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| I know what you're thinking - how did he get his trousers inside the cast? Simple - it's magic! |
Sometime around 1981, a fellow I used to do signwriting for asked
if I would produce a poster to advertise a car insurance scheme he was
promoting. So I did, and he was so pleased with it that he asked me to do
another one the same. The poster was bloody huge, measuring 3' wide by
2 1/2' high, so I wasn't about to start from scratch, having had to spread
the first one out on the floor and lie on my stomach to do it. Therefore,
being a reasonably clever laddie, I decided to photocopy the original
illustrations on the first poster, colour them by hand, and stick
another one the same. The poster was bloody huge, measuring 3' wide by
2 1/2' high, so I wasn't about to start from scratch, having had to spread
the first one out on the floor and lie on my stomach to do it. Therefore,
being a reasonably clever laddie, I decided to photocopy the original
illustrations on the first poster, colour them by hand, and stick
them onto the new one.
So that's what I did. I used EL TEMPO marker pens (remember
them?) for the lettering, which was very basic, but I had underestimated
the work involved in the initial illustrations in regard to the price, so I
wasn't going to knock myself out. (And I did this one cheaper because I
was using photocopies.) The lettering wasn't anything special, but I was
pleased with the drawings, which weren't bad for a 22 year-old.
them?) for the lettering, which was very basic, but I had underestimated
the work involved in the initial illustrations in regard to the price, so I
wasn't going to knock myself out. (And I did this one cheaper because I
was using photocopies.) The lettering wasn't anything special, but I was
pleased with the drawings, which weren't bad for a 22 year-old.
had been copied (freehand) from a small photo in a brochure, but they
were each too large to photocopy in one piece so I did them in sections
and then joined them together before affixing them to the new poster.
They were coloured in with a combination of felt markers and a flesh-
toned colouring pencil, as had the original (which had been drawn
with an ordinary Tempo writing pen).
were each too large to photocopy in one piece so I did them in sections
and then joined them together before affixing them to the new poster.
They were coloured in with a combination of felt markers and a flesh-
toned colouring pencil, as had the original (which had been drawn
with an ordinary Tempo writing pen).
I don't quite know why this poster has been lying in my cupboard for
over thirty years. Going by the tack-marks and the dirt, it's definitely
hung on an office or workshop wall, so I can only assume I was given it
back at some stage to produce yet another copy, and then perhaps the
insurance company went bust or the fellow for whom I did the poster
ended his association with them. Who knows?
back at some stage to produce yet another copy, and then perhaps the
insurance company went bust or the fellow for whom I did the poster
ended his association with them. Who knows?
years when I was capable of turning things out practically overnight.
The fate of the original poster remains unknown.
2 comments:
"...early years when I was capable of turning things out practically overnight."
Boy, did that phrase ever strike a chord. There are times when I look at an old piece of work, and wonder how on earth I could sit up all night to get it done. Don't know if if it's a case of get-up-and-go-has-got-up-and-gone, or just plain laziness, but there's no way I could pull an all-nighter these days.
cheers
B Smith
Thing is, B, I used the word 'overnight' to mean that I had the poster ready for the next day. I only spent a couple of hours (maybe three) in the evening on it. Although, when I was freelancing full-time for IPC and Marvel, etc., there were occasions when I had to do 'all-nighters' in order to meet tough deadlines. I doubt that I could do it either these days.
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