The New PingSweetie Website is up!

The new PingSweetie site is now up and out there and put together by me in WordPress. My dearly beloved has been on at me to ‘learn’ how to use WordPress templates. It’s easy, it’s all WYSIWYG, he says, easy. I DO like the fact it’s so easily updatable but it’s hardly intuitive.I feel sorry for some of my clients who really are novices. But worth it. I’ve done the online tutorial and graduated from WordPress.com to WordPress.org. I’ve ‘widgetised’ some areas, uploadedgalleries into portfolios and looked at my Kitchen Sink. Shortcodes loom. Even if that’s all Greek to you, I hope you like what you see so far. There's LOTS MORE on each project plus a whole host of new illustrations and web designs and a home for the new blog. www.pingsweetie.com Do have a browse and leave a comment.

The London, it's in Southampton

The London, Southampton

I've been passing this pub weekly for the past 5 years, never been in - keep meaning to, heard it's fab for a Drag Queen cabaret night. but every time I pass it I DROOL at the tiles. I know it's not something that floats everyones boat but I have always had a Victorian architectural obsession. I love the lettering, the glass, the heavy ornamentation, the wrought iron. But TILES are just the best. Even in infant school I remember making it my mission to peel of the heavy duty cream paint that was 'brightening up' our Victorian toilet block. The gorgeous honey coloured glaze was so much nicer...

... Any hoo, enough of that, back to creating the picture. So I've been using that Paper App (by 53) on my iPad again. The moody watercolour washes were ideal to get to get across the facade's richness and depth of colour. I did it in sections. Partly as the screen on my iPad only allows for so much detail when drawing with a finger. (You can use a stylus which produces blacker lines but even the Wacom Bamboo iPad stylus is a pretty chunky line, and you are never without your finger). But also I wanted the final image to be about A4 300 dpi. I'm using an iPad2 and whether I've tried a 'screengrab' and I've tried email The ‘screengrab’ .png - comes in at 1.6mb   the emailed jpeg just 339kb - but the image when opened in Photoshop its the same size. I'm not a fan of googling but maybe there's an answer which doesn't involve new iPad! I opted for asking the horses mouth @FiftyThree I'll let you know if they have anything to add.

The recently added colour blender on the Paper upgrade makes it more flexible as a professional tool. And you can now duplicate the previous page rub out what you don't need and draw the next piece using the same colours and style. Just really want to be able to use it on the Mac too!

Christmas PORKERS out now!

Which do you like best? You opinion would be appreciated...

Pigs in Bankets and Piggy Pudding, festive cards. A6 with 'the message 'Have a crackling Christmas' inside. They are at the MOO the printers now. Bit late for mass marketing Amazon style I was having too much fun, but if you know of any local boutiques who may be interested or you want half a dozen get in touch . Better start on the ValenSWINE cards.

Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

My Christmas really has come early this year. In fact I think it started about August when my family downloaded an iPad app called Paper from fiftythree.com. It's soo FAB. It's a digital version of a watercolour pad and paints but it doesn't spill watercolours all over carpet. You can even doodle on the sofa while watching telly with the family in the evening. So Why turn of the TV and do something more interesting instead when you can do BOTH? 

The only only down side at the moment seems to be the iPad page is just less than a third the size of an A4 at 300dpi, so to do an illustration for print of any size, you need to produce it  it in chunks. The building above is 210mm wide at 100%. Below are a couple of original chunks iPad size. However knowing the way these things evolve there will be a solution for that. Why not 'Paper' for Mac?

So into Photoshop they went a but of PingSweetie lights and magic and Hey Presto, a corporate Christmas complete with snow. 

I've just presented pitch illustrations for an children's picture book with a lot of 'Paper' elements too. (All 'Hush' Hush'  right now, but very exciting can't wait to show you some) and I dare say the PingSweetie Christmas card will be done using the Paper app. If you fancy one of your own mail me but be quick, Christmas is nearer than you think...

The Daily (Sailing) Sketch

Just came back from Sunsail Greece. One week 'relaxing' in the club and one week on flotilla. I'm not one to sit still with nothing to do so in between sailing, diving,snorkelling, canoeing, dancing, paddling,  drinking and eating I found time to do some sketching. Not wanting to get sand in the laptop led me to fiddle around with watercolour pastels and pens. Let me know if you like them. I enjoyed doing them!

 See the whole raft of sketches at http://on.fb.me/LVARMF.

Betty Buff Brochure goes to print

WELCOME TO LUSCIOUS, FRESH, NATURAL EXFOLIATION’ So reads the first line of the Betty Buffy Skin Care brochure.

I've been involved with the 'Betty Buff' brand and its male alternative 'Gunky Monkey' from conception earlier this year. Its natural exfoliation products, sold on line, have proved to be extremely popular, so much so, that Betty's proprietor Ellie Lacrosse wants move into the 'Avon' model of selling via representatives. The wholesome but slightly naughty burlesque identity has now been applied to a catalogue. We wanted a model to become the ‘face of Betty Buff’ for promotional events and marketing so I engaged the services of Southampton Burlesque star Cherry Muffin to pose as the Betty character and to pep up  the packshots andthe photo montage ‘still lives’ throughout the brochure. The catalogue is due to go to print any day now. Photography was by travel and still life photographer Carl Pendle.

What the Photographer Saw...

The Betty Buff brochure photo shoot was a riot. Fruit, flowers and a few feathers flying. This week I'll be putting the photo montages together ready for the printers. Hopefully copies on Oxford Street shortly after the bank holiday. Thanks to Ellie Lacrosse, aka www.Betty Buff.co.uk , Our new 'face of Betty Buff, Ms Cherry Muf Fin www.hipsandhighheels.co.uk and Carl Pendle http://carlpendle.photoshelter.com/