Saturday, December 19, 2009

RAGE AGAINST THE FACTOR


I just bought 'Killing In The Name' from itunes to topple the xfactor monopoly and you should too. find out more here. You have till midnight tonight (sat 19th) to do it!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

UBF 6



Creepy Gwilym Davies Santa! The next UBF round is to be held at the Columbia Road Christmas Market where World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies is hosting the event on his legendary coffee cart. Take away cups I believe..

ps. sorry Gwilym!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

TOKYO FIXED SHOP FRONT


The Tokyo Fixed shop is up and running so if you don't mind the feeling of your eyes popping out on stalks then go and have a look at some of the eye popping bikes they have there. Or you can check some pics here

You can see my logo in situ top left of this blog post. I quite like the understated use of it with the black vinyl. More to come soon..

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

TOKYO FIXED


This is the new logo design for Tokyo Fixed. The company have specialized in importing exotic and rare bike frames and parts from japan and other hard to reach places. They are now opening a shop in Soho and this design will be gracing the shop front. I have been doing some other bits for them including a set of framed prints which will be available soon and I'll be sure to let you know when.

The shop is opening tomorrow with a launch party tonight.

Tokyo Fixed
4 Peters Street (just off Berwick St)
Soho, London,
W1F ODR

Thursday, November 12, 2009

FRIGID FINGERS


I will be drawing live tonight along with the newly formed 'PUCK' collective at the LCB skate shop at the top of brick lane. Come along! I will try and post some photos of the event afters..

Thursday, October 22, 2009

GIMME SOME SUGAR

I have just passed a chivalry test. An old lady came knocking at about midnight telling me that her bus had terminated early, I have a feeling that she mistook Clapton (hackney) for Clapham (the opposite direction). She also told me that she was diabetic and needed some sugar asap. Despite getting the distinct feeling that she would be hard to get rid of, I invited her in have a sit down and some nosh. After she nailed half a jar of my Gran's jam, a box of my house mate's Nairnes Oatcakes and a very old chocolate muffin, she critically analysed the coffee I made for her and told me all about cardamon. This took her about and hour and forty minutes.
I can tell you now that although I would always extend hospitality to those in need, I secretly hoped that she would turn out to be a powerful witch who wanted to reward me for my kindness with arcane knowledge and magical training..

Sunday, October 18, 2009

IVY & OAK


The 4th single for Kill It Kid. I have had carte blanche for most of these covers with the band not really having any defined ideas of what they wanted before I began drawing. This can be a curse as much as a blessing at times but with this design, Chris had quite a clear image of what he would like to see. This puddle effect seemed like a great idea but its surprisingly tricky to get across convincingly. I think it works here though..

Monday, October 5, 2009

KILL IT KID OUT NOW


The Kill It Kid album is out today. Go and buy it to fully enjoy the glorious artwork on the cover, plus the music is pretty good to boot! They have had some really good press and are hopefully starting to make some waves. Their UK tour starts this month so if you like what you hear then try and get to see them, they are awesome live, really good showmen.

“A hook-laden riot...big things may be coming their way” 8/10 NME
“Monstrous Delta blues grooves” ***Q Magazine
“...an outstanding British record” 9/10 Clash Magazine
“Unbridled quality” Drowned In Sound
“Ignore them at your peril” Artrocker
“An outstanding debut and, just maybe, one of the albums of the year” **** Music OMH

dang!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

ROCKETSHIP


Album launch party for Kill It Kid. This was produced at very short notice over an all night session, fueled by cascara (a very high caffeine beverage made from the coffee cherry fruit) The hit from this drink felt a bit like I was in this rocket here.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

SEA TALES OF TERROR


I have never really been into vintage clothes shopping. The smell of old man, damp, a hundred different homes and lifestyles that are collected together to form a mutant funk of clothes that rarely tickle my picker, is not for me. Books however, yes please. I have a weakness for it. I really don't like the cover art work on the majority of contemporary books, in particular SCI-FI and Fantasy which always seem to be so vanilla. The golden age of cover design for me was when artists seemed to be liberated and free to express whatever the hell they liked in order to illustrate the tome and in most cases appear to be either enduring or attempting to induce some sort of freakish trip.
Brick Lane on a Sunday which is something of a Dickensian affair with suspicious street vendors hawking their wares on the post saturday night street surface, has spawned a number of worthy book purchases. 'Sea Tales of Terror' has one of the finest covers that I have ever seen on a book. It cost me a couple of quid from a popup vintage market down the Truman end of BL. Although the image is sort of comical, there is no doubt that if a 100ft tall 'sea skeleton'(?) reared up from the ocean, it would scare your shit out, so job done (pun).


