Thursday, 18 August 2011

Accidental Can Collection

Anti-Graffit Paint and obligatory graff toys (because Im a nerd)


Having started painting mid eighties I have had to use a lot of crap paint. And most of it from where ever I could get it. Car boot sales, local hardware stores and old stocks thrown away by paint companies. Especially being in Wales, you really had to go out of your way to finding decent paint. Getting a commission was a great way to top up on better paint. I was never really fussy and would paint with anything I could get. And I still would. (Except for Parsons paint.. that was the worst paint I ever got stuck with. I took a whole car boot load worth)
After painting a couple of years I started to keep one of each of the paints I used if I hadnt trashed it too much. Ive accidently ended up with a small collection. And I've never been able to part with them.
The more places I painted the more variety of paints I got.
Although theres a couple of new brands in there, the whole mish mash list of paint cans are an example of the styles of paint used by a one UK painter from the 80's through to the 90's.


The weird stuff. Shoe paint, flower paint, Rubber Duck tar paint, bicycle repair paint with tyre repair kits.
And some really nice Tuxan paint from Perth thanks to Stormboy

The dark blue Hycote Double Acrylic, my favourite outlining paint from the 90's. My favourite UK paint, Dupli Colour from old to new with Panel Spray cans that had the horrible calligraphy nozzles on. And not forgetting the awesome Hammerite.
The few good interesting tins picked up along the way, Krylon, Altona, Sparvar and Beltons. Best of all is the Buntlacks. I had to go to all the way to Manchester to first discover those. The Turqoise Blue and Rose Pink were my favourite and reserved for best. Loved the caps on the early cans.



The unsorted, oddities from all over. Theres some weird decoration paint, poisonous tractor paint.
And room for some new ones.



Ha, look at that young fella. Me in my basement that we used to breakdance in until the paint took over.
The box on the far left has the cans with the clear tops. Wish I had kept some of those tins properly. Keeping the lids never crossed my mind back then. Took ages to use up the Tan Dupli and Metalic Green and Blue's. But when you go to the factory and just take whats being thrown out, sometimes that's all you got


Being a collector is a bad habit. I go out of my way to get Graffiti books. That is my normal vice that keeps me skint. But collecting cans is accidental. As they're the tools of the trade, it's just something that happens to hang around for most painters I guess. Could never bring myself to get rid of them.
But goddamn it I love them!


Monday, 4 July 2011

Monokrome

Thank you guys @MONOKROMEBOOK I got my copy of the Monokrome ... on Twitpic

My copy of Monokrome turned up today. It's very nice. Heres my copy with the originals

Wednesday, 8 June 2011

Monokrome

I'm in a book, .. as you can see here

I have some sketches included in the new 'Monokrome' book available to order now..

MONOKROME is about taking a whole bunch of graffiti writers from around the world and giving them a very clear brief: they can create any outline they choose- their crew names, their own names, characters, abstracts, whatever gets them off, but everything must be in black, white and gray.
Compiled and written by old school UK writer Robert ‘CUTE’ Whitelock.
Beautiful graphic design by Aaron Munday at 12 Orchards.


The two sneak peaks for the Monokrome website.

The original sketch page for 400ml Possession. Painted at the Blueprint Gallery Event in Selly Oak 1995.
Sketched on the train on my way up to Birmingham.Always loved the Selly Oak jams.

And here's a thing... Why the hell did I paint my self portrait at Selly Oak all those years ago?
I originally planned to paint my name in biomechanical style. Even did a sketch in advance for a change. Got to Sell Oak and I thought I'd lost it on the train, looked everywhere for it. Got to the wall, searched my pockets for inspiration and there was my railcard with my face on, 'Ha, fuck it why not..'
When I recently went through all my old piecebooks for Monokrome, guess what I found!..

As for the other sketches in Monokrome, I figured that not many people would have seen my old stuff, and my style has changed quite a bit. So why not throw in a few old samples from over the years for projects that never saw the light of day. Sketches for LP cover ideas for DJ Spike. Some erotic Gigerism from my 'carnal chaos of burning eroticism' sketchbook that probably only Juice will remember seeing.
And the original Gigerism sketch for my 'Malcolm X' piece that I don't have photos of but you can see me painting it in 'The Big Payback' Livingston Graffiti event in 1992 ( I found it on Youtube.. Thats me at the start.. Fuck me!! I am really thin back then.. what happened? Ignorant twenty something with a full head of hair, to hell with him.. skinny bastard!)
Anyway, forget me, get the book for all the other great artwork in there, blackbook work from 31 featured artists from all different styles of graff. Go get Monokrome now.
I'm looking forward to it myself, love to see other peoples sketches.


And there was also a lot of stuff you wont be seeing. Remember the Spin Inn Records in Manchester, or the Stu Allan Hip Hop radio show. (I think a lot of us did sketches for those :) There was a bunch of pages from the 80's I decided not to send, cropped some of them together here.

