corpus christi sketches

TWSBI Diamond 580 with Platinum Carbon ink in A4 Stillman and Birn Alpha Series sketchbook.

not remotely what i had in mind

TWSBI Diamond 580 with Platinum Carbon ink in A4 Stillman and Birn Alpha Series sketchbook.

peterhouse

Sketchbook double spread featuring three quarters of the Peterhouse team who went out in the previous round but were such an interesting-looking bunch, I felt compelled to draw them. I should really go back and finish this as I'm really pleased with the way Levinson, Voake and Lin turned out...

(Incidentally, I've just noticed that the people on the left hand page are numbered wrong; how could I get Seagull and Levinson confused?).

TWSBI Diamond 580 with Platinum Carbon ink and watercolours in A4 Stillman and Birn Alpha Series sketchbook.

warwick

The team from Warwick University who play Emmanuel on Monday night's University Challenge.

I really struggled to achieve a likeness with Van and I'm still sure that I've succeeded in doing so, but it's the best I'm going to be able to do, so I've gone ahead with it. I originally planned to give him a Viking helmet too as it seemed to be a natural fit, but I couldn't get it to work, so you'll just have to use your imagination. Next time you see him on TV, just picture him onboard a longship drinking ale out of a horn, with a black fleece over his shoulders and a look of brutal determination on his face as he sails off to plunder some unfortunate settlement.

TWSBI Diamond 580 with Platinum Carbon ink on Stillman and Birn Alpha Series paper. Digital colour.

emmanuel sketches (and mike zeck covers)

TWSBI Diamond 580 with Platinum Carbon ink and watercolours in A4 Stillman and Birn Alpha Series sketchbook.

emmanuel – cambridge (silly version)

Sorry. I couldn't resist.

TWSBI Diamond 580 with Platinum Carbon ink on Stillman and Birn Alpha Series paper. Digital colour.

emmanuel – cambridge

Portrait of the team from Emmanuel College, Cambridge. 'Will be posting an alternative version of this tomorrow...

TWSBI Diamond 580 with Platinum Carbon ink on Stillman and Birn Alpha Series paper. Digital colour.

get my feet off my head

Sketches for a personal piece which I've uploaded to the website. It perhaps doesn't convey the feeling I intended but it has a freshness to it that I like.

TWSBI Diamond 580 with Platinum Carbon ink and watercolours in A4 Stillman and Birn Alpha Series sketchbook.

siantonas

Recent sketchbook double spread featuring Bristol's Tomsett and some other – failed – attempts at contestants who lost their match and are now out of the competition. A shame, as Siantonas (from Oriel – Oxford) was an interesting character to study and would have been worth returning to. With his flowing locks and beard and thoughtful countenance, he looks like somebody important out of the Bible. God, say. Or Jesus. However, having drawn two or three University Challenge teams, I realised it was always the winning teams I was illustrating and so, having made that 'rule' for myself, it's one I find I have to stick to, no matter how much a team member may resemble a deity.

TWSBI Diamond 580 with Platinum Carbon ink and watercolours in A4 Stillman and Birn Alpha Series sketchbook.

levinson (peterhouse, cambridge)

I've had a request – a request! – to draw the team from Peterhouse, Cambridge and I may well do so as they're an interesting looking bunch. Indeed, I've already drawn team member Levinson. During his last appearance, in the section of the program where teams introduce themselves, Levinson gave his full, incredibly long name. A shame the box underneath him didn't replicate it...

TWSBI Diamond 580 with Platinum Carbon ink on Stillman and Birn Alpha Series paper. Digital colour.

corpus christi – oxford

The team from Corpus Christi – Oxford who, if Wikipedia is correct, play Bristol University on Monday 23rd January.

TWSBI Diamond 580 with Platinum Carbon ink on Stillman and Birn Alpha Series paper. Digital colour.

bristol

The Bristol team members from a recent edition of University Challenge. The Good Doctor was particularly pleased to see a greater gender balance than usual...

TWSBI Diamond 580 with Platinum Carbon ink on Stillman and Birn Alpha Series paper. Digital colour.

balliol – oxford

Balliol – Oxford: the East 17 to Wolfson – Cambridge's Take That.

TWSBI Diamond 580 with Platinum Carbon ink on Stillman and Birn Alpha Series paper. Digital colour.

wolfson – cambridge

An updated, coloured version of the world's most unlikely boy band – the Wolfson Cambridge team from University Challenge.

TWSBI Diamond 580 with Platinum Carbon ink on Stillman and Birn Alpha Series paper. Digital colour.

bo diddley

Tombstone hand and a graveyard mind
Just twenty-two and I don't mind dyin'
Who do you love?

Of the four portraits here, this is the one I was happiest with. I still worked from photographic reference but used three or four different sources and made something new...

Parker Jotter pen with Parker ink in Daler Rowney sketchbook. Digital colour.

buddy holly

Parker Jotter pen with Parker ink in Daler Rowney sketchbook. Digital colour.

chuck berry

Parker Jotter pen with Parker ink in Daler Rowney sketchbook. Digital colour.

eddie cochran

I've just found this picture of Eddie Cochran which I drew FOUR HUNDRED years ago (well, March 2009 actually, but who's counting) and am not sure why I haven't posted it previously. Probably because I copied it from a photograph and didn't do enough to 'make it mine'. Anyway, there are four of these (all different of course), so I'll post them all in the next few days.

Parker Jotter pen with Parker ink in Daler Rowney sketchbook. Digital colour.

an astrolabe

Double spread of University Challenge contestants. Chaudri proved problematic, Monkman took a couple of drawings to get right but Yang appeared rather effortlessly which, being the rather languid individual I am, suited me enormously.

TWSBI Diamond 580 with Platinum Carbon ink and watercolours in A4 Stillman and Birn Alpha Series sketchbook.