Aborted Book Cover

Hey up, just dug this out of the archive. Was invited by Orchard Books to pitch for a cover last year - it didn't go any further than the above rough, but I've still got a soft spot for it.

"Is There Anybody There?"

Illustrations for A&C Black/Bloomsbury, a creepy 'seance gone weird' tale. We've all had one of those. Brrrrr.

Evil Vampirical Thing

Knowing me this'll get tampered with again in a week or so, but it's pretty much finished. It's called "Vampire". That's right. "Vampire". "Wow Nelson," says you, the reader, "You surely went on an epic mental journey to arrive at that one".

After years of mucking about in Photoshop, I'm finally getting cosy with a defined set of techniques which feel just right, and that means the production of this stuff seems to be speeding up and up. Not before bloody time!

Sci-Fi Art Now

Delighted to announce that I've had a couple of illustrations included in this gorgeous new book, edited by John Freeman of Down The Tubes fame. Above is the US edition; here's the UK edition:


Check out the Sci-Fi Art Now blog for interviews with the book's illustrators.

Out now from ILEX/Collins.

March Update

Wow, here's me actually remembering to post something.

Been busy with character designs and a sample spread for a very exciting job, as well as the work-in-progress portfolio pieces you can see here. They're doubling up nicely as character design/concept illustrations for Roof Monsters, which is coming along pretty well. One of the trickiest bits has been getting it's child stars right, both as written personalities and visually (the Roof Monsters themselves are a doddle).

My other half/writing partner is not at all happy with the girl's current hairstyle, or indeed the shape of her head in general. I know better than to argue, so a makeover is surely imminent...


More about Roof Monsters some other time. I'll leave you with these process shots of The Idiot Trolls. I'm sure there's a picture book brewing in there...

The Book Of Apertures

Book Launch

Lazy Gramophone Press presents the release of their fourth publication, 'The Book of Apertures'.

The Dylan Thomas Prize-nominated collective will bring you a whole day of music and celebration for the book. The event conveniently takes place on a Sunday, from 1pm till 10pm at The Betsey Trotwood (nearest station Farringdon, map above).

The main room is FREE entry. Entry to the upstairs room (where all the action is at) - features tunes from DJs Cuckoo Pan, EMBLAK & Tugnut & exhibited extracts & artwork from the artist & writers AND 6 short readings from 6 of the writers from the book - therein - will cost £9.99, and includes a FREE copy of the book once you step through the door (retail price £14.99), due to be officially launched 5th April 2010.

The venue will also be serving food during lunch time.

****

The book is a collection of original short stories inspired by myth and folklore. I provided illustrations for Sam Rawlings' The Tale of Hunter Stoke and Rusty Blue, which is ripe with strange magic:


I should be picking up my comp copy on the day, so if you're about do drop in and say hello!

(Edited 22/01 to include this:


I'm enough of a Philip Pullman fan to be thrilled to know he owns a book which contains a few of my doodles!)