl98n1_-3QP1Lbr05cGGl_zhNJI0xmrH26x41tAf0_9nPSP1dWIpch7WwodMK1xs3iMavqsi-xA/s1600/20160405154839535_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHz46qriTxqDfV4fvbc_T4QPidtixZQZlwJaOYP4jUeebey3mKIf0aFI5iZr3kl98n1_-3QP1Lbr05cGGl_zhNJI0xmrH26x41tAf0_9nPSP1dWIpch7WwodMK1xs3iMavqsi-xA/s320/20160405154839535_0001.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RHJUls2vvRv3-kSVLtUORK1u60KIFP1aMUq9a0-ZYUQI_qkSElXBkTM-BFXrrghyphenhyphentmT5CfIIdurVB3bwTRcJKUWyLd0BjKLfKJPrwrZipoeM5sdAaKJ1LoHaY-WoC35TxeQrlA/s1600/20160405154839535_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RHJUls2vvRv3-kSVLtUORK1u60KIFP1aMUq9a0-ZYUQI_qkSElXBkTM-BFXrrghyphenhyphentmT5CfIIdurVB3bwTRcJKUWyLd0BjKLfKJPrwrZipoeM5sdAaKJ1LoHaY-WoC35TxeQrlA/s320/20160405154839535_0002.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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As you can see, I've got a reasonable likeness of Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and Blofelt (Donald Pleasance) - both of which I'll ink over at some stage and produce a finished colouy version. The 10 minute limit forces me to get the basic shapes right first - once that's right, the rest is easy.<br />
<br />Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-90702860462799984752016-04-01T14:29:00.000+01:002016-04-01T14:29:04.196+01:00Digital Caricatures - Note to self...Keep it simple stupid. Concentrate on the drawing and line art, then colour simply - just use airbrush to create light and shadow.Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-63747532306428888862016-03-31T16:26:00.001+01:002016-03-31T16:35:24.349+01:00...And the results are......Interesting.<br />
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Here's what I did. I decided to do a quick background comparison test using a piece of watercolor paper (with a gesso coating) versus Bristol board. At the same time, I decided to test my new purchase - a Winsor Newton Series 7 size 2. The only waterproof ink I had to test it with was my little bottle of Winsor Newton Indian Ink, so that's what I did....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7yS_iQqBWu_RfEWE6HJOwaOvb4nK76-mE2SxKJVa-37hcTWqHVjp1tHwRScutddNjWSLhaiIlSrEl2NxnSwbg_yCn3vRh4DJ9WlwbGZarfSw478yG3q6eK3XNAktgUAFcySCAQ/s1600/20160331160145806_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7yS_iQqBWu_RfEWE6HJOwaOvb4nK76-mE2SxKJVa-37hcTWqHVjp1tHwRScutddNjWSLhaiIlSrEl2NxnSwbg_yCn3vRh4DJ9WlwbGZarfSw478yG3q6eK3XNAktgUAFcySCAQ/s320/20160331160145806_0001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The image on the left is the watercolor paper with gesso, the left is untreated Bristol board.<br />
First thoughts? I HATE inking on gesso - it's not just the feel of the brush on the surface, but it catches my fingers making the inking more "wobbly" as a result. I used my Rosemary brush on the gesso, as I didn't want to ruin the W&N straight away. I <i>did</i> use it on the bristol, and liked it a lot - but the ink! The W&N Indian ink just didn't want to flow! I normally use Sumi ink, which is gorgeous with a brush, but compared to that, the W&N ink felt like tar - it just didn't flow. The upshot is I'm going to try to get some Pelikan ink (supposed to be really good with brushes), but I digress...<br />
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I did the background using the same basic method - that is, I got the page wet, and applied some diluted Golden Fluid Acrylic (Pthalo Blue), trying to get a gradual fade. I obviously didn't succeed, but that was becausse I was short of time. Both surfaces were <i>much</i> less absorbant than the basic watercolor paper (which I expected), but both behaved in different ways. The gessoed watercolor page did have some texture, which stopped the paint from moving very freely. The bristol board is <i>much</i> smoother, which lets the paint flow better. You'll notice that the bristol has a more "watercolor" feel because of that - the quite stark color gradient is because I had to mop up the remaining blue paint on the surface as I ran out of testing time. I think that given more time, the result would have been more pleasing. It also leads to another point: with the bristol board, I <i>could </i>lift the paint off more like I would with watercolor, so I could fix mistakes.<br />
