Wow, this is my first post since like May. Hmm, disappointed, as i was trying to keep a regular upkeep of this.
Anyway, i have just been working full time, still at Sainsburys, and yes, still on the booze section. I havent really done much artwork lately, have done a couple of little tattoo designs, and am going to have a piece of artwork, named 'Duel In The Sun', displayed and exhibited at the Courthauld East Wing Hang, at the Courthauld Art Institute, a university in London, where my sister is currently studying for her degree. So to have my art in the open, and could lead to some commissions, which would be pretty sweet, and makes it also good as other artists such as Yinko Shonabare and some other student artists are also being exhibited. When the catalogue gets posted to me, i will link the picture.
Other news, my mate James and his band Kill 'em Dead Cowboy, supported We Are The Ocean, in a wicked gig at the Wedgewood rooms, and got a record label signing, which is very cool, and wish them all the best. My life in general has just been really samey lately, but 2010 is looking like it could be an interesting year, with some changes, as Mikki is most likely to be moving house with her mum and sister, and i am going to buy a new car, as i am saving up for it at the moment, proving tricky with the christmas period coming up, gotta get those bloody presents. And me and Mikki are hoping to either go to Disneyland Paris, or a big holiday, like African Safari or something, depending on how much money we can accumulate.
My team at Roko are doing really well, there's 2 games left for this season, and we're currently 4th, and could finish in top 3 if results go our way, so thats pretty cool. My hair is now almost as long as it was last christmas, finally, as i missed that long fringe i had. Still a bit to grow, but its looking good though. Mum keeps wanting me to go back to that old short-back-and-sides style, oh hell no am i doing that.
Thats it for now i think, til next time.......
Pushing The Senses
If I do this once a month will this technically be considered an "active" blog? Hopefully my life and job will be picking up enough soon that I will actually have something to write about. In the last month basically all I have achieved is written a thousand emails, gave up on growing out my beard, cleaned the hell out of my room, fixed some poorly neglected car parts, resized file after file after file, played "Last Summer" repeatedly on my ipod, watched horribly rubbish dvds, tried to sneak around the new skate park to tag it, read the first part of Pride and Prejudice again (and by again, I mean for the 18th time), changed my ringtone to the Mighty Morphin Power Ranger's, listened to Jack Johnson albums on repeat, and sat in front of the computer unblinking for hours on end. The fact that I can summarize a month's worth of activity into a horribly long sentence is proof that I don't really deserve to have a blog.
Started a bit of drawing this week, for my mate Ryan's tattoo. This was the first time in a long time that I actually had FUN drawing. Unfortunately I lost a lot of detail after scanning and altering the image. I think my poor old scanner that has to have books put on top of it to scan things well is finally starting to give out. I also FINALLY finished this poster for my DJ mate that I had started months back. I ended up doing this whole thing entirely in Photoshop, and while normally I am not pleased with the end results of doing this sort of thing...I am super happy with the way this ended up. The gleam on the text was such a happy accident, that I have been trying to breakdown how I did it in hopes of replicating it again and again. I also realized while making this that I have been using the same basic texture over and over again, that I made for a bit of uni illustration about 2 years ago. This is the sort of thing that leads one to having external hard drives stacked on top of each other, but im taking my computer to the limit, whilst making it unbearably slow.
Summer's coming, the light is brighter for longer, the warmth stays in the air for more length of time than thought possible for England, which means i can finally deck out my camo shorts again, i'v missed those things. Thought about getting a new car for the last week or so, sharing it with my best friend, but we've decided to stick with my current one until she passes her test and then can get a car herself, and i'l just keep mine until it runs into the ground. Think I'm going to clean it up as well, bring it back to top condition and maybe include a good sound system to blow the cobwebs away. That'll do for now, till next time........
Started a bit of drawing this week, for my mate Ryan's tattoo. This was the first time in a long time that I actually had FUN drawing. Unfortunately I lost a lot of detail after scanning and altering the image. I think my poor old scanner that has to have books put on top of it to scan things well is finally starting to give out. I also FINALLY finished this poster for my DJ mate that I had started months back. I ended up doing this whole thing entirely in Photoshop, and while normally I am not pleased with the end results of doing this sort of thing...I am super happy with the way this ended up. The gleam on the text was such a happy accident, that I have been trying to breakdown how I did it in hopes of replicating it again and again. I also realized while making this that I have been using the same basic texture over and over again, that I made for a bit of uni illustration about 2 years ago. This is the sort of thing that leads one to having external hard drives stacked on top of each other, but im taking my computer to the limit, whilst making it unbearably slow.
Summer's coming, the light is brighter for longer, the warmth stays in the air for more length of time than thought possible for England, which means i can finally deck out my camo shorts again, i'v missed those things. Thought about getting a new car for the last week or so, sharing it with my best friend, but we've decided to stick with my current one until she passes her test and then can get a car herself, and i'l just keep mine until it runs into the ground. Think I'm going to clean it up as well, bring it back to top condition and maybe include a good sound system to blow the cobwebs away. That'll do for now, till next time........
