SMARTPHONE DOWNLOADS

SMARTPHONE DOWNLOADS

Every so often I refresh my catalogue of downloadable graphics for the Smart phone, Cell phone, Talky, Handy etc.

I now have somewhere in the region of 200 designs available and all registered and precessed through WDA - Wireless Development Agency in the US.

I quite like this little Rainbow Tortoise fella and hope he or she goes on to greater things. The images are reminiscent of the psychedelia I produced in the 1980's and 90's using the ubiquitous V Dub van.

Please feel free to click and enlarge the images but remember that they are all strictly copyright. ©

ART? - WHAT, IN BARNSLEY?

these first three images are screen grabs of the live webcam showing me getting to work.

I was asked why I'd put it there by 2 girls, told that it was a bloody waste of people's film when they photographed it.

One disgruntled chap said he'd sand blasted too much Yorkshire Stone in his time to want anything to do with it.

By the way, the rat wasn't mine, pity it was on the same face as the typography!

Just had fun cycling down to the mysterious stone cube that has appeared overnight in the centre of town.
Having heard about it on the Radio this morning I thought I should contribute something, so planned it before I'd properly woken up and set off down with Dave pre-warned by text (hi Dave) watching live on a web cam stream in case anyone nicked me bike.


My idea was that since the theatre company involved with the project were less abled actors, I would change the IMMOVABLE to something more positive and meaningful.
I was interviewed by Mick Lunney and linked back to Toby in the studio but feel mega embarrassed at forgetting the word "controversy' and using 'cafuffle' instead!
Here's a link to the web explanation/anticipation of the whole affair.
And if it's still running, a live web cam stream.

PHOTO REPAIR AND RE-TOUCHING

A pro-bono job for a friend. Took around 14 hours in total to clean up this favourite family photo.

*BRAND NEW PICTURE BOOK APP. AVAILABLE NOW

Available now on the Apple Appstore ...

Beeble and Blink's book of COLORS

Also, a brand new website dedicated to the two little robot friends ...

wiz-bods.com

• BREWERY POSTER, CLIPS AND LABELS

The graphic design work I do for various breweries is very important to me.

I trained as a graphic designer, specialising in Illustration and after weeks of illustration work I always enjoy coming back to the discipline of design.

Plus I get to sample all the beers!

Please click on an image to enlarge but bear in mind that all images are strictly copyright. ©.

•VITAMIN PACKS

•VITAMIN PACKS

Orange, Echinacea and Elderberry - bursting with super-fruit goodness and healthy properties.

These three realistic illustrations were commissioned by a design/branding company for a well known high street supplement brand.

As soon as the products hit the shelves I'll post some images of the pack design as they always look a little lost in isolation like this.

Meanwhile there are exciting plans afoot for a complete revamp of the Hot Frog web design which will incorporate this blog and much much more.

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•BEEBLE & BLINK GO GLOBAL

•BEEBLE & BLINK GO GLOBAL

My new app. picture book went 'live' this weekend.

Beeble and Blink's first book of COLORS was published as a 5 page free preview on the Interactive Touch Books App site.

I had imagined that releasing it early as a free preview - showing the first 5 pages - might prove to be a very useful marketing tool.

My expectations were vastly exceeded when I realised that over 50,000 readers have automatically received it into their library this weekend.

Hence the frantic ratings. Ga Gunk which has done quite well in the 8 weeks that it's been out has totalled 34 ratings.

In the few hours that COLORS was available it has already shot to over 100 ratings with the majority being 3 stars and over.

I must really put the hours in now to have all the rest of the book available in around 2 weeks time.

It's a total joy to work on, so I'm hoping I can pass this on the the users in their experience of the book.

•PRODUCT LABEL

•PRODUCT LABEL

Kicked off this year by finishing off a very nice job for the guys at Chilli Design.

Don't think it would be fair to say what the exact product as yet as it will probably be rolled out during this year.

The crop shown here is about a third of the total illustration which was a slight departure in style for me in an attempt to try and capture a certain look and feel required by the client. It worked well and should be seen up and down the country on labels. POS and van livery.

So, if in a few months time you see these cows and sheep flying past you on the M1, remember you saw it here first folks.

Please click on the image too enlarge it but remember they are all strictly copyright. ©

•HERE'S TO A WONDERFUL 2012

A new year a new picture book app!

I'm now working on a few follow up book apps. and the first in line is a series of 'first' books of Colour, Shapes, Numbers and ABC.
To host this fun series I've been working on a couple of brand new characters that we've decided to call Wiz Bods.
I say we, as they were developed during lots of play and drawing sessions with my little nephew Gian.
At the moment there are just two Wiz Bods, namely Beeble and his friend Blink.
I'm hoping that they flourish and that they feature in their very own stories in future.
My first flurry of commissioned work has arrived and needs must, so these little fellas will have to wait a while before they go 'live'.

• MY FIRST EVER PICTURE BOOK APP!

GET IT RIGHT HERE

• MY FIRST EVER PICTURE BOOK APP!

Just finished work on the conversion of Ga Gunk to become an interactive app.

The artwork for Ga Gunk was finished a couple of years ago and has been seeking a publisher ever since. It's a very short, sweet little story that features two cute little froggies.

