Find me on Instagram, (dukeofswann)

I have recently joined Instagram. This medium assists greatly in sharing as much of my work and even some of my life's experiences. Join me on Instagram if you'd like almost daily updates on my drawings, jewellery and some of my other hobbies. 

Here is a taste of some of my Instagram quik pics. 

A quick sketch done in marker pens and ball point pen. 

Silver and pearl earrings finished just yesterday. 

One of my dance performances.

Hope to see you on Instagram, (dukeofswann) 

Work Classification (Illustration Art)

I do not consider myself an artist or fine artist, I think of myself as an illustrator and that three main fields of illustration exist. Let us look at the three as I have explored it through the years.

First we have the obvious field of illustrating what exists in the physical. This is merely a copy or representation of something recognizable from what we see daily. 

One of the first things we ever draw as kids, is a tree. Obvious in its simplicity and clearly from the physical world. 

I have done some work for educational books where basic sketches of existing concepts are needed to explain life skills or other principles. 

We might not see a skull every day but it exists and can be "copied" easily in an artistic illustration. 

The physical world around us abounds with inspiring topics to illustrate from the the mundane....

...to the passionately exciting. Often the more inspired the artist feels, the more glorious the final work might be. 

Second we have a slightly more abstract field of illustration. However this field of illustrating moods and atmospheres is still something recognizable to a degree. This field may seems to deal with the obvious as it may contain, faces or poses that are clear to the eye while it depicts a mood but it also uses abstract concepts of artist techniques like line or colour to emphasize the atmosphere. 

This pencil drawing clearly illustrates a frustrated anger with perhaps some arrogance also present. The face is recognizable but the stark tones and aggressive use of line add to the overall idea. It clearly also touches on a masculine expression rather than feminine and perhaps an older rather than a younger look.

Despair as a mood and state of mind is what is being illustrated here. It may be successful or not. What do you see? The balance between the obvious and the emotion can be a precarious one. The monochrome use of purple seeks to emphasize the depressed mood. 

Thirdly we attempt to reach into the entirely abstract or conceptual but may still use recognizable elements to illustrate sometime entirely fanciful ideas. Illustrating ideas, ideals and concepts that do not exist in the physical but affects or inspire the viewer is what the main goal is here. Take note in the following pictures what you recognize visibly but also seek to "see" what you do not see or recognize visually but rather emotionally. These kind of illustrations may even entirely neglect to depict anything in the physical reality, no objects or forms but may just use colour or lines to evoke a feeling. Even though jewellery manufacture is my bread and butter, I would consider this aspect of my skill set to be my most skillful talent. Ironically, it is this skill that allows me to conceptualize designs out of thin air, from the abstract reaches of my mind and to put it down on paper in order to stimulate a client emotionally and visually in order to create what they will enjoy. 

This water colour picture seeks to express a specific person's personality unfettered by the restrictions of worldly expectations and limitations. She is sporty, physically fit, exuberant yet pensive and dedicated. She needs to trust her heart and not what she thinks she sees. The picture attempts to illustrate that. 

This acrylic painting has the purpose of overwhelming the viewer with a cautious but explosive commission of inspiration. If God had to manifest and tell you who you are, this image would appear in the mirror to remind you of where you come from and where you should go. 

The time is right, the time is now, the time is running out, the time is up. Forever in a moment. This is to depict the relationship of our free will in an uncontrollable universe. Our structured limited time versus the eternal singularity. We choose where and how we live in this relationship. Pencil and water colour combine to create the effect of separation yet being a part of the whole. 

This is a pen and ink drawing of an angel, if ever there was one. 

This started as a rough sketch in pen and then was taken further in Microsoft Paint. It is very effective to combine and mix media to gain interesting results. This is very abstract but still allows for the recognition of spirals, and ultimately a Rose. Above all the picture is to draw the viewer in almost like an invitation to a dance, an eternal dance. Everything living, spirals on a microscopic level. Our DNA spirals, plants screw out of the ground very slowly. This picture seeks to capture that eternal, spiral dance of life. 

It deeply fascinates me how an artist can conceive of something that does not exist but through recognizable components and the skill of drawing can convey that non existent concept to somebody who has never seen anything like it as a reference. So also a message is transferred from one individual to another. I consider it great power to be able to reach into another's mind and to leave a picture/though there. 

