Uploads from Mat Pringle, tagged illustration

'Richard Brautigan' illustration

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 04:09:18 -0800

And there's me thinking I didn't like poetry.

I stumbled upon a battered copy of Richard Brautigan's 'Trout Fishing in America' last summer in San Francisco off the back of a vague recommendation and have since become a bit obsessed with him. This portrait is my favourite one yet. Every time I think I'm done doing them I find myself wanting to do more and more.

"30 Cents, Two Transfers, Love

Thinking hard about you
I got on the bus
and paid 30 cents car fare
and asked the driver for two transfers
before discovering
that I was
alone."

- Richard Brautigan

The Absurd Balloon - Suspense at the River Styx

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:24:27 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

Another Absurd Balloon illustration (more here) in response to Illustration Friday(suspense). It's an odd way to develop a narrative I'll admit but sometimes I just need a single word to inspire me. It'll be fun trying run some form of sequential storyline through it when I've got enough illustrations. By which I mean it'll be a nightmare.

The water's is a bit too dark so it distracts from the drama at this scale but basically the folk in the Absurd Balloon are throwing down a harness to save the fisherman and his child. See - well suspense...

Wolf People tour poster

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:33:01 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

In collaboration with promoters The Iron Wagon this is the Wolf People poster for their Leeds show in January 2012. I did the illustration, hand-pulled the prints and now I have half the run to sell and the other half will be available on the night at the venue.

It's a two colour screen-print limited to a run of 46 printed on heavy-weight white paper (220gsm) measuring approximately 42cm x 59 cm

www.etsy.com/listing/89664072/wolf-people-limited-edition...

'After Work'

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:21:52 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

'After Work' is a new piece I did last week inspired by the poem of the same name by Gary Snyder (Japhy Ryder in Kerouac's 'Dharma Bums'*). It's done in acrylic paint and inks; I was going to do a layered piece similar to Epic Octopus Attack but ended up really liking how restrained it is. I'm going to develop it into a two colour print soon with ink wash.

'After Work'

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:21:52 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

Ghosts and Goblins' illustration and print

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:30:56 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

This is the illustration and print I did for the 'Multiplayer II' exhibition currently running at Gallery 1988 in LA. I was torn between doing Ghosts and Goblins and Gauntlet but I was up against it time-wise and decided my Gauntlet concept was a little too ambitious.

The concept for the Ghosts and Goblins piece is inspired by The Seventh Seal - Sir Arthur and Antonius Block are both knights on epic quests closely pursued by death - to be honest I'm surprised no-one has ever made the connection before and written a lengthy tome about it. The temptation is to throw everything at a pop culture inspired illustration like this but I liked the idea of marrying high brow (Ingmar Bergman) with low brow (old school platform game) too much hence the sombre and restrained tone. Unfortunately I think I may have ended up with a concept so obtuse I have to explain all the fun out of it.

The retarded tagline suitably undermines my pretentious vision anyway - I like to think the fact it was brain-stormed on an internet forum dedicated to the pursuit of rare records is also quite fitting. I like to think a lot of things though.

It's a two colour print hand pulled screen-print and it's available at the exhibition and online now. I have a few to sell as well when the show finishes.

'Anne Morrow Lindbergh' illustration

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:02:30 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

"The loneliness you get by the sea is personal and alive. It doesn't subdue you and make you feel abject. It's a stimulating loneliness."

The Devil and Mister Punch illustration

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:24:39 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

'Jim Jarmusch' illustration

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:36:03 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

"Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery — celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from — it’s where you take them to.”"

Jim Jarmusch made Down By Law. That is all.

'The Wagon'

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:20:32 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

Here's a leftover illustration from my Wolf People poster - most of it got lost in the design but it's sort of nice on it's own.

Karen Dalton illustration

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:15:14 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

"Maybe another day you'll want to feel another way, you can't stop crying,
You haven't got a thing to say, you feel you want to run away
There's no use trying, anyway.
I've seen the writing on the wall,
Who cannot maintain will always fall,
Well, you know, you can't make it without ever even trying."

I first heard 'Something On Your Mind' via Jackie-O-Motherfucker's cover years ago courtesy of a mix tape by a friend (cheers Jason!). Then I heard the Karen Dalton original not long after. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say it's one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. Occasionally I forget it exists and then come back to it a few months later and it hits me even harder just how beautiful it is.

My portraits were getting a bit cock-heavy and I had a spare couple of hours last night to make amends - the face is well wrong but the left hand is probably the best thing I've drawn in weeks. If you don't know about Karen Dalton you should seek her records out now and fill that massive void in your life.

Woody Allen illustration

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:02:38 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

"If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative".

This illustration is unintentionally a little too far down the caricature root for my liking but there's still something about it I'm happy with. I'd like to think my frequent fails were down to my desire to be so innovative but frankly I'd be kidding myself.

My mum chanced upon these black and white illustrations the other day and was initially very kind about them and then proceeded to point out where I'd gone wrong for each and every one of them. After I'd stopped crying I thought actually that would make an amazing zine. So basically if I manage twenty of these portraits I'll put out a zine and accompanying every portrait will be my mum's critical response to it - "the face is too narrow - it needs to be wider", "his nose is too long", "looks like Albert Einstein" etc.

Fishermen of Southwold II

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:33:51 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

The Fishermen of Southwold II screen-prints were the result of a week spent in Southwold last summer where I did some illustrations of notable fishermen of the region from bygone days. Picking out three illustrations from my sketch books I then set about screen-printing them before finishing each one off with an ink wash.

This is the second set I've done as I was so happy with the original three.

They come as a set of three signed hand-pulled screen-prints and they are already framed. They are limited to a run of 50 sets printed on heavy-weight (300gsm) printmaking paper and measuring approximately 15cm x 10cm. The white frames measure 18.5cm x 13.5 cm. Given the nature of screen-printing and the individual ink washes every piece is ever-so slightly different.

www.etsy.com/listing/90429439/the-fishermen-of-southwold-...

Fishermen of Southwold II

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:34:06 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

Fishermen of Southwold II

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:33:59 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

Fishermen of Southwold II

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:34:21 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

Fishermen of Southwold II

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:34:28 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

Fishermen of Southwold II

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:34:13 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

'Kurt Vonnegut' illustration

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:05:34 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

As I mentioned on Tuesday I went a bit mental over Christmas but I did manage to do some black and white portraits of people what I like that I think are quite good renderings considering the near-breakdown they emerged from. Hmmm - too much information?

This is Kurt Vonnegut - I think he must've been using some deep nourishing volumising shampoo or some shit 'cos his hair has got BODY. Obviously not in the photo I was working from - that's what I've brought to the party. Again hmmm...

And with that I leave you with a nice Vonnegut quote. There are literally hundreds but this one is new to me and I'm hanging onto it for dear life right now. So dramatic.

"Go into the arts. I'm not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something"

I would add I don't think he was referring to those kooky types that make knitted owls and such.

Antonius Block

nobody@flickr.com (Mat Pringle) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:34:36 -0800

Mat Pringle posted a photo:

I went a bit mental not drawing over Christmas so I decided to do some black and white portraits in attempt to stay sane. I didn't stay especially sane but some of them look alright including this one of Max von Sydow in the Seventh Seal. I watched it for the first time just before Christmas - I can't say I was well keen on the idea but it's the masterpiece everyone says it is. I owe Paul Bommer a wee nod too for his stunning illustration in 'The Film One' (curently sold out but I'm just waiting on a new batch). He's promised to make some prints of the piece in the next few months and I'll be the first in the queue for one - watch this space.