Even more mermaids!

Don't you hate it when you're out having a wander and your enemy sneeks up behind you on some sort of shark monster? But, don't you just love when you're taking your shark monster for a swim and you spot your enemy?
That's the basic idea behind this first picture:

I guess after drawing mermaids for my latest comic I thought I might as well just carry on with it. Here's the stages the picture went through:


Pencil sketch



Inks

This painting shows what happens when you forget to feed your pet octopus:

I did the initial sketches for this using a Wacom Inkling:

But then, I found a neat thing that the Inkling does....it can play back your drawing line by line so you can watch it being drawn:



And here's what the image looked like once it had been inked:

Both paintings are available to buy. They are A3, watercolour and ink on Bristol Board, 50 GBP each including postage and packaging. They come rolled in a sturdy postal tube. Paypal accepted.

Email me at LeonieomooreATgmailDOTcom if you'd like to buy either (or both...)

Monstrum Horrendum : Mermaid Mayhem

Open publication - Free publishing - More adventure

This is just a short adventure, set before the current story arc. It works as a stand alone story. It's only a 16 page book, Monstrum issues usually run at 52, although issue 3 looks set to be even longer.
The story is based on Issue 2 Vol 1 of Monstrum, which I think was released in 2004. It only had a tiny print run, so I thought it was worth reviving the storyline and updating the artwork and giving it a bigger release.
Click here for more Monstrum Horrendum adventures.

This Weekend.

images from the new issue of Monstrum Horendum

I'll be posting up the new Monstrum Horrendum comic this weekend. It's only a short thing, but you read it all here (or on my site) for free!

Also, my art sale will be ending soon (31st Jan.) so please check it out and grab yourself a bargain.
Includes this stuff:

Almost done.

Almost finished the Monstrum Horrendum mini comic, just a couple more pages to do, then scanning, lettering, collating etc.  How quickly it gets finished depends on the rest of my work load, which is horribly unpredictable at the moment.

Cover painting is finished though! (Work in progress pics here.)

2011 - The year in sharks.

Shark Night 3D
After a slew of straight to SyFy nonsense, 2011 saw shark movies return to where they belong - on a cinema screen in 3D.  The plot of Shark Night 3D was every bit as flimsy and idiotic as anything SyFy has to offer, but it had better effects and was in 3D. There was a good variety of shark on offer, even the ridiculous cookie cutter shark got in on the action. The constant giant plot holes were a bit unnerving when witnessed on a large screen with surround sound, a constant reminder that the only reason this made it to the cinema was the 3D-ness of it all.

Super Shark
When trailers first appeared for this online I instantly assumed it was another spoof - along the lines of 'Ghost Shark' or the more recent 'Shark Pool'. So I was pretty surprised (and secretly happy) when it turned up on SyFy in all it's schonky glory. It begins (and ends) with a shark on land fighting a tank with legs. The shark also has it's own song. That's really all you need to know.The effects are very poor, even by my standards.
Fun facts: The main actress in it also starred in Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus. The guy who directed Super Shark is the dad of the guy who directed Mega Shark vs Crocosuarus.

Swamp Shark:

Some weird looking shark gatecrashes 'Gator Fest'. Starring Kristy Swanson, who also starred in another movie about a shark in a swamp (Red Water - 2003). Awful.

Sand Sharks:
Yet again, the trailer would lead you to believe that this is a spoof. It isn't. It's an actual movie made by actual people. I haven't seen this yet, but it looks like it's about spikey sharks that can swim through sand and are intent on ruining some beach party. It stars Brooke Hogan, who will also be featuring in the Asylums upcoming Two-Headed Shark film.

Live Every Week Like It's Shark Week:
Wow. The internet went crazy for Discovery's Shark Week. It's a pretty big deal for Discovery anyway, but this year it seemed to be a meme, a trend...it took over the internet. I don't know what the viewing figures were like, but apparently 2010 had 30.8 million viewers. Not bad for some shows about fish.
I've probably watched more Nat Geo stuff than Discovery in 2011, they just seemed to have better shows this time. I've particularly been enjoying Nat Geo's series 'Shark Men' which follows a group of scientists (who aren't all men - stupid title) as they tag Great White Sharks.

Gamma Ray Sharks:
I haven't read any Hulk comics in a really long time, but thanks to the huge clunky chunks of exposition in this comic I was able to get up to speed on everything that was happening. I only bought it, like many other people, because there are hulk sharks in it. The only good thing in the comic were the sharks.

Note to Marvel: The Marvel universe needs more sharks.

Bye Bye Jaws Ride:
The Jaws ride closed it's waters to the public at the start of this year, making 2011 the last ever year to go visit Bruce in his Floridian holiday home. I didn't realise that at the time, and I never got to go see it, AND NOW I NEVER WILL!! But thanks to the magic of the internet, you can pretend you got to go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_t3Q6ahmyU&feature=player_embedded
I guess after being shot at and mutilated a few times a day the shark was probably due for retirement.

Did I miss anything? Feel free to share your favourite shark moments of 2011 in the comments.