Arttoon Returns to Greenock for Blackheart Market
It was fantastic to be back in Greenock for the Blackheart Market. It had been a while since my last event in Greenock, so there was something really enjoyable about bringing the Arttoon Studio back on the road and spending the day creating, drawing and chatting with visitors.
Blackheart Market is a great fit for my artwork, with its celebration of Horror, Gothic and Alternative Culture. I brought along a selection of my Original Art and Prints, including some of my horror-inspired work, but as always, I also wanted to create something new while I was there.
Turning Customers into Monsters!
One of the highlights of the day was drawing monster cartoons of the customers.
There is something completely different about drawing someone when they are sitting right in front of you. You never quite know what the finished character is going to look like, and that's part of the fun. A few minutes with a pencil can transform someone into a strange, wonderful and occasionally terrifying Arttoon monster!
It's also a great reminder of why I enjoy drawing live at events. It's not just about selling artwork; it's about creating something unique and having a bit of fun with the people who come along.
New Arttoons and Afterthoughts
I also spent some of the day working on new ideas for Arttoons and Afterthoughts.
The series combines my illustrations with short thoughts, observations and humour, and I'm always coming up with new characters and ideas. Working at an event can actually be a great way to develop these because there is plenty of time to sketch, experiment and see where an idea takes me.
Some of these quick sketches may eventually become finished illustrations, prints or even part of a future volume.
Two New Large Paintings
I also managed to find time to work on two new sketches for large paintings.
These are still very much at the beginning of their journey. A sketch can look quite simple, but it is where I start working out the composition, shapes, perspective and overall feel of a painting before I pick up the palette knife and start putting paint on canvas.
I love this part of the process because you never quite know how much a small sketch will change when it eventually becomes a large painting.
Great to Be Back in Greenock
Perhaps the biggest thing for me was simply being back in Greenock.
It's been a while since my last event here, so it was great to reconnect with the area, meet new people and see some familiar faces. Taking my artwork to different towns and cities is one of the things I enjoy most about being a full-time artist.
Every event is slightly different. Sometimes I'm selling prints, sometimes I'm drawing caricatures, sometimes I'm working on new paintings — and sometimes I'm doing all three!
The Greenock Blackheart Market gave me the opportunity to do exactly that.
A big thank you to everyone who stopped by, chatted with me, bought artwork or bravely allowed me to turn them into a monster!
The Arttoon Studio will be back on the road again soon, with more Original Art, Prints, live drawing and new ideas.
Arttoon – Tell a Story with an Image.
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