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So what's the result? Well, I prefer both surfaces to untreated watercolor paper without a doubt. The thing is, I'm not sure if I'd prefer gessoed illustration board to Bristol Board. Bristol is cheaper, more easily available, and takes ink better - I may well stay with that.What I <i>might</i> do is sand the gessoed illustration board a bit, and see if that helps...<br />
<br />Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-54835543959517652002016-03-30T14:31:00.000+01:002016-03-31T16:27:30.173+01:00'Ruddy 'Ell!Just tried a background in acrylics on watercolour paper, and found that I couldn't move the paint around how I wanted. Problem appears to be that compared to Bristol or Illustration board, the paper is so much more absorbant that it literaly sucks the water out of the paint. Also, even though I sealed the ink drawing with fixative, the ink still ran when water was applied! The answer appears to be to gesso the surface, so I might try a couple of experiments..Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-28995314785801048332016-03-11T13:56:00.002+00:002016-03-31T16:27:16.709+01:00Trouble at t' mill...This blog of mine as sort of become a post facto diary of sorts for my journey in art, so here's the latest debarcle...<br />
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I've started experimenting with liquid acrylic paints, specifically Golden, and the results are quite good. I used a similar method that I use for the watercolour base (light to dark), just with more layers...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTZaLJDqBbODG0AmaqVC8zpL90RJ7mJ-9nnrY0lxJp7pxKZqV5rU43pU-XsM2po_zEVm6XlxsWPMcS6kC89fivXzHAv_-5xBvMcnsg_epKQ0fZhkRdjtp1g2cqbx-7hbThwzoeQ/s1600/shaun+raven+leia+carrie+fisher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTZaLJDqBbODG0AmaqVC8zpL90RJ7mJ-9nnrY0lxJp7pxKZqV5rU43pU-XsM2po_zEVm6XlxsWPMcS6kC89fivXzHAv_-5xBvMcnsg_epKQ0fZhkRdjtp1g2cqbx-7hbThwzoeQ/s320/shaun+raven+leia+carrie+fisher.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
I'm really pleased with my version of "Leia" (Carrie Fisher), and it gave me the confidence to go further, so I tried "Castle" (Nathan Fillion again). Nathan is a really hard subject, but I thought my sketch was pretty good, so on with the painting, and... oh dear....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThSI8HuhHIn2BxjZcexSRr1sJBDLM4gPc_ilMt-05oKKbTdA0JXcMTPN_YQTaVPnp9MB007Lw8OjwrL3uWzrodgJ7Kfz0GlMsE7cZKsaO77y-xbrM831yeGdAvRkhr1T2q7w0JQ/s1600/crap+castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThSI8HuhHIn2BxjZcexSRr1sJBDLM4gPc_ilMt-05oKKbTdA0JXcMTPN_YQTaVPnp9MB007Lw8OjwrL3uWzrodgJ7Kfz0GlMsE7cZKsaO77y-xbrM831yeGdAvRkhr1T2q7w0JQ/s320/crap+castle.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
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Unlike "Leia", I tried to do clouds as I would have done with oil paints, but by using an acrylic blending medium - the results were horrible. Not only were the clouds "patchy", but the illustration board reacted badly in one place, the surface "bobbling" until it went a very strange shade (almost like I'd damaged the surface). I'll tried to tone the background down a lot to get over that problem, but that wasn't the end of it.<br />
<br />
The mask I used to cover the subject failed in places, leaving bright green smuges on the paper. The answer (I thought) was titanium white, but of course, the different absorbtion rates between the paper and the white paint left me with horrible blotches. I tried guoache, but that just mixed with the acrylic paint! It took a lot of work, but I finally covered the mistakes. Then the painters tape ripped the board - bacause it wasn't gessoed...<br />
Next step was colour pencil - and that really didn't work. The blending just went straight to hell, although at least the pencil "took". As I look at it now, it's not <i>terrible</i>, but it's nowhere near "OK"...<br />
<br />
