Mark Satchwill Art

Sketchbook Project Update 3

2012-01-24T20:41:00.000Z

Foundation, Ink Pen and wash, 2012

Another spread from my sketchbook project. I've got 8 pages left to fill (or 4 double spreads), plus some text and the cover, so I should get it finished in the next couple of days.

Sketchbook Project Update 2

2012-01-20T18:35:00.000Z

Music, Ink Pen and wash, 2012

Here is another preview of my sketchbook for the 2012 Sketchbook Project. This image is about how I became obsessed with pop music in my early teens and features many of my favourite artists from that time (most of whom I still listen to and follow). I'm coming up to half-way through the book now, so I should get it finished in time....

Sketchbook Project Update

2012-01-18T21:03:00.000Z

1977, Ink, 2012

Back in October I signed up for the Sketchbook Project 2012. Since the book arrived I have had it sat on one side of my desk, waiting for me to make a start on it, while I found excuse after excuse to avoid it...over-thinking the theme, choosing and rejecting ideas, basically wasting time. Today, with 13 days left to finish it (it has to be postmarked by the 31st January) I finally sat down, opened the book and started drawing. I'd chosen "Time Traveller" as the theme, and I've decided to explore my own personal time-line, to travel back to search my own history, and maybe predict the future. This spread is me in 1977, when Star Wars mania was in full swing. My favourite character was Princess Leia and when my friends and I played Star Wars I was always her...and we were young enough for it not to be a problem. Now I've started I'm enjoying myself...but that deadline is looming...

Ian Carus

2012-01-17T21:22:00.000Z

Ian Carus, Digital, Manga Studio, 2012

I draw this as a birthday present for my friend's son. As part of his degree course he had written a graphic novel script based on the Icarus myth, updating it to a modern setting, and my friend asked me if I could produce something based on it, so I produced this illustration as a "cover" for the novel. He was thrilled with it :)

Brief Encounter up at NoHo Noir

2012-01-16T19:25:00.002Z

"Brief Encounter", Digital, 2012

The latest NoHo Noir story, Brief Encounter, is now up on the site to read....Gary spots Melanie at the launderette but what's really going on?
Read it here!

Return To Sender

2012-01-12T15:40:00.003Z

Return To Sender, digital, 2011

The latest NoHo Noir story is now up on the blog - Nicole discovers something gruesome while making a delivery...read it here!

Gillis Montgomery

2012-01-08T15:59:00.002Z

Gillis Montgomery, Digital, 2011

Once again I'm late posting this but here is the illustration, a portrait of pawn shop owner Gillis Montgomery, the subject of the lastest NoHo Noir story, One Man's Treasure - you can read it here!
I also posted a review of the favourite books I've read over the last year so check it out here!

NoHo Noir: Food Is Love

2011-12-30T17:24:00.000Z

Food Is Love, Digital, 2011

I'm a bit late posting this but the latest story up at NoHo Noir is "Food Is Love", where "star" Tim "Bing" Bingham is doling out food to the homeless for Christmas.

Felicity

2011-12-23T16:44:00.001Z

A portrait of my cousin Felicity - she wanted to be painted as the "Memphis Belle" girl, but with a couple of modern adjustments. She actually does have the tattooed Memphis Belle girl on her leg. Digitally painted in ArtRage Pro 3.5.

Chris

2011-12-16T20:39:00.001Z

Chris, Digital , 2011

A portrait done as a birthday present for a friend. Painted in ArtRage Pro 3.5.

New NoHo Noir story....

2011-12-04T18:46:00.001Z

The latest NoHo Noir story is up on the site now...please check it out. You can choose your friends...

"One Is The Loneliest Number"

Yolandi and Toyah

2011-12-03T18:16:00.001Z

Yolandi, Digital, 2011

Toyah, Digital, 2011.

Two more portraits - Yolandi Visser of South African rap/rave group Die Antwoord and singer /actress Toyah Willcox as she looked in 1981. Both digital, drawn in Manga Studio and finished in Sketchbook Pro.

Kim Wilde

2011-11-30T19:13:00.001Z

Kim Wilde, Digital, 2011

Quick portrait of Kim Wilde, created with Manga Studio and Sketchbook pro.

Digital Sketchbook stuff....

2011-11-28T19:14:00.001Z

A couple of recent digital drawings/sketches, nothing that interesting but just letting people know I'm still around...

New NoHo Noir..

2011-11-27T23:23:00.001Z

Home Late, digital, 2011.

The latest NoHo Noir story is now up on the NoHo blog, introducing some new characters living in a motel.

"One Day At A Time"

Please read, comment, etc. We appreciate the support!

NoHo Noir: Christopher Robin

2011-11-20T22:36:00.001Z

Chris Robin, digital, Manga Studio, 2011.

This is Christopher Robin, one of the new characters in NoHo Noir. You can meet Christopher in the first of the new NoHo stories, "Bums' Rush", live now on the new NoHo blog - please check it out, comment, follow us and spread the word.

It's back....

2011-11-17T17:13:00.001Z

NoHo Noir, that is. We have a new home, new stories, new characters. And we promise it will be darker and dirtier than before.

The reason for the move? Basically we were told that if we wanted to continue on Patch, we would have to provide our services for free. Katherine wrote about it here. It's well worth a read if you freelance or wonder why artist's and writers struggle to make a living.

We started NoHo Noir (NoHo = North Hollywood) just over a year ago. Katherine got the gig and invited me to illustrate the stories. Over the past year we've developed both a working relationship and a friendship.

