My hand-painted pub sign

The 14th century ‘Old Yew Tree Inn’, Westbere, Kent

I cycled over to Westbere, near Canterbury to ‘The Old Yew Tree’ yesterday to have a gander at my hand-painted pub sign and sketch the pub for some new paintings due to be hung inside very soon.

‘You are Ace’ greetings card  © Peter Gander

‘Happy Father’s Day’ greetings card  © Peter Gander

You’re a Legend’ greetings card  © Peter Gander

From real chalk originals, this series for www.haveagander.biz continues to grow. Printed in Kent on A6 GFSmith Callisto Pearl 300gsm.

60th milestone birthday card  © Peter Gander 2014

One of a series of real hand-chalked designs for ‘milestone birthdays’ for www.haveagander.biz

Hand-drawn map for Goody Ales brewery, Herne, Kent

Hand-drawn map, colour  © Peter Gander 2014

Hand-drawn map for www.goodyales.co.uk  The client, brewster Karen Goody was keen that not only should the map (and associated leaflet) be designed by a local artist (me) but that she should also support local business and have it printed nearby too. Thus the print, by Broadoak Printing neatly rounded the circle and amazingly everything was executed within the confines of this little map. Ink & watercolour on 300gsm Grain Fin The Langton paper.

‘The old ones are the best’ hand-chalked greetings card

Working freehand

‘The old ones are the best’ greetings card  © Peter Gander

It’s good to chalk. ‘The old ones are the best’ is our first in a new line of www.haveagander.biz hand-chalked cards. There is a dearth of ‘chalk-like’ effects that you can computer-generate. They are all poor imitations. You don’t get the subtle things happening naturally that make it authentic, like dusty ‘ghosting’ on the blackboard, or the beautifully imperfect line. Unsurprisingly only the real thing looks properly convincing, so this is real chalk - Stephen’s brand, from nearby Folkestone in Kent, UK, in fact, on a real blackboard.” Chalk & blackboard.

‘Jolly girl’ cycling card

Sketching out the new card

Inking the banners

The final print with traditional watercolour and digital colour.  © Peter Gander 2013

To sit alongside our www.haveagander.biz ‘Spiffing gent on a penny farthing’ greetings card, we needed a female counterpart. Hand-drawn in pen and ink, I used digital colour on the illustration and a traditional watercolour wash for the background.

Gurnard (AKA ‘Sea Robin, etc’)

Tub gurnard  © Peter Gander 2013

I bought a small shoal of these sustainable fish (well, half a dozen) at Whitstable fish market a few weeks back, for a fish curry. British chefs are said to remark ‘Ugly fish, tasty dish’. And true enough, my gurnard were very tasty. But I think they are rather lovely-looking too. Compared to the usual cod or pollack, gurnard look like the kind of exotic fish you’d find in Mauritius, not Margate, but apparently they are quite common around local Kent shores. The one shown is a tub gurnard, probably the most colourful, with its electric-blue edging to its huge pectoral fins (the others are ‘red’ and ‘grey’ gurnard). They are also known ‘Croaker’ as they emit a croaking noise when caught. Other names include ‘soldier’, elleck’ and ‘rotchet’, depending on where you live. They are also far more interesting because not only do they have armoured heads, but they also possess ‘legs’ (thus also called ‘feeler fish’) behind their front fins for walking with. And, as if all of the above isn’t impressive enough, they can poison you too with their gill plates and it’ll hurt for a few days. Respect to the gorgeous gurnard. Winsor & Newton watercolour on ‘The Langton’ Grain Fin 300gsm paper. Original: 20cm x 15cm. Buy the original here for £50 (UKSterling): http://folksy.com/items/4885302-Gurnard-fish-painting

Red Sands Radio Christmas Card pen & ink

Red Sands Radio Christmas image 2013  © Peter Gander 2013

Latest inky work for Bob Le Roi, radio presenter at local radio station Red Sands. The original is hand-drawn with scratch (dip) pen and ink, with watercolour. Santa is seen descending into one of the ‘Maunsell Forts’, a set of WWII anti-aircraft battlements still seen off the coast here in the Thames estuary in north Kent and once where Red Sands Radio transmitted from in the 60s.

Fishing lure 131015

Imitation and life, as it were  © Peter Gander 2013

Despite being an avid fisherman, I must admit to never having mastered the lure, admiring from afar their beauty as objects but that’s as far as it goes (so far). This one sports a chunky diving vane on its lower lip and a ruddy throat which I understand throws the intended quarry into a lusty attack, thinking that the faux fish is injured. Unusually for me, I used masking fluid for the hard-edged spine highlight as it does give a strong effect (usually I bring wax to the art table for similar effect). The white/cream paper, though full of texture (Hahnemuele Andalucia 500gsm board) lacked a certain something, so I cut out a fish-body-sized mask of paper and lay it on top of the coloured fish. Then sprayed it freely with blobs of watercolour paint tapped over the back of the hand for that more characterful bespattered look.

Lure 131015  © Peter Gander 2013

Fiona’s Converse

Fiona’s Converse  © Peter Gander 2013

I’ve always wanted to draw these iconic shoes from my youth and my wife Fiona wears them, so I got her to part with them for an hour. The drawing was done sans sketch/pencil 1st, so it remains nice and loose with a spontaneous feel. Ink and dip pen with watercolour (mostly Payne’s Grey) on Hahnemuhle Andalucia 500gsm paper.

Seaside figures for Putterfingers

Happy couple  © Peter Gander 2013

Boy on donkey  © Peter Gander 2013

Picnic couple  © Peter Gander 2013

Weightlifter  © Peter Gander 2013

Punch & Judy © Peter Gander 2013

Lifeguard & lady  © Peter Gander 2013

Couple in sea  © Peter Gander 2013

Skinny man with crab  © Peter Gander 2013

Commissions for www.putterfingers.co.uk a Suffolk-based mini-golf company. Set of 9. Original: Ink and watercolour on 300gsm The Langton Grain Fin paper.