Tag Archives: Cartoon bike

Fish out of water.

Posted on by Soulcraftcandyman
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78_Cafe_Stoppie

Whilst scribbling through one of the worksheets a few weeks ago it became clear that at times, streams of ideas cross one another, and at these junctions one often finds a source of inspiration previously unseen. This image above comes from one such junction, the point where ideas about stunts and ideas about cafe racers crossed. It caught my imagination instantly and after some rough sketching there was the basis for a short series depicting such a combination.

 

The main driver of the idea is born out of an apparent change in the context of both. Stunts  like “wheelies” tend to be performed by guys on more modern bikes, though this is a sweeping generalisation of course, and cafe racers, although tending to roar about the place are never spotted doing the kinds of things shown here, the “stoppie”. I wondered what it would throw up if I took one and combined it with the other. There are probably lots of rational reasons why guys with classic bikes don’t show off in such a way, like weight, available power and the delicacy of their old clutches, but cartooning the whole idea lets you forget all that in the name of artistic license.

79_No57

Finally today here is that “smoke” moment I mentioned a couple of posts ago, the one that really didn’t finish well. I have resolved not to try rescuing it yet, it serves as a reminder of how perhaps not to do it, but have overcome any reservations about revealing it to you. More out of context cafe racers soon.

 

 

A bit of a fluke?

Posted on by Soulcraftcandyman
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76_Big_Red

There are moments during the process of attempting to learn a particular skill, method or process when ones hopes are bolstered hugely by a result which exceeds ones expectations. Although these are fantastic moments to be savoured, they often come when we least expect them, they can be the harbingers of something of a very different nature. This picture today possesses one such moment. My “big smoke” theme threw up this image which demanded to be done and, as a further opportunity to practice  my smoking tyre technique, I could not resist having a go. Heeding a kind of mental warning, stepping away from the airbrush seemed like a good plan, so focus turned very much to using a humble brush, a light wash and a layering approach to find a little more of the secret sauce. Suffice to say I’m much, much happier with the result which has some depth and texture, but maintains the cartoony feel of the picture. A rewarding result, but it could be a bit of a fluke.

 

What is the point I’m attempting to make here? Well, it is this. When we experience an early success our confidence is rightfully buoyed, but what happens next rarely follows an upward trend, my next attempt at smoke was, to me at least, utterly rubbish. In a rare display of coyness I’m declining to show that today, suffice to say that I will doubtless get over it in a day or two and reveal the awful truth. In the meantime enjoy this one, it’s one of my better efforts I think.

 

Double helping.

Posted on by Soulcraftcandyman
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74_French_cafe

It is the weekend and what better way to celebrate a couple of days free from the grind of the working week than to post a double helping from the Soulcraftcandy studio. This first one is called “French Cafe”, for obvious reasons, though it was not my original intent to make a specific gallic reference when applying the colours, which I attempted to limit the number of. Perhaps it’s because I was thinking about our friends Veronique and Chris whom we are visiting in Bordeaux in April, who knows.

 

I don’t seem to be able to stop myself from drawing these old style rocker guys, I’m not sure exactly why. That said I’ve always admired the paired down nature of the bikes and the almost iconic look of the guys who ride them. As well as the structural and visual appeal there is also some emotional appeal too. Some might consider the whole scene a little hackneyed these days but this can not deny the fact that it has endured, and so remains a rich source of inspiration.

75_Burnout

The second image is slightly different. During the idea churning sessions it became clear that certain groups and themes were emerging, large amounts of smoke was one of them. The dynamism of a smoking tyre is a unique thing but in my experience quite difficult to capture, I have pretty much failed on all previous occasions. Now seemed like a good time to try once again to get some proficiency in their rendering. The shading on this one was attempted with an airbrush and only partially succeeds, the rest I’m happy with and I like the idea that the front wheel is somehow prevented from moving by the line of the boundary box. It’s called simply “Burnout”.