A Scandal in Bohemia.

I picked up a book from my bookcase at random. I then opened the book, also at random. I drew a comic based on the page it opened at.

You can click on the image to make it larger if you need. 

I don't draw comics often because, as much as I quite like to write them, I find them endlessly frustrating to draw.

I travelled among unknown men.

Updating weekly died a bit of a death didn't I? I do apologise, but life got hectic in all sorts of ways. It still is, and still will be for a while. I haven't really drawn at all, asides planning sketches for a job I later had to cancel.

I drew this mid-September, but I didn't want to do a post with a single image, so I have been waiting for other pictures to materialise. I really want to do a Rivals series, so, for now, I refer to this as Rivals I:

(As an aside, I could watch Messi play football all day.)

With the exception of a Christmas card (yes, already), I didn't draw anything in colour for a month and a half. To get back into the swing of things I did this:

And then, as I love Tintin, I did these:

I regret the second one a little bit, as it steals the humour from a great character. Let's just pretend it's from before Haddock's first meeting with Tintin.

At this rate there probably won't be another update until December now, but here's hoping there is more to come.

Maybe "Boutique" would be classier.

You may have noticed that at the top of the page I've added a "Shop!" link. With a single click you will be redirected to a veritable Aladdin's cave of wonders, and prints, and iPhone cases...and so on.

I think there's a decent selection to be going on with for the moment, but if there's any picture you are particularly eager to get your hands on that isn't currently available, then just drop me an email and I'm sure something can be arranged!

I am not going to try and sell the goods to you by pointing out how lovely the prints would look on the walls of your home. I certainly won't mention that one or two would look especially grand near the door in your kitchen, or behind the sofa in your living room. I clearly, furthermore, don't need to suggest how much nicer (and safer!) your phone would be if it was adorned by one of the beautiful cases on offer.

I will, however, mention that I am a poor and destitute student who would be grateful of any meagre additional income though. Because I love a good bit of guilt.

One thing I'll add is that, because the shop is US-based, shipping to the UK is currently dearer than I would like. Hopefully I will be able to find good alternatives in the future.

"You've got to see the dream through the windows and the trees of your living room."

This blog is over a year old! I originally started it as a way to force me to improve. Looking at those early scribbles I think it's fair to say that there's been a marked changed for the better. Hopefully I'll continue to grow in the coming year.

I have started my studies, which have been nice and gentle so far (plenty to do mind), but I suspect I will be getting very busy, very fast. You can still expect drawings, I hope, but my descriptions are likely to be shortened, if not completely omitted.

As ever, my Tumblr updates more frequently as well. I'll frequently have very rapid, nonsensical, scribbles going up on there.

This is the second time I have tried to draw Amy Pond. I couldn't get the face right, again, but I liked everything else about this. It's nice and clean. 

Ryan Beckwith! One of very few characters John Allison has chosen to carry over to Bad Machinery from both Bobbins and Scary Go Round. I'm not going to say that Ryan is like me, but I will say that there are parallels in our respective growth. Weird, bizarre, almost simultaneous, parallels. 

He's one of my favourite characters ever. 

I think sometimes you just want to sit in a tree. 

P.S. I know that this is nothing at all to do with drawing, or art, but you need to watch this, it's incredible.

P.P.S. It's my birthday tomorrow. I'm old.

You haunt me with your violent heartbeat at night.

Every so often I'll take a long, hard, look in the mirror and say "Liam, you're getting stale. You need to up your game."

For a moment I'll look quizzical, confused even, before forcing determination into my face. I will then say something along the lines of "Liam, you need to draw...a bicycle".

And lo!

There are also days when I decide that certain people just need to lighten up, to chill out. Sometimes the people in question are fictional. One person that really needs to calm himself down is Batman.

Finally, my friend Amanda (previously seen twice in this post) got in a fight with the sun this time last week. It's fair to say that she lost, and has since sacrificed the use of her legs to the burn god. She is, essentially, half-mummy. 

Bonus track! Unfinished panel of short secret comic: 

To a rainbow like you.

I've been trying out a couple of new things this week, some of which have been pretty successful. (Remember that you can click on images to make them bigger).

I have a tendency to shy away from drawing backgrounds, as I am wont to overcomplicate things before losing interest. Here I kept things intentionally simple, leaving me free to try out some new things with colouring. For the most part I'm extremely pleased with how this came out. 

Twice these week I've decided not to colour a drawing. This was the first, and it was largely because I wanted to mess about lines-for-shadow a bit. This, like the majority of my pictures, was drawn in Manga Studio. 

This, on the other hand, was drawn straight into Photoshop. I usually use Photoshop just for colouring, and after this experiment it is likely to stay this way for a while to come. Despite messing about making brushes and so on, I just found the whole drawing and inking process incredibly laborious. I know of several people that work exclusively in Photoshop, and I wish I knew their approach! 

As a wee lad Luke Skywalker was my favourite Star Wars character. It seems obvious really; after all, he was the hero! The jedi! No amount of whining can detract from the classic farmboy-to-saviour role when you're a child. 

I’ve never much understood the people who say (claim) that, for example, Boba Fett was their favourite. You’re talking about Star Wars friend, it’s not gonna make you cooler no matter how you approach it. 

Han Solo is, of course, entirely understandable. 

I've got sunshine, on a cloudy day.

I've had these pictures sitting around for about a week, but life kept getting in the way of me sitting down and actually putting them in a new post.

It was my brother Ben's birthday* last week, so I drew him this:

It's good to see that I'm improving at this scribbling lark, considering that last year I drew him a picture based on this (I've lost the final version):

The last pictures on here are based on photos I am afraid. Just stuff to try and keep me fresh. The first one was based on this photo and, I think, was a bit of a success:

The second was from Calivintage, and I didn't half have problems with it. Looking at it now I know some minor alterations I'd make, but I think I'll just move on. The first colour looked like this and was such a mess that I decided on a very stripped back recolour. 

My summer job finished today, so hopefully you can expect some more pictures soon.

*alliteration station