Book Illustration

Darren Shan’s Zom-B Mission roughs

Posted 09/05/2014 by warren65

Only out just over a month ago, is the seventh instalment in Darren Shan’s Zom-B series, Zom-B Mission, featuring interior illustrations by me. Here’s a selection of the pencil roughs. Really liked Cliff Nielsen’s cover on this one (see below) linked to the illustration above.

Below, it’s din-dins for Zombies!

And Owl Man’s best friend…

Hmmm, nice!

And while we’re here, Darren’s giving a talk on the Zom-B series as part of the Brighton Festival at the Sallis Benney theatre, tomorrow, Saturday 10th of May at 4.00pm. Tickets available here at the Brighton Festival site.

Darren Shan’s Zom-B Gladiator Illustration Roughs

Posted 21/02/2014 by warren65

Darren Shan‘s latest Zom-B book, Zom-B Gladiator came out early last month while I was slaving away on another project so I missed the publicity blitz then, but better late than never. Here’s a couple of my sample roughs from the interior illustrations.

I guess you’d call that a ‘head shot’.

And now for my self-portrait close-up Mr.DeMille…

And here’s a little eye-catching colour from the cover art by Cliff Nielsen…

The next instalment in the Zom-B series will be book 7, Zom-B Mission, on sale in the UK and Ireland from March 27th. More details, as always at Darren’s website.

Zom-B Baby breaks out today!

Posted 26/09/2013 by warren65

Today, 26th September, sees the release of Darren Shan’s Zom-B Baby in the UK and Ireland. Here’s a couple of the pencil roughs I did for the interior illustrations.

All together, aahhh, cute lil’ fella.

Check out Cliff Nielsen’s adorable cover image for the book at Darren’s website.

Darren Shan’s Zom-B Angels

Posted 02/07/2013 by warren65

Here’s some of the interior illustrations I drew for the latest Darren Shan Zom-B book, Zom-B Angels, recently published in the UK and Ireland by Simon & Shuster and coming out on July 9th in the US and beyond. I thought I’d also include an example of a rough pencilled version next to the final inked one to give you that extra ‘spesh’ behind the scenes tour. Brains anyone?!

Darren Shan’s Zom B City – More Illustrations

Posted 14/03/2013 by warren65

To celebrate today’s release of Darren Shan’s Zom B City, the third instalment in the twelve book Zom B series from Simon & Shuster, here’s three more pencilled roughs from the interior illustrations, all a little different in composition and approach. With the first one, it’s often good to put the viewer behind the eyes of the main character, especially in this context…

For this one, the newly acquired clothing seemed to be calling out for a Spaghetti Western style stand-off…

And finally, with a completely different approach. The description for this brief led me to compose it like some kind of warped renaissance-style adoration. You can even see the steeple of St Martin in the Fields, near the National Gallery in the background. This is one of my favourites.

To see all these and more in their final inked form you can now buy Zom B City form today via the links to Darren Shan’s site, through publishers, Simon & Shuster’s and through Amazon.

Darren Shan’s Zom B City

Posted 13/03/2013 by warren65

Today I’m posting up some of my pencil roughs from the third instalment of Darren Shan’s Zom B series, Zom B City, out tomorrow! Personally, as an artist and a general nosey git, I love to see the different stages of other artists or illustrator’s work in progress. Sometimes things can be improved in the final art and sometimes you lose some of the spontaneity you had in a pencilled sketch. On a practical level for this series, I had to provide pencilled roughs for Darren and the Simon & Shuster team to approve before I went onto produce the final illustrations, so I usually have to include as much in these roughs as you’ll see in the final piece.

Sometimes though, the picture will take on a whole new dimension or direction when you come to ink it. My tendency to let rip with the markers or brush pens when inking and not exactly knowing how things will eventually turn out, gives me a big buzz, seeing it come together in all its inky splattered glory.

As Johnny from the Fast Show would say, ‘Black, paint it black!’

Zom B

Posted 24/09/2012 by warren65

I’ve had to keep a low profile on this project for a while, but now it can be told! I’ve been drawing the interior illustrations for best selling author, Darren Shan’s new series of gorily gruesome books for teens, Zom B, the first of which comes out this week, Thursday the 27th!

There’ll be a total of 12 books eventually, coming out every three months or so and I’ve been commissioned to draw the whole series. It’s kind of like a dream commission for me; I get to draw zombie kids eating their teachers and make it as dark as I possibly can. They’re a cracking read too, so for all you zom heads out there that haven’t had the pleasure of Darren’s work yet, or for all those countless Shansters who’ve just happened to stumble across lil’ ol’ me’s blog thing, check out this link to the latest news on book launches and where to get your copy of the first book via the website of Mr. Master of Horror himself.

A big thank you to Darren, of course and to Nick at Simon and Shuster for getting me on board and extra special thanks to Hannah Abbo and everyone at Advocate, my illustration agents for linking us all up!