back in the old folky days

Happy New Year folks!

As I said in a previous post, I've been making some changes to my business (and life) recently. Some leaps of faith. Which all ties in nicely with the New Year and new leaf/chapter/beginning.

Here's something I've never tried before; bespoke, made to order original drawings. Not just bespoke drawings, but, bespoke pet portraits (and that's something I never thought I'd hear myself saying). They are, of course, pet portraits with a difference. They are kind of like drawings of your pet's ancestors. With a little imagined (by me) biography of said pet ancestor.

 

Where and how the hell do I come up with these ideas?

Anyway, you can get a bespoke, Victorian, made to order, portrait of YOUR pet HERE!

No, really.

@темы: cat, Etsy, horse, for sale, original, Victorian, pet, original drawing, AJ, portrait, illustration, illustrator, andrea joseph, Andrea Joseph drawings, bespoke, pet portrait, animal, dog

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For the Thinkspace 10th Anniversary show, “La...

For the Thinkspace 10th Anniversary show, “La Familia” opening Saturday Jan 10th at Thinkspace Gallery, LA. For any enquiries into the artwork, please email the gallery at [email protected]
Oils on panel, 10” x 10”

@темы: artwork, Thinkspace Gallery, Thinkspace, rodluff, owls

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This is most of my stuff from 2014. Thank you all for the...

This is most of my stuff from 2014. Thank you all for the support! I really appreciate it. A big thank you to those who bought prints and originals, it really keeps me going. Much love and all the best for 2015! If you download the image it might be bigger.
It’s been interesting to go through what I did and contemplate what I need to do better over the next few years, as always there’s sooooo much to learn and grow, must work harder in 2015!

@темы: art, rodluff

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Another progress shot of this sketch trade with Miles...

Another progress shot of this sketch trade with Miles Johnston that I’ve been doing in my spare time. Stayed up till 5 listening to the new Hardcore History podcast this morning and worked more on it.

@темы: artwork, astra, drawing, girls, rodluff

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Close up look at a recent mixed media drawing featuring one of...

Close up look at a recent mixed media drawing featuring one of my local kookaburras. Email me for availability info [email protected] #rodluff #drawing #kookaburra #birds #newcontemporaryart #art

@темы: art, drawing, birds, rodluff, kookaburra, newcontemporaryart

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some more progress on this sketch trade I’ve been doing in...

some more progress on this sketch trade I’ve been doing in my spare time for Miles Johnston (@miles_art ) still a while to go! #rodluff #drawing #workinprogress #astra #sketch

@темы: sketch, astra, drawing, rodluff, workinprogress

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So honoured to be co-curating the Moleskine Project IV with Ken...

So honoured to be co-curating the Moleskine Project IV with Ken Harman at @hashimotocontemporary in 2015. It’s a returning, invitational exhibition featuring artwork done on Moleskine sketchbooks. Stay tuned for more info. Please follow @hashimotocontemporary for more info too. #hashimotocontemporary #rodluff #moleskine #art #drawing #newcontemporaryart #owls

@темы: art, drawing, moleskine, rodluff, newcontemporaryart, hashimotocontemporary, owls

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Miso meets @iamlilbub #christmas

Miso meets @iamlilbub #christmas

@темы: christmas

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Merry Christmas....

...if that's your thing.
If it isn't, well, here's a moose.
And a pear.

@темы: pen, Christmas, ink, AJ, illustration, moose, illustrator, andrea joseph, Andrea Joseph drawings, pear

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i drew my friends shoe

Here's a couple of drawings that I made back in the day. When my eyes could see better.

The top one was made with a ballpoint pen and the bottom one with colour pencil.

I'm pretty proud of both of these actually.

There's a little collection of my shoe drawings (if you'd like to peruse) HERE.