My Heart's Not Broken And I'm Not Dead
Oh, the ways of the modern world. Did you know they send turtles through the mail? This seems incredibly risky, and I will be stunned and amazed when I receive a package with a turtle that hasn't been dead for hours. I promised myself I wouldn't talk about music nobody wanted to hear about on here, and now I am rambling about turtles. I had a dream the other night that I converted all of my money to US dollars. I guess I was planning for a trip. There are few things that would make me happier at the moment. This week has been a culmination of many many things. I will have more to say about it next week, along with a handful of new work both professional and personal. But regardless, I think I am finally on the road to being happy. It is a refreshing feeling.
Whoever you are out there, thank you. My prayers were finally answered today when I turned that corner at the petrol station, and saw an old friend that had been missing for years. I don't think I have laid eyes on Werther's Originals since at least 1998. It is and always has been by far my favorite candy. So thank you whoever you are, thank you. And on a side note; there are big things in the air. HUGE things. Most of them happening before this week's end. The least of which being my dream of owning a ticket to the Boardmasters, finally coming true. HUGE things, Boardmasters, AND Werther's Originals? I might just die of happiness.
Whoever you are out there, thank you. My prayers were finally answered today when I turned that corner at the petrol station, and saw an old friend that had been missing for years. I don't think I have laid eyes on Werther's Originals since at least 1998. It is and always has been by far my favorite candy. So thank you whoever you are, thank you. And on a side note; there are big things in the air. HUGE things. Most of them happening before this week's end. The least of which being my dream of owning a ticket to the Boardmasters, finally coming true. HUGE things, Boardmasters, AND Werther's Originals? I might just die of happiness.
Restless Heart Syndrome
Well, its Saturday afternoon, and I have a weekend off work! Lovely. Iv been relaxing the past few days, went out a couple of times, lots of good laughs with wicked people.
Got asked to do another poster for Nathan Johnson, the DJ, for his Surreal night at Venus, in Portsmouth, after the success of the last one. So here we are, thought I would go for a brighter, more summery look for this one, and it looks pretty sweet.
Going out tonight, dressed up in some random collaboration of clothes, should be good fun!
Got asked to do another poster for Nathan Johnson, the DJ, for his Surreal night at Venus, in Portsmouth, after the success of the last one. So here we are, thought I would go for a brighter, more summery look for this one, and it looks pretty sweet.
Going out tonight, dressed up in some random collaboration of clothes, should be good fun!
I Light My Own Fires Now
I have an odd memory. I remember exact times of occurrence, but can't even remember my own phone number that I have had for almost 2 years. I remember sitting in the library during second period on a Wednesday in late January of 2001 when a teacher pulled me into the hall. I remember receiving a phone-call from my ex, while playing an emulated version of Super Mario Brothers on my shitty old laptop in my room. I remember a thousand phone-calls, a hundred smells.
Yesterday I received a text message that Mikki's uncle died. As much as it shouldn't really have affected me, it did, because I was the one that was there for her, the one she can talk to about it all. He had cancer, and in a way its better that he's moved on to a better place so he's not suffering anymore. But he did have the nicest and best family around him, so he must be eternally grateful. I never met him, but R.I.P Trevor.
Today, I was listening to Dashboard Confessional at full volume, and finishing a rush job on a poster design for a friend of mine's media project: The piece is an elaborate sketch of a clown, with scripted text sprawled across and credits. I don't read a lot of what people have to say about my work, but several months ago I ran across somebody saying that the "soul" had been taken out of my work since I had started taking on more clients and doing less personal work. No, the soul isn't gone...it's just hiding for when it is needed.
Spent a bit of time relaxing and chilling recently on my days off work, spending it visiting awesome friends who never cease to make me smile and laugh, listening to new bands and artists as recommended by certain people, such as Metro Station and Taylor Swift. Also been doing some real deep thinking about the future.
P.S. Had the Comic Relief gig the other day, was really good, did about 15 drawings of people, all greatly appreciatted, and did a spot of face painting, which to my suprise, was very successful!
Yesterday I received a text message that Mikki's uncle died. As much as it shouldn't really have affected me, it did, because I was the one that was there for her, the one she can talk to about it all. He had cancer, and in a way its better that he's moved on to a better place so he's not suffering anymore. But he did have the nicest and best family around him, so he must be eternally grateful. I never met him, but R.I.P Trevor.
Today, I was listening to Dashboard Confessional at full volume, and finishing a rush job on a poster design for a friend of mine's media project: The piece is an elaborate sketch of a clown, with scripted text sprawled across and credits. I don't read a lot of what people have to say about my work, but several months ago I ran across somebody saying that the "soul" had been taken out of my work since I had started taking on more clients and doing less personal work. No, the soul isn't gone...it's just hiding for when it is needed.
Spent a bit of time relaxing and chilling recently on my days off work, spending it visiting awesome friends who never cease to make me smile and laugh, listening to new bands and artists as recommended by certain people, such as Metro Station and Taylor Swift. Also been doing some real deep thinking about the future.
