Otherworld Sailor

Otherworld Sailor Page 1, lineart created in Manga Studio

I recently completed another short story, "Otherworld Sailor", with my frequent collaborator, writer and editor Matt Gibbs. The story is being published in "Overload #1" which is launching at Kapow next week. Cribbed once again from Matt's site;

Overload #1 launches at the Kapow! Comic Convention on May 19-20th, 2012. A black and white anthology put together by Martin Conaghan, its aim is to showcase the work of established talent in the UK and introduce new creators to the comics industry.

This issue features a story by James Reekie and I called Otherworld Sailor, which is set in a Viking village soon after their conversion to Christianity and tells the story of the community dealing with a strange visitation.

FutureQuake 19: Yesterday Today

Page 1 of "Yesterday Today", Written by Matt Gibbs, Art by James Reekie

FutureQuake 19, a regular anthology of 2000AD Future Shock-style stories from FutureQuakePress, is now available. It features a whole host of writers and artists, plus a story from Matt Gibbs and I called Yesterday Today. Go check it out!

Storyboard Examples

Storyboard examples, drawn in Manga Studio.

Here are some storyboard examples that I recently produced for a pitch for a client. I won the work, then the client went bankrupt! Sign of our times I guess.

Have a great week

New Sketches

Sketchbook drawing, ink on paper

I finished a sketchbook recently which seems like as good a time as any to post up some of my recent sketches. As per usual, these are all drawn from magazine shoots or adverts using a various pens and brushes.

Have a great week!

Photoshoot sketches

Photoshoot rough sketch, digital art created in Manga Studio

These sketches are for a pitch of photoshoot, unfortunately I can't reveal who for...! All these sketches had to do was to convey the feel and direction that the proposed shoot would take. It was great to work nice and loose and not have to worry too much about finish.

Photoshoot rough sketch, digital art created in Manga Studio

Photoshoot rough sketch, digital art created in Manga Studio

Photoshoot rough sketch, digital art created in Manga Studio

Photoshoot rough sketch, digital art created in Manga Studio

Photoshoot rough sketch, digital art created in Manga Studio

Have a great week!

Work In Progress

Crop from a competition entry for "The Outsider", artwork in Manga Studio

I've started a "Work in Progress" blog on Tumblr. The address is www.jamesreekie.tumblr.com and the aim is to post a crop or section of whatever I'm working on that day. I've been posting similar images via twitter from time to time but I felt I should give the images a proper home. I'll hopefully be posting daily, but many of my projects are often taken on under the terms of pesky non disclosure agreements so I obviously it won't always be possible.

I'll put up a proper link on this blog later, if you want to make sure you don't miss any updates from me please do follow me on twitter, everything get's a link there.

Have a great week!

Sketchbooks 2010

Sketchbook image, ink on paper

In this update, my last post for 2010, I thought it would be a good opportunity to show some of my sketchbook doodles for the year. I'm not a prolific doodler, I tend to draw with my mood more than out of habit these days, probably due to drawing all day for work.

These sketches come from magazines that my magazine designer better half has all over the house. Some are from adverts, some from fashion pages, and thusly much apologies to the copyright holders. These were just done for fun.

All ink on paper over blue pencil which was removed when I scanned them.

(Click image to enlarge)

Have a fantastic Christmas and New Year and here's to a prosperous and exciting 2011!

Rome

"Statue", ink on paper

"Rome, Northern Suburbs", ink on paper

"Colosseum Arch", ink on paper

I'm not much of a location sketcher but as an artist you can't really go to Rome and not do some drawing!

Have a great week!

Eagle T Shirt Design

"Eagle" Shirt design, Line art created in Manga Studio

This illustration is the centre piece for a T shirt design for a character to wear in a comic book that I'm working on. It'll probably only ever been seen about 2 cm square. I guess I got a bit carried away with it!

Have a great week!

Hiding Wood

Hiding Wood, artwork created in Manga Studio

Hiding Wood, linework created in Manga Studio

I had a few days spare inbetween projects and created a few images for fun. Have a great week!

Back2Hell... Finished.

Back2Hell page 98 lineart - Ink on Bristol board.

Yep, it's all over. Very excited by the prospect of working in colour again!

I'll be catching up on posting the last few months' Illustration work over the next few weeks so please stay tuned for that.

Have a great week!

Back2Hell Witch Burning

Digital pencils from "Back2Hell", art created in Manga Studio.

Back2Hell continues. Have a great week!

Back2Hell Airship Shootout

Back2Hell page art, ink on board

Back2Hell continues into the final stretch. Have a great week!

Back2 Hell: Church

Back2Hell page art, digital pencils in Manga Studio

Back2Hell continues, have a great week!

Back2Hell Cryogenic Tanks

Back2Hell page art, digital pencils in Manga Studio

Back2Hell continues. Have a great week!

Back2Hell Pulp

Pencil page artwork from "Back2Hell" drawn in Manga Studio

Back2Hell continues. Have a great week!

Knee deep in Back2Hell

Pencil page artwork from "Back2Hell" drawn in Manga Studio

I'm currently enjoyably bogged down in the middle of the comic book adaption of "Back2Hell". With a tight deadline on the project there's not much else going here at Reeko Towers but I'll try and put up a sketch every week to keep the blog going.

Hope it's sunny where you are and have a great week.

Back2Hell and SciFi Art Now

Thumbnails for "Back2Hell", House of Fear 2010

Those who follow me on twitter will know that I have been signed on to produce a comic book adaption of a film currently in production, "Back2Hell", written and directed by Richard Driscoll. The film is currently in production (at Richard's studio House of Fear) and I will have to work like a man possessed to get the book done by the film release date.

I have also signed on to produce the prequel and sequel to "Back2Hell", so I better get used to noir horror lighting, blood splats, extreme violence and femme fatales!

SciFi Art Now

In more good news I've had this image accepted for SciFi Art Now, an art book featuring a wide range of SciFi art from established and new artists from across the globe edited by John Freeman.

The book is due for a October release both here in the UK and in the US and you can pre-order it here.

Any who, I got a film to adapt and better get my skates on!

Have a great week!

Jungle Stampede

Jungle Stampede, lineart in Manga Studio, colour in Photoshop

In between other projects I've been creating some concept art pinups to boost my portfolio in that direction. I've done some concept work in the past and really enjoyed it, so I would welcome the chance to do more work in the field. If you are interested on hiring me on a project (of any kind), I'm always keen to fit you in so please get in touch through the site.

Jungle Stampede, lineart in Manga Studio

Have a great week!

The Silent Planet

Work in progress ink linework from "The Silent Planet"

by Paul J. Salamoff

Over the last couple of weeks in between other things I've been working up some pitches pages of a new graphic novel project, "The Silent Planet" by Paul J. Salamoff, the writer of the Vincent Price issue I completed recently. It's a science fiction story about the crew of a spaceship sent to find a group of scientists on a remote planet.

It's all still very early days with the project but I'll post some more stuff from the pitch pages once they are finished.