Sketch Blog of Anthony Rosbottom

Alien Pilot (colour version)

2012-01-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

This is a colour version of a pencil drawing I did back in 2010 ( link here : Alien Pilot Inspects His Ship )
I started this a bit before the image in the previous post (Eye Floating In A Gas Mask) so it doesn't use the digital painting style that was used in that other image.

Eye Floating In A Gas Mask

2011-12-26T17:54:00.000-08:00

All my previous digital colour pictures have been created by tinting black and white artwork (pencil or pen & ink), sometimes adding digital 'paint' over the top to augment the picture. This is my first picture that is 'painted' digitally from scratch. There is still a pen & ink drawing underneath but except for a few stray pixels around the edges (and the signature) it is completely obscured by the colour on top.

The gas mask in the image is inspired by an exhibit of a WWII era gas mask in the Winston Churchill's Britain At War Experience (Tooley St. London). The single floating eye is well.. a motif I use often.

Worried Hand Puppet

2011-10-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why I drew this image. I started with the hand puppet and it spiralled into surreal territory.
Maybe the figure is a close relative of the screaming Madonna I drew a while ago?

HB & 6B pencil on A6 paper

Happy Monster Couple

2011-09-05T05:15:00.000-07:00

From the very first moment he met her, he was transfixed by her single, languid eye. She was attracted to his short stature and large, silky-smooth eye lens coverings. Even though he finds it tickles too much, he lets her slowly drag her wet suckers across his eye lens coverings because it relaxes her so. She puts up with the fact he wears a shirt and tie even on the weekends. In return, he doesn’t bemoan the fact that she has to go on solitary egg-laying missions every three hundred and three years.

They are the perfect happy monster couple

Pencil on paper 11x11cm

Gas Mask 1 - W.I.P.

2011-09-03T03:24:00.000-07:00

I'm calling this half finished so I'm going to throw a 'work in progress' onto the blog seeing as I haven't had a chance to post anything for a few weeks.
This is the first digital painting that I'm actually 'painting' as opposed to digitally 'tinting' a grey-scale drawing so I'm learning a lot with this piece.
I should [hopefully] finish it before the end of the year, the signature is already a year out of date (thinking about it, I'll paint a new signature over the top!)

Photoshop CS3 used over an A5 pen & ink drawing

River Struggle

2011-07-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

A lone Sabre Fang Lundeldon has stumbled into the deep river and become the target for a shoal of Grey Snekels

HB & 6B pencil on A6 sized paper

Cat Goblin concept

2011-06-15T05:12:00.000-07:00

A quick ten minute sketch of a minor upright cat goblin.

3mm mechanical HB pencil on A6 paper

Found a couple of Sketches

2011-05-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

I was sorting through a pile of part-used pads of paper and found a couple of sketches from 2009 that I'd forgotten I did. I was pleasantly surprised and happy with the sheet of creature sketches but not so happy to be reminded about my early struggles with marker pens.
I still haven't got near to mastering the marker pens. That medium is on the back burner for now.

Cycle Of Greed

2011-05-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

I haven't done a lot of sketching over the last month or so. So this is a warm up piece to keep the 'pencil rust' at bay.
The message isn't very subtle but isn't a comment on anyone or any area of my life in particular. It could even be my subconscious warning me about my own greedy thoughts.

5mm HB mechanical pencil on A6 paper

Wheeled Droid

2011-03-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a bit of a return to more proper sketching, where I don't try and render the whole image.
More of a standard sci-fi theme as well. A wheeled droid having it's curiosity piqued by a ladybug.

3mm HB mechanical pencil on A6 paper

Attack On The O People

2011-02-24T14:59:00.000-08:00

A Hex-wheeled Mechanical Attack Mouse drives through a gathering of 'O' tribe members, gathering coveted 'O' Heads as it goes.

First drawing in a new A6 sketchbook. I'm happier with the slightly rougher paper than in my last sketchbook as the pencils seem to 'bite' better.

6B & HB Pencils on A6 sized paper.

Underwater Trapeze

2011-02-10T16:43:00.000-08:00

A clown explores the possibility of doing a trapeze act underwater.

HB & 6B pencils on A6 paper

House Invasion

2011-02-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

A family of eye people return to their home to find that the youngest has left the front door unlocked. Gnarly Number Flies have occupied the dwelling, much to the distress of the dwelling herself.

I finished drawing the pencil stage of this picture back in 2002 or 2003 (can't remember exactly) but didn't take it further at the time because I couldn't decide whether to use ink or pencil to finish it off. Well in January (2011) I saw it in my sketchbook and thought 'I need to get closure on this drawing'. So I went for the 'pointillism with ink' technique and think I will try colouring it at a later time.
The characters and other foreground elements were inked in over three or four evenings but the vague background took about six evenings to complete, a real wrist-deadener!

Ink pen on A4 paper

Ugly Burlesque Bird

2011-01-29T08:02:00.000-08:00

Some exploratory sketches of a picture I'm thinking of doing. I don't do enough exploratory sketches before drawing finished pieces so I need the practice of getting in the habit.

