meet the people

Happiness :: Melbourne Cup

2011-11-01T11:15:00.001+11:00

Happiness is getting a Bart Cummings Horse in the Melbourne Cup Sweep

IF :: Scary

2011-10-30T00:06:00.001+11:00

For Illustration Fridays topic scary

Well this looks different

2011-10-29T11:14:00.001+11:00

Alvin has been a little bored, make that a lot bored, by the the same old format for this blog. Maybe that's why he hasn't appeared much lately. Anyway he has asked to change over to the dynamic template. This should give you, the reader, the opportunity to select the format that you like reading or browsing the best. The different format options are up on the orange bar just below the header. I have selected the magazine format as the default but you are free to choose your own preferred view. Give then a good work out and I'd love to get your opinion, so please leave comments.
By the way, the view from mobile phones is not dynamic but has been simplified to save bandwidth.

New methods on a rainy afternoon

2011-08-24T05:21:00.001+10:00

It has been a while since I have posted a cartoon, primarily because I’m travelling. So I don,t have my scanner or access to the myriad things in my normal software in my corel draw and paint tool kit. It was rainy today so I decided to investigate if I could achieve the typical “alvin look” (hand draw, but computer inked) cartoon with a simpler kit. Turns out I could, and it was easy once I assemble the right tools.

I started as usual with a pencil sketch in my sketch book. Then did some basic inking of the main linework. Now the tricky bit, how to scan it and clean it up. Using a camera gives a grey image with poor line definition and uneven illumination. Not the greatest starting point for cartoon. Then I remember a utility that I had reviewed years ago that lets a cameraphone function like a scanner. That system is still around but a quick look on the android app market revealed CamScanner. It worked like a charm, not only doing the basic scanner stuff, you can adjust for perspective, cropping and stretching the image and it will also write to nice compact PDF files.

Then I just used paint.net, a much under-rated general graphics program, to do the colour fill, and linework tidy up. I then did a bit of magic wand selection to cut and paste my characters onto at photo I had taken. Ok it took a lot longer than the 30 minutes I had set myself in the quick pic days, However developing the new technique was fun on a rainy afternoon.

See the final cartoon below

There are a couple of earlier post about my original technique and then the Big Step Forward.

Alvin at the Noorderzon Festival

2011-08-24T04:20:00.001+10:00

Alvin enjoy’s trying out a dutch version of the port-a-loo just for blokes

The Noorderzon festival is current on in Groningen, the Netherlands.

IF:: Asleep

2011-05-31T13:50:00.003+10:00

Alvin has learned to feign sleep whenever it is time to mow the lawn.

for IllustrationFriday 's topic asleep.

IF :: Bicycle

2011-04-29T22:24:00.000+10:00

Lila finally decides pearls over lycra are ok for a quick trip to the shops (after 10am and before 5)

For Illustration Fridays topic Bicycle

IF :: Cultivated

2011-03-20T21:55:00.005+11:00

Lila is an equal opportunity gardener. She heaps love on every new sprout, well at least until she recognises the weeds.

For Illustration Friday's topic Cultivate

IF :: Dusting

2011-01-27T20:58:00.003+11:00

Lila discovers she has left her spring cleaning a little late this year.

For Illustration Friday's topic dusty

IF :: we seem to have been here below

2011-01-12T22:53:00.003+11:00

Alvin senses he's had this idea for a self referencing cartoon before.

For Illustration Friday's Topic deja-vu

IF :: careful what we resolve

2011-01-02T21:58:00.003+11:00

Lila decides not to go with her standard New Year's Resolutions this year

For Illustration Friday's topic resolutions

On unwanted notoriety

2011-01-01T00:19:00.001+11:00

Alvin hadn't planned to be the first casualty of the decade at the new district hospital.

Happy New Year to all

IF:: a real winter

2010-12-31T15:59:00.003+11:00

For Illustration Friday's Topic Winter

IF :: its in the mail

2010-12-22T21:20:00.004+11:00

Lila remembers fondly being able to mail her first letter.

