Hockley Hustle

Just a quickie...

I'll be a guest of part of the 'Hockley Hustle' event in Nottingham this weekend:




I'll be on a panel talking about writing and art alongside Darius Hinks, Alex Davis and Damien Walter.

So, if you can find me, feel free to come and say hello...!

Interview: Sci Fi Art Now

Hello all,

A quickie to say that an interview with my good self has gone online over at Sci-Fi Art Now:

(Above)
My moody publicity shot,
maybe another one is in order...

I talk about my inspirations and process, classic comic artists and tools of my trade - plus there are some (hopefully) handy hints for any aspiring illustrators out there.

Enjoy!

TimeSplitters 4: Unused Concepts

Hello All,

Just a real quick, image heavy, post about some of my old work (2-3 years ago) I did for Timesplitters 4, before I left to go freelance and Free Radical Design went under :(

Americana

So, here we go with the first batch - I like to theme my concepts so as to keep a consistency in design. It might not be overly obvious, but with these I had been looking at a lot of Harley Earl/ 50's Americana and J.C. Leyendecker:

Ancient Greece

For the Greek themed levels I went for a full on (original) 'Clash of the Titans' vibe, especially with the Zeus concept:

Hammer Horror

And finally, I love Hammer Horror films - I don't like modern horror, bleurgh, too vulgar - but I imagined a sexy kitsch and fun take for the horror levels (my kind of horror) :


I figure I may as well put these out there, cos they won't ever be used - just left to gather cyber-dust in some forgotten folder on the computer. Hope there's something there for you to enjoy!

Proper post soon...

Cover: Legion of One

Hello, All,

Sorry about the lack of posts, but sheer workload has meant that I've been unable to maintain the blog as much as I'd like. But, that'skind of a good thing, right?

Anyway, this is the latest cover for the Horus Heresy Audiobook "Garro: Legion of One" by James Swallow:

(Above)
Cover Artwork for Garro: Legion of One.
But exactly WHO is that on the cover...?

Here's the blurb:

"Nathaniel Garro, loyalist Death Guard, and hero of the Eisenstein, has found a new calling in his service to the Emperor. Surrounded by a cloak of secrecy, Garro travels the galaxy in pursuit of his new goal. His quest will lead him to heart of the most destructive warzones, and reveal a secret that will change the course of the Horus Heresy itself..."

and here it is in the final design:

(Above)
Yeah, Classy!

You can pre-order it here and here - tell 'em Neil sent you ;)

Also, Games Day has been and gone - and what a day it was, sketching and signing all day. It was a shame I couldn't come the day before to catch up with the authors, as they're a great bunch and good company. Ah well, that'll teach me to BREAK MY LEG!

Here's a few pics from the BL Art Seminar me and Jon Sullivan gave (thanks to all that came along) from Shane McElligots FB page:

(Above)
"So, an Ork, A Space Marine
and an Eldar walk into a bar..."

(Above)
Erm, stop looking at my plaster cast, Jon.

Anyways, a big thankyou to all that came along and made us feel welcome and appreciated. I'll be working on that "Music to Draw Space Marines By" album for next time ;)

Next up - magazine work and the Sarah Jane Adventures...!

Represented by Lemonade

...And now, for some rather exciting news…

I am now being represented by Lemonade Illustration Agency.

It's exciting to be part of such a talented group of artists/ illustrators and I’m looking forward to working with Lemonade on some varied and interesting projects.

You can see some of my work on their site here.

Regarding new projects and quotes you can either contact them here or contact me directly.

To celebrate, let's have some Kirby Crackles...

(Brush idea courtesy of PJ Holden)

Excelsior!

Aftermath: Dr Sketchy's Nottingham

Hello,

Here's a few scans from my attending the recent Dr Sketchy's event in Nottingham last week, alongside the talented Jake Gumbleton, Ryan Stevenson, Ben Newman and Dan Baker.

I'm definitely going to attend another event, the sittings were pleasantly short and the models were pleasantly pleasing to draw.

(Above)
Quick (5mins) pencil sketches
concerned with halftones and edges.
148 x 210mm,
Graphite pencil on paper

(Above)
The short poses meant having to concentrate
on constantly finishing and not obsessing over linework.
148 x 210mm,
Graphite pencil on paper/
Conte crayon on coloured stock

(Above)
Unusual objects and interesting fabrics
made the rendering all the more interesting
148 x 210mm,
Graphite pencil on paper

After all that, it was into the Nottingham night for beers, mojito's and, eventually, kebabs.

Rock on!

New Comic Project

Hello,

Can't say too much about it (I want the content to be a surprise) but here's an early test image for a new, one-off, self published, anthology project I have in the pipeline with the Awesome Al Ewing:

(Above)
Major Amazing is on his way...
©2010 Neil Roberts

The final project name is still under wraps but, for the time being, I'll drop some hints as to how it progresses.

Exciting stuff!