GOODBYE/HELLO/TUMBLR

Finally set up my tumblr, only two years later.

Not sure if I'll keep updating here because I feel like blogger has been a bit sparse the last couple of years (somebody prove me wrong!). I've probably jumped onto the tumblr train too late
but like, you know, whatever.

To check it out follow this link: davidtolugraham.tumblr.com

I guess that wave is a hello and goodbye.

Thanks for the 7 years.

So Mr. Ben...

“So Mr. Benn, which costume would you like to try today?”

Mr. Benn you ask? The guy in the suit and bowler hat! Oh ok, I’ll explain…

He was the title character of a British TV show in the early 70’s, but man that show had some staying power, they still showed it when I was a kid. Who know’s it’s probably still airing today!

It was about a normal guy who went on extraordinary adventures. He would always go to the same fancy dress shop, where a fez sporting shopkeeper would invite him to try on a costume. 

He’d then head through a magical door in the changing room, and find himself in a new world dictated by his costume!

I heard a rumour that a movie based on the show is back in the works, but I can’t for the life of me remember where I heard/read that rumour. In retrospect the optimistic part of me probably made it up. But hey if it’s not true, come on, we all know that that film is going to pop up some time soon.

I can see the trailer in my head, there’d be at least two explosions (because films), and would close with a back shot of Mr. Benn, standing in front of a wall of costumes. As he turns round the music stops, and the shopkeeper slowly says the first line of this post.

Filler-O-Fish

Alright! Apologies for my lack of posts the last month, been kinda busy, you know how it is!
So to make up for it, I give you this, an illustrated embodiment of me goofing around for a day.
Proper posts soon yeah!

Hell No Kitty

You must have heard the news? This groundbreaking news!
So, apparently Hello Kitty is not a cat.
There's definitely been something lost in translation here.
Cos yeah, she's totally a cat. Like Mickey Mouse is a mouse and so on.

Hardball II

Another render test from two doodles turned digital, dudes.
I suddenly wish there was a bigger story behind this.

Hardball

This is a render test which has evolved into a little something else.
Her name is currently Dahlia Waleed, and that's all for now.

BIG MAC

Yeah ok! I saw the smallest woman lugging the biggest iMac I'd
ever seen around East London. I'm assuming this is what she went on to do next.

I mean, she couldn't possibly have been going to do anything else.

Trippin'

So the other day I put together the dumbest comic:

Ha, masterpiece amirite?!

Well this all happened because I walked past a guy wearing a hat with the phrase 'Bitches be Trippin' on it. This automatically popped into my brain. I didn't know what it actually meant, and had to google it later that evening.

I can feel my street credibility delving just that little bit lower.

Batting Batting 123

Another no paper required drawing. 

Again, how did I do?

Byker Biker

Did a fully digital test the other day, so I though I'd share it.

Everything I do usually requires me to at least sketch on paper first, 

but not this time. Straight to the tablet.

How did I do?

#100

Ok so..... Thanks for sticking around!

Finally got here, Post 100. Only took 4 and a half years!

I know this isn't a big deal to a lot of people, but getting here is a rather nice thing for me.

As a personal celebration I made this little gif. 

Thought it would be interesting to see what one of my older characters from the start looks 

like loosely animated by the same hand today.

It has been a wonderfully self-indulgent process I must admit.

Man, flowers in the wind take a long time to animate.

I've got much more work to show you, here and elsewhere! I got a tumblr you see.
Might migrate there, or might keep both blogs, we'll see what happens I suppose!
I'll update both for the time being!
But yeah, keep your eye out for that.

I'd like to say more, but I feel like I've gone on for too long already.
Hopefully the future work shall speak for itself too.

Once again, thanks to anyone who has stopped by and had a little gander over the last few years.
As a thank you, here's snippet of the best thing I heard last year, enjoy:

No Words Kid

Well, this has been sat on my computer for a while, I'm talking over a year here.

One day I was waiting to get my visa at the Nigerian High Commission.

As I was sitting alone observing everyone, I saw two families, 

one with a girl and her brother, the other with a boy.

The girl was just sitting about super cool, cooler than Willow Smith in her Hair whippin' days, watching her little brother who had just proudly discovered the joys of walking.

The boy from the other family... every few minutes he'd walk up to the girl, she'd smile, he'd freeze, not say a word then walk away. Every single time.

It was a little painful to watch, at the same time extremely endearing.

I remember thinking, 'just say something dude!'

Then I thought about how mentally I've been in that kid's shoes multiple times in recent years.

So yeah, I drew the situation, not sure where I was going with that story. 

I guess slice of life and all that.

Redux & Errors

So yeah, I've been gone for a long time. A long long time.
This is just a short message noting that I do intend to return.

Here's a super quick digital sketch, I never do those.

Be prepared, this blog's layout shall be slightly updated, at some point,
so if things appear to just look plain wrong at some point soon, don't worry,
it'll be sorted soon.

If you read that back in a years time and think the same thing,
either I've gone wrong or I'm now insulted.

Also, if you actually know what I've drawn here, you're a certainly a friend of mine.

Hey, we made it through the night!
Cue an added dose of nostalgia!

F***HEAD

Whilst working through the night I began to panic (again)

about how much work I have to do in so little time.

So I calmed myself by drawing Travis Touchdown.

Headgear

Lady Protection
Lady Super
Lady Taminiau III







Abbey Lee Kershaw
Mariya Markina
Charlotte ?

The Damage

Hai guise, I'm back.


This is how I've felt the last 2 months.

Just been constantly bombarded with work. I spent the holidays interning with the wonderful Inca Starzinksy, whilst at the same time trying to figure out what to do my impending dissertation on! When I finally made up my mind, the holiday was over and it was back to work. And, as it was the last project of the year, I decided to do something I'm not that great at.... paintings... 7 frikkin paintings.

Let's just say I'm still blinded by ambition and foolish as ever.

I just managed to hand in work for this year's final assessment on Friday, but at a cost:


That illustration was probably a metaphor for my room too.

I haven't been here for a while, so my list of things to post here has grown over time. Expect a ton of new stuff soon. But not too soon. I'm still very lost in a swamp of academia.

IV|Is

First drawing of the year!



Another year of intention has begun!

Fresh Kristmas Air

In-jokes for the win.

For all those I have alienated with this post,
I hope you've at the very least enjoyed these images.

Digital Childhood

I finally got round to buying a tablet.
So I decided to celebrate by doing some pencil drawings in my sketchbook,
makes complete sense doesn't it?

After attempting to draw using my new Wacom, I kinda had to do some non digital drawing just to make sure I still knew how to draw. Yes, my days as a recent tablet unvirgin* haven't gone as well as I blindly assumed! I feel like I'm learning to draw for the first time.

Ah, I'll get the hang of it at some point! Early days.
At least it got me drawing some old(ish) characters again.

*Yes it is a word! In the urban dictionary anyway...

Autumn's Trigger

It has arrived.





Autumn that is.

Both the illustrations above have been brought on by both a need to keep my hands innocently busy, and inspiration by the song & its accompanying video below.

This song is so unbelievably awesome,
so brilliant yet so short - its sudden ending can shatter your heart to pieces.

I've been listening to this every day for the last week,
it's been playing on repeat in my mind,
& it really isn't a bad thing:



Thank you, Gold Panda.