Rebecca Gregory's art

Friday, 20 June 2014

Monster designs

I thought today I would share with you some of my monster designs. They are very different to my usual artwork that I do in my sketchbook and just came about by doodling.

I've made two monster tables now, one pink and one white. They're Ikea lack tables (very cheap but sturdy) the first one I made was the white one, which I made for my brother and sister-in-law as a house warming present. The second one I made for myself and I've got it in my bedroom. I chose a white table to start with, then spray painted it white as the table surface was plasticky and shiny and I wanted to cover it up. The pink one I sprayed white first, then waited for it to dry and sprayed pink over the top, but I deliberately left some of the white showing through. All the monsters are drawn in a chunky Berol marker pen. I didn't have any kind of design I worked from, I just made it up as I went along. I've drawn these monsters for a while now, so I can remember what they look like now! I added two layers of varnish over the top and voila! Finished.

The bag and the skateboard have a little character on called Gerald. Gerald is a woodlouse. Gerald WAS an ACTUAL woodlouse once. He was my first and only pet when I was eight years old. He lived in a ice cream tub and went on holidays with me. When he died he was buried in the garden of my childhood home in a matchbox. (Weird huh?) Since then I have started to draw him as a little logo and he always appears on all of my monster designs SOMEWHERE.

Gerald.

The image below is the first ever monster design that I did, about eight years ago I think. I did it at art college when I was supposed to be working on another project (actual work). I thought I would show you this as it looks very crude now and a bit rubaaaash.

All images Copyright Rebecca Gregory 2014

Sunday, 8 June 2014

Finished! And Monty the cat.

I have just finished off my first visual journal. Hooray! I have two new ones ready and waiting to go. However, I must make some space in my bookcase if I'm going to keep them all somewhere.

I have added some more to the page above, despite me saying that it was finished. Well I lied. I took a long time over this one and ummed and erred over the background, then decided I didn't like it and painted over it. Then I decided, actually, that wasn't what I wanted either so painted over it again. I think I really need to leave it alone now. Stop. Cease. Desist.

The drawing below is my (possibly) completed 'snail page' that I showed you before. Here I did the background last (which is a bit silly I guess and makes NO SENSE, but whatever.) I painted it with a dry brush, so just dipped it straight in the paint and let it run out. It gives a nice 'scratchy' effect. I'll probably leave that great big blank space like it is and not draw anything on it. But I've said that before...

So here is the first page in my neeeew book, which is a work in progress:

Also, I have bought myself a longboard which I am learning to ride. Monty the cat is teaching me.

Wednesday, 28 May 2014

The snail stowaway

Today I have been accompanied on my bike ride by a stowaway snail. The cheeky thing decided to make a home on my bike wheel, so I thought I would be nice and not evict him from his resting place, but take him on an adventure with me. He woke up a bit by the time I got to the cycle track and started to stick his 'horns' out. I'm not really that surprised. After three miles he'd started to make a run for it, so I let him escape as he was getting dangerously close to my brakes and the edge of the tyre. I hope I haven't made him sick.

I've included this snail drawing so you can see a page in progress. I'll post a photo of it completed later. It's the last page in my book, so I'll be starting on number two soon. (Woo hoo! Starting this visual journal feels like the best thing I ever did) Here are some more of the last pages:

Please note: Henry is my car, I am not being cruel to a child by buying him car mats.

All images Copyright Rebecca Gregory 2014

Looking at this last double page I can see now that I've scanned it and got it on the screen that I need to add more colour. The page on the right would be improved with a rough colour background next to the jam jar, as I am not planning on colouring the drawing itself. Sometimes when I've looked at a drawing too much I can't tell whether it needs anything else to finish it off. Scanning it and looking at it on the computer helps me to take a step back and get a different perspective. The same effect can also be achieved with a mirror.