So, for future projects....<br />
<ul>
<li>Gesso the surface to make it "even" when the paint is applied and prevent "Bobbling"</li>
<li>Go from light to dark, and assume you CANNOT lighten it.</li>
<li>Don't mix guoache with acrylic!</li>
</ul>
So, I may try "Castle" again using the lesson's I've learned - watch this space! <br />
<ul>
</ul>
Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-32532104102367442232016-02-18T10:57:00.001+00:002016-03-31T16:27:03.559+01:00Been a while...Oh yes, it certainly has. I've been playing with more cartoon and caricature methods of late, as well as doing some commisions, and I'm now in the process of updating my methods (again).<br />
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As described in <a href="http://hypervox.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/mixed-media-caricatures-method-for-my.html">previous posts</a>, I usually colour my line work by underpainting in water colours, and then detailing with colour pencils. I recently bought Jeff Miracola's acrylic painting DVD, and it made me rethink my current process. Firstly, I've been using pigment markers or brushes to do my linework, but I've always been happier using my Zebra brush pen - but it's not waterproof. After watching Jeff's videos on youtube, I thought I'd try using a fixing spray to seal the paper after I did my linework - and waddya know, it works! I can use my Zebra brush pen, with all its abilities, and still colour the work with no ink bleeding - marvelous!<br />
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I then tried to do the underpainting using acrylic inks (FW Ink) which worked, and here's the result...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1rumsx6aHnVsqTWju_s1uGTSZSg7IUV3Pgfgmg1O1VTRQiFhusJfprbmjoXXkNjPKAQZpFBzjZ1rk4qqZMWcWEvuMGnd_GY12js4D6VKqwHjs36zl4aTnIbpVHQcMbs2L6HEng/s1600/shaun+raven+graham+hill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1rumsx6aHnVsqTWju_s1uGTSZSg7IUV3Pgfgmg1O1VTRQiFhusJfprbmjoXXkNjPKAQZpFBzjZ1rk4qqZMWcWEvuMGnd_GY12js4D6VKqwHjs36zl4aTnIbpVHQcMbs2L6HEng/s320/shaun+raven+graham+hill.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
As you can see, it turned out...OK. Not as good as I hoped actually, which I put down to the inks being far too strong, which meant I had to work much harder with them. My next step was to try Acrylic paint - specifically Golden Fluid Acrylics - for the underpainting - here's a little "TinTin"esque character...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBH36-3QW2yJOxaNORa2EkXh9afX80YWJGahPzpWy_qbaOENl0oIs9LoSRLbuSYM-KmhvCDvv6bL3xoF8p1aptD2mIL0jpCAx61rlpRkDWDw0wj5fhBPhe-JwuRTJvaPaKTFeS-w/s1600/20160218103828996_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBH36-3QW2yJOxaNORa2EkXh9afX80YWJGahPzpWy_qbaOENl0oIs9LoSRLbuSYM-KmhvCDvv6bL3xoF8p1aptD2mIL0jpCAx61rlpRkDWDw0wj5fhBPhe-JwuRTJvaPaKTFeS-w/s320/20160218103828996_0001.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
This is JUST the underpainting - no pencils involved. You'll notice how rich it looks compared to the combined ink / pencil method above. I reckon it will look even better once the pencil is applied. Let's see...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Rxrav8Cgy1yDBUCSl2N-xUU9OdOheZ_9HPzureHjkfiJU9Sd-2rY2rvL7eJu7JRvJLL_wWUpmj5vjwhpvY3pgjLMi-RRYz0jZcdZYoXA3_Tp0yCZCLJlJXgI_AxlWOJqqEhd4A/s1600/20160218124824254_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Rxrav8Cgy1yDBUCSl2N-xUU9OdOheZ_9HPzureHjkfiJU9Sd-2rY2rvL7eJu7JRvJLL_wWUpmj5vjwhpvY3pgjLMi-RRYz0jZcdZYoXA3_Tp0yCZCLJlJXgI_AxlWOJqqEhd4A/s320/20160218124824254_0001.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
Subtle - but it's there. The pencils add a bit of textured shading (this is watercolor paper...). Overall, the effect is quite nice. There's a "depth" that's there that wasn't before, possibly because I "glazed" the underpainting, making the colours more striking. The Pencil shading is good, although I wonder if I could do that with just paint (the before picture has had some shading performed with just the acrylic). The next step is to try this on another caricature, and see how we go...<br />
