Have you been out today?

Slightly disturbed to note in my stats that someone arrived at this blog via a Google search of: David Shelton naked. Slightly more disturbed that I only came second (out of 328,000 results). Pleased though to find that the same terms as an image search give only one result and it's one of mine: this one.

...sleeping

I am looking forward to Tuesday.

Nothing exciting to report. The deadline for the aerial view of Coronation Street is thundering towards me and it's a bit of a hermit-like existence just now putting the hours in on the colouring in. On any biggish piece it's always a mixed blessing to get to the colouring stage. There's a sense of relief that the pencilling and inking, where the bulk of the problem-solving elements of the job lie, is over and in a sense it's pretty much downhill from there. But the colouring can be rather drudge-like work at times and, on a complex piece, take an absolute age so it gets a bit wearing. Still, bung on some music and turn your brain off and it's not so bad. Certainly still beats a day job.

Anyway, pictures... ooh look, a couple of men's heads. What a surprise...

Currently bashing an aerial view of Coronation Street into some kind of shape. This job (for Inside Soap magazine) turned from a leisurely stroll to a bit of a sprint earlier in the week when the deadline suddenly leapt forward by the best part of a week. Because of this I may go a bit quiet over the next few days as I turn into ever more of a hermit in an effort to finish on time.

Or I may blog more than usual to compensate for not getting out to see any real people. We shall see.

(Word verification: "chlloyd". If C H Lloyd is reading this then hello there).

Incidentally, I'm desperately in need of a new chair for the studio/office after I abandoned the old one - that was latterly held together by string - in the process of moving. If anyone has any sage advice and recommendations in this regard then I'd be grateful. Sadly, after some consideration, I decided I can't really afford anything as lavish as a Mirra just now though so don't bother telling me how wonderful they are.

A couple of friends received copies of the My Penguin edition of Magic Tales by the Brothers Grimm from me for Christmas. These are the covers I created for them. I have one other copy, as yet without anything drawn on the cover, that I'm planning to actually properly read before illustrating.

There are some drawings of things other than men's heads in the stockpile of sketchbook drawings that I'm posting up these days. Honest. Stick around and there'll be an elephant in a few days' time.

Had a game of squash last week (which I lost). Bumped into Richard, who runs the club, afterwards. He asked if I'd be free to play in a team against the University ladies' team on the evening of Feb 14th (i.e. Valentine's day) as a warm up game prior to their Varsity match at the weekend. I said I could do that. He said he'd thought I'd be just the man to ask. Still haven't decided quite how to take that.

Here are more pictures:

(Click for bigger version).

Just some more sketchbook offcuts for now. Just had the unexpected excitement of having to head out looking for Sandra Landlady's poorly dog whom I foolishly let out of the house in an effort to save the floors from the further effects of his suddenly recurring bowel problems. Dog promptly wandered off while I got my shoes thus necessitating Landlady and I rushing about frantically looking for him (and trying to follow his trail of poo) before, inevitably, returning to the house to find him waiting outside the door wondering what all the fuss was about. As a result of this my carefully calculated mental schedule for the day is in tatters before breakfast. But then it usually is anyway. And the brisk walk has woken me up nicely.