P.S. Had the Comic Relief gig the other day, was really good, did about 15 drawings of people, all greatly appreciatted, and did a spot of face painting, which to my suprise, was very successful!
So Here We Go Again.....
Hey haven't written for a while, but just thought I'd write an update. Recently been doing work of the money earning kind, so I haven't really had the time to do anything remotedly artistic due to extreme tiredness and early mornings.
Just been looking at fisheye cameras, seriously thinking about doing some proper photography, going around and looking at the everyday, but doing it in black and white, as well as colour, but just messing about, seeing what happens.
Just been looking at fisheye cameras, seriously thinking about doing some proper photography, going around and looking at the everyday, but doing it in black and white, as well as colour, but just messing about, seeing what happens.
I Never Thought I'd Die Alone
Havent been on here for a week, just been busy with other things. Had our match last Monday, we lost 15-4, again didnt play too badly, but still outclassed. Found out after the game that most of that team play semi professional football anyway! No wonder we cant beat them.
Had a little in the way of artwork this week, but i am doing characitures of customers and staff for Red Nose Day, so at least that puts my art in the public eye. Hopefully it goes well, and may get some commisions from it, trust me i need the money.
Been having a few mixed feelings this week, the way people are acting towards me, and its making me think about what i want from my life. This is what i want:
Good friends, to travel and explore, have fun, experience true happiness, and have no regrets.
Not too much to ask for is it?
You will point up at the sky as i fly right through the air
Had a little in the way of artwork this week, but i am doing characitures of customers and staff for Red Nose Day, so at least that puts my art in the public eye. Hopefully it goes well, and may get some commisions from it, trust me i need the money.
Been having a few mixed feelings this week, the way people are acting towards me, and its making me think about what i want from my life. This is what i want:
Good friends, to travel and explore, have fun, experience true happiness, and have no regrets.
Not too much to ask for is it?
You will point up at the sky as i fly right through the air
Living Life On The Front Line
Me and Mikki have started to set each other challenges every week, for boredom relief and more conversation settings. We started with Mikki having to keep her room tidy for a week, a task made harder with a cat and dog running about the room, and me reading Pride And Prejudice. I am STILL reading this, I have struggled to get into the book, but I am determined to complete the challenge, so I am not failing yet. This week, we are going to eat three pieces of fruit a day for a week. Should be am achievable challenge and I hope this gets my butt in gear to start being a bit more healthy with what I eat.
On the art front, my friend and work colleague Nathan Johnson, a DJ, has requested another poster design from me, as the first design was successful. He wants this one to be more brighter in colour and appearance so im looking at the designs of posters used for nightclubs in Ibiza for a bit of inspiration.
Another football match tomorrow night, should be good as one of the players on the opposition team is one of my really oldest friends, we lost to them last time 15-3, not a bad result and I got two goals. Hopefully the result will go our way this time! We were scheduled a match last week but it was called off because of the snow.
On the art front, my friend and work colleague Nathan Johnson, a DJ, has requested another poster design from me, as the first design was successful. He wants this one to be more brighter in colour and appearance so im looking at the designs of posters used for nightclubs in Ibiza for a bit of inspiration.
Another football match tomorrow night, should be good as one of the players on the opposition team is one of my really oldest friends, we lost to them last time 15-3, not a bad result and I got two goals. Hopefully the result will go our way this time! We were scheduled a match last week but it was called off because of the snow.
White Skies Wake Me Up
Woke up this morning, and what did I see? White. All white. Looking out the window of my bedroom, and all I could see was thick layers of sparkling snow covering the ground, shed, flowers, everything I could see. It was a beautiful sight, as snow rarely settles here. Mike came round and we played some Playstation and watched the snow fall even more. Oh and it was rather fun to drive on as well, taking Mikki to work at 7.30am in the freezing cold.
I Knew Back Then You'd Never Fly
So after a long motivating talk with my mate Jonny, I have decided to once again redo the promotional piece that I posted about last time. I am just sketching down idea after idea until I come up with something everyone is happy about. And because of all of this, I have spent the last 6 hours searching flickr for makeout pictures. Grossly awesome. It's also amazing how many bands have the word "makeout" in their name. Mikki and I snuck into Tesco yesterday, and then were finding almost anything we were saying or saw hysterical. I can honestly say there was a lot of inappropriate laughter from the two of us after the first 2 minutes. But really, I wish I had the balls to dance like a twat everyday.The football team and I are playing a match tonight, and I can't say I am really looking forward to it. At least we get to play a team near us in the table, and everyone else says we should win...that should at least be entertaining. Oh, forgot to mention that we are playing well at the moment, we have won three games now, and are starting to really gel as a team.
Some of you may remember me taking on personal tattoo commissions a few months ago. Well I have been slowly (VERY slowly) working through a very long list, and finally have gotten to the "best for last" pile. To make up for the amount of time I have spent getting my shit together with these, I have decided to pick it up a notch and really kick my own ass on these.