'Science Fiction Stories' has a slightly more low brow design. Looking at it now I can't decide why I like it. Its sort of crap. But brilliant. There are interior illustrations too which fail to disappoint..

Saturday, September 26, 2009

PYROCLASTIC FLOW


I went to the opening for the Graniph Design awards exhibition at KK Outlet a few weeks ago, I got really wet on the way down there on my bike and had a massive black streak of road water up my back. Part of the show involved a drawing competition where you could design a t shirt with felt pens and have the chance to win one of the T's in the exhibition. Throughout the night they were filming and interviewing people to make this video, at the end of the night they approached me and, having made good use of the free booze, I was potentially a little over eager to oblige. They must have gathered at least 20mins of footage from my interview but mercifully, much of it has been cut leaving only my description of one of the designs I produced (the explosion). Somehow during my piece to camera I managed to adopt the pseudonym "Dave Moist" on account of my beleaguered journey down there, a name with has stuck with the people at KK outlet.

You can see a number of my master pieces bellow on this gallery vid. look out for the babycrow email address at the bottom. The design that won me a t shirt was the 'man love' one. My housemate produced the sweat patch beauty!

Friday, September 25, 2009

FRESH!


I have updated my website. Its mainly the cream of the recent crop organised into categories and slide shows. Checkit!

UBF 3


Its coming soon! Blazing Pitchers at UBF round 3. This month its a speed challenge where the hearty baristas have to make four technically accurate drinks in the shortest time with penalty time added for spillages and bad habits etc. The times go up on a leader board a bit like the fastest lap on top gear.

for the poster I went for a warp speed effect with lightning charging the blazing pitcher. This is pretty much exactly what the UBF is like..

Saturday, September 19, 2009

KILL IT KID LIVE


This design was originally produced for the album promo but ended up being appropriated as the live album cover to be sold on their Kill it Kid's headline tour.

Each element of the electrified rubbish heap represents an element of the the band, production or album.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

BEAR BLING


This bear originally featured in a design for Kill It Kid's album which then didn't get used, scrapping the idea for the design I posted previously. Then I was asked to create a t shirt design that involved the bear from that design, I put one together and this got used. Before I realised this however, I decided to redraw the original (quite cartooney) bear into the furry incarnation you see before you. So this bear didn't get used, the original did and now the album design that the bear made it's first appearance on has since been rejigged into a live album to sell on their Oct 09 tour! I was pretty happy with this drawing so decided to share it with the interweb anyway..

KILL IT KID ALIBUM


Album design for Kill It Kid. The design will come on a three fold card case with a full length pinball design in the inside.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

UBF 2



Design for the second round of the Ultimate Barista Fighter competition. After the success of the first round, this event seems to be generating some heat.

I based this design on an image I created some time ago for a show my friend Peter Attridge and I put on themed on 'spellcasters'. I toyed with more traditional wheel of fortune motifs but it seemd to lack the high octane vibe of the event. Hence the burning cosmic wheel of chance.

HEAVEN NEVER...

SEEMED SO CLOSE.



The final artwork for the next Kill It Kid single. The song features a character who killed his girl as a result of her calling out another man's name (presumably at an inopportune moment). Our hero is caught by the law and begs to tell his story before he faces his fate, prison, the chair etc. Its a very good song!
The plaid effect was a very time consuming process involving four separate layers of pattern and eight scans. Worth it though methinks?

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

DREDD


This is a sketch of Judge Dredd. I could doodle this chap for hours, although I hate dealing with that right shoulder pad, eagles have never been my bag..

Friday, July 17, 2009

ULTIMATE BARISTA FIGHTER


A quick flyer design for the Ultimate Barista Fighter event, conceived by Scott Griffith and Square Mile Coffee Roasters. The first round is a head to head latte art pouring contest into a 6oz cup. I took a little inspiration from the dairy milk logo here!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

BABYCROW X SQUARE MILE COFFEE


In a collab with Square Mile Coffee Roasters (whom I work for as well as illustrating!) I have produced this t shirt design. The subject was commissioned by James Hoffmann, the world barista champion 07, and features El Griffo (the lucha libre personification of SQM) throwing a 4ft tall colleague. Events that inspired this image can be seen on Anette Moldvaer (world coffee cup tasting champion 07)'s Flickr.