Work Classification (Comic Book Art)

When it comes to producing a comic book or graphic novel one realizes very quickly that it requires a team and is almost impossible to produce fast enough and on a level of acceptable quality without two or three people working on the same project. However, the writer/story boarder/character designer is the guy with the vision. Its his project, his story, he is the producer. He directs others on the project like a brain directs the hands and eyes. 

Here follows a project I produced, some character concept designs (100% my work), some final character sketches (100% my work), some story boards (collaborative work under my supervision) and some final pages (collaborative work under my supervision). To acknowledge some people who have worked with me on this project I will mention where they have contributed.

Character concept designs done in pen.

Final design sketch done in marker pens and ball point. 

Character concept sketches done in pen. 

Final design sketch done in Copic marker and ball point pen. 

A story boarded page inclusive of the designed character, done in pen and marker by Pitshou Mampa and myself. This character has not been in a final rendered page yet. 

This concept sketch is for the head of a dragon done in pen. 

This story board done by Pitshou Mampa and myself uses the designed dragon's head. 

This "final" page meant for printing was not of good enough quality. 

This photoshop rendering by Paul Loubser was redesigned by me but still failed to satisfy. 

This photoshop by Paul Loubser came very close to what my designs required but it we never completed it.

This level of hand drawn quality only touched up in computer is still the best as far as I am concerned. Here Pitshou Mampa reached my specifications perfectly. This page was signed off for printing. 

This was the original cover design concept for the comic but it ended up not being so scary. 

This was the final cover chosen. 

Work Stages (Concept Development 1)

After the initial concept drawing stage has set down some ideas these need to be developed into a final idea and composition in order to begin the final work or in the case of jewellery, the technical drawings. let's look at concepts and concept development for a single artwork. 

First up three very loosely drawn concept drawings.

In Pen. 

In Pen.

In Pen.

In Marker Pen.

Now developed further. 

In Pencil. 

In Marker Pens. 

Futher development lead to what I considered final works in Water Colour but more was to come. 

Water Colour and Ball Point Pen.

Water Colour and Ball Point Pen.

The final work was rendered in Digital by mixing Microsoft Paint with Gimp. The development in digital we will share on separately but her is the final work. (In far less resolution than the original.)

"An artwork is never completed, it is merely abandoned." - Da Vinci

Work Stages (Concept Sketches 2)

Concept sketching is a divergent thinking process. This means you let your mind run free and you come up with many and varied ideas. This requires very quick sketches to capture the basic ideas. The drawings will be small and loosely sketched. The best media for this is pencil or marker pens but any will do. The principle is to not get caught by developing and over-working one idea but to rather just plot down as many as you can. Development follows later. 

Pencil and pen capture the basics here. Notice how easily basic lines capture the mood of each figure. 

Here the concept is to see how armour would look once worn. Concept sketching allows for all kinds of quick experiments. 

Again pencil combining with pen allows us to see this concept for a proper sketch to follow. 

Pen and marker pens for this skull idea. 

A concept for a ring design inspired by a feather done in pen and marker pens. 

Ring concepts leading to a final concept done in pen. Now proper design development should follow. 

In the jewellery design profession, designing for a client requires concept drawings to be slightly "neater"/ more developed. This is to assist them to understand and interpret the drawings more accurately. These are all done in pen. 

Concept designs for a comic book character. 

Media (Marker Pens 1)

The faster I can draw the better. I like being able to communicate a concept or idea through drawing but being able to doe it accurately and quickly is very important. Marker Pens gives the clear definition of Pen and Ink coupled with a speed that surpasses Water Colour. 

Again it works well for initial concept sketching and can by itself or combined with other media, allow for a completed work of art or design rendering. 

Markers combined with some ball point pen it goes a long way for putting down a 40sec concept. 

Only markers with the addition of very little fine liners give a very effective outcome and can take all but a few minutes. 

With a more controlled application of the markers combined with fine liners the effect comes closer to an actual rendering rather than just a concept drawing. This two can take up to 10min to complete. 

Works amazingly well for quick jewellery concept sketches. 

Combined with pen for a quick jewellery design sketch meant for a client. 

Works equally well for any quick concept design like clothing design.

The markers used in this sketch were of the cheap "made-for-kids" type and combined with fine liner and a bit of pencil for a great effect. 

It's easy to imagine how far marker pens can take you toward what would be considered a completed art work.