I just finished a tattoo drawing today, and to be honest this thing really took me way way too long. Not only was the research on the specifics a bitch (the girl who commissioned this wanted a very specific sparrow which apparently is never photographed in flight, with very specific flowers), but I really went kind of overboard with the line work. I didn't want this to be too heavy and dark, but I also didn't want it to lack in detail. My sincere apologies to whomever agrees to actually tattoo this.When I first put out the idea of doing personal commissions, I had said that I only wanted to do black and white pieces. The reason for this was I felt like I had really lost some of my abilities with the brush with all the client work I had been doing. Thankfully my plan worked, and I have finally started to get my shit together again. I have spent way too much time recently listening to Eye Alaska and a lot of screamo music, such as Dead Swans and August Burns Red, and then reading old skateboarding magazines. I need to get a new hobby.A new president and new episodes of Lost in the same week? Be still my heart.
Some of you may remember me taking on personal tattoo commissions a few months ago. Well I have been slowly (VERY slowly) working through a very long list, and finally have gotten to the "best for last" pile. To make up for the amount of time I have spent getting my shit together with these, I have decided to pick it up a notch and really kick my own ass on these.
I just finished a tattoo drawing today, and to be honest this thing really took me way way too long. Not only was the research on the specifics a bitch (the girl who commissioned this wanted a very specific sparrow which apparently is never photographed in flight, with very specific flowers), but I really went kind of overboard with the line work. I didn't want this to be too heavy and dark, but I also didn't want it to lack in detail. My sincere apologies to whomever agrees to actually tattoo this.When I first put out the idea of doing personal commissions, I had said that I only wanted to do black and white pieces. The reason for this was I felt like I had really lost some of my abilities with the brush with all the client work I had been doing. Thankfully my plan worked, and I have finally started to get my shit together again. I have spent way too much time recently listening to Eye Alaska and a lot of screamo music, such as Dead Swans and August Burns Red, and then reading old skateboarding magazines. I need to get a new hobby.A new president and new episodes of Lost in the same week? Be still my heart.
And Suddenly I Miss Everyone
This stupid drawing gets a lot of attention...because well, it's my best piece. I'll admit it, even though I hate to. Everyone loves this thing. And every client in the world basically wants me to just redraw this. But the truth is, I can't. I can't out do this drawing. I was at an apex of my visual narrative, and in a ridiculously emotional state. I just can't get myself there again, no matter how hard I try. And to be honest, I don't want to get there again...yeah I may do great work, but it's not worth it to me emotionally.So when I got asked to do an album cover artwork for my mate’s band “We Are The Arsenal”, they wanted more of that drawing. But after a lot of throwing ideas back and forth, I stuck to my guns. Fabric, sexy/sad girls, crazy hair, and tattoos. And really, when it comes to those themes I kind of out do myself.One of the questions I get asked most, is "how do you get hair to look like that?' And really, I can't tell you. I don't really know how it works, but it always does. The trouble isn't all the stringy strands, it's the actual body of the hair. Once I get the shape down, it's a piece of cake from there. Well...and thin lines and breath control really comes into play too. I used to use a fineliner a lot with hair, but now I barely do at all, using the sharp pencil.
For some reason I always set myself up for this trap. There is something stupidly hard about making the shadows look right when they are coming from the far side of a face turned at three quarters. I have had this problem for years and no matter how many times I try it, it will always look like shit. Oh well....I think I am also way over patterns. This thing just burned me out on everything.
For some reason I always set myself up for this trap. There is something stupidly hard about making the shadows look right when they are coming from the far side of a face turned at three quarters. I have had this problem for years and no matter how many times I try it, it will always look like shit. Oh well....I think I am also way over patterns. This thing just burned me out on everything.
The Land of Milk & Honey
Things are happening, I swear. I have had a nearly finished tattoo design on my desk for weeks, and just haven't gotten a second to put on the finishing touches.I now have full time job, which is the same job, but more hours now, which is very nice for the money, but the actual job is not the greatest.
Portsmouth is freezing. I cut my hair way too short. I barely ever leave my room anymore. My hands are blistered from working so much. I have started wearing my star earring. I am thinking about comics again. I have a football match tomorrow, I don't know whether to be excited or terrified.
Portsmouth is freezing. I cut my hair way too short. I barely ever leave my room anymore. My hands are blistered from working so much. I have started wearing my star earring. I am thinking about comics again. I have a football match tomorrow, I don't know whether to be excited or terrified.
Running To Stand Still
So, after nearly two months I finally finished the big personal project. And in all honesty, I really couldn't be more pleased with it. It is so rare when the image I have initially in my head actually looks like the final product. I have been staring at this thing for weeks, occasionally adding minuscule touches here and there, but I would say I have probably put almost 100 hours into finishing this. There were even a few points where I would wake up in the middle of the night to work on it ( I was convinced it was haunting me for a while ). How in god's name did this take 100 hours you ask? Well, because it is on a massive canvas on Photoshop. It is damn huge. Not the biggest thing I have done, but certainly the most detailed and time consuming. I was getting so tired of laying half of my drawing abilities to the side to do client work, that when the opportunity came for me to work on this, I put everything I had into it. Ink washes, paint washes, pen, colored pencil, and brush and photos. This thing is ridiculously detailed. I have a habit of not slacking on the detail, no matter how big the piece is. And yeah, I used the exact same sized brush for this that I used on everything else.