@темы: shoe, pen, shoes, AJ, illustration, illustrator, andrea joseph, Andrea Joseph drawings, ballpoint, pen drawing, ballpoint drawing, colour pencil, Bored Panda, color pencil, illustrator for hire, boots

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brass monkeys on high street

As I was whinging about, in my previous post, these days I just seem to be drawing on-the-go. Stood in a caf

@темы: journal, AJ, illustration, illustrator, andrea joseph, Derbyshire, sketchbook, New Mills, marker pens

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Other Animals / Yes Methuselah {New Paintings}

Yes Methuselah: (Original Painting) Available at Flat Earth Studios
India ink and Gouache on archival watercolor paper (Framed) 
Frame measures 9 1/4 x 11in

Other Animals: (Original Painting) Available at Flat Earth Studios
India ink and Gouache on archival watercolor paper (Framed) 
Frame measures 9 1/4 x 9 1/4in

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artforadults: Rodrigo Luff painted us this jaw dropping artwork...

artforadults:

Rodrigo Luff painted us this jaw dropping artwork and I could not be happier with it! What an honour Rod

please show Rodrigo some love on:

| tumblr | site | instagram | FB |

Made a banner for the wonderful blog, “Art for Adults.” Honoured to contribute, thank you guys for the opportunity <3 <3 <3

@темы: rod luff, harpy, artforadults

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Work in progress, cropped scan of something else I’ve been...

Work in progress, cropped scan of something else I’ve been drawing outside gallery stuff too. If you’re interested, just email me [email protected] (Pencils, pastel, coloured pencil + total size is about 15” x 24” (38 x 50.8 cm))

@темы: art, drawing, girls, rodluff, newcontemporaryart, owls

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you should draw me

I feel like I haven't sat down and actually created a 'proper' drawing, or worked on a project, in ages. Life, and making a living, has got in the way of that.

Not that I've stopped drawing, I've never drawn as much. And, I'm loving drawing in a different, faster way. I do long, though, to just sit for an entire afternoon or weekend, week even, and just work on a big mega drawing. The kind of thing I can get lost in.

 But, I need to capitalise on this time of year. That's the reality, right now. I've finally just begun, after a couple of years of real hardship, to see the wood for the trees and to really start thinking like, and seeing myself as, a professional artist/illustrator. Whatever that is.

 And, now, I've forced myself into a situation where I have to make money from this. Which is a good thing. A scary thing, but a good thing.

Before I was just selling online to top up my wage, now my wage tops up my selling online. The balance has shifted. And, I'm no longer just selling online, recently I've been selling offline too.

All of these drawings were made over two days, and two art fairs, last weekend. I've come to realise that I need to sell myself in lots more ways (not like that), to keep a roof over my head.

It's not easy to see your work in those terms; as a saleable product. Well, at least, I don't find it easy. But that is the reality of it.

It's been a long time coming too. I've been talking about it for way too long; taking steps to turn professional. And, it hasn't been the greatest of timing, on my part, in this recent financial climate. But, there's something about the struggle that makes it even more 'rewarding' (that's not the right word, or not the word I'm looking for, but it's late at night and I'm tired).

So, I've been getting my work out there, and, actually, even if it still feels uncomfortable selling me, I couldn't love sharing and talking about my work more. 

I'm constantly amazed anyone wants to know.

My plan for 2015 is to get better at all that stuff. The presenting of my work, that is. I've had a practice run this year, but I want to make my 'show' bigger and better. I want it to be a visual treat, to compliment my sketchbooks.

I want to make lots more lovely creative products that show off my drawings. And, I want to get out there, further afield, and meet and share them with more people.

And, I want more adventures. So that when I finally get back home,

to sit and draw, I'll bring all that I've learnt and seen back to my work. And make it richer than ever.

Looking forward to the New Year already.

I had no idea where this post was going when I started it. Absolutely none. I'm glad it ended on such a positive note. I think I've inspired myself!

@темы: journal, sketches, Chesterfield, doodles, drawings, AJ, illustration, illustrator, andrea joseph, High Peak, sketchbook, illustrated journaling, illustrator for hire, New Mills

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A couple of drawings for fun that I’ve been doing in my...

A couple of drawings for fun that I’ve been doing in my spare time outside gallery work.

@темы: astra, nude, drawing, girls, rodluff, newcontemporaryart, owls

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Work in progress for the @thinkspace_art 10th anniversary show...

