Martin Squires Automotive Illustration: 2012

Tuesday, 11 December 2012

New Painting Work

I'm currently working on a series of paintings which I hope to exhibit in 2013. They are based around various motorcycles, I will be including various motorcycles from enthusiasts and builders. I'm really excited about this project and I will be posting updates in the coming months. Until then here are a couple of images to wet your appetite:

Vincent Rapide

(digital painting)

Produced as a study to quickly work out the composition and palette for the full oil painting.

Studio shot showing my setup and the underpainting of the Vincent.

Oil Wash over Underpainting, to be continued....

Motorcycle Live 2012 with Royal Enfield

After attending the Watsonian Squire Centenary celebration at Stoneleigh Park earlier this year I was invited to sketch on the Royal Enfield and Watsonian Squire stand at this years Motorcycle Live at the Birmingham NEC. This is a massive show with a lot of the big motorcycle manufacturers attending and putting on huge displays. I was very honoured to be sketching on the Royal Enfield stand as they are producing some very lovely bikes, including their latest model to be released next year the Cafe Racer. Thanks to Ben and the team at Royal Enfield for inviting me along and being so accommodating to what is essentially a sketching busker. For more information on Royal Enfield, Watsonian Squire and the Motorcycle Live event please click on the following links:

royalenfield.com

watsonian-squire.com

motorcyclelive.co.uk

Royal Enfield Cafe Racer Concept

(A2 ink sketch)

On the Watsonian Squire stand they featured the SBW Motorrad a sidecar for the BMW R1200. This was a great challenge to sketch as it is a very complicated beast. The ink sketch was done at the show and the water colour was added back in the studio as I felt it needed more definition in order to make the various elements of the design more apparent.

BMW R1200 & SBW Motorrad Sidecar Outfit

(A2, water colour over ink sketch)

EFI 500 Engine Detail

(A4 ink sketch)

Royal Enfield Bullet EFI

(A4 ink sketch)

Royal Enfield Bullet EFI

(A4 ink sketch)

Inky hands in action

I'm actually sitting on what I found out was a child's camping chair which I managed to break during one sitting. A bit of gaffer soon sorted it out and it lasted the rest of the weekend.

Seeing that I had time to spend with the Royal Enfield's I decided to try some larger sketches, I really enjoyed working at this size and will definitely be doing more of this when sketching conditions are favourable.

Harry Potter Sidecar

Barbour Sidecar Outfit

Backstreet Heroes and Streetfighters Custom Bike Show

After seeing this Triumph Drag Bike at the show I had to take the opportunity to sketch it. It turns out it's one of the latest builds to come out of Barons Speed Shop in Croydon. These guys are real vintage Triumph addicts and it really shows in the simplicity and period detail they include in their builds.

1953 Triumph T100, drag bike

(A3 ink sketch)

This bike is going to be raced next year so not just a show pony, great stuff. for more information on Barons Speed Shop please visit their website:

www.baronspeedshop.com

Next to the Triumph was this very neat BSA A65 Lightning

Saddletramp Sportster

Based on a 1989 Harley Sportster.

Coventry Transport Museum Display

Coventry Transport Museum had a great display of old bikes:

1962 Francis Barnett 'Fulmar 88'

1912 Rudge TT Special

1926 Rex Acme TT

1916 Lea Francis

1903 Riley 'Moto Bi' motor bycycle

Carol Nash Display

Vic Jeffords Carousel

As featured in Back Street Heroes

More metal flake than the human eye can withstand!

Harley Street Bike

Manx Norton

This 1958 Bantam got my vote in the Build in Britain Competition.

Other Highlights

Mitesse Triumph

Norton TT Bike

I like the rough an ready feel to this bike.

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

Kop Hill Climb Report 2012

Kop Hill has been used by motorcycles since 1910. Cars were first raced on the hill in 1911 at the Essex Motor Cycling Club's meeting on the 13th May. The hill was then used occasionally until the 1920s when it's reputation as one of the most important hill climbs was established. In 1925 an accident involving a spectator and car caused the RAC Stewards to ban the Essex MC meeting. This incident in turn brought a ban to all road events in Britain. The Kop Hill Climb was not used until 1999 when the Bean Motor Club ran the first event in 74 years. It is now established as an annual two day event .

This year I finally made it to the Kop Hill Climb. I'd heard a huge amount about the event and it had been strongly recommended by many people on my travels. I definitely wasn't disappointed, a huge range of cars and bikes of all ages turned up to climb this unusual hill climb.

For more information on the Kop Hill Climb please Visit the website:

http://www.kophillclimb.org.uk

1923 Bequet Delage

(ink sketch)

This Stunning 12 litre Delage was my first subject on the Saturday. With it's great lines and engine emerging from the bonnet, the design of the car has been executed with such elegance that I had to take the opportunity to sketch this wonderful car.

1952 Jensen Bodied Austin A40 Sports

(ink sketch)

On my first glance of this car I thought "That's a bit small for an american car", of course it turned out to be an A40.

This was a particularly original example of the Jensen bodied A40 designed by Eric Neale

1949 Nor-Vin Hybrid Manx

(ink sketch)
I'm always fascinated by the organic heart like design of H.R.D. engines and coupled with the Manx Norton this was a real joy sketch.

1924 Trojan Utility

(ink sketch)

After having sketched a Trojan cycle motor a while back at Mallory I was thrilled to see this Trojan car made by the same Croydon based company. Unfortunately the mascot was not on the radiator when I was sketching it early on the Sunday Morning.