Also, I am considering selling the piece shown. I don't exactly know who would want a massive painted image with a melting city on it, but if you are interested (and seriously so) please feel free to contact me.
Into The Mouth Of The Wolf
I have just finished for a spot of personal illustration for myself, and maybe as family christmas gifts, based on a song written by Yellowcard. I have developed a love / hate relationship with drawing in a graphic novel style, though I am a little obsessed with how the dark black backgrounds and bright white foregrounds give me headaches. Also, apparently I have lost the ability to draw birds well.
I have booked my tattoo extension, without telling my parents, for fear of extreme hassle and disappointment. But I am looking forward to finally getting my shoulder and arm half sleeve finished, so I can move on and think of another tattoo to permanently embed onto my skin. And somehow I want to figure out how to use a graphics tablet on Photoshop without cutting my carefully drawn picture in half. Somebody slap me if I complain about it too much.
I have booked my tattoo extension, without telling my parents, for fear of extreme hassle and disappointment. But I am looking forward to finally getting my shoulder and arm half sleeve finished, so I can move on and think of another tattoo to permanently embed onto my skin. And somehow I want to figure out how to use a graphics tablet on Photoshop without cutting my carefully drawn picture in half. Somebody slap me if I complain about it too much.
My Obsession With Text Messaging
I am currently in the midsts of a very exciting project. Unfortunately, I don't know how freely I am able to talk about the project...but hell, when am I ever? The project will be taking me a good chunk of the winter, and near future, which is a definite plus considering my quickly growing stress from my paid job. And to be totally honest, I can't think of more of a dream job for me. Basically I get to spend time drawing ridiculously detailed furniture, clothing, wallpaper, hairstyles, etc....it's like I was meant for the job. Not to mention the fact that I get to draw whatever I feel like! Here are some rough line work drawings of what I am working on. Chances are, I don't have to be putting as much detail into everything that I am...but I can't really hold back at this point.
I viewed an online show, in which I entered one of my paintings, and it was....well, it was good. But odd, and confusing, and depressing, and amazing, and terrifying. A lot of nice things were said about my work, and I ended up getting entirely too disinterested for my own good by the end of it. Though, none of this has changed my ideas about having work in galleries....it still seems like a whole lot of bullshit and competitiveness, neither of which I am too fond of when it comes to just doing my work.Tonight a few of us are going to see Portsmouth play. Normally I would be all for this...but considering that it's at a lousy pub, on an extremely unclear bunch of televisions, ....I can't really say I am looking forward to it. Lord have mercy on us.Sometimes I wonder when I write things like "Lord have mercy on us", do people actually take me seriously? It was brought to my attention a long time ago, that people take a lot of ridiculous things I say seriously.
And one more thing:My name is Gavin Howard and I am a text messaging addict. Thank you.
I viewed an online show, in which I entered one of my paintings, and it was....well, it was good. But odd, and confusing, and depressing, and amazing, and terrifying. A lot of nice things were said about my work, and I ended up getting entirely too disinterested for my own good by the end of it. Though, none of this has changed my ideas about having work in galleries....it still seems like a whole lot of bullshit and competitiveness, neither of which I am too fond of when it comes to just doing my work.Tonight a few of us are going to see Portsmouth play. Normally I would be all for this...but considering that it's at a lousy pub, on an extremely unclear bunch of televisions, ....I can't really say I am looking forward to it. Lord have mercy on us.Sometimes I wonder when I write things like "Lord have mercy on us", do people actually take me seriously? It was brought to my attention a long time ago, that people take a lot of ridiculous things I say seriously.
And one more thing:My name is Gavin Howard and I am a text messaging addict. Thank you.
At Night I Lay At Home With My Sheets Soaking Wet
Okay, I haven't posted in this thing for nearly a couple of days at this point, but at least it's for good reason....I just haven't really had anything to post. Nothing and everything has changed all at once. Spent some time in the nega-zone known as Sainsburys earning my pennies putting bread on shelves, spent hours and hours trying to come up with ideas for a personal project, rearranged my studio aka. my bedroom, had the past break my heart, realized that I have had the shit kicked out of me for so long that even the death of a close friend’s family member barely affects me, carried a dollar bill in my wallet, was blown away by Jumper, seriously inflamed my arthritis with Guitar Hero, etcetera, etcetera.Here is a pretty simple job I did for a friend at work a few weeks ago, that came out really nice. It was the first time in a long time that I felt like I actually accomplished something through the whole “let me just see what I come up with” way of generating ideas.
I have been becoming increasingly disinterested in my colours anymore. It seems like I have been using the same crutches for a couple of years now, and quite frankly it just isn't fun anymore. I figured this new personal project would be a good time to experiment with some different palettes and different techniques, and I think they will come off pretty well.