We are carrying on because we both enjoy doing it. No, we won't get paid, but the work will be totally ours, we have no restrictions. We're hoping to bundle the stories and illustrations from Volume 1 into e-books, and to continue with Volume 2, adding extras. The website will feature not just the stories but character portraits and bio's, as well as interesting bits of Noir-related news. We really hope you will come along for the ride with us.

The first of story of Volume 2 runs this weekend. Come and follow us here :

NoHo Noir

Facial

2011-11-15T19:48:00.001Z

Me, Digital, 2011.

This is a new self-portrait I've done. It's obviously quite stylised and I've smoothed out some wrinkles and tucked in some saggy bits, but it's recognisably me. I drew it in Manga Studio, then finished it in ArtRage.

I did it for a specific reason...but more on that tomorrow.

More Figure Studies

2011-11-10T16:55:00.000Z

Some more two minute figure sketches using the ArtyPoses site, drawn in Sketchbook Pro.

Figure Studies

2011-11-03T16:43:00.007Z

Someone posted a link on Google+ today to a very useful site. It's called ArtsyPoses and it is basically a resource for studying drawing, providing images of both people and animals, tips and techniques and a very useful tool that allows you to practice your drawing by choosing random photos and giving yourself a set time to sketch each pose. Figure drawing was always my favourite subject. When I was at school and later at college, it was my main focus. It sort of fell aside on my degree course, becoming more reliant on photos. I've decided to spend half an hour each day practicing using this site. Here are a few of today's drawings. They are pretty bad - it'll take a while to shake off the rust. These are all two-minute drawings drawn digitally in Sketchbook Pro.

If anyone wants to add me on Google+ you can find me here.

Digital Painting and Sketchbook Project

2011-11-02T21:10:00.004Z

Sorry it's been a bit quiet on here recently. I'm going through...well, let's call it "changes".

I'm currently concentrating on experimenting and getting to grips with using various digital art programmes. I painted this using ArtRage 3.5. It's the first digital oil painting I've done. I did a traditional watercolour version of the same image a couple of years ago. I'm starting to really enjoy creating digitally.

I also signed up for The Sketchbook Project 2012. In a nutshell, you pay a fee and you get sent a sketchbook. You choose a theme (a selection are provided for you to choose from), fill the book and send it back. The sketchbooks then become part of an exhibition that will tour the States next year. You can read more about it here. My sketchbook arrived today and my theme is "Time Traveller". I'll post updates as I fill the book.

Regular visitors might also be wondering what's happened to NoHo Noir. Sadly we had to leave our home at Patch. At the moment it's future is uncertain but we hope to publish an e-book of the first volumes stories and illustrations at some point. It's a shame as it's a project I've really enjoyed doing. Ah well, onwards and upwards...

Letraset Alcohol-based Inks

2011-10-26T16:38:00.008+01:00

Letraset recently sent me some of their new range of Inks to try out. The inks come in 20ml bottles with a dropper style top, and, initially, in a range of 50 colours. The inks are the same as used in their markers. However, using them in this form allows you to create with them in ways you can't with a marker!

Being an illustrator and a long-time watercolourist I wanted to see how well you could paint with them. In the image above, "Pandora", I used the inks diluted with blender to paint the hair, mixing Mandarin and Canary Yellow with Blender to create a softer colour. In the image below, "Underwater Girl", I painted the hair with "neat" Mandarin - as you can see, the colour is more intense. The inks are translucent so you can build washes to create darker and/or brighter colours, and you can mix them. They are quite sticky - I wouldn't recommend using brushes you are particularly fond of. They'll need to be cleaned in white spirit.

I used a couple of different techniques to create the backgrounds. To create the sky for "Pandora", I laid some blender on the paper and then began to apply Cobalt blue. The bender dilutes the colour and softens it, so you can get nice gradations of colour. Then I applied the same blue without blender, mixing in some Midnight Blue to create the dark clouds, first using a brush and then, while the ink was still wet, also dropping in colour directly to let it mix on the paper. It's also possible to drop blender in and, using cotton wool or kitchen paper, lift colour off to create lighter areas.

I used a similar effect to create the sea colours on Underwater Girl, painting on a wash of Cobalt Blue and the dropping Canary Yellow onto the wet ink to let the colours blend on the page. As with markers, I find you have to work quickly. You also have to be careful about the ink bleeding, so take care and don't apply too much ink close to areas you don't want it to spread to. What's also quite exciting using this technique is that you don't really see the full effect until it's dry.

The ink colours are wonderfully rich and vibrant. For me, they add another dimension to working with markers and will allow me to create painterly effects I wasn't able to before, while retaining a consistency of colour.

NoHo Noir: Elephant Walk

2011-10-16T22:31:00.002+01:00

6.8 x 9 inches, Tria markers, 2011.

The latest illustration for the NoHo Noir series written by Katherine Tomlinson, illustrated by me, and featured on the Patch.com North Hollywood and Toluca Lake site.

This is the last story of Volume One of NoHo Noir and it's a cracker!

Ash and Mita get married.

Read it here!

NoHo Noir: Keeping Score

2011-10-16T12:46:00.003+01:00

Rina gets caught in the crossfire of social combat.

Read it here!

Underwater Girl

2011-10-11T20:39:00.003+01:00

8 x 11 inches, Letraset inks, Tria markers.

Testing out some of Letraset's alcohol-based inks.