2011 ~ 2013
In October 2011 I was contacted by Craig Mackie. Art director of the UK based magazine New Scientist. The email outlined his discovery of my artwork on a well known POD site, and asked if I would be willing to replicate the composition (with minor changes) for the Christmas/New Year cover. Of course I jumped at the chance.
This began a new relationship with the International renowed magazine that has resulted in several commissions being achieved, between Craig and myself. Including several Christmas covers.
Two years later the commissions are still rolling in, and with the completion of four pieces now.
This is the first composition I did for New Scientist. It was done with a rush upto Christmas 2011. The process started with designing a version of my already existing piece (Fly In My Soup!). The art director at New Scientist thought this was a great image, to represnt the piece in the magazine, plus give a Christmas type feel to the whole magazine. So it was discussed to have a tortoise in a Christmas jumper, and to have several toys and presents around him. The process that was achieved was as follows:
1) Original tortoise design
2) Redrafted version of the tortoise, approved by New Scientist
3) The final pencil rendering
4) The pencil rendering placed into Photoshop for colouring
5) The final artwork painted and approved.
3) The final pencil rendering
4) The pencil rendering placed into Photoshop for colouring
5) The final artwork painted and approved.
This is the rough mock-up created by New Scientist to give attention to the workspace available.
One of the details of the piece showing the minute attention to detail in rendering the iPad on the arm of the chair. This was all hand painted into several layers.
A screen shot from Photoshop showing the slow layering process used to develop the projects for New Scientist, as well as all the other illustrations I achieve. Many of the pieces have between 70 - 120 layers, in order to complete the work.
A detail from the artwork, which shows a request from New Scientist to place a mottling effect on the tortoises skin, to allow it to have a little more dimension.
Original image design for New Scientist Christmas Cover 2011
The mock-up of the final magazine, which was released in December 2011.
The following animated gif shows the stepped process by which the composition, and final illustration was formed. I tend to work in an extreme rough version to begin with. This is just to get a feel of the shape and porpotions of the piece, and to give the art director an understanding of what I will do next.
From that I do the first stage mock up rough. In the case of the bee, the art director loved it and the next stage could be proceeded to. This basically involves a pencil rendering. In the case of the bee, I was still working on A3 layout paper at the time and so, the pencil render was done like that, and then scanned. Once scanned and cleaned up, the pencil rendering is then brought to life with many layers of photoshop work.
From that I do the first stage mock up rough. In the case of the bee, the art director loved it and the next stage could be proceeded to. This basically involves a pencil rendering. In the case of the bee, I was still working on A3 layout paper at the time and so, the pencil render was done like that, and then scanned. Once scanned and cleaned up, the pencil rendering is then brought to life with many layers of photoshop work.
The final composition rendering
The final spread appearing in the Novemeber 2012 edition of New Scientist
This animated gif shows the basic process by which the project was completed.
1) Art direction mock-up from New Scientist
2) First draft build of design (changed in this case)
3) Revision notes from New Scientist
4) The rough correction image, approved
5) The pencil render
6) The scanned and clean pencil render in Photoshop
7) The final artwork painted and approved.
6) The scanned and clean pencil render in Photoshop
7) The final artwork painted and approved.
Original image design for New Scientist Christmas Cover 2012
The final magazine cover, released in December 2012
The fourth commission from New Scientist came in Novemeber 2013. The idea concept revolved around the article showing that ants are very brave little creatures, and in fact will risk their own life to save the lives of their fellow colonists.
This animated gif shows the basic process by which the project was completed.
1) Very rough composition idea sketch
2) First draft build of design (changed in this case)
3) Revision to the draft drawing
4) The pencil rendering
5) The scanned and clean pencil render in Photoshop
6) The final artwork painted and approved.
Original image design for New Scientist ant article 2013
The final spread appearing in the December 2013 edition of New Scientist