For Illustration Friday's topic mail

IF :: engulfed by a Time Warp

2010-12-11T23:13:00.006+11:00

Alvin is innocently tricked by a Bizarre Time Warp Phenomenon into drawing last weeks theme and posting it this week

For Illustration Friday's topic Phenomenon

IF :: Positively Prehistoric

2010-12-11T20:26:00.007+11:00

Wearing Leggings to a Zumba Class! now that is "Prehistoric".

For Illustration Friday's topic prehistoric, but opps Alvin is tricked by a bizare time warp phenomenon to drawing and posting last weeks theme

Dealing with leaks

2010-12-10T22:45:00.002+11:00

Alvin learnt long ago to leave all leaks to the professionals

Julia's first task

2010-09-12T22:38:00.000+10:00

RIP - TwitPic Quickies

2010-09-12T21:43:00.004+10:00

I'm not sure what changes TwitPics have made, going over to Oauth authentification via twitter, but the net result is I can no longer display TwitPics in this blog. Rather than stress about it I figured it was easier to post the cartoons directly in here and put a link on twitter. Same result just a few more keystrokes.

So look for the quickie cartonns right here.

IF :: Immovavble

2010-09-01T20:11:00.004+10:00

Even without the high power management theory Alvin knows better than come between a hungary lady and her cheese.

For illustration Friday 's topic immovable

The count continues

2010-08-24T22:32:00.004+10:00

This is a new direction in my cartooning. A Wacom Bamboo Tablet (non scanned) drawing directly into the computer.

A close call

2010-08-21T23:06:00.003+10:00

Julia may have underestimated the passion in Western Australia and Queensland, which stands to loose most under the Mining Super Profits Tax and the uneasiness with all the ongoing corruption and naivety in the state labour governments

Behind the "real" Julia

2010-08-13T21:54:00.002+10:00

IF :: Art Official

2010-08-02T20:19:00.003+10:00

Lila takes her responsibilities as a gallery guide very seriously

For illustration friday's topic artificial

Dissapointment

2010-07-25T21:23:00.004+10:00

Alvin is dissapointed by his soufflé surprise invention ...he dreads it will not be enough to get him into the next season of masterchef.

IF :: Double Dipping

2010-07-25T12:43:00.004+10:00

Lila decides it is time to start a twitter campaign against double dipping on masterchef ...and she is also a bit distressed by lack of table manners at government house

For IllustrationFriday 's topic double

Alvin is out

2010-07-19T22:23:00.003+10:00

Alvin is distraught that his namesake was eliminated from masterchef, & he retires to his kingsize bed with his favourite tapas book.

Moving forward

2010-07-17T23:02:00.004+10:00

Alvin instinctively moves forward to press the remote.

IF :: Alvin wants to close his diary

2010-07-10T22:00:00.007+10:00

Alvin dreams of closing his diary, taking a few risks and really living his own life.

For Illustrations Friday's topic diary

IF :: Alvin was suddenly a Giant

2010-07-04T19:45:00.003+10:00

Alvin knows he will use his height advantage wisely, to bring beauty to the world.

For Illustration Friday 's topic giant.

Big Step Forward

2010-07-03T17:22:00.003+10:00

Julian Gillard’s big step forward …looking forward …way forward …(add lots more sound bites with the word forward)…didn’t strike me all that great (mining companies pay the same corporate tax rate as any other Australian company 30%), so the big reduction of the resource super profits tax from 40-% to 30% …yes the same rate it is now pays, does seem like a lot of spin, and a big back flip to me …but then again no one yet knows the fine details. Speaking of big changes to achieve exactly the same, this humble illustration is trying out new technology

Existing (interactive) Tablet

I like to sketch my cartoons by hand, usually on the back scrap paper on a neat drawing board of my own design. Its a bit of off-cut ply-wood,painted with a little undercoat and with a few of those big red rubber bands Australia Post use on your mail, holding the paper in place. I like to sketch while listening to music so I have added my MP3 player under one of the rubber bands. This is the most interactive bit. Its a wonderful design, not completely wireless, but I can use it anywhere.
I usually rough in something with a soft pencil and ink over it with a felt (or jell) pen, and then rub out the pencil (more interactive parts). Not very high tech but fast enough. I then scan the sketch and load it into Corel Auto-trace to convert it into a line drawing, sometimes after a little bit of fat-bit editing to clean up the scan and then colour it in Corel-draw.

