The Grey Stuff. A first proof

The first proofing of a new block and a new commission. A friend with whom I worked in the late sixties and early seventies me as Art Director and Steve as Copywriter asked me if I would like to illustrate a short story that he had written. The story is to be published in Fallon’s Angler and is about two boys who find that their favourite clay pit is being filled in with fly-ash from the local power station; to find out more you’ll just have to read the uplifting short story. I’ve produced the cut by drawing with the the cutting tools and apart from the original pencil sketch no pencil or pen work has been drawn onto the block. Sketching with a knife and gouge is probably the best way to describe the technique and the obvious title for the technique is ‘fast and loose’. The colours in the cut, the type on the sign and sack come next. As a footnote the park railings go back to when I was about fifteen, a school friend Bernie and I used to sneak into the local park having ‘revised’ the way some railings worked. A bit of judicious filing meant that we could lift the railings out sneak in before the ‘parkie’ opened up and fish before opening time by hiding in the bushes. The landing net is based on another school friend whose father found a net washed up on the beach, obviously used by commercial fishermen. His father welded and repaired it but it never folded up, it also stank to high heaven but he was so proud of it he took it everywhere. Even flies didn’t like it. Anyway, that’s where some of the inspiration for the images came from. Definitely more to follow.