<br />
As an aside, my next piece will be on illustration / watercolour board. I'm tempted to prime the board with Gesso (another little trick from Jeff) before I start, to make sure the board is properly sealed first, but as I have 3 boards, I might just have a go with just the fixing spray first.<br />
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<br />Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-69839176674542608462015-12-04T13:36:00.000+00:002015-12-04T13:36:06.665+00:00Mixed Media Part 2 - "Mad-Eye Moody"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUSVptXmphSbyzdnoRu_DsqBN5UXac72oA1LhTCc5_z6ROkFSOa47SdxuL2kUMaQVA8PPdZOkHBW0NeUJbtdlqw66uynjntRYD8gMA3oKY6MX3RiMWMSK031g6e8xLqEHDnBf_A/s1600/mad+eye+moody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUSVptXmphSbyzdnoRu_DsqBN5UXac72oA1LhTCc5_z6ROkFSOa47SdxuL2kUMaQVA8PPdZOkHBW0NeUJbtdlqw66uynjntRYD8gMA3oKY6MX3RiMWMSK031g6e8xLqEHDnBf_A/s320/mad+eye+moody.jpg" width="291" /></a></div>
More notes to myself on the Mixed Media process....<br />
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1. Dark colours first, then go progressively lighter...<br />
2. Only blend dark colours with oil, as the lighter ones will darken too much...<br />
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<br />Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-88743792255732943142015-11-27T14:40:00.000+00:002015-11-27T14:40:24.071+00:00Note to self....Just ink normally.<br />
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Don't faff about with coloured inks or any other crap. <br />
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Just plain, old sumi ink - or a black prisamcolour.... :)Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-16380504945891593652015-08-28T10:53:00.000+01:002015-12-04T13:36:34.461+00:00Mixed Media Caricatures - method for my own notes....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8DC9r3YvH740XK2AbjdTL7s0je7mxE7j3b3vXPyI43ratgKq2EYs5z_pVcG8aGga_zyNiryAoGq_Cu5esBJDrqpOC4cvhPHEWd4bCg3FipeeIk-cKAH7hEmT0DpMmcnYNJczLA/s1600/shaun+raven+Keira+Knightly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8DC9r3YvH740XK2AbjdTL7s0je7mxE7j3b3vXPyI43ratgKq2EYs5z_pVcG8aGga_zyNiryAoGq_Cu5esBJDrqpOC4cvhPHEWd4bCg3FipeeIk-cKAH7hEmT0DpMmcnYNJczLA/s320/shaun+raven+Keira+Knightly.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
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As you can see from above, I love doing caricatures / portraits using mixed media, and for my own reference, I'm documenting the method I used above for Keira Knightly (as it worked so well).<br />
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Stage 1: Pencil sketch on plain paper<br />
Stage 2: Transfer pencil sketch to Bristol Board using a lightbox and Ink pens (in future, I might just use pencil and add ink later - we'll see...)<br />
Stage 3: Water color underpainting of subject<br />
Stage 4: Colour pencil blending and detail layer<br />
Stage 5: Guoache highlights / details<br />
Stage 6: Acrylic background (includes slow dry medium to create a "wash" like effect).<br />
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My next attempt will be Christopher Lee / Peter Cushing, at which point I'll document each stage... Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-1072368231993942502014-09-12T12:35:00.002+01:002014-09-12T12:35:41.713+01:00My new cartooning setup part 2 - Caricaturing....As you may well have noticed, there's been a distinct lack of cartoons recently - this is because I've been concentrating on caricaturing, something that I've been interested in, but not fully committed too - until now. The thing is, I'm out of humour lately. I can't come up with a funny line for toffee, and it's gotten so frustrating that I decided to concentrate on my caricature work. The upshot of all this is that my caricaturing skills have improved, and it's no small conincidence that's it's down to my new setup.<br />
