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I was drawn to this picture straight away -
it was the way the guy in the diving helmet was just standing there
looking slightly gormless, and the guys around him look like they
are in on some joke but we are not sure what's going on. I then thought
that the guy in the white overalls must be in on it too as he looked
so nonchalant, leaning casually against the railings!
It was just a short step to start thinking that he is in some commanding position (with his peaked cap)... Suddenly the man in the helmet is a henchman in the service of the guy in the peaked cap, who is giving him orders - nasty ones of course!
It was just a short step to start thinking that he is in some commanding position (with his peaked cap)... Suddenly the man in the helmet is a henchman in the service of the guy in the peaked cap, who is giving him orders - nasty ones of course!
After letting my imagination run away for a while and having dreamed up the idea of the guys being a pair of baddies, I did a small sketch. I did this in pencil on layout paper. I use layout paper as you can see through it easily so can trace if you want to.
Doing a rough sketch first enabled me to work out a rough size for the illustration and how to compose it.
Doing a rough sketch first enabled me to work out a rough size for the illustration and how to compose it.
When I was happy with that I then traced on to another piece of layout paper and redrew it with cleaner lines and added detail. Doing it this way lets you change your mind about things - if you didn't like some of the lines on the rough sketch, when you trace you just miss them out.
Then I trace it onto watercolour paper using a light box. I use old-fashioned dipping pens and ink as you can get some wonderful flowing lines with them.
Then I paint it, in gouache. All the areas are filled in with flat colour, then a little detail is put on by wetting some of the colour and then lifted off using a brush or piece of tissue. Don't let it dry too much or this will be really hard! And that's it - a finished piece.
My career began in an artist's studio
under apprenticeship, after which I worked as an artist and illustrator
for several years. Then Art College beckoned, interspersed with
travelling. At Art College I studied animation and design to build
on the drawing skills I already had. Then I began a career in animation
and graphics for TV, working as a freelance animator for a while
before joining Anglia TV.
I now work freelance as Ugly Studios doing a wide range of illustration and for books, TV and the web, as well as continuing with animation work.
I now work freelance as Ugly Studios doing a wide range of illustration and for books, TV and the web, as well as continuing with animation work.
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About the historic photograph
P&O crew on firedrill, c. 1930. For passenger ships in the earlier part of the 20th century, in the event of having to abandon ship every lifeboat would have a proportion of European officers and Indian crew (known as ‘lascars’) assigned to them.
(Repro ID P47544, © National Maritime Museum)
(Repro ID P47544, © National Maritime Museum)
All Tintin images © Hergé / Moulinsart 2004