Thomas Whetnall Illustration

Hive

2011-09-29T01:48:00.000-07:00

I am almost bored of making these now.....but not quite.

swallows

2011-09-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

This is another attempt at a movement illusion. They are hard to get right, its all in the tonal steps between the different colours. Are we seeing any movement people?

Bomber

2011-09-27T05:50:00.000-07:00

Meet Bomber, another teddybear portrait.

This one was done in pen and watercolour as a gift for a freind.

crane pattern

2011-09-26T06:55:00.001-07:00

An origami crane pattern to accompany the boat pattern I have posted already. Next I need to do a land themed pattern, most probably dinosaurs.

op art circles

2011-09-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a collection of op art circles I have made. They are all heavily based on the work of Akiyoshi Kitaoka

the two in the middle are spiral illusions - they are in fact made of concentric circles. The top and bottom images are sort of anomalous motion illusions (they're supposed to appear as if they are moving, try moving your head towards and away from the screen) - click on each image to see a larger version.

You should check out his originals - they are really trippy and the science behind the optical effects is pretty interesting. zammo!

eye thingy

2011-09-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

A cheesy eye thingy made whilst fiddling in illustrator and photoshop.

Inspired in a tangential way after looking at this site > http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/~akitaoka/index-e.html

Its a bonkers looking site for a Japanese Professor to put up his eye bending optical illusions.

Clegg 'n' Cam

2011-09-08T02:59:00.000-07:00

I just think David Cameron looks like a hotdog, ok?

fun with QR codes

2011-09-01T08:50:00.000-07:00

Today I have been having fun with QR codes. what a baddass invention.

I am most impressed by how much buggering about they can take and stay functional.

full of beans

2011-08-26T03:09:00.000-07:00

Zammo - check out my cute little coffee bean buddies! they will stick by you through thick and thin, but be carefull, sometimes they can be a little overbearing.

paper boats

2011-08-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

This is a nice paper boat pattern which I made entirely in Illustrator (well I was impressed anyway...)

I have just realised that it tessellates at an angle, making it useless as a tiling desktop background. Oh well, if I am inundated with requests by my loyal readership I will post it at screen appropriate resolutions.

ha ha, how I amuse myself.

winter moon

2011-06-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

This one was a bit of an experiment, its an etching with the blue printed in relief, the tree in intaglio and the moon and ground are embossed - all printed in a single pass.

The inks I used were water based which caused the sky to bleed a bit too much - and the paper buckled on this one. I think it came out well on the whole though and its a trick i'll try again because registering different plates is a pain.

rabbit

2011-06-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

Rockface

2011-06-15T13:10:00.000-07:00

I went to Italy last week and did a small amount of sketching while I was there.

This was drawn at the Parco dei Mostri in Bomarzo. The stone face sculpture was so big you could walk upright through the mouth and sit at a stone bench and table inside the head - it was awsome to the MAX.

Shame I couldn't figure out where the treasure was...

CRAZY DAYS

2011-06-02T03:02:00.000-07:00

These are going to be the last lot I think

HELL YES

2011-06-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

I said I'd be back!

These images use a CMYK palette because they were made to be printed on a laser copier and using the toner in neat blocks makes them come out super tangy and crisp... not because I've gone colour blind...

Its pretty hard to shake the feeling that I should use a dark outline against a lighter fill, so I think this must be doing me good.

HOT DAMN!

2011-05-31T03:56:00.000-07:00

Ahh , it has been an embarrassingly long time since posted anything, so here are 6 images all at once. These drawing were from a Christmas board game I made this year, and for lack of anything better to do with them afterwards I filled them with eye-melting colours, slapped some immature slogans on them and made myself a shiny batch of posters. I have another dozen or so characters from this set so I will probably make some more posters soon.

Moka pot

2010-12-08T12:10:00.000-08:00

If you like coffee and you should have a moka pot.

Not only does it brew up delicious espresso, but is also full of wondrous science.

Little Ted

2010-12-07T10:49:00.000-08:00

Hullo,

This is an entry into my 'teddy series' that started with Owly, I have another print in this series that I'll put up as soon as I scan it.

J is for Jellyfish

2010-12-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

I'm really happy with this one. I think the colours and the textures make it very submersive. Not a real word, but it should be.

What letter next?

R is for Rhinoceros

2010-12-06T13:22:00.000-08:00

And here is the end result.

I think I could have used better colours, the yellow and brown are a bit too far apart tonally. ahh well

Tonight I'm cutting lino

2010-11-30T16:13:00.000-08:00

R is for Rhinoceros

My first woodcut

2010-11-28T13:14:00.000-08:00

Hello there!

