Behind Al Cook’s “Necropolis”: Blood Test.

Whenever I get an illustration commission I occasionally get asked to provide ‘idea sketches’ to show what the finished piece will look like. This type of request usually results in me turning down a lot of artwork job offers because I almost never ever produce any ‘idea’ sketches and if I do, they never really resemble the eventual illustration and I tear them up just as soon as I’m finished with them. Besides, I think that sample and ‘idea’ sketches could subliminally put someone off of your work.
Is that crazy and paranoid?

If it’s not crazy and paranoid it’s probably arrogant of me but I’d rather turn down an illustration job than waste my time churning out sample sketches just to please someone who doesn’t have the faith in me to just let me get on with things.

That said, sometimes I do produce ‘working’ sketches for my horror comic-strip to help me place where characters and objects will be in the panels and today I’m going to break my own rule and show them to you.

All of these working sketches come from the “Please Give Blood” installment from my comic-strip, Al Cook’s “Necropolis” and as you will see, these were never meant to be seen…

* Working Sketch:

* Eventual Illustration Panel:

* Working Sketch:

* Eventual Illustration Panel:

* Working Sketch:

* Eventual Illustration Panel:

* Working Sketch:

* Eventual Illustraion Panel:

* Working Sketch #1:

* Working Sketch #2:

* Working Sketch #3:

* Working SKetch #4:

* Eventual Illustration Panel:

I decided to upload these scribbles because aside from my own, I like to see work in progress. Be it a building being built or a half finished song, I’m interested and so I hope those sketches were of some interest to you.
You can view “Please Give Blood” in full HERE.

You May Also Be Interested In…
* Al Cook’s “Necropolis”
* Graham Humphreys: “Zombie Flesh Eaters” Artwork
* Sketches For Nobody #6

Dot And Tot Of Merryland: A Working Sketch.

This is my working sketch for a painting I’ve been working on for my pal Jared’s short story which he has based on L. Frank Baum’s “Dot And Tot Of Merryland“.
The painting will feature the same colours as used by W.W. Denslow in his original illustrations and I’ll post the results up on here when I’m done.

You can read L’ Frank Baum’s original story as well as see W.W. Denslow’s illustrations by clicking HERE.

You May Also Be Interested In:
* The Making Of A Scarecrow
* Anything Of OZ
* Salvador Dali: Alice In Wonderland

Sketches For Nobody #6.

I’ve called these ‘Sketches For Nobody’ but that’s not really true. These are all working ideas for something or other.
For years and years I’ve been throwing my working sketches away because they don’t mean anything to me after a certain point but as I get older, I’m starting to keep everything.

This is a working character sketch for a comic strip I’ve been working on called “COWAN: Homicide” which is about a cop working in 1980’s Shettleston, Glasgow.
Hopefully, I’ll have that up and running within the next few weeks.

This is a random sketch done at work to pass the time on a slow day.

Above is a working sketch for the character of a friend’s short story.

And then we have, a speedy and very jaggy sketch of L. Frank Baum’s Scarecrow from “The Wizard Of Oz”.

Lastly, this was a quick character drawing for the album cover artwork that I did for the band V For Vagina.

You May Also Be Interested In…
* Dot And Tot Of Merryland: A Working Sketch
* Album Artwork: “A Circus Of Vaginas”
* Sketches For Nobody #1

Sketches For Nobody #5.

I don’t mind telling you folks that when I drew this years ago,
I was absolutely HAMMERED on Jack Daniels.

This was done at the Saints & Sinners Bar in Bellshill.
2004 maybe?
I dunno.

Sketches For Nobody #4.