proof that I can draw things other than birds

he's not finished yet...

The King of the birds

meet nkwasi
one of the characters for my new children's book 'The King of the Birds' coming soon

christmas things

Here are my christmas bits n pieces, if you like them

colour test

With my next couple of posts I will prove that I can draw things other than birds... promise

More

ages

So its been ages

But I have been working

Heres some of it

More to follow including Asbo Dog and some more images for The Shark of Saunton Sands...

http://http://www.facebook.com/groups/benrotheryillustrator/">

Christmas merch available NOW also, if you're in bath on Sunday and feel like coming and saying hi, then I'll be at It's Darling Fair....

Thats all for now folks

The Shark of Saunton Sands

Hello Everybody,

Do you want the good news or the very good news?

I have completed all the roughs for the Shark of Saunton Sands and I'll be scanning some of them and uploading them over the next couple of days... And the Finished images over the next week.

You lucky devils you!

x

Something Sentimental

See, I do have a soft side

Links

Right for some reason that I don't fully understand, Wonderful Blogspot doesn't want to post my links so here are the links for the post below... you'll have to do a bit of copy and paste but Im sure the anticipation will make it all the more exciting for you.

hire an illustrator:
.http://hireanillustrator.com/i/portfolio/benjamin-rothery/

BenRotherIllustrator FB:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ben-Rothery-Illustrator/172491426146145

Etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BRillustrations?ref=si_shop

and for those of you who aren't aware, you can follow my ramblings on twitter too
https://twitter.com/#!/BRillustrations

Big love

ben

Whats been going on

Well, Its been a while I know and lots and lots of things have been happening so I thought I'd pop along and share a few of them. As always, for more detailed update on whats been happening in the world of me then pop along to the website and check out the blog there.

Firstly there are the greetings cards... You've seen some of the birds, you've seen the owl below and presumably you have been giddy with excitement wondering what its all for... so, heres a sneaky peek. They're all sort of vintagey and wondersome, hand drawn borders and some lovely background textures combined with my detailed drawings of birds and animals... Enjoy!

New web presences.... oooh, aaaahhh, exciting
I finally got round to setting up a facebook page.... I know, I did it all the wrong way round, I've had flikr, the website, this blog and twitter but I've finally done it... added a facebook page to the Rothery media empire, so here it is

.

I also went and set up that esty shop I've been wittering on about, theres not much on there atm but rest assured I'll be updating it a bit more every time I get a chance.



I have signed up for Hire an Illustrator... let see whether that throws up some work shall we...? check out the portfolio below.



I am working on a children's book... all a bit hush hush but I should be allowed to pop up some roughs by the middle of next week... so watch this space.

Thats all for now lovely people.

xx Ben

online shop

http://www.benrotheryillustrator.co.uk/online-shop-coming-soon/

buy things.... buy them now!

its been ages, but then again I have a veeeery good excuse

I know, I know, It's been a long long time since I posted anything and every time I do post these days I usually have to start off by apologising for not posting in a long time.

But this time I really do have a good excuse, or rather a raft of them...

The last few weeks have seen me graduate, move to London, exhibit at new blood at D&AD, get a cheeky mention in creative review along with 8 of my fellow NUCA illustration grads and send out about a million and one CVs to potential future employers.

I have also been trying to come to terms with twitter https://twitter.com/#!/BRillustrations and use the little blog embedded on my website http://www.benrotheryillustrator.co.uk/category/blog/

So like I said, busy busy busy busy...

It was this afternoon sitting, at new blood, roasting my arse off in the old truman brewery on brick lane that I realised that I had not put pen or pencil to paper in probably 2 months with assessment, graduation etc so i started sketching and scribbling, in this case an African Eagle Owl... practise for my new project 'The King of the Birds'...

Thats what the photo is all about, a fellow exhibitor or student or member of the general public was wandering about and asked whether they could take a snappy snap (I paraphrase I think he just asked to take a photo) and here it is, a shot of me doodling while I waited to have a portfolio review with one of the industry types...