New Interactive Tablet

Introducing my new Wacom Bamboo tablet, more wires on my desk and it is only as portable as far as the cable reached. The pen is wireless though. I’m still experimenting with how best to use it. But it is pretty natural and easy to use. My aim with these twitpic quickies is to be able to get the cartoon published on the internet with 5-10 minutes of scanning. To be honest I’m no where close to achieving that in corel painter essentials with the pen & tablet, little alone becoming proficient drawing directly on the tablet (see my first attempt). We are however moving forward riding the waves of technology, not necessarily moving as fast as our new prime minister.

IF :: serving a higher cause

2010-06-28T01:53:00.002+10:00

Sputnik would never have volunteered if he had realized the true loneliness of a satellite's life.

For Illustration Friday's topic satellite

IF :: paisley becomes fashionable again

2010-06-20T16:10:00.002+10:00

Alvin just knows he's not a Tie Person

For Illustration Friday's topic paisley

VBOPing is moving

2010-06-13T11:45:00.006+10:00

As NING are closing down their free groups, the Venus Bay Observation Project, which relies on voluntary contributions and participation is moving. Firstly to a blogger site VBOPING, its free, no adds, no spammers (hopefully google has better tools to stop them and other anti-social types). Also the VBOP presence is being expanded across the WEB 2.0 Social networks (no plans to be on Facebook though). You can already follow VBOP on twitter or join the VBOP group on Flickr. Watch out for me over there, with an arty project or two!

IF :: Slither'cise

2010-06-02T20:23:00.002+10:00

Lila discovers not to do her slither exercises on the rug on her newly polished floor again.

For Illustration Friday's topic slither

On-line Privacy

2010-05-25T23:16:00.003+10:00

Alvin starts to worry about his identity's exposure within the social networks.

With thanks to profimagazin for the stylized social network logos

IF :: escaping the Early Bird

2010-05-23T19:59:00.003+10:00

For Illutration Friday's topic early

If :: Subterranean

2010-03-14T23:19:00.003+11:00

A wrong turn at the carrot patch and wilber finds himself in an angry bullant nest.

For IllustrationFriday 's topic subterranean

IF :: Brave Enough

2010-03-10T19:42:00.006+11:00

Alvin worries he will not be brave enough to tell the truth.

For illustration Friday's topic brave

On :: life's awkward moments

2010-03-03T11:29:00.005+11:00

Alvin no longer fears those awkward
"Mine is bigger than yours"
moments at the Camera Club

On :: Network Intelligence

2010-02-27T12:39:00.004+11:00

The Maths is simple

Twitter + Celebrities = Dumb Net
Buzz + Geeks = Smart Net

IF :: only we all had proper gates

2010-02-25T14:02:00.004+11:00

For Illustration Friday's topic propagate

Whats this Buzz about

2010-02-12T10:15:00.004+11:00

Google have just announced Google Buzz which is built into gmail. I'm not going to go into all the technical stuff, Gina Tripani of Smarterware & TWIG fame, does a much better job of explaining it, and a good run down of how to do everything in google buzz (including turning it off).

What it offers me, as a cartoon character, might be a better way to put my cartoons out there, in the social media clouds. In the short term I will post my TwitPIC quickies on Buzz as well, but expect to see different stuff via Buzz soon. One problems is I don't have any followers there yet, no problem, you should be able to figure out my new gmail name, alvin.people at gmail dot com you can even send me an email there if you like. Imagine that, a cartoon character with his own email name.

Well it also gives me yet another button to push.

IF :: Muddy

2010-02-10T21:41:00.000+11:00

Lila's Fashion Rule #17 Don't wear stilettos to a picnic on a rainy day

For IllustrationFriday's topic Muddy

IF :: in the Wilderness

2010-01-17T00:27:00.002+11:00

Lila begins to worry about the wisdom of her Weekend Walk on the Wild Side Adventure.

For Illustration Fridays Topic Wilderness

IF :: breakfast was just a croc

2009-12-12T21:34:00.002+11:00

For Illustration Friday's Topic Hatch

IF :: red tape

2009-12-02T00:05:00.004+11:00

Oh what a tangled web we weave ...
Lila discovers the complex bureaucracy associated with claiming liposuction on medicare.