Thursday, 22 May 2014

Thunder and lightning. And an Iris

I thought as it's raining today, now would be a good time to write my blog. I decided to go on a walk today to wear my new shoes in, but unfortunately this was not one of my best ideas ever as I got caught in a MASSIVE thunder and lightning storm. I could see the storm coming when I set out, so it was my own stupid fault really. I got stuck under a subway for about 15 minutes and nearly drowned as it was flooding from both ends. I really should have learned to swim. Anyways, this is not really about art. Here is some art:

I have been drawing in the garden this week, so I thought I'd make the most of the irises. (I think they look a little bit like tiny mauve aliens) I did the purple handwriting first on a separate piece of notepaper and stuck it in. I don't usually tend to stick things in my Moleskine books as it breaks the spine, but I thought just one thing wouldn't hurt. I didn't really like it at first as I thought the lines and the stark white paper were too harsh, so I created the background in pink and white acrylic and emulsion and made sure I painted over the edges of the paper to integrate it into the page. I think the iris works well with the writing as the colours mirror each other. I was going to draw more, but I think a single flower is much more of a statement on its own. It would have got too overcrowded otherwise with the splodgy (technical artist's term) background.

I deliberately didn't use too much colour on this page for the same reason. It's quite a detailed page and I like the way the coloured parts stand out. The baseball boots are just not the same without the colour!

Sunday, 11 May 2014

Art camp

I'm not really at an art camp, I've just been drawing in the garden and making the most of the weather. As I write this it's blowing a gale outside and blizzarding blossom everywhere. I can hear the wind whistling down the chimney like it does in the winter. Good job I made the most of that sun.

This blanket is my 'studio.' One day I'd like an actual studio; I'm hoping for an old tube train carriage in the garden (won't fit though) or a shed or summer house that I can graffiti (won't fit though). I'd paint a huge monster round the door so that I'd have to walk through it's open mouth to get in. I've designed it already, perhaps a bit prematurely, but you just never know.... Below is a drawing of it that I found in my sketchbook. (I left my neeeeew shoes in the photo cos they are cooool)

This week I've mainly been drawing some mouldy old cabbage. This leaf had gone multi coloured in its old age and had some fascinating patterns and textures.

I started with the top half of the outline in fine liner, then added the stalk and some of the veins in the top half, just so I could see roughly how everything was going to fit. Then I finished off the bottom half of the online and added in all the smaller veins last. Because the leaf was all wibbly wobbly it didn't matter if the outline didn't join up properly as I could just use artistic licence and make it up. (Sshhh, don't tell anyone...) I started to colour the bottom of the leaf in neatly, but then changed my mind and worked more loosely as I think this works better. I've smudged some of the pencil crayon with my waterbrush and coloured roughly over the lines. Sometimes I do colour in neatly, but I think this style suits the cabbage more.

I have also completed more of this drawing. I've used my coloured pencils and waterbrush again, smudging the colour of the bricks roughly first, and then whilst it was still wet, cross hatching over the top to give a darker tone.

I haven't yet decided whether to add the houses across the street in the background or not, but the good thing is is that this view never moves, so I have plenty of time to decide (and procrastinate). It was April when I started this drawing, hence the lack of greenery in the flower beds.

I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that the gate is up now. And on that bombshell, it's time to end the show, goodnight.

Saturday, 3 May 2014

Sketchbook journal part 4 and Flickr....

This drawing is Taunton Road in Swanage. I cheated and did it from a photo when I returned home from my holiday, as there was way too much beach combing to be done, and I just didn't have enough time. I applied a wash of watercolour first in a very vague shape of the outline of the houses. The houses are all red brick, hence the orange. I drew the houses in Bic Biro (no cheap crappy ones as they fade badly) and used thicker lines for the chimneys to make them stand out. I like the quality that Biro gives and it's very easy to shade with just by pressing softly. I have drawn the bricks this way, but only a few, just to give an impression. Often it isn't necessary to draw everything.

Something old and something new

The patterns on this page are from my Grandparent's living room carpet. I was going to make a drawing of all the patterns in their house, but there were way too many and I gave up.