tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34193050677732892292026-05-30T19:51:25.175+01:00A digital art and illustration blog.Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-18276346058931442172011-09-19T13:09:00.000+01:002011-09-19T13:09:22.117+01:00

There have been quite a few lovely, whimsical and serene images of hot air balloons being floating gently being created by a variety of artists. Though an innate fear of heights, or rather, plummeting to earth from a great height will probably stop me ever actually going up in one, they have always mystified me, and i have always thought they are a wonderful form

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-60338819176145339602011-08-12T17:58:00.001+01:002011-08-12T17:59:32.679+01:00

I was asked by my mother to do a picture of her to use on   an invitation to a 'small raising of a glass' she was having to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of not dying from a subarachnoid haemorrhage. So i did this, which i think is a pretty good likeness... those who know her might agree. It has to be in black and white for printing purposes, and done in photoshop due to

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-25855405683361983502011-08-02T12:25:00.000+01:002011-08-02T12:25:03.827+01:00

 Thought i'd scan in a few images from a recent life drawing session i did and put them up here. I'm fairly confident and happy with my understanding of anatomy, and normally can draw from imagination well enough to satisfy my inner critic. It's been a very long time since I've done life drawing, possibly close to 20 years, and i was faced with the realization that this was

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-56430808674578351272011-07-24T21:48:00.000+01:002011-07-24T21:48:17.455+01:00

Another pencil in sketchbook piece. Not sure what the thing is on his head is - possibly a leech, or a hat with teeth. Terrible scan though. Will have to try it again... Submitted for Illustration Friday topic: Perennial.

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-21081678840253425552011-07-18T11:07:00.000+01:002011-07-18T11:07:41.038+01:00

The feel of lead dragging across good paper. Love it. Another sketch that began with no real direction while sitting around.  The location of the ears was helped along by my 3yo who found the pencil and sketch pad while i was out one evening, and drew one of them in. I had been thinking about placing them low, but i guess he helped finalise the decision.... Submitted for Illustration 

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-20532282632216067722011-06-21T09:07:00.001+01:002011-06-21T09:08:24.781+01:00

I was recently given an old iPhone by a friend - my first go at one. They're spanky, and it's nice to have the internet in your pocket when trying to avoid quality time with the family. One thing i was interested in was the drawing apps, as being able to sketch on a device i have with me most of the time seemed quite handy.  I was fairly doubtful of how they would

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-30570126852909235152011-06-12T17:16:00.000+01:002011-06-12T17:16:12.883+01:00

It is what it is. Two giant cocks battling it out to the death, in a desert dust bowl. Two cocks enter. One cock leaves. This is the way it has to be.... The title, based on that weird bird blood sport, was the obvious inspiration for this painting, but as i was sketching it out in the sketch book, i decided that i wanted to work on painting monumental scale, in a kinda fantasy

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-89768446388457763902011-05-25T20:54:00.002+01:002011-05-27T15:40:50.480+01:00

Spent a few of hours putting this together in Painter and photoshop, after being given a very short deadline. There wass some concern that O'Connell's two fingers up behind O'Driscoll's head might be seen by some as taking the piss out of him. I would congratulate those people on their ability to read into the bleeding obvious... and to point out that if O'Driscoll was any shorter, O'Connell

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-24572128552114492352011-05-19T14:05:00.000+01:002011-05-19T14:05:45.657+01:00

Now that the invitation has been sent out, i can upload the latest commission: a wedding invitation for my brother in-law and his fiance. They asked for a superman theme, and this is the finished result. I was trying to capture a bi of the Eamon's goofy fun nature, and Lois' kinda loving amusement by it.    My initial sketch i had Lois

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-80943694511986970702011-03-31T16:45:00.001+01:002011-03-31T16:46:20.932+01:00

Taken as far as i can in the small sketchbook i have, the next step is possibly trying to colour it up some how.Kinda like it like this though.... Submitted for Illustration Friday topic: Toy.

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-28564561222503059732011-03-27T10:04:00.000+01:002011-03-27T10:04:30.293+01:00

Got a bit more time at it last night while watching telly.

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-15595309847455479482011-03-26T10:31:00.000+00:002011-03-26T10:31:08.837+00:00

Good Lord! Is it late March already? I haven't put up anything since before Christmas.... after a very dark and long winter, filled with flu after flu being passed on between the 2 kids, the missus and myself (we all nearly drowned on the amount of snot pooling in the house), it would appear all is clear, the sun is back, and the finger has been pulled out. So to ensure people that I haven't

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-80999273543417458962010-12-17T21:55:00.001+00:002010-12-17T22:17:55.673+00:00

Was running a bit late getting a card ready to send out this year. After last years card (here), the pressure was on, but i just couldn't get there... properly anyway. This started as a sketch when i had christmas carols stuck in my head, and couldn't get them out. This is a take on Deck the Halls. It could have easily have been When Shepards Wash Their Cocks By

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-73458551795980989222010-12-08T06:46:00.001+00:002010-12-08T07:35:40.721+00:00

A man can dream, can't he? 50 x 45 cm prints available, and, this year, would make the perfect Christmas gift!

