21 Days Later.

2011 began by flying to San Francisco to sign up to illustrate an interactive E-Book. I'll post about this at length soon, but suffice to say it's quite exciting! I've been here in the city for the last 3 weeks, integrating myself into the friendly insanity of the unfathomable natives.

Highlights include various drawing expeditions with Matt Jones, flying down to Venice Beach to meet Evan Spiradellis from JibJab, shaking Pete Docter's hand and Ralph Eggleston's shoulder, discussing triangles and circles with Don Shank, lunch with Noah Klocek, coffee with Andy Grisdale and drinks with Elvis Christ's denizens of the deep!

I'll add to this post in time but for now perhaps drawings speak louder than words. A huge thanks to Space Dog Books for inviting me over & my wonderful host Matt Jones. It's my last night in the city so I must leave now to prepare my assortment of Spandex outfits......




















41 comments:

Birdie Tam said...

lol "hat shaped like testicles"

Matthew Cruickshank said...

Better than having testicles shaped like hats I guess!

Dougmian said...

Your drawings are so inspiring!! Great work!!

darren-s said...

This post knocks my socks off. So nice. These sketches capture the feeling perfectly.

TREVOR Simonsen said...

Id be wrong if i didn't say DAMN!

Shanna Cundal said...

The sophistication and whimsy, so good!

J M said...

This is a wonderful set. The linework is both descriptive and casual, elegant. Envy!!

Scott Forbes said...

You have some wonderful work. I particularly love the WAR post but everything is great!

Matthew Cruickshank said...

Thank you!

I had a few personal e-mails about materials and technique which may be best to answer here:

The brush pens are Pental and the the pen work is Tombow. The sketchbooks are either Seawhite of Brighton or Daler Rowney.

The pens are pretty cheap and eventually the ink will fade, although I found some drawings from 10 years ago which still seem ok. The drawings are shit, but the ink seems ok.

I never use photographs unless it's a place I can't visit and it's a paying project.

gur-B said...

.........

Unknown said...

I recognize few places we've been to on our first trip to SF together. Those are superb, really. I can't wait to see what you've developed for the interactive book. I will enjoy it hopefully on my Ipad soon, by the fireplace, with a glass of Cognac.
so, when are you moving to SF? ;)

Matthew Cruickshank said...

Gur B: ++++++++++++++++++++

Stef- Everything looks perfectly set up for me to move here in 2048

Matt Jones said...

You forgot to count the cost of how many BEERS were drunk while making these drawings!

Philip A. Buck said...

wow! bravo! true skill, sir.

Unknown said...

Love these. Been in SF for six years now and I used to take the J up Church everyday. Now I live a few blocks from Buena Vista Park.

You totally captured those two parts of the city for me (and one of my favorite houses). And in a sketch no less. So awesome!

Rob said...

Wow! Amazing, love your line work, the last page in a pub is fantastic

Asaf Limi Agranat said...

Living in SF for a couple of months now, you work captures the city succinctly. Your line is alive and throbs with inspiration.

Oscar Grillo said...

Nice photos.

Chris Jimenez said...

Very beautiful. So, confident on your pen work.

Uli Meyer said...

Vesuvio on Columbus? Sounds like a place I've been to but can't really remember...

Nate Villanueva said...

Beautiful sketches!!!

Alex Chechik said...

Hey Matt, it was great getting to meet you the other week. Seeing all your originals was incredibly inspirational.

Matthew Cruickshank said...

Your round Mister Jones! Anchor Steam at the Rickhouse pronto!

Thanks Phillip, Rob, Nate & Chris!

Amber- Glad it's recognisable! That's a nice part of town.

אסף לימי אגרנט- Anything throbbing is a success!

Alex-Thanks, You must be part of the talented crew @ Jibjab- I remember meeting everyone before my brain turned to mush in the pub!

Matthew Cruickshank said...

Uli- That's the one!

monkeyfeather said...

Really fantastic sketches.

Sean said...

these are brilliant.

Willy Ashworth said...

Hi Matt

Great stuff!!

Love the looseness..very inspiring!!

Matthew Cruickshank said...

Monkeyfeather, Sean and Willy- thanks!

Brick Layer said...

the work is dazzling sir!

Anonymous said...

Really beautiful!
cheers,
n

TFHackett said...

Wonderful sketches. I found you via a mention on Twitter from @beatonna (Kate Beaton)

Alixopulos said...

nice loosey landscapes!

Anonymous said...

Fantastic sketches Sir!

Matthew Cruickshank said...

Brick Layer
The Official Blog foxnathan.com
TFHackett ..
Alixopulos
Gorillustrator


Gracias!

Octav said...

very interesting! hope you don't mind but i featured this post on my blog

i also like to ilustrate people from my city: Bucharest, Romania :)


http://smokingcoolcat.blogspot.com/search/label/personaje

max said...

Hi monster, not been here for a while, it's shocking.

p@ddy_anim said...

are those lines first lines and real. this is fantastic stuff. absolutely brilliant,

Can you post a little video you drawing a simple scene. I am amazed at the confidence in every line, the perspective is soooo accurate, architecture, pub scences, brilliant.

I am in awe of the simple accuracy of the perspective.

Unknown said...

These are insane. I don't contain anywhere near this level of patience for detail in my sketches, but seeing these makes me wish I did!

Paul Tuller said...

San Francisco looks brilliant from your pen. I'm in love with the victorian house drawing - This post makes me miss that city!

Alexis Barattin said...

These are so wonderful, your work is inspiring - I'm going to go out and draw RIGHT NOW.

Unknown said...


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