Making these pieces of art has been something I’ve really enjoyed for the past however long it’s been (is it a year yet?). They feel like a slender shoot of possibility; I’m trying hard to create something that can use my work for a larger impact than just a succession of artwork posts online. This little endeavour has been freeing and the more I make things, the more I realise that’s a very important thing to feel.
In the past year I tried Patreon, it didn’t work but I learned a lot. I took four months to just research, plan and get feedback from people who follow my work, then I made five months worth of rewards and scheduled it on my Patreon feed. It didn’t take off but bloody hell there’s some hard edged lessons in that.
I’ve been doing an art piece right after every Liverpool game as a personal project, just to see how weirdly I can draw the players really. I’m taking big inspiration from Dave McKean and Bill Sienkiewicz and I suppose Quentin Blake as every second person says the work is like his. (I think this is more to do with the fact he’s very well known and the go-to guy for wobbly line work.)
I made two books (I totted up a rough estimate of the time involved and they may have taken about 300 hours each. Jesus Christ). I didn’t really push them in my shop because I don’t see that effort as a viable thing to do going forwards. I actually closed the shop for the time being as the effort it takes does not rival the effort client work takes. So from here on out I’ll be using that time and effort and focus (making books and running the shop) to make new things and generally switch up my entire approach and hopefully, skillset.
This art newsletter will continue as it is, it could end up being an interesting way to look back over my drawing style when nothing is at stake for a work deadline or someone’s face has to look realistic for some money to drop into my bank account.
Thanks for following my work!
(I know nothing about Paul Breitner but I’ve always wanted to draw his red hair)
You can watch a 30 second time-lapse of this artwork being created here.