There may be tweaks etc before this will see a t shirt so don't get too excited! will post more info as and when..

Thursday, May 21, 2009

BURST ITS BANKS


Completed the second single design just as the first single is released. You can download it from Monday the 18th May from all good Online retailers and its going to be just 50p on 7digital.com You can also pre order a 7" Vinyl from www.indian.co.uk/killitkid. I saw the printed 7" at their launch night and it looks pretty swede!
The new single 'Burst its Banks' is a darker, punchier track and has a sexy element to it which I have tried to convey here. Its a great track and I have loved listening to it whilst working on the design and get a real buzz when I hear it live. Get to one of their shows if you can, it certainly is a spectacle worth seeing..

Monday, May 11, 2009

MEKANO TURBO

A short comic produced for Alexis Ziritt who has a table at the New York Comics Convention this year. All the characters are his but this short story is written and drawn by me.

Working with sequential art is a labourious and time consuming process, I get quicker at it with every completed page but the challenges it throws up for pacing and storytelling and the amount of research you have to do for reference makes it an intimidating task. That said, its fantastically satisfying and a labour of love.

There are little tricks and visual tools that I have been picking up from my comic creator heroes like Paul Pope and Geof Darrow and I'm surrounded by a pile of comics for inspiration whilst I'm working. Although it is important to refer to the work of my peers and learn from their experience, I look forward to the time when I can 'think' about it less and put more focus into the pace and flow of this unique storytelling medium. The last short comic I produced took me at least twice as long as this to complete and had less going on in the panels so hopefully that's a good sign.

The main character in this story is named Tuerto (one eye) who is up against fascist future robot police, gangsters, mutants and a post apocalyptic Venezuelan wasteland.. good luck with that Tuerto.

enjoy!





Friday, May 8, 2009

BURST ITS BANKS - ROUGH


A rough working of the next Kill It Kid promo, Burst Its Banks.

FUTURA


Entry for the type tart project. more info here www.uktype.com/index.php?id=56,65,0,0,1,0

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

POWER IN NUMBERS


Holla, here is the blurb for the Power in Numbers private view. Come one come all!

The opening
Thursday 7th of May from 7pm at Bodhi Art Gallery on Brick Lane (opposite the bagel shops). 48 artists each with an edition of 50 hand pulled and numbered screen-prints (including a few surprises). The soundtrack will be provided by the sound doctor Rob-Tronica. All of the prints are being sold for £20 - we can only accept cash so bring a few notes with you! The show runs until the 27th of May 2009 - there are lots of events along the way - go to www.curestudio.com or www.twitter.com/curestudio to keep up to date with what is happening.

Artists in the show:
Alain Magallon / Alice Stallard / Camelia Dobrin / Brett One Side Zero / Charlotte Smith / Chris Floyd / Claudia Boldt / Dan Speight / David Gibbons / Emma Vorster / Emmi / Haruka Shinji / Heejohng Chae / Ivan Mayorquin / Jake Blanchard / Jez Burrows / Jim Smith / Josephine Spencer / Luke James / Marc Stewart / Mark McClure / Maxwell Harrison / Naíma Almeida / Niko / Patrick Savile / Peter James Field / Peter Stitson / Raymond Wong / Rose Stallard / Royal Glamsters / Sara Nesteruk / Sichi / Splendidhand / Stephen Chan / Steve Price / Steven Emmanuel / Stuart Chatman / Tom Baxter / Trisha McNally / Wayne Chisnall / Yann Brien / Austin from New / Random Boy / Ministry of Love / Baldrick Buckle

Images of printing:
http://snipurl.com/curestudio

Video of printing:
http://vimeo.com/channels/edition

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

MASHUP


This is a design for a screenprinting competition, the brief being 'power in numbers'. As a kid I was really into Jim Lee style x-men and this is a bit of tribute to that. All the costumes are Lee style. I haven't really drawn marvel or DC superheroes since I was about 12, apart from maybe batman and superman a couple of times and I can freely say that it was so much fun! I can't wait to colour it, although the brief was for a one colour design, I'm gonna colour it anyways.. I'm particularly pleased with Gambits face.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

SEND ME AN ANGEL DOWN


This is the design for the new Kill it Kid single. It will be available as a 7" on the 18th of May I believe. The challenge here was to create something that nods to the band's rootsy blues country stylings whilst injecting something new and vibrant. It is also quite a somber subject to the song lyrics although the actual song is very uplifting so I wanted something sensitive but not in anyway depressive or morose. The writing on the barn was inspired by the rock city barns but has a slightly anarchist edge to it..