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When I caricature, I do it in pencil, as I'm comfortable with it, and it gives me the results I like.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTdTmO0hT1zDUqtflQpmskYqCpPScJqET_7KZFBmVqYh97V7O-FSPLbMfu2dGTCimeZCVoeRKBXM2RQVMgPpBvK3cIEA_teBZ_mJrdwo-hWdx1UoCwpQW46tghSkxIVg1Oz-FVw/s1600/kate+-+start+point.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTdTmO0hT1zDUqtflQpmskYqCpPScJqET_7KZFBmVqYh97V7O-FSPLbMfu2dGTCimeZCVoeRKBXM2RQVMgPpBvK3cIEA_teBZ_mJrdwo-hWdx1UoCwpQW46tghSkxIVg1Oz-FVw/s1600/kate+-+start+point.jpg" height="320" width="226" /> </a></div>
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Once that's complete, I put the drawing onto my iPad to colour. For caricatures, I use Procreate, rather than Pen & Ink as it gives me better results... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6L2Hzv5pOqgCZSd7sDX25HrRU5xk2-PDaGAl3mmTQxij6UaKzzMru_dnlSm0FE8wrKQZv5rB7tuDqoFmGeCaZpfPw5LfEloFtIsUz4zGV17S2lqenoX1ddzx0Dqy8fql2SAcGw/s1600/shaun+raven+Kate_Omara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6L2Hzv5pOqgCZSd7sDX25HrRU5xk2-PDaGAl3mmTQxij6UaKzzMru_dnlSm0FE8wrKQZv5rB7tuDqoFmGeCaZpfPw5LfEloFtIsUz4zGV17S2lqenoX1ddzx0Dqy8fql2SAcGw/s1600/shaun+raven+Kate_Omara.jpg" height="320" width="254" /> </a></div>
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And this is the end result. So far, I've done 3 using this method, and I'm happy with all of them so far...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8reo1nSxioaHTo6iYL3bT-zq4EEUY7D1BWeyDgZgfc3Er3EeCsviWCefGVwZGCrRTWLtjnZTzyYnvJhfNZ9NJltJXb_DwPQZAFCTbgEYXoO79TxGBi8AOw8K-KY0OGae7tmaTA/s1600/chris+pine+coloured.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8reo1nSxioaHTo6iYL3bT-zq4EEUY7D1BWeyDgZgfc3Er3EeCsviWCefGVwZGCrRTWLtjnZTzyYnvJhfNZ9NJltJXb_DwPQZAFCTbgEYXoO79TxGBi8AOw8K-KY0OGae7tmaTA/s1600/chris+pine+coloured.png" height="320" width="255" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3I2OmGr3pStAb0XMU4ih2jJnOn8IBOeB1u0tr0gS1FlPon9xJjcI851hFcyP9QFt6mb-sRtCXZRpBUFnc-zNlzBviYdyZJG7mHUAYlDYKJOkHUiz2vOE61vX5i25fmld4EgFAg/s1600/jack+black.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3I2OmGr3pStAb0XMU4ih2jJnOn8IBOeB1u0tr0gS1FlPon9xJjcI851hFcyP9QFt6mb-sRtCXZRpBUFnc-zNlzBviYdyZJG7mHUAYlDYKJOkHUiz2vOE61vX5i25fmld4EgFAg/s1600/jack+black.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVlPUWlkQhyphenhyphenzFgtvSyedFRsHSTC54iufYs-JzMxa-91FJjsjmiAT3xvwi-GFjmK6iyo5cdM7CoVFOI-M-hOoXryUzgtucLIDuQr3x0ec4Q-Zr9U_G8tz52sKXAsW2If2vOfUp7Q/s1600/Midge-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVlPUWlkQhyphenhyphenzFgtvSyedFRsHSTC54iufYs-JzMxa-91FJjsjmiAT3xvwi-GFjmK6iyo5cdM7CoVFOI-M-hOoXryUzgtucLIDuQr3x0ec4Q-Zr9U_G8tz52sKXAsW2If2vOfUp7Q/s1600/Midge-1.png" height="320" width="226" /> </a></div>
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If anyone reading this wants their own caricature, you can reach me at the <a href="http://www.caricatoons.co.uk/">Caricatoons </a>website... </div>
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<br />Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-44469148327114314912014-07-21T15:34:00.000+01:002014-07-21T15:34:11.855+01:00My new cartooning setup - iPads Rule!It's been a while since my last post - much has happened. I've been through a 25th anniversary, various domestic issues and a heavy workload, but finally, I am happy to report that I'm moving over to the dark side - yes chaps, I've started to go "Apple".<br />
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I bought my wife and I an iPad Air each recently, and I thought "How good would this thing be for cartooning?" Well, after a few false starts, here is my current cartooning kit (minus the iPad)...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ai0lYruGnjPnSeMvs6_hqerQmIW3IEwwJsvNUECGiybUtYtb5auxIbLtixF6w7CdjZpVh_LmPRU9L_wQyt8u20__R8NMCpiTfquCV_mlWA07aY0c5Ie3u1fje62J5y2VNNGt5Q/s1600/photo2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ai0lYruGnjPnSeMvs6_hqerQmIW3IEwwJsvNUECGiybUtYtb5auxIbLtixF6w7CdjZpVh_LmPRU9L_wQyt8u20__R8NMCpiTfquCV_mlWA07aY0c5Ie3u1fje62J5y2VNNGt5Q/s1600/photo2.