Calling The Doctor

Some new artworks developed from some doodles I did a few weeks back showing different stylistic takes on the same character.  My illustrations here show the present version of the Time Lord in a caricature style with three variations and in a more dramatic comic book take.  It was a challenge to take such a recognized icon and try quite different looks.  

As often through my career as an illustrator working on different commissions I try to offer up different ideas and solutions to a project to create an image that works within the context of its use.  These creative challenges can push you out of your comfort zone and if successful can develop and further you skills in what you can offer a client.  Personally they can liven up your day to day experience and freshen you outlook and style of work so that your skills don't become slave to a certain kind or type of work.

Left: Madman with a box and Right: Mr Clever

Something Stolen

The above variations of Doctor Who in caricature style were inspired by aspects of his character and reference to his history and recent episodes.  Its was also a challenge to draw the prior incarnations of the Time Lord on the wanted posters of the titled Something Stolen variation. 

The Doctor Comic Style

Lastly my Comic style above complete with Sonic screwdriver and twirly whirly timey vortex. 

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Singing In The Shower

Its good to have fun at work a distraction is a great way to help clear that mental block when an idea is not popping into you head for a particular job.  Maybe that's why doodling is a good thing for me as an illustrator, during my school and collage days my lined note book were full of sketches in the margin and while a lot were scribbled down due to boredom.  I recall an Art College lecture on toilet and bathroom furniture in the 17th century that I really went to town with my pen.  I use them now as a way of having fun while dealing with a mental block.

Today I develop these little doodles and ideas into finished images if I like them or if the concept has legs I'll spend a bit of time and develop them.  There are so many people who sketch down these little imaginings on paper to decorated their pages discarding them later with little or no thought of what they are.  Some of these little drawings are little doorways into how a person thinking and processing things and if a little more focused can be shorthand that can convey a response or solution to a particular problem.  

A stick figure can give me enough information to indicated that a client wants a person drawn from a particular standpoint or even a composition a client has in mind.  They are always apologetic for their confessed lack of artistic skill when handing me a stick figure scene or doodle but it has been enough to convey what is on their mind.  In that regard it is a successful means of communication and that is what art is all about.

Its a valuable tool to be able to sketch a quick idea down as sometimes words cannot convey the imagery in a persons head. I myself find it easier to draw an idea down and often keep these little sketches to come back to later.  My scribble is an intuitive reaction to an idea in my head and my natural reaction is to visualize it on paper. I do get surprised and thrilled when people are taken aback by my workings on paper during a meeting pleased to see that I'm processing what the say in drawings like a type of court reporter.   Based on a conversation a brief or some doodles I can storyboard a scenario for an advert or book with a few lines on my pen and that can be enough to get a project rolling.

As visual creatures we gather a lot of information through sight and all this imagery from the mundane to the beautiful, bizarre or scary gets processed in our heads.  It must be frustrating not to be able to pass on your interpretation of the world in a visual way due to self imposed restrictions or if we are told we're not good at it.  Its shouldn't be as black or white as that and you don't need to be great at something to do it.  

For all of us out there and I count myself in that line up being told I couldn't sing never stopped me from singing in the shower or belting out a number at karaoke night the fun is giving it a go.

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