MICRO MESH


This is a single page story about micro mesh and a celebration of the wonderful American Apparel ads on the back cover of Vice magazine that feature the most fantastically attractive women..

Monday, March 16, 2009

LISTEN UP!


The final coloured version. This sort of drawing always seems like a great idea and appeals to my slightly anal tendencies to fill a page with detailed line work, but when it comes to adding colour, I get those feelings of wishing that I hadn't started! It didn't take very long but all those hats are fiddly.

Friday, March 13, 2009

LISTEN UP SCREENTONE


Photoshop screentone. Varying degrees of success can be achieved from these and they don't cost £5 per sheet!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

LISTEN UP


An assembled crowd, listening intently to a speech. For your pleasure I have uploaded the line drawing before I colour it. The colour will follow.

KILL IT KID


these are the logo designs for the band Kill It Kid. I'm currently working on their forthcoming album and singles releases which will be coming out throughout the summer. Have a listen on www.myspace.com/killitkid I am also doing their myspace design but its a work it progress so bear with it.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

THREADS

My Threadless.com Submission
Hello friends, it's time again for me to call upon your esteemed taste and cast vote upon my wares. I have a number of designs coming through on threadless that I think would make badass tshirts so go on there and click the 'i'd buy it' tab (you don't have to buy it) and give me a nice fat juicy score! Once again, I would be in your debt and If it wins and you really like it I will do my best to get you one..

There should be a few coming through so check them out.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Monday, February 2, 2009

FIX UP, LOOK SHARP


fix up from babycrow on Vimeo.
I'm having a dabble with rotoscope animation. Its a slow process but I'm pleased with the effect. There will be more coming soon..

SNOW

Its hell out there. The snow is falling, the post office is closed and the blokes next door have been assaulting innocent pedestrians with rudimentary icy projectiles, pretty much all day long! I myself received such a blow to my inner thigh as I vaulted over our frozen shut front gate. Mercifully, I had no feeling left in said appendage after my fruitless trip to the post office.

Last night, at around 1am, my housemate and I constructed the second most monstrous snowman you would ever have seen. Complete with a carved visage (we had no carrots) and a withered arm, clutching a spent can of ginger beer.


In an unfortunate turn of events, the snow continued to fall over night and through out the day. The weight of fresh snow transforming our ugly but innocent snowman into what I can only describe as a phallic totem.



I should probably attempt to amend this horror but am reluctant to be seen manhandling such a thing. I will await until cover of darkness, where hopefully the snowball battery from next door will have subdued.

Monday, January 26, 2009

PIPESLUMO


I'm intending to produce a series of these drawings that will possible work together, and do maybe a panoramic version. I'm intrigued by some of the organic shapes that you find in engines and engineering, chubby pipes and frilly filters and the bulging hulks of manifolds. Everything generally has a practical purpose but there can be some beautiful compositions that form in the process.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

ZOOM


printed on the gocco printer, this is a postcard design to get your juices flowing. I can't wait for summer. The colours are fluro which doesn't come across on the scan, but believe me, they are bright!

with plenty of ink and allowing for a margin of error, you can pump out about 50 good ones and a few duds. You can probably get more out of it with different designs and more experience but this design is an exclusive limited run of 50!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

MAINFRAME



I am currently spending some time interning with the lovely people at the motion graphics studio 'mainframe'. This was the prize I received for the glug 'all i want for xmas' competion. One of the tasks that has occupied me this week has been ident designs for a sticker sheet.

this particular design features a writhing tangle of cables that spell out the logo. It was sort of inspired by what becomes of tetsuo in akira (I won't spoil it if you are yet to experience it!) There's a whole bunch on flickr here

STEVE


Steve has his, where's yours?

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

PRINT GOCCO!




my first experiment with print gocco, which is a sort of homegrown Japanese screenprinting kit. This is intended for the rear of some art prints that I'm doing for promo purposes. You can't tell from the scan but its a really nice pearl finish from the oil based ink that has quite a unique quality. Will be posting more results as they appear.