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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At the top is a <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ECWADFE/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1">Wacom Creative Stylus</a> - this monster of a package is well made, pressure sensitive, and feels lovely in the hand - but it's crap. The stylus feels lovely, but it's far too thick to see what you're doing, and that's <i>really</i> frustrating. I got so annoyed, I started looking for another stylus - and found the<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AJBOSJO/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1"> GoSmart 300 Stylus</a> (the little rocket ship thing bottom left!). This has a tip that looks like a wire hoop...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERO1woNWlZZiSuEWr8LAuC9Uk6tb_uvpltLwC3PFNofK6zJ91MNS_RGYKUkN_5GC-BfB6liiF0IVwEptNYa0OB3Y7b6mVxb6kGpe9bdOvROr2cOQjZDHnrRTkppBNgL3xVqUbwA/s1600/41ghvH-KQwL._SL500_SS75_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERO1woNWlZZiSuEWr8LAuC9Uk6tb_uvpltLwC3PFNofK6zJ91MNS_RGYKUkN_5GC-BfB6liiF0IVwEptNYa0OB3Y7b6mVxb6kGpe9bdOvROr2cOQjZDHnrRTkppBNgL3xVqUbwA/s1600/41ghvH-KQwL._SL500_SS75_.jpg" /></a></div>
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This allows you to see what's under the tip - great for detail work, and the stylus is solid aluminium! It may not be pressure sensitive, but so far, I'm not finding that a problem.<br />
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The final trial was which software to use on the iPad. I was given lots of recommendations, and it's a good thing that most of these apps are cheap, because you can soon waste money - however, I did find an app that let me work the way I wanted to work - ladies and gentlemen, I give you <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/pen-ink-a-watercolor-notebook/id579934598?mt=8">Pen & Ink</a><br />
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<a href="http://a3.mzstatic.com/eu/r30/Purple6/v4/18/1f/53/181f5341-abf0-c808-5a73-b225fdabc493/screen480x480.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://a3.mzstatic.com/eu/r30/Purple6/v4/18/1f/53/181f5341-abf0-c808-5a73-b225fdabc493/screen480x480.jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pen & Ink is essentialy a Moleskin journal & full art set in one neat package. It has full layer support, variable size pages and runs really quickly, but I really love it's inking engine. When I ink using a pen, I tend to ink the same way I sketch - small short lines, that make up one whole line. Pen and ink feels like I'm really using my pen again - and I love it. In fact, I did this picture the other day...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG08YJknr2qTG7GkBnuT_xIZQk6YNbvp0P_yj-0mW-_ujNZdBakQ_80QDwONKwbEb2_vgvyChVw2FKEZoU6pQjFlYbqGHFIPTjiGLY9ik8WnNblExDfoQ_pwrRPJrUbuhtSSwwhw/s1600/shaun_raven_sam_vimes.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG08YJknr2qTG7GkBnuT_xIZQk6YNbvp0P_yj-0mW-_ujNZdBakQ_80QDwONKwbEb2_vgvyChVw2FKEZoU6pQjFlYbqGHFIPTjiGLY9ik8WnNblExDfoQ_pwrRPJrUbuhtSSwwhw/s1600/shaun_raven_sam_vimes.jpeg" height="320" width="319" /></a></div>
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This is a quick piccie of Sir Samuel Vimes, from the Terry Pratchett "Discworld" series, but using Sam Neill (of Jurassic Park fame) as the base. All done in Pen and Ink, with the GoSmart stylus. Neat eh?<br />
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In summary, I really love this setup. it's quick, easy and gives great results. It might not work for everyone, but at the moment, it's working for me...Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-15761080696658096382014-06-20T13:56:00.003+01:002014-06-20T13:56:29.504+01:00CCGB #255<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XUKpHYrv0ReVmjRVGjzCkyLT0iHyR5w5fqrnNcv8IjvAU08a5a0tjoWEF8JXwZIvI8fmpmkc0VQ-ZJdbPJ_RXHlpnLTxaCwxC4t96CPXJA82J6vbY7p9ojxfBOXN_pqVJ3DO0Q/s1600/ccgb+%23255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XUKpHYrv0ReVmjRVGjzCkyLT0iHyR5w5fqrnNcv8IjvAU08a5a0tjoWEF8JXwZIvI8fmpmkc0VQ-ZJdbPJ_RXHlpnLTxaCwxC4t96CPXJA82J6vbY7p9ojxfBOXN_pqVJ3DO0Q/s1600/ccgb+%23255.jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-17476946900144552812014-05-16T14:37:00.000+01:002014-05-16T14:37:07.625+01:00Pon Farr Cat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here is a little video I did for my Sons & Daughter-In-Law of their cat - Coco. I was round there one day and My son started to play-fight with the cat, whilst humming the Vulcan "Pon Farr" fight scene music (we're all <i>such</i> nerds). I thought it was great so I knocked this up - enjoy!</div>
