Philip Jones Griffiths RIP

A welsh photographer who produced some stunning images of global conflict.
I've been getting into photography again and saw Jones work a while back. It did everything a photographer in that situation should produce – arresting images so arresting you can look at them for an age, yet so powerful you never forget just what hellish situation they are depicting. They make you think

Being there to capture that image. Take this one from the US invasion of Grenada



A kid and his football innocently playing while seemingly being stalked by a US tank. Innocent yet sinister. Obvious yet open to many interpretations

His most famous work was from Vietnam and you are urged to seek out his book Vietnam Inc. Pictures that are as gorgeous as they are horrifying. Badly wounded civilians given body tags. There are also pictures that just show the day to day life of a GI.

He also returned a few years back to produce Vietnam At Peace to document just how the country had changed
More info here

Angry footballer

This was for a piece about footballer's protests.
Interesting where this has got to. Goal celebrations with a message. It's one thing when Robbie Fowler lifted his jersey to reveal a tshirt branded with his support of Liverpool Dockers – possibly the most noble goal celebration ever, better than snorting the goal-line.
But Tim Cahll cuffs sign is all about his imprisoned brother.
Its not quite up there with Paulo DiCanio's fascist salute for sheer insanity, Not exactly politicised like thos players who wave Iraeli or Palestinian flags at international matches. Nor is it as innocently stupid as Gazza inciting the catholic Celtic supporters with his potentially incendiary Protestant pipe celebration in 98. Innocent because someone told him to do it, and not aware of the associations went and insulted not jus Celtic supporters, but the iRA too.

So Cahill's handcuffs. They were a sign for his older brother, currently serving 6 six years for violent assault, an assault that left the victim partially blinded in one eye. Cahill claims its just to show his brother he's thinking of him. Aw, bless. Dont why he just cant tell him later rather than upset the family and friends of the victim with a gesture that some how glorifies his brother.
Doesn't really help that part of the celebretion also included Cahill running to the corner flag and punching it several times. Do you see why people have gotten upset Tim?


In other news....Kinda liked the illustration. This is different to the published version what with the special black back. Special I tells ya.

Bad result

this photoillustration was created entirely from images of butterflys.
To go with a story about this artist who kills creatures and makes art pieces from them. What a nice woman. I'm sure she's making a highly valid statement.

EIther way, a quarter page illustration was reduced drastically in size.
Not pleased, so here is a clearer version


Copyright The New Paper/Singapore Press Holdings Ltd

GAINOMAX MONKEYS

Coming in three flavours

Hypno


Cute


and Scary

random

Yeah, thanks darling

This is how my girlfriend sees me

I hadn't shaved for a while when she drew this. Its quite accurate, really

TMPATW

nmo

More

So Late

Would have posted more since last time but still recovering from a dislocated elbow

More scribble

Random scribbling, more apes

Singapore zoo's iconic orang utan, Ah Meng died on Friday. I can understand the keepers getting upset. Spend any time with apes you can get attached to them. It seemed to affect way too many people. Weird.
Anyway took too doodling apes again. Facially, these guys follow the Frank Cho style. More skeletal than actial ape faces but more expressive, in a cartoon way.
Oh yeah. More apes as Superheroes too

Fabio Capello

Looks better than my atempt at Beckham (that bloke can be a bugger to draw). Capell though is an almost instant caricatature. Done for the sports backpage.
Since you ask, no, I don't agree with his appointment.

Another fruitful meeting

Oh well.

The Ten Doctors

I dont often feature other blogs but this fella is doing exactly the right thing. Creating a comic and putting it online.
Rich's ComixBlog is currently hosting the thoroughly unofficial but thoroughly entertaining Ten Doctors strip.
If you like Doctor Who, you have to check this out, Its the episode that cannot be made (half the cast has died or very, very old), and its got more DW callbacks and cameos than you can shake a stick at.

Its really well written, each Docs personality coming through, but also drawn in a very attractive way. Almost animation style, but keeping the rough pencils. It works so much better than the smoothed out colored versions. He's also managed to capture each Doctors face. Especially the Tom Baker. Anyway. Check it out. At 80-something pages so far it still only looks about halfwaythrough.

SeaStars and Starfish Stories

It's always nice to have your work thought of as good enough for someone else to use.
So it was pretty cool when Ivan Chew (one half of local duo Starfish Stories) asked me to do the cover for their album.

The background is an actual shot of the cosmos, the dolphin was painted directly in photoshop using various types of added brushes. (thats why I'd be usless at teaching this stuff. My process is still randomness over design)

Anyway, Check out their blog
http://starfishstories.wordpress.com/
where you can also download the album and give them your support

And here, as an added bonus is the dolphin, solo

Facebook Graffiti

I dont use it that often but the basic Graffiti package is pretty cool if quite the test of agility. Can't zoom in. Can't really erase. Its like a very, very basic version of photoshop. You have to play with the layering of colour and opacity. Good for a doodle anyway, and at the end you can click replay and watch how your work came to be.
Some of my fellow facebookers have it down to perfection and are well worth visiting the various groups on facebook to checkout.