This is my first try and woodcuts, Quite enjoy.

You end up with a nicer texture than lino, but it is a bugger to cut against the grain.

I gotta try harder to post more.

bah..

Open studio

2010-10-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

Hullo,

This weekend I will be exhibiting some work at the Wandsworth artists open house event.

If you find your self wandering through the streets of Putney thinking "Why am I in Putney, and what shall I do while I am here?" then you should stop in and say hello.

You'll find me sharing the studio of oil painter and gentleman Ian Lettice at Old Air Raid Shelter, 42 Oxford Road, SW15 2LQ

Get it while It's hot!

2010-09-24T06:49:00.000-07:00

Hullo,

Wrap is now for sale, and if you are looking for something to do this weekend you could mosey into town and pick up a copy.

you can either go to Curate 40, a design minimart/exhibition as part of design week

or you can head over to Drink Shop Do a super nice cake/craft/sweet shop in kings cross.

or if the rain is putting you off leaving the house you can visit Curate40's online shop. What could be more convenient?

WRAP magazine

2010-08-13T04:25:00.000-07:00

"New graphic design and illustration magazine Wrap will launch in October and showcase work as pull-out wrapping paper."

You can check out the design week post here
Not only is it a genius idea, handsomely put together by fabulous people, but a design of mine will be appearing in the first issue. I am EXCITED

The astronaut and chimpanzee below are a little snippit from my design.

Sketchy Sketch

2010-08-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

Preparatory sketch for an etching.

This is Little Ted, say hello Little Ted. "Hello" says Little Ted

I can print!

2010-04-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

'Owly' - hand coloured etching

Etchings are tricky business, but I think I've got the basic technique down. This is my first successful etching made at home.

Owly is the trusted companion of Imogen, and he heroically volunteered to be the first model for a series of stuffed toy portraits I am working on.

P is for Pangolin

2010-04-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

'P is for Pangolin' - Lino cut for a chum

Triptych

2010-03-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

....and one of the three together.

Another bottom

2010-03-12T14:51:00.000-08:00

'Eros'

So much fun I drew it twice!

Bones

2010-03-12T14:50:00.000-08:00

'Thanatos'

Tools

2010-03-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

'Hephaestus' - pen and ink

I made the box frames for these pictures using bits of old fence.

Bums

2009-05-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

'Eros' - Pen and ink.

This particular drawing was done as part of a triptych, but at 5cm square it was a little to large to be included in the final set.

I will post the triptych up when I take some descent snaps.

any tips on photo-ing glazed work?

Man Vs Machine

2009-05-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

'Friendly competition' - ink on paper.

...

Man rides ostrich

2009-05-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

'Scout'- pen and ink.

This is a picture of a man on an ostrich. After drawing this I read about the extinct Moa on wikipedia. We live in an ever more impoverished world.

I like reading

2009-05-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

'Reading' - pen and ink

I like reading, though i've not finished a book in a while.

I have just bought a new L.E.D lamp that is easy on the eyes and will help me read in bed....

....I'm very excited about it.

Art by the sea

2009-04-19T14:13:00.000-07:00

I currently have some work showing at an exhibition in Hastings.

Its a family exhibition arranged by my supportive and slightly eccentric uncle Patrick so if you make it down you will be able to see some excellent paintings by my brother, sister and a couple of my cousins.

It goes on until the 29th of April and I will be there invigilating next weekend. If your in the area or fancy a day at the seaside come and take a peek.

Magician

2009-04-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

'The Illustrious Benito' - Digital Collage

The next in this series is going to be a Green man or a 'Jack in the green' as they are often know. expect him soon.

Sideshow

2009-04-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hello,

This is the strongman 'Augustus Wodehouse' one of the first characters in a sideshow series I am working on. He wasn't created for any particular purpose so if you can think of somewhere he can be put to work, let me know.

Digital collage

Ride on!

2009-04-19T10:45:00.000-07:00

'Darwin' - Pen and ink

The third of a set of three.

Beekeepers

2009-04-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

'Beekeepers' - Pen and ink

Image 2 in a set of three

Patience is a virtue

2009-04-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

'Patience' - Pen and ink

The first image in a set of three.

What ho what ho what ho!

2009-04-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

Hello,

This is my blog. Websites are too much like hard work so from now on this is where you can find my bits and pieces up for the world to see.

I assume that my dedicated readership will demand frequent updates and I'll do my best best to meet expectation.

Come back soon.

Tom