It’s been some time since I’ve added a message to the site; I have been busy with many projects. Forgive the vacant chair and the dusty easel in the corner.

Of most interest, I think, has been that over the last year I’ve spent a lot more time drawing using a pencil and sketchbook. In fact, I’ve spent many, many hours sitting in cafes or out in the ‘real world’ just filling sketch books up with ideas, scribbles, thumbnails and doodles. I have been thrilled seeing almost complete concept illustrations come to life on paper (before being scanned and then manipulated digitally). I think I’ve finally overcome my fear of having people look over my shoulder as I work.

I’ve also spent a bit of time over the last year working on a facebook computer game (Imperial Galaxy) which was a whole new adventure for me, but a great discipline if ever you worry about the end result of your work. You don’t really have time to sit and fuss when you have to produce a lot of very small images, at an extremely rapid pace, some as overlays for character portraits and some as props for the game.

What’s on the books now? Craftwise, I’m concentrating on changing the way that I conceive and paint/build fantasy architecture. In the past I’ve tended to have very blocky ‘real’ buildings and though they might be interesting, there’s so much more wonderous structures that can be created. You can see some of that conceptualisation beginning by looking closely at the Ian Irvine cover at http://www.lespetersen.com.au/gallery/view_photo.php?id=aej

Cheers
Les

2007 has become 2008. Not a good year, with a lot happening around me, much of which has resulted in me trying to find ‘the illustrator within’. Filling sketchbooks, remembering the joy of doodling ideas and building an image up with lots of scribbling, scribbling, scribbling. Looking at other styles of drawing, spending a lot of time in comic shops absolutely blown away with the depth of skill and brilliant, inventive mark making of illustrators working in these areas. Reminds me, very much, of when I was at art school - the sheer wonder of what you could do with ink and paint and paper. The only thing that stops me from throwing myself back into it is my allergy to solvents. Also looking at a lot of movie concept art, which, again, is inspirational for the same reasons. You see what you cannot do well, and you see what you can aspire to do well. Then you set your mind and work towards it. Am going to do a bit of work on architecture, then start really looking at costume.