But here in no particular order are some of mine

Baby Beethoven

Helped out with a Jay Chou poster. Much better artists involved but one of my contributions turned out well.Young Jay Chou as Beethoven

Keelo Keelo Fayter

Just been doings a series of art pieces for paid advertorials.
Difficult stuff considering the subject matter. Here are some clack and whites tat I thought turned out better than most.
The fat bloke became increasing camper over time...

Great unused sweet names

This is the flipside of a US Snickers bar (forever Marathon to UK kids of a certain age).
Not since that Starburst advert in the 90s missed the oppourtunity of using the name ChimpChompys has a better candy name been lost to time.
Change SNICKERS to PEANUTOPOLIS now.

The gorgeous T3

Changi airport, best airport in the world (just ask John Simpson) has recently opened its 3rd terminal. Aka T3. It is a vast thing of beauty.
I managed to get there pre-official opening to wave my girlfriend off on her trip to US. The floors were so polished, unblemished by trolley wheels, giving an almost mirror-like reflection. The ceiling is so high. Its pretty awe inspiring to walk in.




Then there is the oasis of Coffee club, with their luminous orange chairs that shine, and call to the thristy traveller.

And I can't help thinking of the Hilton lounge chairs in 2001. Nice.

Middle aged & sounding hotter than ever

Just reminded on Danny Baker's wonderful Radio London show that the Beatles Tomorrow Never Knows is now 42 years old.
Somehow it still sounds like it was created a year from now.

The track was a true awakening for me. My first 3 cds bought were KLF: White Room, EMF: Schubert Dip and Beatles Revolver.
Yes the Beatles was nice beatlesy stuff. I think I got it for Eleanor Rigby. Then the last track came on.
To sound like some hippie, it was mind blowing. How had this track kept hidden for so long. Nobody ever talked about it. It was over-shadowed by Strawberry Fields and Revolution 9 for Fab Four experimentation.

Go Listen to it. Tell me it isnt the most advanced track you ever heard in your life. I dare ya.
The Chemical brothers (under the guise of Dust Brothers from back in the day mixed it in to their essential selection turning the intro into such a crsendo of a crowd pleaser you wonder why more Djs dont try to use it.

The Master is back

Excellent news. George ARomero, the godfather of the Zombie genre, the man who essentially created the modern zombie flick and who directed the masterful Dawn Of The Dead is back.

The Dead has gone beyond a quadrilogy (its actually a Tetralogy, the q word was invented for the Alien boxset) and become what will no doubt be classed as a quintrilogy (should be pentalogy)

Diary of the Dead takes the great concept of a video diary watching how the zombie apocalypse takes over. very similar to Cloverfield, I guess its like Platoon/Full Metal Jacket. Two distinct films, produced separately but covering similar concepts.

Anyone slightly disappointed with Land of the Dead will probably be pleased that the proposed sequel of following the Battle-Bus has not happened. Watch the trailer and see just how fresh this film looks.

Trailer is here


Just to namedrop, George A Romero is one of my favourite interviews. One of those perks of meeting your heroes and passing the test. He seems wary at first , but if you show you know about the zombie stuff he warms up and its almost like being invited into an exclusive club.
The illustration above is from the LAnd of the Dead spread from a few years back.

Supergrilla

Tried doing some direct to Mac art. Gorillas an obvious choice.
Got bored. Turned him into Krypton's Last Simian.

Diddy Nic Cage

I can't stand Nic Cage sometimes. Like most bands will have at least one or two songs you like, Cage has one or two films I enjoy -the Rock, Adaptation and Wild At Heart. The latter being great for him as his character was Elvis obsessed. It was his big break. Sadly, he figures why not repeat the Elvis impersonations everywhere.
Anyway, His hair has reached a point of ridiculousness. Check out the current do. Then look again at his face. Cage isnt really part of the Copolla clan.He's a Dodd if ever there was.
Just me or do the words "Nic Cage is Ken Dodd" sound increasingly plausible?
The proof...

Cloverfield detective

Remember that excellent Gif a few posts back that showed a bit of the cloverfield monster passing through the streets of NYC?
Well I studied it a bit and roughed out what the mid-section and thighs look like. First in B/W, then quickly in colour (man, I love photoshop sometimes)
Well I guess it aint Godzilla, unless he's hit the stairmaster, but its big, green stalky and lizard like.
Here it is

And the piece-de-resistance...

Merry

Cloverfield rocks (violently)

Check out the footage and I defy you not to get excited about this film

Top Chef appetizer

Prelim sketch for a personal project.
Planning on doing another set of heroes just for my own entertainment really.
So Mr Ramsay is one of the first...