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Quick sketch of David Bowie’s mug shot. Gaining inspiration for my next painting carrying on with the theme of musicians who I believe defined an era. Elton for me screams 70s whilst Bowie was more of a 60s man as that’s when he really hit it off in the music industry. I only gave myself half an hour to complete this sketch and like how the eyes and lips pop out

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Two styles of tattooing which I strongly identify with would be illustrative styles and black out work. Illustrative work can vary from abstract expressionism to fine line calligraphy. Most artists will blend in their own styles to create something completely unique. As someone who has a illustrative tattoo that is solely done in black ink these sort of tattoos are the ones I enjoy drawing, even when it’s just sketches for friends. These designs are for a friend who wanted to mix a tattoo by Kurt Michelle with the saying “if not now, when?” He asked me to draw up some ideas aswell as run with it myself and see what I came up with. The hola girl aspect was something I wanted to try out and although I can safely say these aren’t my best drawings it was fun creating something new and working with a friend

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My take on the traditional tattoo style. Using bold lines and shading. Based on imagery inspired by the Americans take on tattooing when it first made its way to chigao, based around the navy and superstition

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Me, Myself and I (oil onto cardboard)

This panting isn’t something I’m overly proud of but that’s kind of the point of it. This was suppose to be a self portrait that is based very loosely on a photo I took of myself when I wasn’t in the best head space. At the time of painting this my perception of myself wasn’t a good one and so this portrait became the version of myself that I saw when I wasn’t my best self. Me, Myself and I for me describes the feeling of loneliness and vulnerability. The bold eyes and typography links back to an artist I studied called Deb Weires, her portraits are characters who all have stories and hardships, just like the character I created of my own struggles and ever shifting identity

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Elton Johns ‘made in England’ album cover in oil paint onto canvas.

The progression of this piece is something I like to think shows a journey. Each time I’d step away id look at how far it’s come and what I need to improve. Elton John reminds me of struggles faced by artist of all areas and how sometimes we need to strip it back and focus on why we do what we do. I wanted to paint him in his most natural form, without the crazy sunglasses and exotic outfits and focus on the key features to make something raw but also quirky and bold.

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My friend Matt. Oil painting onto canvas.

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Masculinity and vulnerability

Around Christmas time last year was the first time I had picked up a paintbrush since my A level had been completed. I guess you could say I went through a creative stint throughout the summer as I was unsure what work I wanted to create as I no longer had a theme to follow or a project to complete. My head is constantly filled with ideas and plans but nothing seemed worth it and important enough to dedicate my time to for no real purpose but sheer enjoyment. My friend Matt who’s also an artist himself gave me the little push I needed to start my next project by introducing me to the work of Egon Schiele. Egons work for me challenged the basis of masculinity in art with the colors he used and the poses he created in his self portraits. This along with exploring Illustrations and other breakaways from masculinity such as David Bowie lead me to my next project in which I wanted to unravel the way men are seen in art. Along with how by using colour and positioning you can make someone look more vulnerable. Below is the work that lead up to my final portrait of my friend Matt, the photos I took and the inspiration behind the finished result.

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This is awesome for anyone learning how to paint skin tones and taught me a lot about the way I apply and mix my paint

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Method behind the madness

Sketchbooks are my favourite way to inspire and motivate myself. I see my sketchbooks as another work of art. I know that during my art foundation year at university the concept of sketchbooks and the way I work will be questioned. The productivity and the way we present are methods, inspiration and concepts will change and I’ll have to be fluid and not stuck in my ways. However, I am proud of my exploration and design skills I have shown throughout my A level and even my own personal projects. These are some of my favourite pages from my current and past sketchbooks.

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A level

A level was the first time I had ever really experimented with oil paint or any other medium other than water colour. For me it was a time for trying new things and making mistakes but also to grow into my style and confidence. My themes over the two years included distortion, vibrant and recycled, all of which I ran with and tried to put my own spin on best as possible