Tuesday 30 June 2015

It's here! 21 Draw - an epic new artbook!

As some of you may remember, last year I was a part of a crowdfunded artbook called 21 Draw. It did very well, as you can see HERE. Well, I'm thrilled to say the book is now out, and I wanted to show you all a few pages from it. If you like what you see, you can purchase the book right HERE!
As you can see from the cover, it's got some pretty talented people in it, but if that wasn't enough to convince you, this quote on the back cover should!
Every spread in the book features a different character type drawn by a different artist, with five full length poses and two head/hand closeups. The array of talent in this book is ridiculous, but here are my personal favourites. We have to start with Enrique Fernandez:
...and Nikolas Ilic...
...Lorenzo De Filici...
...Kim Jung Gi...
...and the awesome Ben Fiquet:

And of course, I contributed a typically oddball creation to the mix:


I highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in character design, figure and gesture drawing, of just lovers of cool art - it will not disappoint! GO HERE to learn more!

Lorenzo!

Friday 26 June 2015

Motorcycle design week part 4/4 - The Full set!

Hey folks, here you go, the full set of bikes - you can download/view them HERE from Deviant Art, or HERE from our Tumblr page, enjoy!

Lorenzo!


Tuesday 23 June 2015

Motorcycle Design Week Part 2/4

I'm experimenting with two basic ideas around construction in these designs...

The first is to compress shapes - making all the key forms of the engine squatter, flatter, more solid looking. The mud guards are tight to the top of the tires and I'm also compressing the wheel base - playing with how far apart the wheels are from each other in relation to the height of the wheels themselves, this further adds to that compact look.

The second main technique I'm employing is to push the perceived visual centre of gravity on the bikes as low as possible. I'm angling frame lines and handle bars down, lowering engines, and keeping as much of the bike's gear below the top of the wheels as possible. This helps to make the bikes feel heavier, more substantial, even when drawn in an exaggerated style like this.

More tomorrow!

Lorenzo!

Monday 22 June 2015

Motorcycle Design Week Part 1/4

Okay, here we go with a week of two-wheeled road rockets - I'll talk a little more about exactly what I'm doing in terms of my approach to the form, character and poise of the bikes later in the week, but for now here's the first batch of designs...

Lorenzo!


Tuesday 16 June 2015

Edinburgh Festival announced, plus other forthcoming events!


We're very pleased to announce that we'll be appearing at the Edinburgh International Literature Festival on Saturday 22 August! You can learn more and get your tickets HERE!

PLUS...
As you can read HERE we're going to be guests at the Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival in Leeds this November 14th - 15th!

PLUS...
As you can read HERE, we're also going to be guests at the Nottingham Comic Convention on Saturday October 24th!

Phew! And we've more festivals to announce, so stay tuned! Look forward to seeing you guys out on the road!

Lorenzo!

Monday 15 June 2015

At LAST! Our Phoenix Fest 2015 show report!


Last month saw the third and MOST EPIC Phoenix comic festival yet, held at the Story Museum in Oxford. We Etheringtons were there doing our ridiculous thing, but we were one tiny part of an incredible weekend of attractions which bedazzled the hundreds of children (and parents!) in attendance.
For starters, the young Phoneix fans had the chance to meet the creators of all their favourite comic series, face to face, including Jamie Smart, Laura Ellen Anderson, Sally Jane Thompson, Jess Bradley, Zak Simmonds-Hurn, John Dickinson, Jamie Thomson, Neill Cameron, Adam Murphy, Jamie Littler, Dan Hartwell, Gary Northfield, oh, and us chumps!





But that was just a part of it! Those in attendance had the opportunity to help their favourite characters solve an epic mystery, become royalty, go on an adventure through time, fight a robot invasion, and learn absolutely everything there is to know about creating the very bestest comics in the world ... EVER!





So yes, it was amazing, and being a part of it felt every bit as magical for us as it was for the young readers in attendance. Massive thanks to The Phoenix (read their report on the fest and see MORE pictures HERE!) and The Story Museum for putting on a day so full of wonder and fun that everywhere you looked, all you saw was this... 








And sometimes, if you looked in the other direction, you saw this...



Stay tuned to the blog this week for announcements about more Etherington Brothers festival appearances coming this year!

Lorenzo!

Friday 12 June 2015

Bird Design Week part 4/4

Some tall boys to finish the week, plus all the designs in one easy-to download place, either click the thumbnail of the full collection at the bottom of this post, or GO HERE to get them!

Lorenzo!

http://studioblinktwice.deviantart.com/art/33-Bird-Designs-538341499

Wednesday 10 June 2015

Bird Design Week part 2/4

More flappy fellows today, studying both form and pattern markings here...

Lorenzo!

Tuesday 9 June 2015

Introducing Looga and Barooga!


Happy New Book(s) Tuesday, everyone!

Today I have not one, but TWO new creations to present. So, without further ado, welcome to the world of Looga and Barooga!




















Together with long time friend and expert comic cohort, Zak Simmonds-Hurn, I am delighted to announce my latest comic series, brought to you by Oxford University Press. I've wanted to produce a comic for younger readers for a long time - something that five and six year old children could really jump into and enjoy - and the fantastic editorial team at OUP gave me just that opportunity.

But WHO are Looga and Barooga? Well, this is Looga.























Looga is a very brave girl with a wild imagination. She can conjure an adventure from a rubber duck. And yes, she wears a teddy bear onesie. All the time. Even in the bath.
























Barooga, on the other hand, is a very scared monster. The world is full of experiences that terrify him, or he just simply doesn't understand. It's up to Looga to help him out. But her imagination is as likely to get this pair into trouble as it is to save the day!
























Zak is one of the most talented comic artists I know, and this marks our third collaborative project. His pages are simply beautiful, so let's enjoy some of the visuals without my pesky words getting in the way!

















Loooooooooooooooooooovely!

Looga and Barooga: The Treasure of Soap Island and Looga and Barooga: The Day the Sky Went Boom! are both available to preorder from Amazon now, HERE and HERE, and will be released in September. 

I'll be back with more information around launch day. 

- Robin!