Blog Home! Welcome to Lost in the Woods, my illustration blog! Here you will find sketches, new work and news. You can subscribe to email updates, or click here to visit my portfolio!

Strange Alchemy Showcase: Excavation Site Alpha

February 22nd, 2008 Ben Powis

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Back when I started putting things into books they were all handmade, I still have a couple of them in my physical portfolio, so I thought it would be fun to show some of them on here, because I hardly ever get to show them to people, and I like the content in some of these old things!

This one is Excavation Site Alpha, its a little fantasy book, if you like, about a secret natural history discovery, and the documentation of the creatures that were found there, this narrative is explained on the first page, then the rest of the book is a concertina of hand printed images that started life as pen and ink drawings.

Excavation Site Alpha Excavation Site Alpha

The book was inspired by my fascination of 18th Century naturalists and the voyages they undertook, I’d love to travel back in time and go on one myself, but I can’t, so I made Excavation Site Alpha instead, as a way of taking me on my own mini adventure.

Only this single copy exists now! This book inspired by book of prints, Strange Creatures I, which is available to buy in the Strange Alchemy Bookshop if your interested in hand printed creatures!

Illustration Friday: Theory

February 20th, 2008 Ben Powis

Here is my picture for this weeks Illustration Friday, Theory…

Theory

The Theory was simple enough, so the old scriptures said. Exactly the correct weight of frogs mixed in with the other regents would yield a mixture capable of turning water into liquid gold, there was only one way to find out…

Liveline Comic Art Exhibition 2008

February 18th, 2008 Ben Powis

Liveline
I am lucky enough to be showing work at the Liveline Comics Open 2008!

What?
The show will feature work from 30 Uk based independent comic artists. On show from me will be Turtle Guitar, in its full printed comic format, 2 pages from my new comic, which no one has seen yet (and it’s title is a closely guarded secret! ohhh, ahhh!) and one page of original artwork (exciting eh!).

Where?
The Riverside Gallery
Old Town Hall,
Whittaker Avenue,
Richmond.
TW9 1TP (for your sat nav! ;) )

When?
The exhibition runs from Tuesday 4th March, until the 12th of April, and admission is FREE!

I’m really excited to have my comic work on show here and I hope anyone who can make it will come along and check out all the great work which I am sure will be on display!

Thank you!

Where to get my books: February 2008

February 17th, 2008 Ben Powis

Strange Alchemy

Hello!
I was in London yesterday, and got to take a few copies of Turtle Guitar around. I stopped by the London Underground Comics stall too, and picked up some fantastic stuff! Below is a list of where you can currently pickup my books and comics:

  • Gosh! Comics, Great Russel Street, London – Whale Hunt & Turtle Guitar
  • HERE Shop & Gallery, Stokes Croft, Bristol – Whale Hunt & Strange Creatures I
  • Traveling Man shops in Leeds – The below Traveling Man shops have Turtle Guitar
  • Traveling Man Manchester
  • Traveling Man Newcastle
  • Traveling Man York
  • London Underground Comics stall, Camden Lock Market, every Saturday! – Whale Hunt & Turtle Guitar

And of course if you can’t get to any of these shops, you can buy all the books at my online shop! Thanks once again to all the people/places listed above, it wouldn’t be possible to share my work in this way without your support.

Sketchbook character doodles

February 14th, 2008 Ben Powis

Character Doodles

Here’s a scan of some sketchbook doodles from today, just some little characters getting up to mischief!

Today is Valentines day, and on this day something very special has been born from the love, ladies and gentlemen, I present The Meeemooo!

Traveling Man

February 11th, 2008 Ben Powis

My comic Turtle Guitar is now available in Traveling Man stores in Leeds, York, Newcastle and Manchester, so go hunt it out in its full colour fantastical glory!

I also heard that Traveling Man Newcastle are having a Small Press Rodeo this coming Saturday (how cool is that!), which will feature Turtle Guitar, as well as, I am sure, a ton of other fantastic small press work, so if you can, check it out – I wish I could go!

Thanks very much Traveling Man!

Illustration Friday: Choose…

February 8th, 2008 Ben Powis

Illustration Friday! This weeks subject is ‘Choose’…

choose.jpg

The thick woodland mist waxed and wained, peeling away in front of our heroes eyes, as it revealed one of its many secrets.
Two wooden doors stood in front of him, built into ancient stonework. He sniffled the air, it was damp and grisly. There was a cracking of rock, as the rest of the forest hung in unusual silence, and he beheld a pair of old eyes open from within the stone. ‘I am the overseer of the doors’ it uttered in a sharp voice, ‘and now you must Choose’…

One day this might become a comic :)

London Underground Comics

February 8th, 2008 Ben Powis

The guys at London Underground Comics are doing a great service to the UK small press scene, by providing a way for small pressers to get their work ‘out there’, to the people.

They have been kind enough to take some copies of Turtle Guitar and Whale Hunt! So why not get on down to Camden Lock Market this Saturday (and every Saturday!) and pickup a copy (and one for each of your friends too)!

You can read more about the success of London Underground Comics in this article.

Illustration Friday: Blanket

February 4th, 2008 Ben Powis

Here is a picture I did for this weeks Illustration Friday topic, ‘blanket’.

The Unlucky Blanket

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