Free Stuff!!

I've set up a system where I can send you prints or sketches to your house at absolutely no cost to you, but I'll still get paid for it.

Here's how it works:

If you'll be doing a lot of Christmas shopping on Amazon.co.uk this year, and will probably spend over £100 (as some people are inclined to do), if you access Amazon by clicking through the Affiliate link at the top right column of this page, then I get 5% commission on anything you purchase on that visit without costing you any extra. In return I'll send you some of the items from my shop based on the amount of commission I earn.

Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Make sure your browser doesn't have any Amazon tabs open, go to www.stephendowneygallery.com and click the affiliate link at the top of the left column. This will bring you to Amazon.co.uk. 

Step 2: Shop on Amazon as normal. I only get commission on items you place in your basket after you pass through my site, so make sure you haven't any items in there from previous Amazon visits or it won't count. Then check out and buy those items within 24 hours. 

Step 3: Based on your total checkout price, work out how much commission I'll be getting (5% of what you spend) and use the shop page on my site to work out the equivalent items you'd like. For example if you spend £100, I get £5, which is the equivalent to one print in my shop. If you spent £300, I'd be getting £15 so you could choose either a sketch or three prints (P&P is free for all items in my shop shipping to the UK & Ireland, a shipping charge would apply to anyone further afield).

Step 4: Send me an email to Stephen[at]stephendowneygallery.com letting me know which items you bought on Amazon, the total cost and what you would like me to send you in return for the commission.

I've already had a couple of people test this system as it works really well and everyone gets something extra at no cost to them. An extra Christmas pressie for everybody!

Com-poot-er?

I got an Xbox 360 for Christmas from Aimee. Not being much of a gamer, I haven't had a new gaming console since the N64 (though Aimee's sister has a Wii in the house, and we have spent a few Friday nights with Mario Kart) but the thrall of modern games was pulling me in and I finally relented.

Yes I know I'm a little behind with all this but the art in these games are amazing. The design work and detail in the environments alone are amazing. I was in awe walking through the Gears of War 2 levels in HD, just stopping at staring at the endless caverns and scenery.

Anyways, here's a quick warm up sketch I did of a Shock Trooper from Halo: ODST. It's very loose and sketchy. Also, please ignore the gun which just looks like a big bendy tube:

 . 

Wouldn't mind sitting down and trying a proper rendered illustration based on some of the games I've been playing.  Just have to find the time.

I've just realised that since it's February, this blog must be just over a year old (it was my New Year's resolution last year to start one). If you haven't read a lot of the older posts you should have a browse around. Lots to see.

My girlfriend is a model..

...well for me anyway. Poor Aimee gets tortured so much.
One such instance while drawing Cancertown:

Words by Cy Dethan, colours by Mel Cook, Lettering by Nic Wilkinson, with pencils by me.

Aimee actually appears at the back of Cancertown: An Inconvenient tooth in the 'Making off' section. A good selling point apparently when she's helping me sell books at a convention (and she's a mightly persuasive saleswoman).

So I suppose this is a bit of a thank you for all your time and patience :)

Sketch-a-thon!

Had a brilliant Irish launch/signing yesterday in Forbidden Planet Belfast. It was planned for 2 - 4pm but the response was so great that I was sitting sketching and signing until closer to 5 o clock.

I had promised a sketch to everyone who turned up so my hand was aching by the end but it was well worth it :) I even had to ask a few of the people I knew personally if they wouldn't mind waiting until later that night for their sketch (at the post signing drinks) otherwise I would have been there until after closing time :)

There were a couple of challenging requests; from manga characters to self portraits. I drew my very first manga character for a budding artist Jennifer, who came along with her dad and asked me to draw 'L'. I think her manga is a lot better than mine (you can view her gallery here) but she appreciated the attempt as she writes in her short report on the event.

I'll have proper photos and more detail of the event with maybe a bit of video up by my Wednesday post, but for now here are a few of the sketches I drew later for the people I knew (and was able to scan).

Thanks again to everyone who turned up and hope you all had a good time :)