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Steve Whyman 

The Pencil King

I was born in Nottingham in 1955 and I think from a very early age my parents realised I was somewhat artistic - I used to shade and blend colours together even in children’s colouring books! I don’t know where it comes from, none of my relatives, past or present have a similar gift. I went through school in the normal way with no extra tuition in art, everybody just thought of me as being "a bit good at it". On leaving school, I wanted to get a career with some kind of artistic input, but my careers teacher said "no, you’d be better off getting into the electronics industry" – which I must admit, was one of my other interests. So at 17 I started working for BT in telecoms, and that’s where I stayed for the next 23 years, so it probably wasn’t such a bad move after all. Whilst in full time employment with BT, I tried to make use of my artistic talent. At work, because I was in the planning and design department, it gave me certain opportunities to use my skills. At home, because I was interested in dog training and dog shows, this gave me a constant source of work, drawing people’s pets! – this still continues today, when time allows. 

My interest in bikes started in the early sixties when my cousin and me were taken by my uncle to places like Mallory and Cadwell in the back of an old A30 van to watch the racing. When I was in my early teens, me and a friend used to cycle from Nottingham to Mallory Park in Leicester to watch the more "important" meetings
like "The Race Of The Year". I remember my excitement when I saw the first of the "Transatlantic Trophy" races! Americans like Gary Nixon and Dave Aldana riding like I’d never seen before, with full face helmets and coloured leathers! Wow!           

I suppose my hero then became Barry Sheene, one of the first to bring a touch of glamour and personality to the sport. I was also interested in Formula 1 from a very early age, although this probably died along with Ayrton Senna a few years back. All forms of motor sport interest me. Other than bikes, I still like to watch rallying, moto cross etc and we try to get to Santa Pod a few times a year to watch the drag racing (if you’ve never been, give yourself a treat).

During the late eighties, like most big companies, BT was privatised and the inevitable redundancies started to happen. So in 1996 I decided it was time to take my redundancy package and try the "art thing" full time. The plan was to draw dogs and pets, and as I had plenty of contacts in that area, getting the work would be no problem. However, as a bit of a change, I decided to draw a few motorbikes – my other passion. Because my friends and relatives thought they were so good, I asked the people at Clay Cross Powersports - which is about 15 miles up the road from me – if they’d like to put them up on display in their new bike showroom. A few weeks later, John Winthrope was there with the Calendar at an open day, he saw my work, asked if I’d like to work with him and that was it really. We’ve been working together ever since!

I still live in Nottinghamshire, but now in the north of the county. Me and my partner Dawn have been together for about 10 years. Dawn works as a laboratory technician at a large school about 3 miles from home. We do not have any children.
As I said earlier, as a hobby we train dogs and compete in Obedience competitions – although over the past few years I seem to have less time for competitions. Fortunately, Dawn shares my interest in bikes (how else could I get away with pictures hanging all around the house) and loves to ride pillion – only when it’s warm though! We usually take our main holidays in the summer by touring around the Alps on the bike. Recent bikes have been; a VFR, RRV Fireblade, RRX Fireblade and currently a Blackbird – yes, you can tour 2 up with luggage on a Fireblade! 

I’m very lucky in the work that I do, and I basically get paid for doing my hobby! I don’t earn a fortune, but then you can’t put a price on being happy in your work. I work from home so I don’t have to endure the rush hour every morning and night, and generally work at my own pace, although sometimes things get a bit rushed with deadlines to meet. I often work long hours and weekends, but then again, sometimes I do "sod all"! I get to go to all the big races, all the big shows, and meet most of the top riders and big names in the bike world. Some of my friends see it as being a bit glamorous but I can assure you, it’s work – it’s good fun – but it’s work.

    
I’ll try and answer some of the more commonly asked questions that people ask me.

"Which do you like doing best, black and white or colour"?

Well, the medium I’m most at home with is the pencil. All my life I’ve done pencil drawings, so there’s about 40 years of experimenting behind me. I’ve never read any books on how to draw or been taught by anyone so my style and techniques are unique to me. In each drawing I will use about 30 different types of pencil, dozens of different types of erasers (for effect, not mistakes) scalpels, knives, brushes, cloths, sand paper, wet n dry, a drawer full of different bits and pieces etc etc. But I’m very confident with my methods, although I still learn new tricks, even today.
The airbrush by comparison is a relatively new medium for me, and consequently very exciting. Again, I’m completely self-taught, I don’t want to be influenced by anyone else, so I make mistakes, but hey, that’s how we all learn! Airbrushing has so many variables; the type of airbrush, compressor, air pressure, paint type and thickness, how you control the brush, the type of masking, the support you’re spraying on, the list is endless! Again, it takes many years to get good at it and the learning process is continuous but the results can be staggering. This is where I get to be a bit of a snob and say that you often see bikes and helmets "airbrushed". Well there’s a world of a difference between a paint sprayer airbrushing and an artist airbrushing – know what I mean?
So the answer is, both, for different reasons. The best picture is usually the one you’ve just finished!