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<br />Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-26570403009887995072014-05-16T14:04:00.001+01:002014-05-16T14:04:52.655+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, here we are with another puppet update. Our brown furry friend is coming along nicely....</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdc4sEU9iPFBCyMgEctoxR_2n3TSyisAH0ARnsbqFLKj4mSshtJPEEFeXVW5TZhGkohQTD2zWx3kt4kfTwz8sQ5Ge_AH2NbcSeKo-Eo2C-9VVj7SoumEcDjyat2CG5gjSR8RQX7g/s1600/Colchester-20140424-00105.jpg" height="320" width="240" /> </div>
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As you can see, his red mouth has finally gone (much happier with it this time), and I used Fast-Tack fabric glue rather than spray adhesive, as it gave me a much longer working time. On my next puppet though, I may glue the fabric to the mouth-plate first, and then glue the fabric from the head to the mouth, rather than stich it...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wD7oOuze5PhW8CxolEkAupt-vlyhhjcaCYnHZz9_J9cdPsKQZz2P7YPOw3ec_8CUFTLSCkaXdnFwvMHTEaoiqDXgWmaLiXyedSs1xv5zZUTPeYf3-J445OMGgRXWTi5pyTwSWw/s1600/Colchester-20140424-00106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wD7oOuze5PhW8CxolEkAupt-vlyhhjcaCYnHZz9_J9cdPsKQZz2P7YPOw3ec_8CUFTLSCkaXdnFwvMHTEaoiqDXgWmaLiXyedSs1xv5zZUTPeYf3-J445OMGgRXWTi5pyTwSWw/s1600/Colchester-20140424-00106.jpg" height="240" width="320" /> </a></div>
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I also added ears, but I made them so small they ended up more as bumps on his head! Never mind though, as I it gave me other ideas.... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnj197wB8z3XcgbwntknGQAZHKnh5ALLLXDDzyTdk86CaT4I7fTzzo1PBpYccM7aM_QcOX1cPsKa7fgBeHGMFYseBjWFZyeFB9kZFC-kIw7lS9Gx3emiMlA4AicDA_G8s4lYYwtw/s1600/Colchester-20140424-00107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnj197wB8z3XcgbwntknGQAZHKnh5ALLLXDDzyTdk86CaT4I7fTzzo1PBpYccM7aM_QcOX1cPsKa7fgBeHGMFYseBjWFZyeFB9kZFC-kIw7lS9Gx3emiMlA4AicDA_G8s4lYYwtw/s1600/Colchester-20140424-00107.jpg" height="320" width="240" /> </a></div>
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So anyhow, I've started on the hands and arms. Here's a hand.... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVkwnx4F-9fKN4EXa32CLp0dzwHB3IOjPj0yVS4dAv_5GCHMv6YjDfs-7Dss6u0eR7ZPgDMkFS7JIx-TYIx6-QROo0SmmLfFgDl1UifooiXRjdO5toMmif9-4movzdmX22OqGzQ/s1600/Colchester-20140424-00108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVkwnx4F-9fKN4EXa32CLp0dzwHB3IOjPj0yVS4dAv_5GCHMv6YjDfs-7Dss6u0eR7ZPgDMkFS7JIx-TYIx6-QROo0SmmLfFgDl1UifooiXRjdO5toMmif9-4movzdmX22OqGzQ/s1600/Colchester-20140424-00108.jpg" height="240" width="320" /> </a></div>
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It's made from two pieces of foam, glued together. Inside the foam is a wire armature that allows the hand to move, as well as a piece of plastic tube that will be used to connect the arm rods... </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-R1BWp2il4xgVs_ZFGUKVEvySkx94nbWCx6pIQYK3EQgBiabWPNdzdBkD9xASF3PlcbJMrMOOI_zdfOxOM4oCRgr5LiD0BDTW7tmFUIxBy-8p38lHAgPYhkyjlIVp55wXdSiO2A/s1600/Colchester-20140424-00110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-R1BWp2il4xgVs_ZFGUKVEvySkx94nbWCx6pIQYK3EQgBiabWPNdzdBkD9xASF3PlcbJMrMOOI_zdfOxOM4oCRgr5LiD0BDTW7tmFUIxBy-8p38lHAgPYhkyjlIVp55wXdSiO2A/s1600/Colchester-20140424-00110.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arm Rod Hole!</td></tr>
