How did I get to Accident Emergency? ♫

I recently bought this shirt from 'Branch & Anchor'.  It's a clothing line that's just been started by the wonderful Richard Ashton, and it's looking great. Take a look at the store here, Branch & Anchor :)

Been back at university for nearly three weeks.  Love my new house, and there's sooo much drawing to do for the course so far :/

But I procrastinate, so here's a one of them doodle pages I did based on the lyrics from Goldfrapp's 'A&E'.  I tried using watercolour, and wish I didn't >< prefer just biro.

And (hopefully) without sounding too feeble, I'm not trying to say anything special with the words.  Not sure why I chose such a melancholy song!

The Northern Quarter Scavenge

 

Yesterday, Matt Haythornthwaite and I set out for a venture into Manchester's arty Northern Quarter, to see what there was to see (and because we need some course-related reviews on these blogs for the summer brief. So basically we went in pursuit of anywhere illustration-related, feeling uber indie ><).

Highlights include finding an exhibition in a bank vault, American snacks from Afflecks, Matt overspending in Magma, polaroid cameras, 'stealing' artwork from the Cornerhouse, a piano that played Moonlight Sonata by itself, blueberry muffins, accidentally ending up at Band On The Wall, finding Small Stakes in the Richard Goodall Gallery, sock statues, samosas, the brilliant Common Bar, Font.

And the fact that all this was free, minus drinking and muffins. Oh, and Matt buying Herakut: The Perfect Merge from Magma.

Whatever your interests, I think there's something for absolutely everyone. Though it does get torturous to look at all the pretty expensive things after a while, it's an aceeee place to spend the day with moneys or without.

Who am I to disagree?

Just thinking up other ways to present doodling.  I did a page for 'Sweet Dreams' themed around Sucker Punch a few months ago (I know it was originally Eurhymthics, but I way prefer the SP version, so mehh) and didn't like it much.  But I saw Sucker Punch again recently and it reminded me of it.

I thought maybe cutting it up and putting the words in order, like little matching tiles, might look cuter.  So I took photos of the words and set them out on this post to see ^^

This was it with saturation removed.  Can't find the other one now, and can't take a new picture because it would involve finding the sketchbook again -.-

Only a little while till uni again, so I'm on top form despite recovering from having a cold and feeling all gross.

Continuing my assignment from unversity, here's a little about another section about one of my favourite illustrators.

NICHOLAS DI GENOVA

 Goodness knows how long it takes him to do one drawing, but jeeeeeeez aren't they great? :)  I first found him in one of my fancy illustration books, Beyond Illustration (which I only have because of the lovely Alan, George, John, Mat and Rachel, so thanks ♥), and then stalked his blog Skeleton Hug.

His detail and creative instinct is just amazing, I also love how his black and white work is every bit as effective as colour.  He's appeared in many an arts magazine, such as IdN and Hive, he lives and works in Toronto.

I like how his style has evolved until he has his own signature look down to a T.  I think I spread myself a bit thin and should just focus on one style of drawing more? I don't know. Mainly I just wish I was a master of visual art like Nicholas di Genova -.-

Visit his website here.