I think I could spend the rest of my life only listening to rock music.
I have been becoming increasingly disinterested in my colours anymore. It seems like I have been using the same crutches for a couple of years now, and quite frankly it just isn't fun anymore. I figured this new personal project would be a good time to experiment with some different palettes and different techniques, and I think they will come off pretty well.
I think I could spend the rest of my life only listening to rock music.
Kill Spiders, Buy Art
For a while now I have been considering taking on personal commissions, and not just company clients alone. Now it seems like a wiser decision than ever. So what does that mean? It means I am taking on basically any commission that comes my way. This can include anything from the tiniest drawing, to a larger project, and yes that even means tattoo designs. I have ignored a lot of emails in the past pertaining to such projects, and I will try and respond to some of the more recent ones in the next few days.Any possible commission you could have for me; gifts, wedding invitations, cards, wall art, tattoos, anything. I am interested in the job. I will also definitely consider larger personal commissions, considering the work involved. I would prefer to only be working in black and white, but don't be afraid to ask about colour. I haven't exactly figured out how pricing will go yet, but obviously pricing will be negotiable and varying, but for small to medium sized drawings I was thinking between £20-£100.This will be the first time that I have really ever taken on personal commissions. And quite honestly, I am excited about it. Who knows if any one will even be interested? But if you can, please help me get back on my feet both literally and financially. And not only that, please give me something to keep my mind on while keeping my mood up.If you are interested at all, you can email me or get a hold of me through myspace or facebook. Like I said earlier on, I am going to try and contact people that have emailed me recently about such work, but if you do not hear from me feel free to email me as well.Also, I still have a handful of prints available on myspace (and many more will be added soon). I do not mind if anyone wants any of the pieces of mine that sell. And like I said, anything will help.Even if you cannot contribute, thank you so much for your support over the years. Your support has made my art and career what it is today, and I couldn't be more appreciative.PS. We started a football team at ROKO, a local sports complex, tonight, and it’s a 5-a-side game, 20 minutes each half. It was pretty brutal to be honest, considering I haven’t played competitive football since my school days. We played against the team that was third in the league that we have been assigned to, and we played well but lost 8-2 against the Star.
With The Green Green Grass, Growin' Over My Feet
Fortunately due to my persistance with sorting hours out at work, I have had a lot of free time and therefore a lot of time to catch up on late projects. I was contacted by a mate from work, Mark, a few months ago about putting together some kind of advertising package for his band, We’re Whats Left. I had worked with Mark before on his tattoo design, a microphone in an old school style, and had gotten amazing response for the drawing. Though, looking back on it I was never particularly happy with the design. I felt that it was severely lacking something, but what I could never figure out.I was sent a list of ideas from the band, and went to work coming up with ideas. I wrote out a ridiculously long explanation of why I went the direction that I did, which involved old school tattoos, photography, and japanese comics, but instead of boring you with all of that, I will paraphrase it. The idea I wanted to push was the struggle between what the mind believes is real and what is not real, with the idea of isolation and memory woven throughout. Not exactly an easy thing to illustrate. After several rounds of sketches I finished some rough line work that everyone seemed to be happy with. And yes, I still hate doing perspective.
I have had some trouble for a while trying to figure out how to draw linear style in Photoshop to create a depth of field, and I think I got pretty close to it on this. This is one of those times when I wish I could work photoshop entirely through telepathy, it would make my job a lot easier.
I have had some trouble for a while trying to figure out how to draw linear style in Photoshop to create a depth of field, and I think I got pretty close to it on this. This is one of those times when I wish I could work photoshop entirely through telepathy, it would make my job a lot easier.
The Open Window Lets The Rain In
So, over the last two days i have probably gotten more emails than i have gotten in the last 6 months combined. i am still in process of responding to all of them, and am about 90% through the pile. a lot of the emails are for commissions that i am really excited about.So my plan now? finish a commission each day that I am not working, and also while still doing my job. so far (as in today) it has worked fine, but i assume i am going to collapse from exhaustion, or that my hand is going to be permanently deformed by the end of this.One of the reasons i have requested that most of the commissions be in black and white, is my desire to brush up on my drawing skills. I feel that over the last few years my ability to use a pencil has declined greatly, and i am hoping that practicing every other day with these commissions will help me out a lot. A handful of these commissions (both tattoo and wall art) are simply "draw whatever you want", which while at first seems incredibly daunting, have ended up being a lot of fun.