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Next came the fur outside, stitched using "muppet stitch". Once I'd made one arm, I realised just how BIG the hands are! On my next puppet, I'll make the hands much smaller... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAI-4bJE8-nHidKAutqKS3guIu8BhXhxRWUKHTZ0vXffU8o8dY2Vbq6F7a7-OgIg1BsFf2vHAX82-3twSyDwv305tZtF8ByMVnsGawzdpl2bjeOgiyRZBJhxqQb1W5TrpKiAvmJg/s1600/Colchester-20140424-00111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAI-4bJE8-nHidKAutqKS3guIu8BhXhxRWUKHTZ0vXffU8o8dY2Vbq6F7a7-OgIg1BsFf2vHAX82-3twSyDwv305tZtF8ByMVnsGawzdpl2bjeOgiyRZBJhxqQb1W5TrpKiAvmJg/s1600/Colchester-20140424-00111.jpg" height="240" width="320" /> </a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXevNlUl8_mRpkUVv7PHa02mUOow0cPxGJ0VCm3kI5ZtSeHGcVBvcVJcF_Y6n4PNOrqPuW23EvXUlHbH9-n20Y7NaopeLMuRh6JBQT3m-zXpMS9tY7q-5jNawIle4bMtG7QI5QA/s1600/Colchester-20140424-00112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXevNlUl8_mRpkUVv7PHa02mUOow0cPxGJ0VCm3kI5ZtSeHGcVBvcVJcF_Y6n4PNOrqPuW23EvXUlHbH9-n20Y7NaopeLMuRh6JBQT3m-zXpMS9tY7q-5jNawIle4bMtG7QI5QA/s1600/Colchester-20140424-00112.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finger pointing!</td></tr>
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The size of the hands and the length of the arms has given me an idea. This puppet will be a drummer in a band, and my other puppets will be the other band members. as this puppet is a drummer, I'm toying with the idea of him not having any eyes - maybe just heavy eyebrows.<br />
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Maybe they'll be a "cover" band. It would certainly give me a platform to use my music skills!Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-86728425904051733842014-05-16T13:14:00.003+01:002014-05-16T13:14:53.088+01:00CCGB #249<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8YvFJhNpfRUs4QkPX1-7mP39Y9sL7ip7JA8QXNkle6-EnsD3VJ5ih3M8x6uSphxXiPTIRpwVEcVloTc_Fh6W80E9bf3Xnq3ScGr9csIEvsir2gelUKujOPsctoK6KG2-obXbGg/s1600/ccgb+%23249-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8YvFJhNpfRUs4QkPX1-7mP39Y9sL7ip7JA8QXNkle6-EnsD3VJ5ih3M8x6uSphxXiPTIRpwVEcVloTc_Fh6W80E9bf3Xnq3ScGr9csIEvsir2gelUKujOPsctoK6KG2-obXbGg/s1600/ccgb+%23249-2.jpg" height="284" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-91027639467682370002014-05-13T12:36:00.000+01:002014-05-13T12:36:01.090+01:00Pernicious Anaemia Cartoon....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYnfwwWxXpoEVB8UXTsCZSVSk1hI4uZxPWfrIq5RV4p_XbEfY27PPgstWtVO1bHOw-CNnB9dLMLIh3vCORjPxVRVmaiG6IR5xJyIFLKpbLN4Iw9_G97U0xySL0y0ELJbn9XoJ-dw/s1600/PAS1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYnfwwWxXpoEVB8UXTsCZSVSk1hI4uZxPWfrIq5RV4p_XbEfY27PPgstWtVO1bHOw-CNnB9dLMLIh3vCORjPxVRVmaiG6IR5xJyIFLKpbLN4Iw9_G97U0xySL0y0ELJbn9XoJ-dw/s1600/PAS1.jpg" height="217" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-32739216972399693662014-05-02T12:49:00.001+01:002014-05-02T12:49:30.393+01:00CCGB #248<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKA3n_55saak-c7agleXYFiZ-3lWgl0ifZlKwtIrMyfFdRk9wJ5kBujR3VKjfJ_64Ok0iKL7iBOv3e_u6Mp9RBDKmxFu3HrGkOMFGnJIbR1XGAI-Lt9Q9H3ip-MD8AijwRHbrog/s1600/ccgn+%23248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKA3n_55saak-c7agleXYFiZ-3lWgl0ifZlKwtIrMyfFdRk9wJ5kBujR3VKjfJ_64Ok0iKL7iBOv3e_u6Mp9RBDKmxFu3HrGkOMFGnJIbR1XGAI-Lt9Q9H3ip-MD8AijwRHbrog/s1600/ccgn+%23248.jpg" height="207" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27975477.post-86228600289488639742014-04-03T15:11:00.000+01:002014-04-03T15:11:32.989+01:00Puppet Update - the plot thickens....Just thought I'd do a quick post to let you know where I am with the puppet...<br />
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It's in bits.<br />
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Actually, that's not <i>entirely</i> true. I've restitched the left hand side, and I have the neck / head seams to do. The biggest change however, is that I've ripped the mouth felt out! Yup, I got <i>sick</i> of seeing that ridge, so I've pulled it all apart and I'm currently planning on putting a piece of black felt in, and using Hi-Tack glue as metioned before.<br />
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Extra bits I've just purchased include eyes, silicon tubing and wire - why they are required will become apparent in the fullness of time..... :) Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0