Stalking Elk Magazine - Mr. Sandman

This is a one-pager I scripted and drew for the latest issue of Stalking Elk magazine. The theme of the issue was 'Dream'. Click to embiggen...





Here's the original pencil work...



Happy New Year y'all!

Merry Christmas Folks...

'i am i' Project

I've recently been involved with a community project which was created and facilitated by Kate Brown.

Initially, children from a range of backgrounds from areas in Co.Donegal, Ireland, were given an opportunity to tell stories that were important to them about their lives. These were transcribed as they were spoken.

Following this, I created and designed picture book page spreads which contained these stories (click to embiggen).









We wanted to bring illustrative elements into the text but not override it, as the children's stories were the main focus. It was decided to drop cap the first letter of each story and through illustration, intertwine elements of the story through it. This was a nod to the ancient Celtic art of illuminated manusrcipts.

Below are a number of individual samples:














The printed artwork was then framed, with three dimensional objects related to the stories placed within.

These are shots from the opening of the exhibit in Ballybofey Library. Co.Donegal on 28th November:





This was a fun and bright and breezy project to work on.

This project was supported by the PEACE III Programme, managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by Donegal County Council and with support in kind through the Donegal Library Service.

Jimi

The unearthly talents of the one and only Jimi Hendrix. Hoping to create this as an A2 print.

Sketchbook 007

Online Portfolio - Revised & Updated

This might be a bit circuital but I've revised and updated my main online portfolio:

www.alfiegallagher.com

Deep Space Brain Blast 3-D

Here's a hand-drawn A2 piece I've finished off. The coloured inks have come out a bit more eye-bleedingly acidic than I had planned.




Details:







Think I'll file this under 'Experimental/Misadventure'.

Card Designs - Christmas and Cupcakes

After creating the portrait of Gram Parsons, I had a load of sequins left over. I deceided to apply these to card designs.

Below are two card designs created for Christmas:









Also, created these two general designs:



All these designs are on sale through my Etsy shop and come with posh envelopes and are sealed in plastic sleeves.

Cave

This is a four-page story I recently submitted to the annual Cape/Observer Graphic Short Story competition.

Happy Halloween...

Sketchbook 006

Things I Love 002 - Bob Pepper

In the past few years I've really started appreciating and digging out paperback artwork from the 60's and 70's, specifically sci-fi/fantasy subject matter with psychedelic stylings of the period. Among great names such as Wilson McLean, Burt Forbes, Leo and Diane Dillon and David McCall Johnson, the artist that really stood out for me was Bob Pepper.

I absolutely love his bold, graphic outlines encasing unrestrained watercolouring effects.

In the 60's he created book covers for fantasy novels reprinted by Ballantine and a lot of album artwork (specifically for Elektra records), most famously for Love's 'Forever Changes' album.

Below is a selection of book cover designs:









In an interview found on this site dedicated to the Dark Tower/Dragonmaster board game series he created artwork for, he sheds some light on his working method:

'My technique is to cement down charcoal paper, float water into areas of the illustration, and border the area with dark gouache which spreads and settles in the warpings of the wet paper. After that dries flat, I float dyes on top to color the area. I love the whole process of illustration, but mostly the research and bringing together of many different parts to form a coherent whole design that I like. I also think that your state of mind, (what interests you) has, really, everything to do with it!'

I've never used gouache so in some ways I'm none the wiser how you'd go about recreating a bit of that Bob Pepper magic!









For me, a real high point of his output is 6 cover designs he did for Philip K Dick titles in the early 80's for DAW books.



The artwork of Bob Pepper and other commercial illustrators like him, were created for outlets such as the not highly respected, read em and chuck em paperback genre market, but the pre-digital craftmanship and singularity of the work has to be appreciated.

I'd really love to have the opportunity to pick up a collected edition of his work rather than making do with fishing out low resolution jpegs online.

Trisickle Magazine

A few spot illustrations created for online/print arts and culture magazine 'Trisickle'...

New Empress Magazine - Maximum Overdrive

Here's a full page illustration created to accompany an article about the trashy 80's movie 'Maximum Overdrive' in the latest edition of New Empress magazine. This is, I believe, Stephen King's only stint behind the camera.



I wanted to emulate the great gore-carnage schlock of the 50's EC horror/crime comic covers, which were a defining influence on Stepehen King, right down to the main protagonists/storytellers depicted in stacked circles.

Stalking Elk Magazine - Riots

WARNING: Contains F-Bomb.

Below is a one-pager I created for the latest issue of humour/satire magazine 'Stalking Elk'.

It's created from a loosely scripted set up highlighting the long history of riots in England.





Hopefully, it showcases how much fun I had doing it.