For Illustration Friday 's topic entangled

On early arrival of summer

2009-11-11T15:58:00.000+11:00

If :: blur

2009-11-09T22:39:00.007+11:00

Alvin's plan to avoid further housework begins well.

For Illustration friday's topic blur

if :: skinny

2009-11-02T23:14:00.004+11:00

For illustration friday's topic skinny

15 seconds of (Twitter) Fame

2009-10-18T20:10:00.004+11:00

Alvin is not ready for all the hits from his 15 seconds of twitter fame.

Andy Warhol noted everyone has 15 minutes of fame
In the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen people
Alvin notices anyone can get 15 seconds of fame on twitter

IF :: Frozen

2009-10-18T00:52:00.004+11:00

Alvin understands he has been late home for diner, one too many times this week.

For IllustrationFriday's topic frozen

ON Christmas shopping

2009-10-12T12:08:00.003+11:00

Having found the last Nexido 2000X in stock, Alvin realizes he still has to make to the checkout.

Yes folks the christmas stuff is out in the shops already!

IF :: flying

2009-10-11T11:25:00.002+11:00

Alvin knows that it is just a dream, but he still is really pleased he can fly

For illustration Friday's topic flying

IF :: Girl Germs

2009-10-04T15:32:00.003+11:00

[Flashback] After being caught by Laura in a playground kiss chassy game, Alvin experiences his first infection of girl germs.

For illusytration Fridays topic germs

Espresso comes to the coffee wildness

2009-10-01T19:57:00.002+10:00

Meg gets to server her cafe's first every short black,

but is still unable to understand what it is?

IF :: always welcome

2009-09-13T11:22:00.004+10:00

Aunty Vi's welcome is a little bit too exuberant (as usual)

For Illustration Friday 's topic welcome

IF:: a little strong

2009-09-05T22:25:00.002+10:00

Alvin confidently cuts the cheese knowing it will be all his.

For Illustration Friday's Topic strong

IF :: Over Magnified

2009-08-30T12:40:00.004+10:00

Alvin is puzzled by the ants sudden apparent look of terror?

For Illustration Friday's topic Magnify

IF :: Caution

2009-08-25T16:43:00.002+10:00

Too Late, Alvin realises what he has just done!

for Illustration Friday's topic Caution

IF :: Wrapped

2009-08-17T19:24:00.003+10:00

Alvin is pleased with his first attempt at self gift-wrapping.

For illustration friday's topic wrapped

On Jon Faine's Conspiracy Theory

2009-08-07T12:37:00.005+10:00

This was originally meant to be uploaded to twitpics, but I could not log in? (Not another DoS I hope?)

Just a comments on Jon Faine's conspiracy theory (I thought you didn't entertain them Jon) about the Twitter DoS, Denial of Service Attack, being commercial interests trying to exploit and commercialise the net!!

The best comment on the Twitter DoS attack comes from Sighmon

IF about to modify

2009-08-02T21:48:00.002+10:00

Lila discovers it is difficult to modify her beauty regime!

For illustration Friday

IF dancing

2009-07-18T20:10:00.004+10:00

Just one step too many

For Illustration Friday's topic tango

IF in a shaky situation

2009-07-05T19:38:00.002+10:00

Suddenly, it dawns that more than one Alvin is required to change the light bulb

For Illustration Friday's topic shaky

IF :: Impossibility

2009-04-18T14:21:00.001+10:00

Alvin can barely believe his eyes

For Illustration Friday's topic Impossibility

IF :: Fleeting

2009-04-13T23:20:00.001+10:00

For Illustration friday's topic fleeting

IF :: blessed with inner poise

2009-03-29T12:12:00.002+11:00

Sometimes Lila wishes her inner poise was not just in her dreams.

For Illustraion Friday's Topic Poise

On Extreme Energy Saving

2009-03-23T20:31:00.002+11:00

Alvin starts to believe every hour should be earth hour

In memory of the innocents

2009-02-22T13:51:00.003+11:00

It is not the time yet to open the book of blame and recrimination,

it is still a time of grief and mourning and practical help for the victims,

those who lost loved ones and houses in the bushfire tragedies in Victoria's Blackest Saturday.