So a question that has come up a lot over the years, is why am i so picky about doing certain tattoo designs? it's not really a matter of being picky i guess. I think a lot of people assume that i am just generally against tattoos, which is pretty funny considering the fact that i myself am rather tattooed. Tattoo art is a huge inspiration to me, and i have the utmost respect for tattoo artists (and half the time wish i was one myself).quite honestly the real reason i usually decline offers, is i don't really think my work is up to par with something you would want on your body for the rest of your life. There are a lot of things to regret, and i can only hope that my work is not one of those things for people....hell, i have the name of my dead brother, Ryan, on my left wrist for the rest of my life, i know a few people would regret that, but I certainly do not. A friend of mine once said that you can never regret a tattoo, because they can only remind you of who you once were. Now i would like to point out that this friend of mine is completely covered in tattoos, and i would bet my right leg that he is regretting it, or some of them, now. I am a firm believer in being able to be ashamed of who you once where.but in reality, i love doing tattoo work. There is something so simplistic and beautiful about it all...i just have to ignore the fact that people actually get them done. I also have come to the realisation that my line work is ridiculously hard to replicate with a tattoo machine. I know of a few people who can do it well, all of which i can count on one hand (though, obviously there are probably a lot more). I hope this kind of explains my trepidation about tattoo designs in the past. but, thats the past. I have done a handful of designs over the last year or so that i am extremely proud that people actually have gotten. My friend Jeff (works at the studio where I get my tattoos) asked me to design a tattoo of a mermaid for him....and after a lot of restarting and deliberation, i did the design above.
Jeff offered to repay me in hours under the needle. Normally i would have been super excited about this, but i basically had 3 days to come up with something i would want on my body for the rest of my life. And after thinking about it for a while, i decided to get a design drawn myself. Now let me tell you, this was by no means an easy decision. I am still a little uneasy about the whole situation. But man, you've gotta love japanese style tattoos.
Sick Of It
New Found Glory – Understatement
I'm sick of smiling
And so is my jaw
Can't you see my front is crumbling down?
I'm sick of being someone I'm not
Please get me out of this spot
I'm sick of clapping
When I know I can do it better for myself
I'm sick of waiting
Sick of all these words that will never matter
I'll wire these nerves together
Hoping for a chance to think on time
And I'm tracing over your letter
To see if your intentions are as good as mine
But you're getting worse
I swear it
It's hard to prove you're an understatement
You're getting worse and I know
That you'll be calling me again
I'm done with everything
That had to do with you
Don't worry your pictures are already burned
I'm done with new friends
Don't sell yourself short
You'll lose it in the end
I can't help how I feel
This song is pretty much summing up how I am feeling about my life at the moment, I mean, the people that I have grown to know and love have suddenly and gradually been weird and different towards me, I don’t know if its because I went to a different university or I go out on different nights than they do….. It just sums up how much all your friends change during your life. There were friends I had in junior school, and I miss them, because we just never stayed in touch. Don’t you ever sit back and wonder? And think do you remember… me? I remember you...... and I wish there was a way to stay mates instead of messaging every now and again on Facebook or Myspace, or just by a text message.
You ever look a picture of yourself, and see a stranger in the background? It makes you wonder how many strangers have pictures of you. How many moments of other peoples life have we been in. Were we a part of someone's life when their dream came true or were we there when their dream died. Did we keep trying to get in? As if we were somehow destined to be there or did the shot take us by surprise. Just think, you could be a big part of someone else’s life, and not even know it.
I'm sick of smiling
And so is my jaw
Can't you see my front is crumbling down?
I'm sick of being someone I'm not
Please get me out of this spot
I'm sick of clapping
When I know I can do it better for myself
I'm sick of waiting
Sick of all these words that will never matter
I'll wire these nerves together
Hoping for a chance to think on time
And I'm tracing over your letter
To see if your intentions are as good as mine
But you're getting worse
I swear it
It's hard to prove you're an understatement
You're getting worse and I know
That you'll be calling me again
I'm done with everything
That had to do with you
Don't worry your pictures are already burned
I'm done with new friends
Don't sell yourself short
You'll lose it in the end
I can't help how I feel
This song is pretty much summing up how I am feeling about my life at the moment, I mean, the people that I have grown to know and love have suddenly and gradually been weird and different towards me, I don’t know if its because I went to a different university or I go out on different nights than they do….. It just sums up how much all your friends change during your life. There were friends I had in junior school, and I miss them, because we just never stayed in touch. Don’t you ever sit back and wonder? And think do you remember… me? I remember you...... and I wish there was a way to stay mates instead of messaging every now and again on Facebook or Myspace, or just by a text message.
You ever look a picture of yourself, and see a stranger in the background? It makes you wonder how many strangers have pictures of you. How many moments of other peoples life have we been in. Were we a part of someone's life when their dream came true or were we there when their dream died. Did we keep trying to get in? As if we were somehow destined to be there or did the shot take us by surprise. Just think, you could be a big part of someone else’s life, and not even know it.
The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter
Today is a Monday, the first day of the week. Mikki, otherwise known as Michaela Ruth Colwell, and she lives just five minutes away from my house, and is currently at work downtown, in a chemist and beauty store. I’ve got the day off from my work, in a food retail store, and I’m sat in front of my computer with my ipod playing random tunes, thinking about the future, my dreams, my fears, and what I can do to change the way our lives are.
Me and Mikki have done quite a lot together in the relatively short space of time that we have known each other, we’ve travelled, we’ve dreamed, we’ve laughed, we’ve cried, but everything works out for the better every time, and we’re still the best of friends, for which I am eternally grateful, because she is one truly special and amazing person.