Mechanical HB pencil on three A6 pages

Random Sketches

2011-01-27T05:52:00.000-08:00

First post of 2011! Belated Happy New Year everyone. I have a couple of pictures close to completion but I thought I'd open up 2011 by posting a small page of random thumbnail sketches.

Mechanical HB pencil on A6 paper

Toy Picnic in the Woods with Fairies

2010-12-18T07:50:00.000-08:00

I started this back in 2009 and am happy to finish the inking process in less than two years (!)
I have had a struggle with maintaining good tone in this one so I won't be leaving it as a black and white piece but will be digitally colouring it.

DR Pilot Drawing Pen on A6 sized paper.
On a side not. Please Pilot (of Japan) do not stop making these drawing pens. I've used them for at least 25 years and they've served me flawlessly and whole a lot better than the more expensive, high maintenance Radiograph pens.

Bald Man Harpy

2010-11-03T16:31:00.000-07:00

The next in a series of sketches that start off as serious anatomy studies but turn into surrealness at the first sign of observational resistance (i.e. when I fall off the anatomical-correct wagon really early on in the sketch). A bald Man Harpy (I think usually Harpies are female?)

HB mechanical pencil on A6 paper

Alien Fashion Model

2010-11-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

She's a size zero beauty with a sideways, John Carpenter-esque, serrated mouth so approach with caution.
With this sketch I learned that 6B pencils don't work too well on smooth cartridge paper, hence the mess in the bottom right corner.

HB mechanical pencil with 6B standard pencil on A6 sized paper

UFO Repairs

2010-10-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

Someone has to do some unexpected roadside repairs before they can get back to their home world.

Size is A4 3mm & 7mm HB mechanical pencils and a standard 6B pencil used

Strange Head

2010-10-25T12:08:00.000-07:00

What started as a study of a strap of a woman's handbag, turned into something a bit more surreal.

Small Flock of Air Hounds

2010-10-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

Just a quick little concept sketch of a creature that has evolved to float around a heavy atmosphere.
I quite like the idea of making this little beast in 3D.

Meeting In a Dusty Town

2010-09-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

Just a quick A6-sized sketch of a robot meeting a mysterious alien astride an alien beast of burden. If you've seen a lot of my blog you'll know this isn't uncommon subject matter for me ;)

Short Skel - Early Halloween treat

2010-09-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick character design which is a bit too early for Halloween. It started out as a bust but I thought I'd squeeze the whole body in there.
My scanner must be becoming sentient as I didn't ask it to give me the 'ivory paper' look but 'spookily' (geddit?) it matches the subject matter.

(paper size is A4)

Screaming Madonna and Child

2010-09-19T17:31:00.000-07:00

A picture with a slight religious theme to it but nothing to do with the Pope's recent visit to Britain.
It actually started as an anatomy study. I was referencing a perfume advertisement on the train I was on. After three or four pencil strokes it was apparent to me that something was very wrong with my proportions so I clanged the direction of the picture back into my familiar sci-fi / fantasy / horror / surreal leanings.

A pair of robots

2010-09-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, it got to nearly a month between posting (was busy at work) so I've got to make sure that doesn't happen again ;)

I usually do my sketching on the train but have been catching up on sleep on the train the last couple of weeks so this sketch is all that's new.

A pair of robots, one heavily inspired by the 'Iron Giant' and one that looks like something you'd find in a cross between a 'Bjork' and 'Gorrilaz' music video. All unintentional. These things are only apparent to me when I'm scanning them in :)

Startled Shotgun Snail

2010-08-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

Just a little (A6) sketch of a startled snail... with a shotgun. (No I don't know why either? Or why he has a rope, or why he's startled... or why he has arms? ;] )

Liberating Yorick

2010-07-29T16:51:00.000-07:00

Here is the drawing finished. I am very happy with how the image turned out. The use of 'proper' perspective has given it more 'solidity' than my usual drawings.

I'll definately be starting a colour version of this soon. The size of the drawing is A4 and I used HB and 6B pencils

W.I.P. '3' Liberating Yorick

2010-07-24T05:24:00.000-07:00

Now I've started showing the progress of this picture it seems I'm getting to like doing it. This 'should' be the last update though - maybe.

W.I.P. '2' Liberating Yorick

2010-07-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

Since I haven't got any new pieces finished since last week, I've decided to show my progress with this picture.

I'm happy with how the rug turned out. I feel I'm over the halfway mark which is good but this is the point I tend to get impatient to finish pictures and ruch things so I need to pace myself.

W.I.P. - Liberating Yorick

2010-07-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post showing one of my pictures way before it's finished.

I usually start shading from the bottom right corner because I'm left-handed and shading from that corner minimises smudging in the rest of the image. So far, all the shading has been with HB pencils. I'll go over it all with the 6B near the end, to add contrast.

Shadow Rider

2010-07-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

With this image I was practising using a very soft (6B) pencil to try and get better with high contrast shadows. I think it suffers a bit because I didn't include a motivation for the intense shadow. Maybe I can improve it when I get around to colouring it.

