I have never before drawn monsters.

A gila monster, yes. Dragons, aliens, narwhals, a newfoundland dog and a baby, yes - but no actual monsters.

So I thought it was time.

They are spruced up for the Mon-scars, like Oscars but for... oh, nevermind.

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Now fully recovered following the extreme sport squirrel (he jumped 20 feet from a tree, narrowly missing my head - I may have mentioned it) I've decided to try a little loosening up exercise.

I've been agonising over every minute detail of my art recently, I'm not sure it's entirely healthy. I'm about embark on a toucan and a penguin illustration, so, with the hope of avoiding another tortuous few days I decided to give myself 30 minutes to draw, colour and upload a toucan and penguin to my blog - and to approach the art in a new way.

I had to extend my deadline very slightly, as the penguins at Cincinatti Zoo made me giggle too much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW1jmatHBIc

I don't know if it was an entirely successful exercise but I've definitely taken something from it - and I think it's sharpened me up ahead of the work ahead. So that's nice.

Wish I'd coloured the toucan at the bottom, mind you...

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Yesterday I saw a woodpecker, nothing too uncommon about that, but I actually saw it pecking away furiously - a first. A shock of red hair, dressed in black and white, wild eyes and head banging - a proper punk woodpecker.

I found this quite exciting and was now keenly looking for birds. I spotted a bald eagle lolloping through the air, in Surrey! On closer inspection it was a crow awkwardly carrying a bread roll. An easy mistake that many have made before, and many will in the future.

I'm now an amateur twitcher. This morning I saw a swan doing the caterpillar. This Boogaloo Swan was actually having a bath before trying it on with a lady swan. She wasn't interested and flew off in the direction of Homebase.

Anyway, new work.

I'm still on beards and medieval activities. I'm drawing a line under this for a while now though and attempting to re-discover my looser self.

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A new portfolio piece (I think it's finished...)

I think, next time, I might go with something more simple - a kitten with a ball of wool, a child eating a cornetto, that type of thing.

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15 years as an illustrator and this book made good all of the barren periods, the overnighters and lost weekends, the hard slogs. You welcome each commission and give them your all, but some just feel like a gift.

I researched like crazy, watched every youtube video and bought every book, I went through umpteen pencils, erasers and fingers. There are many things within the book that I'd do differently today, but here it is...

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This morning I was walking the dog in a horrid squally rain, undeterred we still took our frisbee; and all was well with the world.

Except here I was, waterproofed from head to toe but only able to look forward. Rotate my head left or right and my view was of the inside of the hood of my waterproof jacket. Why, oh why, I thought, doesn't someone invent a hood for a jacket that rotates with the head (unless I'm doing it wrong?). It started to vex me; why don't hoods swivel?

I suppose that swivelling hood invention would be a hat though, wouldn't it?

It was 6.45am.

Anyway. Work has really flooded in overnight, so my good blogging intentions may have to go on hold for a while.

In the meantime. A sneak preview of books coming soon.

Introducing, Mirabelle...

Tillie...


and Roxie.

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Well, hello.

As it's my first foray into the world of blog, I thought that an introduction might be in order. I'm often asked "How did you become an illustrator?' and I usually (OK, always) reply "I did a graphic design degree and specialised in illustration."

There's more to it than that though, of course.

In the future this blog will be used to share new pieces of art, include pages from sketchbooks and show avenues of experimentation. I'll write about specific projects and show the road taken from brief to bookshelf. That, or I'll get too busy and post once in a blue moon about, as the blog subtitle suggests, my dog.

Future posts will be short and succinct too, you'll be relieved to read.

I began life as an illustrator in 1994. So what led me there...

I'm not sure if everyone has a vivid memory of an early drawing. I do. It was of a hamster that I drew at primary school. The memory play tricks but I could swear that my grandmother was the substitute teacher that day and that my efforts were doubled; no doubt my tongue was protruding from the corner of my mouth and I was surrounded by all of the colouring pencils I could get my little paws on.

Unfortunately I don't have that drawing (good start, hey?), I do have some earlier artwork though. I think it's fair to say that these don't quite suggest a career in illustration.

Perhaps as a writer of kitchen-sink dramas...

Or the future Steve Irwin...



I persevered though, and my sketchbook was a constant companion.



My favourite book as a young reader was 'A Bright Red Lorry and other rhymes' illustrated by Ian West. I was fascinated by the huge array of transport within (odd then, that I'd struggle to name a single brand of car if shown a picture today, and that I didn't drive for around 10 years after passing my test).



I'd devour comics. The Beano and Roy of the Rovers were particular favourites. I'd spend hours copying the characters and studying the artwork of Leo Baxendale.

Roy of the Rovers lost its way after 2 members of the pop group 0 Comments on There are 748 bones in a snake. as of 1/1/1990