                                            

"How long does it take to complete a picture"?

That depends on the picture. A pencil drawing usually takes between 2 and 4 weeks. An airbrushed picture between 3 and 6 weeks. A pencil drawing is easy to pick up and put down. You can do ten minutes work, stop, take the dog for a walk, come back to it and carry on, nothing spoils, and nothing changes. With airbrushing you need to allocate hours of concentration and careful planning or things can go horribly wrong. How much you enjoy doing the particular picture you happen to be working on has a big influence on how quickly you crack on with it. Some pieces are just "hard work" if you don’t feel inspired. Whereas others are like a drug and you just can’t leave them alone! Some days I’ve worked for 18 hours if things are going good. The time of year also plays a part. If it’s a dull cold day, staying in and working is easy. But when the sun comes out, you’ve just got to get out on the bike or take the dogs out – living in England, you just have to make the most of the small amount of good weather that we get! 

"Do you use photographs to work from"?

Yes, although unless it’s a particularly good shot, I change things around. Very often I’ll have an idea of a particular angle but no actual photograph exists. In a case like that I’ll just have dozens of photos on the drawing board and basically invent something. As an example, the colour picture of Aaron Slight is actually "manufactured" from a picture of Colin Edwards, different leathers, helmet, bike number etc. Sometimes I use images "grabbed" from the TV coverage using the computer. I also make great use of Photoshop on the computer to manipulate things.
The photographer that used to supply me with pictures during the last couple of years, was a very good friend of mine who was unfortunately killed during practice for the 2002 Manx GP, so for 2003, we’ll have to source our photographs elsewhere. 

"Do you draw other things other than bikes"?

Yes, but when the bike racing season starts, until late November, nearly all my work is for Crossbow. During the few short months in between, I’ll try and do a few dog pictures that I’ve promised people, and any other projects for myself – maybe a couple of helmets or so. 

ABOUT THE PICTURES

In this section I’ll try and explain a little about the artwork
. 
All the pictures we print at Crossbow are limited editions – except for the small road bike prints. What this means is that when the original artwork goes to the printers, they print the number that we ask for. For example, if a print is a limited edition of 500 copies, each of those prints is signed and numbered by me i.e. 1/500, 2/500 etc. A few extras are usually printed and we refer to these as "artists proofs".
They are exactly the same picture but are often given away as samples to the press or galleries or whatever. These are numbered AP 1/20, 2/20 etc meaning there are 20 proofs available. When the edition is sold out, it can never be reprinted again. Also the image cannot be used for any other purpose. What I mean is you will never see it on a tee shirt or a coffee mug or mouse mat. So you know you have something a little bit special.
The originals shown here are just that. Some have been used to produce prints, others have never been printed and are therefore totally unique. Why am I selling them? Well, literally they take up too much space and I can’t keep everything.
When you consider the amount of time and effort that has gone into producing them, the prices that I’m asking are ridiculous! How much do you earn in a month? Basically, for the price of an exhaust can, you’re getting a piece of art that will last a lifetime! Because pencil is not affected by light, the pencil drawings will look as good in 20 years time as they do now! Incidentally, if you have the chance of getting your picture autographed, try and get it signed in pencil, that way it will last forever!
If you are considering buying one of the pictures, it can be framed to your requirements – within reason! I have been framing pictures for about 25 years and have thousands of pounds worth of equipment to work with, so you can be assured of a good job.
The pictures you see on the screen are very low resolution. If you want to see a clearer image, contact me via Error! Bookmark not defined. I will then e mail you more information about the picture. None of the prices are definite and are subject to negotiation.
If you do buy an original, you DO NOT own the copyright. This means you will not be allowed to reprint, publish or copy the picture in any way without my (Steve Whyman) permission. The copyright remains with my estate even in the event of my death. This is not something that I’ve just invented, it is in fact, copyright law.


STEVE WHYMAN (THE PENCIL KING)