Sam Parr Art & Illustration: March 2011

Thursday 31 March 2011

Illustration preview picture

Sent this off today for an article in Amelia's Magazine about a film made by a young man about Climate Change. This is a portrait of one of the experts, Dr Heike Schroeder, that he interviews during the film.

It's not one of my best but all good practice for illos done to short deadlines!

Wednesday 30 March 2011

Final Summer Exhibition Drawing and Goodbye, Lovely Louis

Apologies for the late update. This picture went off last week to the carrier to be delivered to the Royal Academy, and here is the finished drawing.

The delay has been due to a couple of factors: I went away for the weekend and have a had a rubbish week, finding out just over a week ago on Monday my beautiful cat Louis, only 11, had cancer, and coming back this last Monday (2 days ago) after my weekend away to a dying Louis. Unfortunately I couldn't cancel and the vet had also said he'd be very surprised if Louis went downhill that quickly. Just days ago if I looked out of this home office window I'd have seen my beautiful gentle brave Louis lounging over next door's outhouse roof, lounging the sun with his paws hanging either side of the roof's apex, looking happy, if slightly unsteady at times, and surveying his territory like the inquisitive, active little soul he was.

When I left for my weekend I never expected not to be able to enjoy a week, maybe even a few months, pampering and spoiling him for a little longer, making sure his final days/weeks were the best they could be. But it was not to be. Overnight on Sunday he got suddenly very ill, and he was in a state by Monday morning. My partner let me know and I rushed back as soon as I could, but he was dying, we took him to the vet to end his suffering, and he'd have not made it to the end of the day. I so miss him and feel this world can be so unfair and so cruel.

RIP Louis you were loved so much and brought such love to us, your unconditional, trusting, blind love. I wish you were still here.

Amelia's Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2011 Catwalk Review: Ones to Watch Men

my illustration for Amelia's Magazine Menswear Ones to watch London Fashion week has been published so I can now show the full image and here is the article and some other fantastic illustrations:

Amelia's Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2011 Catwalk Review: Ones to Watch Men

Friday 18 March 2011

New Exhibition space and painting mural

This is a bit late but yesterday I went to see "Sheffield Showcase", they are a project in which vacant, otherwise unused Sheffield city centre shopfronts are utilised to display local art, crafts, businesses, etc. At the same time the project is training up young NVQ-ers in window dressing (or it probably has a much posher name like visual merchandising or something like that now).

Anyway I showed them some of my art and they booked me a window for a month beginning 1st June, but they also asked me to paint a sea scape mural for another window in which they are planning a sea-theme for summer. So that was very nice. I think it was my 2 whale pictures that gave them the idea (they could see I might be able to do a decent representation of a lighthouse which is the main thing they wanted). So thankyou very much to the Sheffield Showcase project and I'm really looking forward to working with you!

Another fashion illustration this time a MAN!

Well, another day, another doll (-the AR). Did a fashion illustration today. After trying a few different techniques I decided it was time I got painting and cracked open the watercolours. I cannot show the whole picture as yet due to it not being published but I can show a teaser, taster, section of.

Tuesday 15 March 2011

Amelia's Magazine | Supermarket Sarah at Selfridges

My Illustration of Gabby Young may finally be revealed!

Amelia's Magazine | The Papered Parlour: Fashion in the Age of Austerity

This is an illustration for The Papered Parlour, an event about Fashion in the Age of Austerity at the V&A museum of Childhood.

Amelia's Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2011 Catwalk Review: À La Disposition

New Amelia's Magazine articles, illustrations are now published!

So I can show these ones properly now, hurrah, but still waiting on Elliot J Frieze and a Gabby Young one so I'll be posting those later.

Click on this link and you'll see my Illos for A La Disposition at London Fashion Week in Amelia's Magazine, an American design team whose clothes in this collection, the Utopian Aviary, are based, on the shape of birds (keep reading mine are at the bottom!)

http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/fashion/london-fashion-week-aw-2011-catwalk-review-a-la-tion/2disposi011/03/15/

Sunday 13 March 2011

Working on Sketch for RA Summer Exhibition

I am going to submit a drawing to the Summer Exhibition. Application forms have to be in on Tuesday and I have to describe the size, what I'm submitting, etc on the form, but I can work on it until I deliver it at the end of March. Here are the stages it's gone through so far - I have to work out whether to colour it (the colour version here was a photocopy on which I experimented). The colour is good I think (I was aiming for a bruise effect but the whole face - so not a literal bruise a metaphorical bruise) as it is an ex boxer. (Inspired by a photograph in American Images I photography book I have). The only thing with this colour (I used pastels) is that it has covered the detail, which I also like. I might experiment further but with coloured pencils so the detials aren't lost. Or possibly, watercolours, but I have to know by tomorrow when I send off the form whether I'm submitting a drawing or a painting! Complications! The photo above is the inspiration from The American Images photography book, and the photos below are in reverse order of progress. . . . the top being the latest version.

Monday 7 March 2011

Amelia's Magazine | Amelia's Compendium of Fashion Illustration

Just sent off 3 illustrations for A La Disposition at London Fashion Week for Amelia's magazine. I agreed to do them late morning yesterday, so I am definitely getting faster, having done 3!

Cannot show illustrations till they are published (still waiting Elliott J Frieze one to be published) but I can show a sneak peek preview picture, so here they are:

Sunday 6 March 2011

sneak peek preview of illustration for Amelia's Magazine

somehow I've managed to make her look like a demonic Katie Weasel (of X Factor fame) !

http://tinyurl.com/5r4cy6t

Saturday 5 March 2011

Amelia's Magazine Illustration sent!

After tweaking with my illustration for Amelia's Magazine and London Fashion Week (Elliot J Frieze) for ages, and finally being satisfied with the result, I have sent it off this morning. I cannot post a picture of the final result until it's published at the magazine which hopefully it will be this weekend. I've got a lot to learn, but I'm pleased with the result given my relative inexperience in this whole business. Trouble is I really want to get Amelia's 2 gorgeous Illustration books now and the back copies of Amelia's magazine which she is selling for a bargain price of £50....hmm I'm a mummy...albeit to 3 lovely cats....Mummy's Day present? (to myself?!!)

Friday 4 March 2011

Work in Progress (Section)

I've been working today on a Fashion Illustration (which has led to me having Bowie's "Fashion" stuck in my head - no bad thing). Here's a little teaser picture just snapped on my iphone, a section of the drawing so far.

Thursday 3 March 2011

Deviant Art website profile

Exciting news I have joined Deviant Art and this means people will shortly be able to purchase prints, cards, maybe even t shirts, mugs etc with my work on, should the urge take them!

Here's my gallery so far, just a few uploaded at the moment but more to come.

http://samparr.deviantart.com/gallery/