Before I kick off this post—which probably won't be as interesting as the last couple—I’d like to talk about what happened after York. Well, nothing really. When I got home, I was immediately struck down with an awful cold; I've spent my days off sneezing and coughing through a forced standstill that I’d hoped would have been productive. To make matters worse, my large Viking-inspired mug that Morticia bought me at last year's Jorvik Viking Festival was involved in a bit of an accident and smashed on Tuesday. I am absolutely distraught at the loss of my favourite drinking vessel. The irony is that had this happened last week, I could have replaced it at this year's festival.
For my 50th birthday (almost five years ago), I used some money gifted by my parents to invest in a Samsung tablet with a generous 12.5" screen. It came with what I thought was the ultimate game changer: the S-Pen. I’ve been perfectly happy with that setup for five years, but recently, I found myself curious about what else the market had to offer. I’m not quite ready to splash out on a full hardware upgrade just yet (though I wouldn't say no if the opportunity arose!), but I wanted to see if I could enhance the experience.
My research led me to the world of third-party styluses. After looking through countless options, I decided to treat myself to the Staedtler Noris Digital. Honestly? It’s a revelation. It looks and feels exactly like a traditional pencil in the hand, which feels far more natural than the standard plastic alternatives.
Creating my comic strip is something I deeply enjoy. While I’m never quite sure how many people actually see the final result, the process itself is incredibly therapeutic. Lately, I’ve been moving in a more serious direction; I’m currently working on a piece about depression. It’s important to me to show that cartooning isn’t always about punchlines or funny situations—I’m not afraid to use my art to face the darker moments too.
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A sneak peek at my current work-in-progress, 'Northman', coming mid-April. |
My tablet remains one of my most treasured possessions, almost exclusively for its drawing features. It is my digital anvil, where I hammer out ideas and sketches. Imagine my surprise, then, when returning to the room following a brief errand, I found this unexpected pic in the image gallery.
It seems my grandson, Atreus, found the allure of the glowing screen too much to ignore. He knows he isn't meant to touch, but like a true explorer, he just couldn't resist. It’s a perspective only a curious child could capture—a little bit of domestic mischief caught in the frame.
To wrap things up, I have some truly fantastic news to share. We have officially booked our next journey to Cymru. In just 100 days, we’ll be crossing the border and returning to our "happy place." There is a specific kind of peace found in the Welsh landscape that resonates deeply with my Celtic leanings. The countdown is officially on!
If you want to see my current drawings then check out my webcomic, Northman, which chronicles "our hero's" adventures through the rugged landscape of Jorvikshire.
You can read the latest chapter here:
Stay Connected For updates, behind-the-scenes content, and hopefully a few photos of me back on the bike soon, you can find me on social media.
Kirt... I like drawing myself so I was very interested in your references to cartooning and how you use digital aids. I have never used such facilities myself - mostly because nobody has ever alerted me to them. All my life I have doodled - even in meetings and at pub quizzes. I believe the process aids thinking. Most of my pictures get thrown away. I usually find myself drawing faces - rather than other subjects. I am sorry that your favourite drinking vessel got broken.
ReplyDeleteI too doodle on scraps but I also used to fill up drawing books that always ended up in the bin. I tried digital drawing years ago and found it to be a brilliant way of doing what I've always done. Storage is also easy since drawing take no physical space.
DeleteI have no talent in art or crafts, but I enjoy seeing creations of people who have this talent.
ReplyDeleteHope you've enjoyed some of my drawings. 😍
DeleteI'm very envious of your digital drawing knowledge and skill! I don't have clue one in that area but it seems to know-nothing me that it would have several advantages over the old-timey way of drawing. But here's where I turn into an oldster stick-in-the-mud and feel like it's too late in my life to take a course or something on digital drawing. Just stick with what I know!
ReplyDeleteIt's just another medium, not much different to pen and paper.
DeleteI have no artistic talent at all -but have long admired the skills of artists who deliver powerful
ReplyDeletemessages through art and word , Art Speigelman being a favourite with Maus
Whilst there is much that is good that has come from the internet , the impact on the psyche of us all will
I think prove to be the largest experiment of human kind . I am encouraged that ( please excuse deliberate use of stereotypes here ) you as a Northern beardy bloke ( who eats dinner at lunchtime , heaven forbid ) is able to share your experiences and the demands made upon you as a man/ provider and all the other tropes that labels deliver , with a community that supports and understands . At a time when much of the world does not make sense to me ( Trump 😡), and feeling as a card carrying member of the Labour Party that we have gone down the wrong path with the wrong leader , I welcome any attempt to share honesty
Thank you for your words , your art and your blog
Siobhan
Thank you so much Siobhan, the internet when used properly is a brilliant, beautiful thing. Sadly we aren't protecting our children from the dangers and giving them the skills to navigate the digital world.
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