I still feel slightly odd to have been invited to give a lecture at an actual university: I mean, that’s for legitimate artists, surely? Aha! Get thee behind me, imposter syndrome! In fact, this was pretty much the subject of my talk. That is to say, at what point in a non-traditional route to aContinue reading “Talking to students at Leeds Arts University”
Category Archives: Graphic Novels
Panel show at Sunnybank Mills in Leeds
Just a quick note to say that a page from my graphic memoir-in-progress, Satin and Tat, is on display in the Panel Show exhibition at Sunnybank Mills, Farsley, Leeds. The show runs until November 10 and also includes work from Darryl Cunningham, Joe Decie, Kate Charlesworth, Katriona Chapman, Luke Pearson, Zara Slattery and many manyContinue reading “Panel show at Sunnybank Mills in Leeds”
Satin and Tat: study sketches
Sometimes it seems like the more you learn about how to make comics, the longer it takes. While working on Satin and Tat, I’ve changed my habits a bit, placing much more emphasis on preparation. Now, before I even put the final strokes to paper (or screen, since it’s mainly digital work), I’m working onContinue reading “Satin and Tat: study sketches”
Laydeez Do Comics: award and festival
It’s the Laydeez Do Comics festival this weekend, at the Free Word centre in London. Why not come along? Laydeez Do Comics is a “women-led but not women-only” organisation with chapters in cities across the UK and beyond. For the past couple of years, they’ve run an award for a graphic work in progress byContinue reading “Laydeez Do Comics: award and festival”
Memories of a teenage goth
I’ve been pretty quiet on here of late, mainly because I’m working away on one massive comics project that will be another several months before it’s ready to share. I do sometimes post work in progress over at Instagram though, so anyone who follows me there may already know that I’m deeply immersed in myContinue reading “Memories of a teenage goth”
Get your hands on the Draw The Line book!
Draw The Line is approaching its next phase, as a printed book — here’s how you can get your hands on one. You may remember the Draw The Line project, in which more than 100 artists from 16 different countries illustrated positive political actions that anyone can take. Draw The Line launched as a website,Continue reading “Get your hands on the Draw The Line book!”
80s comic part 2: what medium?
While thinking about character design, I was also giving lots of thought to what medium I’d use. Here are some experiments with digital colouring. I was impressed to find that the digital drawing app I use, Leonardo, can do a very convincing pencil crayon effect: In the end though, I decided I don’t have enoughContinue reading “80s comic part 2: what medium?”
2017 – a year in drawing
No matter how much time and energy I put in, I never feel like I’m doing quite enough drawing, so it’s always good to look back over the year and realise quite how much paper (and pixels) I’ve stacked up! Here’s a quick run-through of how 2017 looked. February On the 1st, I took theContinue reading “2017 – a year in drawing”
What you’ll be able to buy at the Lakes Comic Arts festival
The Lakes festival is going to be loads of fun this year: not only are there so many great events in the programme, but there will also be some fantastic comic-makers selling their wares. My partner-in-comics Zara Slattery and I have a table on the ground floor of the clocktower building again; you can seeContinue reading “What you’ll be able to buy at the Lakes Comic Arts festival”
Ladies of the Lakes now available in print form
If you enjoyed reading Ladies of the Lakes, you may like to know that I’ve had a small run printed up, and it’s now for sale in my shop. The story happens in and around the Lakes Comics Festival, and I’ll be there again this October. It seems likely that these will appeal to theContinue reading “Ladies of the Lakes now available in print form”
See you at Thought Bubble
Things are moving much too fast at the moment: I need to tell you about so many recent events. First though, let me remind you about the massive comics festival Thought Bubble, next weekend in Leeds. If you’re planning on coming, do drop into the New Dock Hall, where you’ll find me and Zara onContinue reading “See you at Thought Bubble”
See you at the Lakes – & I’ll have a new comic with me
It’s not long now until my compadre in comics, Zara Slattery, and I hop onto a train to make the long journey to the Lakes International Comics Art Festival. If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll come and see us. Here’s a map of the Clocktower building (click to see bigger) — we’ll beContinue reading “See you at the Lakes – & I’ll have a new comic with me”
Scanning pencil crayon drawings
I know I’ve been quiet on here lately, but that’s not because I’m not drawing. In fact I’ve been drawing quite a bit, between a weekly life drawing class, comic stuff, and even a visit to the museum to sketch with my daughter. I just haven’t managed to blog about it. I’ve nearly finished myContinue reading “Scanning pencil crayon drawings”
Salon of Rejects: grab your copy now
Ooh look, what have we here? A lovely, shiny high-quality comic with one of my strips in it, that’s what. It’s a sumptuous, perfect bound 28-page comic featuring cartoons by six creators, including me. Buy it here! Why ‘Salon of Rejects’? Because these are all entries to the prestigious Cape/Comica/Observer Graphic Short Story contest thatContinue reading “Salon of Rejects: grab your copy now”
Can I be a mother and a successful artist? Hmm, let’s see
This piece of graffiti is a fairly new addition to an underpass on one of my running routes. I enjoy graffiti and street art well enough, but my goodness, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a piece of it that spoke so directly to my own concerns. I’d like to meet whoever scrawled this andContinue reading “Can I be a mother and a successful artist? Hmm, let’s see”
Four graphic novels worth putting your back out for
Here’s a good tip: if you are going away for Christmas, make sure you give small presents that fit into your luggage. Or, be like me, and buy your husband a book so vast, and so heavy, that transporting it requires a flat bed truck, seven shire horses and a police escort. OK, I exaggerate,Continue reading “Four graphic novels worth putting your back out for”
Observer/Cape/Comica graphic short story contest – 2015 round-up
As usual, I’m attempting to gather as many links as possible to entries for the Observer/Cape/Comica graphic short story contest. Apparently there were 200 of them this year. The Observer’s Rachel Cooke says: The standard was the highest it has ever been, and by some distance. So much work goes into these, even those thatContinue reading “Observer/Cape/Comica graphic short story contest – 2015 round-up”
Here we go again – entering the Comica/Cape/Observer graphic short story contest
It’s that time of year again: entries are open for the sixth Observer/Comica/Cape graphic short story competition. I’ll post my completed entry after the closing date, but for now here are some pictures showing work in progress.
Brighton Illustration Fair
I’m really feeling the pressure of time at the moment. It’s a fine old thing to have a drawing blog, but that becomes a bit problematic if you find yourself having the choose between updating it and actually doing some drawing! So this is a bit of a fly-by post. I just wanted to tipContinue reading “Brighton Illustration Fair”
Graphic Brighton: Drawing in the Margins
On Friday night and all of Saturday, I was at Graphic Brighton, a conference about graphic novels and comics creation. The overarching theme of the conference was “Drawing in the Margins”, and it brought together practitioners who represent some form of minority or marginalised group. Brighton living up to its name “I’m going out toContinue reading “Graphic Brighton: Drawing in the Margins”
Myfanwy Tristram 