For illustration friday's topic instinct

IF counting the heat

2009-01-29T01:37:00.013+11:00

The heatwave conditions in Southern Australia

are turning Alvin into a thermopile

For Illustration Friday's topic counting

IF :: Pale

2009-01-18T08:16:00.002+11:00

For Illustration Friday's topic Pale

2009 already

2009-01-01T17:20:00.000+11:00

Alvin & Lila wish all their friends a most happy and prosperous New Year.

IF :: the word were candle-stine

2008-12-27T22:20:00.003+11:00

For Illustration Friday's topic clandestine

On post-christmas sales

2008-12-26T18:13:00.000+11:00

IF :: you hear voices

2008-12-24T12:51:00.003+11:00

For illustration Friday's topic voices

Lila and Alvin have decided to be responsible, in the light of the world finacial crisis and global warming and stay home, not holiday in Europe, (ok that's how Alvin described it to Lila), so they are getting a lesson in the little known stress of babysitting other people's pets.

The making of packed properly

2008-10-02T23:13:00.004+10:00

My technique to make these cartoon has changed enough, since I last let you into my secrets, that I should just review the changes. First and most importantly I tend to created the specific figures, and other objects, as hand drawn sketches to suit each cartoon. (Rather than trying to use a library of shapes). I still might drawn different figures and things seperately. I then "ink in" with any felt pen I can find, colour doesn't really matter as i just digitise this in black and white. Next I use Corel Trace to convert the shapes into vector drawn shapes and then corel draw to manipulate those shapes... for example, colouring rescalling rotationg and adding the "standard layout". Generally I can get from pencil concept to final drawing on the blog in half an hour or less. Just a longish coffee break!

If you haven't noticed I am also doing some "quickie" cartoons in a simple layout for twitter pics (look down on the left hand column). These cartoons are meant to be mostly for my twitter friends, supposed to be highly relevant and I keep them very simple so the time from concept to upload is 15 minutes or less (ie a true coffee break creation) and explainable in 140 charcaters of text (or less)

IF :: packed properly

2008-10-02T21:50:00.002+10:00

For Illustration Friday 's topic packed

IF clique-y

2008-09-26T00:30:00.002+10:00

for Illustration friday's topic clique

IF we all had island dreams

2008-09-14T19:42:00.002+10:00

For Illustration Friday's topic island

With a little bit of inspiration from Paul Gaugain

IF living in clutter

2008-09-07T22:34:00.002+10:00

For illustration friday 's topic clutter

IF memories

2008-08-31T00:28:00.001+10:00

for illustration friday topic memories

IF under false pretenses

2008-08-10T20:20:00.001+10:00

For Illustration Friday's topic sail

IF poofed!

2008-08-02T22:34:00.000+10:00

For Illustration Friday topic poof!

IF Out of the Can

2008-07-27T00:52:00.002+10:00

Who let the spam out?

For IllustrationFriday's topic canned

On looking deeper at TiVO

2008-07-23T23:06:00.001+10:00

Alvin decides to look at the features and fine print before he orders his next tech toy, this time.

No ripped music library, no picture library, no ability to swap content with your PC or iPod etc. only 160Gb of HDD space which will allow you only 20-30 hours of HD content and apparently they will be releasing it without any capability to transfer to external hard drive short of a PAID firmware update. To add insult to injury, can you believe they will actually display advertisements while you fast forward? ...see MyEPG for more details

But the real bitter pill to swallow is the Channel Seven TiVO cartel's attempt to make it illegal to use a published TV guide to information to record Free to Air television shows (other than using their device); and yes, the current copyright conditions are easily interpreted to include using the newspaper for the purpose of programming your VCR! Hang on aren't the rights to broadcasts licensed from us, the public (ok its through government licences, no TV stations or hardware manufacturers owns the broadcast space, it is not their property, and stange how there is no mention of legality of recording free to air broadcast, just that you are infrigining copyright if use a guide to know when to do the recording)

So if you want to do something about it now before it too late write to your local politician, write to the newspapers, discuss it with your friends, or get involved

IF one slice of cake was enough

2008-07-20T22:44:00.000+10:00

One slice of chocolate cake is never enough.

For Illustration Friday's topic enough.