I have decided not to say that I promise to be more regular with my blogging because to be perfectly honest, I hope to be so busy that I just don't have the time... but from time to time I'll keep you all up to date with my comings and goings but the posts may end up being as long as this one.

love love

Ben

been a while

I know I have been a bit lax at doing this but theres a lot that's been going on with graduation n all...

but heres a bit of it, I finished my book pictures will be up in the next few days PROMISE... but, it has gotten me to d&ad, I am really proud of it so as soon as I can I'll get a couple of pictures up here for ya...

http://www.dandad.org/talent/new-blood

also Im doing some designs for dilate clothing, you'll have seen some of the images before but not some of the others...

http://www.dilateclothing.com/

oh n anyone who needs to have a book bound, this is your man... he is amazing!

http://www.bevthebinder.co.uk/

twitter

Now look what you've gone n made me do...

https://twitter.com/#!/BRillustrations

Kibera book

Last image is sorted, finished it this morning will upload ot tomorrow when I have had a chance to scan it.

The book os going to print and will be bound etc over the next couple of days, will post photographs as soon as it is done! I am very excited

Kibera 3

There are another 4 images to finish and upload... they'll be up by the end of the weekend...

Kibera Book 2

Kibera book

Here are a few images for my book... the others will be finished over the next couple of days and will come up on here.

Just need to finish laying everything out and get it all printed, bound and covered.

pictures of the book

I'll be posting the images of the new book I am working on by monday, I am currently without a scanner and everywhere is closed... stupid wedding!

FINAL cover - one hundred years of solitude - penguin design awards 2011

OK, here it is...

final-ish image, one hundred years of solitude

well, here it is, the final-ish composition plus all the copy - the title on the front will be moved to the left by a few centimetres and the title on the spine will be moved down by about the same but otherwise this is more or less as it is going to be i think

One Hundred Years of Solitude continued

Here we go, the composition is sorted, I think I have about a day's worth of playing with the background, adding a few bits and bobs and colouring the central bird a bit more.... ok and the adding of the blurb and other copy to thew jacket, BUT... I am nearly there I think, Thoughts?

One Hundred Years of Solitude...

All the individual elements are finished.... now to figure out how the hell to put them all together and to add finishing touches like highlights etc.... See you monday...

redone the harpy eagle too

redone the harpy eagle... added some shadows and highlights and think I have 'fixed' its eyes... now it looks properly evil...

one hundred years of solitude, last three black n white birds...

Now to finish painting the coloured one and then put it all together

more edited birds for one hundred years of solitude

Two more edited birds

edited birds

Ok these are the first three of the 9 birds which will appear on the 100 years of solitude book jacket, the others will be posted over the next couple of days, it was pointed out to me that they looked a little flat in their original forms so hopefully they are better now... and yes, I know that the guinea fowl has appeared on here before but I hope you will agree that is better now that I have re-drawn it.

last few little birds

A Hoatzin and some other bird that I cannot remember the name of... one more to go and I have all the elements sorted for the book jacket... just to put them together now.

rough composition

Rough composition... lots still to do but you should get a rough idea of where everything is going to go

Main bird

The central image from my book cover and the only one which will be in full colour, so it should really stand out

This is my first attempt at painting purely digitally as opposed to just touching up... I drew the bird as normal and then got my wacom on... thought it would be nice to push myself in a different direction and find a way of bringing more colour into my work

Colour tests...

Here are a few quick colour tests... more are already finished and I am working on the final composition... I Think a little colour here and there really will lift the birds off the background.... There was a concern that the image would be hard to read as the birds and the back ground texture would be too similar.... I think that this is a possible solution

couple of tests for my book jacket for one hundred years of solitude...

A couple of tests....
penguin design awards 2011

Dissertation

Right

Everything sort of got put on hold while I finished my dissertation, it is handed in on monday so more work will be posted next week...

Promise

ben

A Drawing a day

I am going to be drawing a lot of animals, buildings, people etc.... practise, practise etc. The plan is a drawing a day! Here's the first couple.