London Expo 16 over!

And so the 16th London MCM Expo is over with yet another record breaking attendance number. This was also the first proper event where people could pick up our new Manga Shakespeare titles Twelfth Night and Merchant of Venice. :D
It was fantastic to be able to share a signing session with fellow Manga Shakespeare artists Faye Yong and Emma Vieceli in the afternoon. Huge thanks to everyone who came and got some books!! When I was told that Twelfth Night had sold out before the end of Saturday I was convinced someone was pulling my leg for sure.

This was also the launch event of Fehed Said's anthology Talking to Strangers, in which I illustrated the short story 'Box'. Since then I've heard rumours that it has caused various degrees of unease, to the point of nightmares so I imagine that Mr Said must be satisfied.

Saturday is always the busiest day and this time the air conditioning system seemed to have reached the limit of its capacity. It was very hot in the convention hall but that didn't seem to get people's spirits down... much. 

I spent most Sunday exploring the convention and the Comics Village was definitely the place to be. Not that the rest of expo wasn't exciting but nothing beats being able to meet creators and check out their work. My favourite purchases this day were probably an original watercolour drawing from Sarah McIntyre and an amazing drawing of Rock Lee on cardboard by Will Kirkby which is now decorating my wall.

Sunday ended with a surprise offer to help out with the judging of the cosplay competition which was great fun. There were some fantastic costumes in there!

It's been a crazy weekend! Highlights? The art and the people! :)

Girl sketch

Hot off the drawing board. I'm doing some little girl sketches at the moment in preparation for the next big project I'll be working on. :)

The girl's hands made me think of this other sketch I did a few days ago for one of Bobby Chiu's live streaming sessions. The theme was "big and graceful". Maybe it's a preview of what the future might hold for that little girl after too many close encounters with Crispy Creme doughnuts...

Talking to Strangers - Out soon!

A girl trapped in a box, a boy chained to a rock and a friendship between a child and a flower. These are just a few of the themes that storyteller Fehed Said explores in this collection.
Joining Fehed Said, the acclaimed writer behind SLG's Clarence Principle, and Sonia Leong, the award winning artist behind SMH's Romeo & Juliet is a sterling lineup of the UK's best new talent. Featuring artwork from Nana Li, Wing Yun Man, Chloe Citrine and Faye Yong.

Talking to Strangers is an anthology of short stories all written by the talented Fehed Said. I've been very lucky to be part of this anthology and he was also kind enough to ask me to do the artwork for the cover.
The book has been a long time in the making, with a great deal of time and effort put in by both Fehed and girlfriend Faye so it's great to see it finally revealed!

The short that I illustrated is called 'Box'. Not recommended for people with claustrophobia! ;)

Talking To Strangers is due for release on 24th October 2009 at the London MCM Expo and available to buy online from the Sweatdrop Studios website.

The full press release along with more preview pages can be viewed HERE.

Old man sketch

I decided to have a little wrestle with charcoal. It's a medium I first encountered in life drawing class, but usually for the most rudimentary line drawings and not at all for exploring the range of value that charcoal offers. Handled well, I've seen people do fantastically rendered drawings with it, but that's always the core of the problem eh? Handled well...

For me, using charcoal feels like being a toddler, grabbing that pencil with my fist and trying to control the unpredictable lines it makes. It's a very flexible medium, but it's not a pencil. Considering the 20-some years I've been handling a pencil, maybe patience is the key.