Lily Allen digital portrait

Lily Allen  © Peter Gander 2014

Swapping real brushes for digital ones, I’ve produced another digital portrait, this time of lovely home-grown (British) singer/songwriter Lily Allen, and, as ever, (and truthful to Have a Gander’s usual work), this is hand-drawn (albeit via a Wacom tablet), with crafted brush strokes, unlike inferior computer apps/effects. Great for an alternative version of the agency mug shot - email me for a price of your own one! Wacom tablet & Photoshop

Fishing lure paintings for ‘Lure fish kitchen’

Work-in-progress sketches  © Peter Gander 2014

Based on a recent post entitled ‘Fishing Lure’, I was asked by ‘Lure Fish Restaurant’ in London to come up with 5 new paintings based on vintage lures. Shown above are current sketches of a couple, drawn in pencil. Colour versions coming soon.

Cumberbatch digital portrait

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes  © Peter Gander 2014

I’ve had 20+ digital portraits to do for a London Agency recently, none of which I have been able to show publicly, due to confidentiality reasons, so here’s one I have drawn specially to show both the fluid, natural style, but also that I can achieve a good likeness. Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes. Digital.

‘You’re a Legend’ Father’s Day A4 print

© Peter Gander 2014

Work-in-progress chalking  © Peter Gander 2014

Again, printed from a hand-drawn chalk original, a new print design for www.haveagander.biz for Father’s Day in June. Out soon. Original: chalk on board.

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