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-680511541388890382010-12-01T11:15:00.004+00:002011-03-21T10:38:21.850+00:00

The finished commissioned piece. It was a Christmas gift for the husband of the client. The husband is referred to as Francis of Assisi by the surrounding neighbours, as when he goes for a walk, his 4 cats, 3 dogs and Billy the goat go with him. And because he uses colourful nylon rope as a belt, because he feels that a normal belt just doesn't cut it. The current 

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-82123803756412148352010-11-28T18:35:00.004+00:002010-12-01T15:30:33.935+00:00

The continuing saga....

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-88870158133004386132010-11-21T11:14:00.001+00:002010-12-01T15:30:04.842+00:00

Thought I'd upload some of the bits for the commission I'm working on at the moment - November has been a very slow month for blog updates! The image has a pile of animals, and getting the particular coats "correct" has proven to be a challenge, as has getting the personality of the critter too... great fun though.  I'm having to split the job into different parts, as the required

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-25031567067975585842010-10-22T19:59:00.000+01:002010-10-22T19:59:45.900+01:00

A screen shot of my interview with the Limerick Post digital edition. The paper copy is out this weekend, 23 Oct. Pretty happy all in all - hopefully it'll drum up some business! Thanks again to Rose Rushe at the 'Post for making me sound life i might be fun to be around.... sorta.

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-30046769653475186682010-10-19T07:20:00.003+01:002010-10-20T06:54:40.248+01:00

 A second to add to the Still Life Series. This had some challenges - the crusty muffin look, and the denim were a bit of a pain. Which is to say the whole thing was tricky, but started with a good sketch, and it made it bearable at least... I have a screen capture recording that i'll have to edit and speed up, to let any one interested to look at the process that

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-30400699599181804072010-10-12T20:01:00.000+01:002010-10-12T20:01:27.258+01:00

Well, maybe i should have found out about it sooner, but i just jumped straight in and began drawing... didn't look at te size of the area i was working to, just pushed through to about 1500 frames (no, not every frame, just the animatic...). So, then i try to export and it can't handle a file over about 700px wide it would seem. Fine, i'll render it at 600 wide. But now the animation is really

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-68978673375744989912010-10-04T08:00:00.001+01:002010-10-05T04:48:30.088+01:00

Submitted for Illustration Friday topic "Beneath". I had worked through a few idea for this one, intending to go with the main gist that something would be partly submerged, one thing on the top, and beneath it turns out to be something else, eg, an island that is actually the shell of a turtle, sort of thing.... I had a sketch of an 'island' and the water line, then moved down and it ended up

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-18572964144928014482010-10-02T15:26:00.004+01:002010-10-02T15:58:36.122+01:00

I've down load the free 2D animation software, Pencil. So far it's actually pretty impressive, and i appologise to the guy geeking away in his room for no money to make it, but i wasn't expecting much. But i'm kinda into it now.... Issues i've come across to date: - Adding length to timeline doesn't always work. Toggling scrub size, and actually resetting the number in the timeline length field

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-38810857596604351682010-10-01T11:31:00.001+01:002010-10-01T13:43:56.552+01:00

Starting off some of the process diary stuff. This is a work in progress of the leader of Ireland, Brian Cowen. I've done a quick one of him before, but wasn't completely happy with the likeness, so i'm having another stab at it.Getting the jowls right is more of a challenge than i'd thought possible, in particular getting the to hang properly off those mammoth lips, but at the same

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-19777177249917356882010-09-30T06:39:00.005+01:002010-09-30T06:42:22.905+01:00

A small picture book with no text by John S. Goodall, it has to be one of the first books that i ever owned. The hard cover is now separated from the pages at the spine from over use back in the day. Paddy, a pig, goes on a date to a show with dancing girls, magicians, acrobats and a live orchestra - i suppose a kind of variety show... He and his partner are given balcony seats in a BOOTH up on

Blacker Pastureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00287233551978566788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3419305067773289229.post-25252002594151715232010-09-29T06:51:00.001+01:002010-09-29T06:51:47.014+01:00

Been clearing out the office a bit in the hopes of child-proofing it somewhat. Maybe it's just a fantasy, but the aim is to be able to do a little work periodically with the little 'uns up here…. may only be able to check and send an email, or something less involved than actually painting, but i thought it'd be worth preparing the space.In doing this all my old kids books and art reference books

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