On Life, without Email, IPhones & 9 o'clock meetings

2008-07-20T00:18:00.000+10:00

On Alvin's Organizer

2008-07-18T22:48:00.000+10:00

IF in a fog

2008-07-12T19:47:00.000+10:00

For illustration friday's topic foggy

Alvin gets his IPhone

2008-07-11T12:53:00.002+10:00

Alvin contemplates his new 3G toy ... and joins all the hype.

But the cost of actually using it as a web phone hasn't dawned on him yet.

going mobile

2008-07-08T13:49:00.004+10:00

Since Alvin loves technology, why shouldn't this blog/cartoon go mobile friendly, staring with a QR code to say hello and get you directly here with only a click or two.

If you have a mobile phone with a camera and web access you can find out how to scan the code with your mobile here.

Thanks to MOJI-Q for the nice QR code

as IF ...

2008-07-02T15:41:00.004+10:00

The Victorian government is playing hardball threatening to make protestor group "your water your say" pay court costs, but what about the current residents?

For illustration friday's topic fierce

If only i had a parachute

2007-09-09T19:45:00.001+10:00

for Illustration Fridays topic Momentum

This is the rework of a very early sketch of alvin, using photo of clouds to enhance the idea of falling. It is also my first blog post using window's live writer

IF I were captain

2007-08-18T17:59:00.000+10:00

Alvin over estimating his ability to swash the buckle.

for illustration friday, topic captain

only IF it suits

2007-06-11T17:25:00.001+10:00

for illustration friday's topic suit.

As I was planning this cartoon, I realised there was an opportunity to exploit the collage part of my technique and use a photo of actual cards to help out in the development of this joke, but I also wanted to add "meet the people" style arms and legs to keep the cartoon feel. So these were sketched up seperately, scanned in and it was all pasted together in corel draw.

IF he has purchased a lemon

2007-05-16T16:29:00.000+10:00

Alvin comtemplates his new hybrid car.

For llustration friday topic citrus

This cartoon marks a slight change of software (paint.net & corel draw) and a new format that will fit perfectly onto your PSP (play station portable)

The making of "Remember"

2007-04-29T20:00:00.000+10:00

Its been a while since I wrote up how alvin & lila are created, its quiet unique so I thought I might re-tell the story as a kind of graphic "HOW TO"

1) I think the the hardest part of cartooning is getting the motivation and ideas. I don't sell any meet the people cartoon so this is a private whim and I can afford to only sketch them when I have time. I find illustration friday is a great way to motivate yourself and get a basic theme, this weeks was remembering . Next I like to listen to music while seeking inspiration, so I type the theme into search box in tunes (or whatever your media manager is) then listen to those tunes. I also like using last.fm.

The idea about men never remembering to put the toilet seat down is not mentioned in anything I listen too by the way!

2) Next I get out my meet the people folder, which is one of those commercial spiral bound folders with lots of clear plastic sleeves, into which I have, over time, inserted lots of cut outs of alvin & lila's body shapes and other common things I might use in a cartoon illustration. Often I have to draw a new item specific to the cartoon, like the toilet, in this case

3) Next I assemble the cartoon. Using cut outs means I can play around with position and adjust gestures and postures of the main characters. This can make all the of difference between boring (the way you first assemble or draw things) and something interesting and dynamic, which may be only the slightest elongation of stretching of change of angle, that gets the composition to gel. I them place this on my scanner bed [The photo shows things face up when of course they will be face down, but that would be boring to photograph].

4. I use corel trace and import the image directly from my scanner using the acquire settings. I convert the bitmap to Black & White and then do Perform Trace By Outline, which generated the shapes as line work for corel draw

5) In corel draw I add colour and text. I also now have a small library of template for such things as standard layout and speech bubbles and also text annotation already in the colours and fonts I want to use. These helps me maintain a stylistic commonality without having to worry about it and save time.

6) Finally when I am happy with the layout I export the image to a jpeg file, and upload it to this blog and that's it!

IF :: He will ever remember

2007-04-29T13:22:00.000+10:00

For Illustration friday, topic remember

Also why not check out the making of remember post, its a graphic how of my technique.

IF everyone worried about polar warming

2007-04-21T23:45:00.000+10:00

for illustration friday, topic polar