Creature sketches

2010-06-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

Even though this was meant to be a sketch blog, a lot of my recent posts have been of finished pieces. So to redress the balance, and because I haven't had a chance this week to finish a full drawing, here's a page of rough creature sketches. There's a vague 'pig' theme running through the creatures because I was trying to get away from my usual 'reptilian' design cues.

I just wanted a puppy!

2010-06-04T17:01:00.000-07:00

I quite like how this sketch turned out. It's a definite candidate for being coloured.

Alas Poor Yorick, colour version

2010-05-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a colour version of my Alas Poor Yorick sketch.
Software used was Photoshop

Eight-Eyed Wide Newt

2010-05-24T12:07:00.001-07:00

Hilltop Skirmish

2010-05-21T12:13:00.001-07:00

Behind You!

2010-05-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

Clown with pet dino

2010-05-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

Yet again, I had this drawing half finished about a year ago. Found it buried in the back of my pad a couple of days ago and finished it off.

Dwarf Dino Sphinx

2010-05-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

When I started this, it was meant to end up as a cyborg spider with a female face.
I took a wrong turn somewhere :)

Into the Wurme's Lair

2010-05-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

This has languished, half finished, in my A6 sketch book for over a year. I got a bit weary of flipping past it so I finished it up in one forty minute sprint.

In case you're wondering, yes I said A6. I use a 3mm mechanical pencil for this tiny sketch book :)

Alas Poor Yorick

2010-05-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

Two severely mutated (corrupted?) bunnies discover an interesting object.

Behold the Fearsome 'Octo-digitor'!

2010-04-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

A more 'dreamscape' type of creature.

Angry Chin Monster berates Cat

2010-04-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

I know my cat anatomy needs [a lot of] work. But I'm happy with the expression on my chin monster.

Snub Nosed Pterosaur

2010-04-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

Just a quick doodle of a
Pterosaur type creature

Alien Pilot Inspects The Ship

2010-04-24T17:18:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty happy with the design for this fella. I'll be using this as a basis for a digital picture.

Cookie Cutter

2010-04-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it's like for other artists, but when I initially think of something to draw, once it's down on paper, it rarely looks exactly how it looked in my head. It's sometimes better, sometimes worse, it averages out over the years to I don't worry about it too much.

This sketch however, turned out exactly how I envisioned it. It's a simple composition but I tried working more on my values with this one, getting more 'dark' space in there than usual and getting some rim lighting going. This was sketched in it's entirety while travelling on a train to and from work. I find the rocking of train helps randomise the shading ;)

Tree Climber and Jockey

2010-04-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

This sketch started life in landscape format but I found that I hadn't left myself much room for a 'head' on the critter (it was going to be some sort of 'dog shaped' beast). Turned it around to portrait format and had to tuck the beast's head behind the shoulder anyway.

Alien Heavy Artillery Loader

2010-04-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

When I started this sketch the guy was going to be like one of those runway signallers that wave glowing sticks at aircraft to guide them in. But as I got lower down on the page, holding an artillery shell was easier to draw.

NOT a sketch but a magazine interview with me from 2001!

2010-04-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

I was cleaning the loft out this Easter weekend and rediscovered this old magazine, the Easter 2001 edition of PSi-2 Interactive Magazine. In it is a small interview with yours truly. I'm going to post it here for posterity (and so I can recycle the magazine).
It also shows me that just a short decade ago I had hair on my head and chin. Alas my head is now a barren wasteland.

Alien Bust

2010-04-07T03:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a recent sketch of an alien. It's got big eyes, maybe it comes from a planet with low light? Not much room for a large, developed brain though.

Toothy Fish

2010-04-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

Another catch up post with a sketch from late last year.
As you can see this is a pen & ink sketch instead of my usual pencil work.
I tried to keep a loose, flowing technique going. It's not as tight as my usual pen & ink stuff.

Evil Clowns

2010-03-29T13:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know why but one of my recurring motif's are mischievous / evil clowns. In my head I see an animated series featuring the little guys. Maybe one day time and resources will be mine to make it happen ;) ?

On my main portfolio site I have more finished examples of stubby evil or mischievous clowns.

Clown & Horse (this one is quite friendly)

Clown Scientist & Clown Mech

The Chase feat. 3 Clown Pilots

Mutant Child with Pet (& other doodles)

2010-03-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

I'm still catching up and putting older stuff up. This was done about 8months ago (early 2009). It's the first page of my current A5 sketchbook (I always have one of each size from A6 to A3 going in parallel :) )

Big Mouthed Alien Head study

2010-03-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

I found this, this morning so for the sake of completeness I'll post it as well.

Big-Mouthed, Biped, Alien

2010-03-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'll start with this sketch that's about 6months old. You'll see a lot of this sort of thing from me as I can't seem to stop drawing aliens with huge mouths and erm 'barouque anatomy'

Introduction

2010-03-25T18:18:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody. This blog is the place I am going to use, to show my sketches. My finished work will be saved for my main website www.anthonyrosbottom.com

I like sketching a lot but I don't do enough of it. This blog will hopefully encourage me to be more 'regular' with my sketches. ;)