iPad Sketching May 14, 2013

I recently downloaded the free ‘Sketchbook Express’ app (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sketchbook-express-for-ipad/id410871280?mt=8) for sketching on the iPad – quite strange drawing with just my fingers, but it was surprisingly easy to get used to and incredibly accurate as well. Decent app for anyone else who wants to try it, as you get a good colour range, with a decent range of starter brushes (more available to buy).

Here’s my first two quick sketching attempts, will post more when I do them:

Beginning of a Graphic Novel… April 21, 2013

I’ve been working on a few scripts and ideas for graphic novels lately, and have started on thumbnails for one of them now that the story outline is finished.  This one is a sci-fi story set well into the future, which I’m pretty excited about!

Below is a sneak peek of the first page, will post more over the coming months as the story develops…

‘Hellboy’ illustration March 14, 2013

I drew this last Saturday when I had some time on my hands – felt like drawing a movie character in black pen with interesting features, and that’s when Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy came to mind.

 

Here’s the process, beginning with the initial pencil sketch:

 Followed by the linework, done in black pen:

 Then I started the shading work, using a different thickness of pen – here’s a close-up:

 And finally, here’s the finished sketch:

 Pretty happy with the end result, tough character to draw – took me about 40 minutes in total. Think I’d do it in colour next time to get the red skin colour standing out!

Sketchin’…. January 27, 2013

Just did a quick pen illustration (using a Rotring tikky graphic 0.5 pen) while watching the Murray v Djokovic tennis final – another graphic novel idea I’ve got, really need to set time aside to fully create these scripts/plans I have!

Gotham’s Reckoning… December 16, 2012

Rather than going in to face the madness of Sunday morning Christmas shopping like I was meant to, I lay in bed and did a quick pencil & pen illustration of Bane, from ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ – here are a few process photos below:

Movember….. November 17, 2012

So, have ended up co-running the Aberdeen Oil & Gas Team for this year’s Movember, which is a charity that raises funds and awareness for the fight against men’s cancers.  Decent team of roughly 100 folk in it, and have raised over £2000 all in so far!!

But still plenty time and money to go, so please donate to me here – http://mobro.co/donaldsmith (or you can also donate to team as a whole).  Below you will see my effort so far….

Hot-Rod Comes Home! September 27, 2012

Well, it’s taken me a while to get this exciting piece of art up!!!

Rowdy Roddy Piper visited Aberdeen recently, so I decided to create a custom illustration for the occasion, which I got him to sign for me (the ‘aka’ is in reference to his Always Sunny in Philadelphia character).  I also gave him a copy to keep, to which he replied, “Oh thanks Donald man, that’s awesome – I’m putting that up in my office“!!

A gentleman & legend, and an honour to meet him.

The Man on the Moon… August 26, 2012

Haven’t done a 10-minute illustration in a long time, but this guy earned his.  I have a mild obsession with all things space-related, so was gutted to hear of his passing – a true legend.

This quick digital sketch is based on one of the few photos with him on it during the lunar landing.  RIP Neil.

Work Update… June 10, 2012

So, 3 weeks into my new job and all going well!  Going to be starting some new illustration stuff this week too, now that I’m finishing off my leftover self-employed jobs.

Will update with process pics soon, watch this space!

THANKS!!!!! May 15, 2012

So, it looks like I’ll be starting my new Graphic Design job next week with a firm in Aberdeen.

Which means my self-employed life has come to an end!! It’s been a fun and exciting 4 years, and on the very day my blog hits 30,000 views I would like to offer all visitors, young and old, to this site a big thanks for all your support over these years.  I would also like to give a HUGE  thanks to all my clients on the Isle of Lewis and beyond, for all the projects sent my way during this time.

This gave me the chance to do the work I love, in the small corner of the planet I love more than anywhere – it’s appreciated more than you’ll ever know.  Now, as my old friend Jay-Zed would say, “I’m onto the next one”…..