Wednesday, 20 April 2011

3 Kings piece by Remi / Rough and System

The Three Kings
Dedicated to the memories of Dondi White (Donald Joseph White, 1961 – 1998), Samo (Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1960 – 1988) and the Ikonoklastic master Rammellzee (1960 – 2010)



Painted by Remi / Rough and System.
"Knowledge knowledges knowledge, the elevation of WILD STYLE-knowledge is concluded as a SYMBOL DESTROYER, ARMOURED, MEDIEVAL MECHANISM. This formation shall be known as IKONOKLAST PANZERISM: R.O.K.: GOTHIC FUTURISM, THIS IS WILD-STYLE CORRECTED." -Rammellzee, from the Ionic Treatise

Tuesday, 12 April 2011

Where did all the sketches go to?

Looking through my sketches for old pieces, I realise there aren't many of them left.
Heres the original quick sketch for my piece at the 'Pressure Paint Festival' that took place at Selly Oak in May 1992



Going back through my old piecebooks it's amazing how much of it I've lost. I either forgot to take my camera to events or Ive lost photos over the years. Especially when the 90's hit. I was still a graff collector, keeping anything graff related I saw but never thought to look after my own stuff.
I thought now might be a good time to catch up and scan my outlines. Now I remember I never did many outlines. Mostly I would wait to see what I was painting and then just freestyle it. If I did sketch, it was a just a basic outline and then I made the rest up as I went along. It was a great free and easy way to paint, and I liked it that way, paint for fun. Unfortunatly, now that I want to go back and share my process it's not there. I am just as bad with my illustration work, I will sketch on the page until it looked right then work on top of it to the finished piece. Odd behaviour for someone who loves looking through other peoples sketchbooks.


Leederville, Perth, W.Aus. 2001



Murray Street, Perth 2001

Tuesday, 1 March 2011

Sketchbook - what I been watching

Whole Train


Whole Train. It's a great film, directed by Florian Gaag, about a Munich graffiti crew.
For a change, it's a pretty accurate look at graffiti artists. Theres some stunning graffiti in here by Neon, Won, Cemnoz, Pure and Ciel. That train that pulls up early on is amazing. Love the Won character.
I had to watch the film in German as the subtitles didnt work. I don't even understand German and it was still a great film.
Cant wait to watch it again with decent subs.
I could have drawn the racking, the bombing in ski masks, the fighting with police but this scene, not exactly the most dramatic scene to sketch from a movie, it's one that I most Identified with.
What I miss most is the black book sessions. Either before we went painting or after an event chilling out we all just sketched up in our piece books, swap books. Looked over tons of graff photos and magazines. Good times with good friends.
Graffiti and Hip Hop is fucking awesome.

Whole Train website

Won ABC crew and scroll down to 'Wholetrain Movie Ghostpaintings'

Sunday, 13 February 2011

Sketchbook - what I been watching

Let Me In



A great little moment from the remake of 'Let the right one in'. It was not a bad remake. Not quite as atmospheric as the original. Chloe Moretz was pretty good but I think the director missed out by having her come across as so innocent. And they shouldnt have done the dodgy CG effects. The physical make-up effects were just fine so why go there..

The original was much better. Watch 'Let the right one in'. make sure it has the correct subtitles as it does make a difference to the characters. It might not sound like you need the exact translation but it makes a huge difference to the relationship between the 'little girl' and her Keeper. More details here iconsoffright.com

Tuesday, 8 February 2011

Sketchbook - what I been watching

Black Swan

Everyone must know this one by now. Pretty basic story structure made nice and wierd by Darren Aronofsky. It's pretty good, and it certainly doesn't hurt to see Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis going at it. This sketch is a scene I was suprised to see.

Did Natalie really do that? Maybe I need to watch it again just to make sure. Rewind!!!    :)

Sketchbook - what I been watching

Reign of Assassins

Directed by Chao-Bin Su and John Woo. Not a bad wire-fu movie. Always a fan of Michelle Yeoh. 'Drizzle' is a daft name for a character though.
Ridiculous story about a group of assassins called The Dark Stone fighting over the remains of the enlightened monk Bodhi. Felt sorry for poor old Lei Bi, he had a family to support!

Review over at Twitch film http://twitchfilm.com/reviews/2010/11/reign-of-assassins-review.php

Sketchbook - what I been watching

Zatoichi.
I love Zatoichi. Every episode and every movie.
If I can remember which episode this is Ill re-edit the pic

More information on Zatoichi at Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zatoichi

Wednesday, 2 February 2011

Gravy Paste - "Bail it Out" RMX - B. Dolan

My Gravy Paste remix of 'Bail it out' by B. Dolan

  Gravy Paste - "Bail it Out" RMX - B. Dolan by Strange Famous Records

Also, the B. Dolan album "Fallen House Sunken City' is bloody good

Tuesday, 25 January 2011

Monday, 10 January 2011