We met in a club in Portsmouth, on Monday, 23rd April 2007, through a mutual friend. We were introduced and got along, and suddenly, you’ve done it all. You’ve won me over, in no time at all. And we never looked back. I call that weekend the ‘best weekend of my life’ because I had gone to Wembley to see my favourite band in a gig, and met the one major influence and change to my life in the space of three days. It’s only been a year and a half since then, but it seems like a lifetime.
Anyway, back to today. Our dreams include; living together, travelling the world, and basically making the most of our existence. We have already started planning to save money, and have come up with a list of places we wish to go to, such as Mexico, Cambodia, America, and Austrailia. We fancy getting one of those classic VW Combi-Wagons to tour along Route 66 and also doing some kind of tour around Asia. But first, we’re going to look into the possibility of living together, getting a mortgage and saving a lot of money. Seeing as we’re now both working full time in our jobs, hopefully we can get the money saved up and by this time next year, reach a target and be a step closer towards a dream fulfilled.
There comes a time when every life goes off course. In this desperate moment you must choose your direction. Will you fight to stay on the path while others tell you who you are? Or will you label yourself? Will you be honoured by your choice? Or will you embrace your new path? Each morning you choose to move forward or to simply give up. Most of our lives are a series of images; they pass us by like towns on a highway. But sometimes a moment stuns us as it happens and we know that this instant is more than a fleeting image. We know that this moment, every part of it, will live on forever. When that moment comes, I’ll let you know.
I think I like today, I think it’s good, it’s something I can’t get my head around.
Me and Mikki have done quite a lot together in the relatively short space of time that we have known each other, we’ve travelled, we’ve dreamed, we’ve laughed, we’ve cried, but everything works out for the better every time, and we’re still the best of friends, for which I am eternally grateful, because she is one truly special and amazing person.
We met in a club in Portsmouth, on Monday, 23rd April 2007, through a mutual friend. We were introduced and got along, and suddenly, you’ve done it all. You’ve won me over, in no time at all. And we never looked back. I call that weekend the ‘best weekend of my life’ because I had gone to Wembley to see my favourite band in a gig, and met the one major influence and change to my life in the space of three days. It’s only been a year and a half since then, but it seems like a lifetime.
Anyway, back to today. Our dreams include; living together, travelling the world, and basically making the most of our existence. We have already started planning to save money, and have come up with a list of places we wish to go to, such as Mexico, Cambodia, America, and Austrailia. We fancy getting one of those classic VW Combi-Wagons to tour along Route 66 and also doing some kind of tour around Asia. But first, we’re going to look into the possibility of living together, getting a mortgage and saving a lot of money. Seeing as we’re now both working full time in our jobs, hopefully we can get the money saved up and by this time next year, reach a target and be a step closer towards a dream fulfilled.
There comes a time when every life goes off course. In this desperate moment you must choose your direction. Will you fight to stay on the path while others tell you who you are? Or will you label yourself? Will you be honoured by your choice? Or will you embrace your new path? Each morning you choose to move forward or to simply give up. Most of our lives are a series of images; they pass us by like towns on a highway. But sometimes a moment stuns us as it happens and we know that this instant is more than a fleeting image. We know that this moment, every part of it, will live on forever. When that moment comes, I’ll let you know.
I think I like today, I think it’s good, it’s something I can’t get my head around.
A Little's Enough
Portsmouth is just a place somewhere in the world. Maybe it's a lot like your world, maybe it's nothing like it. But if you look closer, you might see someone like you. Someone trying to find their way. Someone trying to find their place. Someone trying to find their self. Sometimes it seems like you are the only one in the world who's struggling, who's frustrated, or unsatisfied, or barely getting by. But that feeling's a lie. And if you just hold on, just find the courage to face it all for another day, someone or something will find you and make it all okay. Because we all need a little help sometimes. Someone to help us hear the music in the world, to remind us that it won't always be this way. That someone is out there. And that someone will find you.
My name is Gavin Howard. I'm a graduate from Chichester University. I live in Denvilles, near Havant. My home is just a normal semi-detached house, with a garden. Maybe you have seen me about the town, in the clubs or just down the high street. Or maybe you have seen someone I know, like my best friend, Mikki. If you're hard-working, living at home, not sure if you’ll ever get out of your job, then I'd say your world is a lot like Mikki's. And mine. This year is supposed to be the best, and most decisive, year of our lives. But it's amazing how things can change in the blink of an eye. In this case, it hasn’t changed yet, and I intend for it to change for the better.
My name is Gavin Howard. I'm a graduate from Chichester University. I live in Denvilles, near Havant. My home is just a normal semi-detached house, with a garden. Maybe you have seen me about the town, in the clubs or just down the high street. Or maybe you have seen someone I know, like my best friend, Mikki. If you're hard-working, living at home, not sure if you’ll ever get out of your job, then I'd say your world is a lot like Mikki's. And mine. This year is supposed to be the best, and most decisive, year of our lives. But it's amazing how things can change in the blink of an eye. In this case, it hasn’t changed yet, and I intend for it to change for the better.
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