Work in progress for the @thinkspace_art 10th anniversary show “La Familia” opening Jan 10th, 2015 from 6-9 pm. I’ll be finishing this up soon, it’s oils on paper mounted to wood panel, big thanks to collaborating photographer @moss_von_faustenberg and the lovely @jordankie for modeling. Hope to share more sneak peeks of this painting as it develops! Please email [email protected] for enquiries. #thinkspacegallery #thinkspacefamily #thinkspace10yearanniversary #rodluff #painting #oils #artwork

@темы: artwork, painting, oils, rodluff, thinkspacegallery, thinkspacefamily, thinkspace10yearanniversary

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Marco Polo (Opening Title Sequence)

Mill+ teamed up myself and Ben Smith with Netflix to create the stunning title sequence for Marco Polo, a new original series for Netflix, written by John Fusco and produced by The Weinstein Group.

The series is based on the famed explorer's adventures in Kublai Khan's court in 13th century China, and exudes lavish and rich aesthetics. The Mill+ team wanted to visually represent the metaphors of the show with themes of greed, betrayal, sexual intrigue and rivalry by contrasting them with images of beauty, grace in the authenticity of the time.

An entirely unique illustration style was created by depicting western imagery through an eastern medium. The brilliant ambient quality of ink was captured in camera in it’s natural form, and carries the viewer throughout the opening title sequence.

Ink itself has such brilliant ambient qualities. and because of that, ink has been used a lot. We really needed to approach the medium in a way that has rarely been done. So we decided to try to capture as much as we could in camera. Some of the shots were composited in post but it was really just because certains aspects of takes were better than others.

Here is a breakdown of the process on the shoot days.

1. Digitally project completed illustrations on white 100% cotton watercolor paper.
2. 2-3 people paint in the illustration with clear water so the image is completely made of water.
3. Turn off digital projector. Now you just have clear water on white paper.
4. 2 Red cameras are set up. One locked. One on a slider.
5. 2-3 people drop Sumi ink onto various spots within the illustration.
6. Edit composite, Build Shots.
7. Grade (Color Correction)

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roads

Recently, on Facebook, I asked the question "does anyone use Flickr anymore?" I asked because I was, kind of, toying with the idea of deleting my old Flickr account. I hadn't used it in about a year. It felt like a chore to post on there, or I'd just forget - Flickr seems so isolated from those other platforms. I've also had a lot of my work stolen from Flickr (my own fault, in the old days I had no idea about resizing my images for the web). Plus, I thought it was about time I started a Facebook Page as I hear that's a great marketing/promotion tool. I just felt I was spreading myself too thin. So, I asked the question.

The response was huge.

It seems that I'm not the only one who's been posting less on Flickr these days, if at all. But there are still some people hanging out there. Some folk said they didn't like the new (not so new, now) Flickr layout. Some said that it was still the best platform to view and host visual work. A lot of people felt that these days they used Facebook and Instagram more. There were lots of pros and cons. I was swayed, back and fore, by each point made in each comment.

So I went on Flickr to have a look around again. To remind myself of why I loved it SO much back in the day. To reminisce. And, then I started posting again. I downloaded the app to my new phone, which makes it easier to post and view other people's work. But, since then I haven't blogged! Now, I've had an invite to Ello, am still setting up my Facebook Page and have, almost, been convinced to start a Pinterest account.

I'm not sure what the moral of the story is.

Outside of the online world and my online life, I've been spreading myself too thin too. I've been doing all sorts of Art Fairs and Artisan's Markets in this run up to Christmas. Getting out and sharing my sketchbooks, meeting people and promoting my work. Exactly, what I do online then.

I'm still not sure what the moral of this story is.

And, quite frankly, I'm way too tired to work it out. Up early in the morning for a weekend of Christmas markets. As I've recently noticed that my scanner is playing up, and that my scans seem very odd colours, so there's something else I need to replace, alongside my car and my washing machine. So, yeah, keep on going, keep on working, keep the wolf from the door and keep trying to eke out a living out of this art business. Maybe I just need to accept that I'll be spreading myself thin for the foreseeable future. Perhaps that's it.

The drawing at the top of the page is a local art/craft fair that I've taken part in on a few occasions. The guy above is a local character who stopped by to look at our sketchbooks and buy my book. He is in the top drawing too, can you spot him?

@темы: moleskine, AJ, illustration, andrea joseph, Moleskine diary, Derbyshire, High Peak, colour pencil, illustrator for hire, New Mills

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Violin - oils + moleskine #rodluff #moleskine #painting

Violin - oils + moleskine #rodluff #moleskine #painting

@темы: painting, moleskine, rodluff