They fall in love one magical moonlit night under the shooting stars.

Ga Gunk is the sound that American youngsters think frogs make. I must admit that I'd never heard of it either, but it kinda makes sense once you've become accustomed to hearing it.

And boy have i become accustomed!

This adaptation took around 3 weeks of solid work with many a late hour working on it and liaising with the Interactive Touch Books team in California.

They were always available to help and explain their brilliant (but complicated at first) web.app software.

Ga Gunk is now one of the 30 or so books available in the ITB bookstore and hopefully will prove a popular little tale.

The words came from Susie Ramsey who contacted me to illustrate this tale and told me that her grandma used to sing to her when she was little.

The PB app features 13 pages with a colouring-in page, a build-your-own-froggy puzzle and a Ga gunk song and narration by Rachel Baier.

I now have two further books in development and plan to offer my app creation/conversion skills to other authors and illustrators who might not be able to tackle the online creation process.

•JINGLE BELLS

•JINGLE BELLS

As a freelance illustrator I'm asked to produce seasonal artwork at any time and all through the year. A santa character might be wanted for a new festive chocolate bar, or a game that has to be launched in time to appear in next year's christmas brochure.

It still amazes me when the 'real' christmas frenzy rushes around once more tho and  I know it's such a tired cliche to utter this.

It makes me think about the few 'lazy' houses that you see around the neighbourhood, the ones who didn't bother to take down last year's glowing reindeer neon lights but have left them up all year, might have a point.

It hardly seems worth it, just cover the christmas tree in the lounge with a nice throw and then come December - uncover and voila! All that hassle of searching through the loft, unpacking and bauble dressing is gone.

Anyway, before I descend into a scrooge-like rant ... here's a lovely job I did for Second Nature cards. This stylish santa and reindeer will be magically chopped, trimmed, glued and cleverly re-assembled into a luxury pop-up greetings card, glitter everywhere! Pah!

As always please click on the image to supersize it but remember that it is strictly copyright. ©

•FANTASTIC CREATURES

•FANTASTIC CREATURES

These strange and wonderful critters started off as fantasy drawings in my sketchbooks. I must have sketched out a dozen or so and then felt the need to bring a couple of them to life, so to speak.
I love the work of Kei Acedera and the IMAGINISM STUDIOS and I guess I had these very much in mind as I visualised them and worked them up in Photoshop.
They were produced for a project that unfortunately is still under the darkest of wraps and so more explanations cannot yet be provided.
Please feel free to click and supersize these images but be warned they are strictly under copyright. © and must not be copied.

•FUN STICKERS

•FUN STICKERS

Just a quickie this post. I illustrated these four fun stickers for a children's spinning game a little while ago.

It's always more fun and more rewarding to deal with all the elements involved in a game.

Not sure if that's my control freak nature speaking up, but it helps get to grips with the whole concept and for me, always results in a more satisfactory outcome.

Please click on an image to supersize it but remember folks they are strictly copyright.©

• FUN SANTA

• FUN SANTA
A early Christmas commission to create a fun Santa and friends for a CD cover. It was produced for Somerset Entertainment.
The job came in on the Friday and was wanted for Monday morning, a little rushed, but fun nonetheless.
Please click on the image to enlarge but remember that it is strictly copyright, as are all images on this blog. ©

•NEW BEE GAME

•NEW BEE GAME
Children's games featuring bees are really very popular. I can testify to this because I have illustrated 3 myself and they just keep coming.
I can't yet show the full cover of this clever new version but when it's released I certainly will be able to.
I'm also in the process of trying to get an original game of my own published.
Trying to attract a game company with a new venture is almost as difficult as trying to get a picture book published!
I shall not give up on either endeavour though, so as they say, watch this space.
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• FURTHER VECTORS

• FURTHER VECTORS
In addition to the set of vector silhouettes that I illustrated a couple of months ago, I was asked to update another range of products.
These are just a small selection of the 'cool' boarders, skaters and trucks I came up with.
I love the simplicity of the vector line and often regret dropping Illustrator from my tool palette. These days I create all my linework in Photoshop as I find it much easier to manipulate but I appreciate that it's not a patch on 'real' Illustrator artwork. Some of it is amazing and what can be achieved by tweaking a few vertices is truly incredible.
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•TOON TV

•TOON TV
This was one of a set of colourful cards I illustrated and designed as part of a new magic trick. It is produced and published by Razamatazz Magic and has special regards to Wayne Dobson, who first invented the fun and intriguing card trick.
I've performed this trick for young relatives and with only minimal rehearsal, it went down a storm.
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•GAMES, GAMES AND GAMES GALORE!

•GAMES, GAMES AND GAMES GALORE!

More games this month, and for the last couple of months. Some of these were shown in part as i finished them, but now they are in production so I get sample copies of each.

These are from Interplay in the States and they really make an excellent job of the packaging, nice strong glossy board with colours that seem to be brighter than your average cmyk.

One of my most recent jobs was for research and pitching by a client so unfortunately will not get seen in this blog.

Please feel free to click and enlarge these images but remember that they are all strictly copyright. ©