Live Drawing - Christmas Party

18:40 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments


I was at a Christmas party and took on the task of entertaining the kids with my grand selection of pens, pencils, crayons, felt-tip pens and paper. Below are some of the cartoons I produced as well as one of baby Henry.

Tough Mudder Charity Team

23:34 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments


Above is the cartoon. Below is the original photo. I did this and the cartoons below in the Live Drawing style within the hour. 







Live Drawing - DUP politicians

18:40 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments


I spent the Saturday of November 23 2013 with the Arts Council NI at the DUP Conference drawing politicians and the proceedings. To see a selection of my drawings of the proceedings click here. To see a selection of my drawings of the politicians click and see below.

Also see my blog post on drawing Edwin Poots here.

QUB Literific Debate

23:30 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments

Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers delivering an address to the QUB Literific Debating Society
Full selection of sketches of the debaters, including my cartoon of Theresa Villiers below left.

#DUP13 Conference

18:43 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments




The Arts Council Northern Ireland asked me to come an draw DUP politicians and delegates at the DUP Conference 2013. See my drawings at the Arts Council NI workshop day at W5 in the Odyssey Belfast here.

St Joseph's Craft Fair

18:48 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments


Less sweaty, stinky, lumbering politicians. More nice, polite little children. On Sunday 8 December I was doing live drawing at Saint Joseph's Primary School in Crumlin. As you can see from the picture above it was like being trasported back to my primary 4 class of 1994/1995 - Lots of kids enjoying the euphoria of a good cartoon!

I lost count of how many cartoons I actually produced. Tried to take a picture of every piece but missed a few. Click below to see a sample and selection of pieces from the day. Enjoy.

Live Drawing - Pub Guys

18:52 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments


A doodle of some guy I met in the The John Hewitt bar in Belfast. More doodles of his mates below:

Thriftway 2013

18:49 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments


Mukesh Sharma asked me to come along to the Thriftway 2013 Christmas party at the Crumlin Road Gaol. Above and below you can see a selection of cartoons I did of the attendees during the proceedings.

Civic Conversation, Belfast

18:59 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments


The above pencil and pen sketch with colour is my interpretation of the below:

Peace Journalism Workshop

18:58 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments


I had the enjoyment of attending the Peace Journalism workshop during the day of Friday November 29, covered by Alan in Belfast here. He wrote on Slugger O'Toole:
"The phrase “peace journalism” was found wanting by organisers and delegates alike at today’s workshop in Belfast. Partly because the journalistic ethics that apply to conflict equally apply to peace (and every other situation), and also because Northern Ireland may be on a transition between conflict and peace, but it’s definitely not yet altogether post-conflict. 
The main speakers (Deaglan de Breadun, Mike Gilson, Jane Morrice and Malachi O’Doherty) and panellists (Laura Haydon, Alex Kane, Lyra McKee and Julia Paul) all had differently nuanced articulations of the role of individual journalists (and media organisations more generally) in covering conflict and peace, and differing notions of what constituted truth, justice and public interest."
Check out my cartoons from the day above and below:

Arts Council NI, Creative Learning and Discovery Day

20:52 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments

  

On Wednesday 6 November 2013 I had the eminent pleasure and privilege to attend the Arts Council Northern Ireland staff and client day out to W5 at the Odyssey in Belfast as the rapportage illustrator. My brief was to capture events and to produce a cascade of illustrative candour. It still fascinates me, that we have the most unimaginable photographic and camera technology at our finger tips, yet men, women and children are awe-struck by the artist that can translate the fluid moment into a material object. It was this irresistible draw and awe to the almost-magical that first drew me into this area of cartooning people. 

What was extra special was that I was given the opportunity to showcase my drawings from the morning during the afternoon session. They say that imitation is the surest form of flattery. For me as a cartoonist, laughter if the finest form of compliment, because then you know you've captured the person and added a humorous extra. So let it be said, there were plenty of laughs. Taking to the podium also gave me the chance to talk about my morning's work and to also share my journey or "pilgrimage", as Grayson Perry calls it, from being an aspiring lawyer to artist.

Below you will see a selection of cartoons which I produced during the event of the various speakers. Hope you enjoy and please contact me on brianjohnspencr@gmail.com if you would like me to come to your event!

Live Drawing with Ian Knox

18:55 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments


I had the great honour of drawing with the Northern Ireland treasure Ian Knox at the Black Box Belfast during the Belfast Comedy Festival. My blog post with photos of Ian Knox here. Check out above and below some images of me drawing with my great cartooning hero Ian Knox!

Culture Night, Belfast

19:13 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments


Below are a selection of photos from my evening of live cartooning at Culture Night in Belfast. Also shown here

'Drink And Draw' At Loft Belfast (8.x.13)

20:44 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments


Below you will find a selection of images from an evening of Life Drawing on August 8 2013 at Loft Studios, Belfast.



'Drink and Draw' at Loft Belfast (30.vii.13)

19:15 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments


Check out the selection of my work below from an evening of life drawing at Loft Belfast, the art collective, 99 North Street.

Wedding Couple - Formal Cartoon

18:19 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments


Above is a more formal, sit-down cartoon I produced in June 2013 for a soon to be married couple. By sit-down I mean I didn't do it in real time. Though I did do some real-time sketches of the couple. I visited them in their house to do some live drawing of them before producing the final cartoon. See below the sketches I did with pencil, pen and ink.

'Drink And Draw' At Loft Belfast (19.Vi.13)

19:21 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments


The lovely picture above is one taken by a member of The Loft Collective (@loftbelfast) - a shared studio that hosts an exciting group of artists in the north side of Belfast city centre. The above event was a night eponymously called 'Drink and Draw' - held June 18 2013: Life drawing with alcohol in suit. Always good for freeing up the creative impulses and loosening the hand and wrist. Carrying on Ronald Searle's bibulous tradition supremely.

Click the link below and check out a selection of my drawings from the night:

Northern Ireland Boxing Club

18:26 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments


Check out my cartoons in pencil from an evening of amateur boxing.

Gems NI, Kestrel Conference

18:04 Brian John Spencer 0 Comments

 
I had the pleasure of being invited along to the GEMS NI Kestrel Conference on the morning of Wednesday 20 March 2013. The event was presented by the well known voice of Seamus McKee who presents BBC Radio Ulster Evening Extra and who you can see in the cartoon selection below. It also had a number of famous political faces in attendance including the two Junior Ministers, the DUP's Jonathan Bell (above inside right) and Sinn Fein's Jennifer McCann (above far right). There were of course many more lesser known faces in attendance which provided great material for me to work with!
 
 
  580878_10151465246743260_1445501161_n
482304_10151465245968260_368850608_n

It was a great event and you can read more about it here and here. I have included a selection of photos of the pictures I drew on the day. I drew many more and because of the speed of production I missed the opportunity to record many of the images.Above right is my graphic depiction of Susan Russam, Chief Executive of GEMS NI. Below is a further selection of cartoons.