I probably won’t be updating this blog for the foreseeable future, but I’ll still be posting on instagram…https://www.instagram.com/gavin.dittybox/

My new book with author Gillian Candler will be out Oct 2023 and can be found in NZ bookstores and on the publisher’s site… 
https://www.pottonandburton.co.nz/product/mia-leo-go-wild/?

Goodtime doodling...

I recently was commissioned by Goodtime Music Academy to doodle illustrations for their brand launch. Goodtime are an awesome music school based in the Wellington region, and they're mobile! They take lessons to schools with a fleet of buses decked out with instruments. goodtimemusicacademy.co.nz

 

Fake Facts

Illustrations for an article about fake facts article in Connected Magazine written by Aimee Cronin. Digital roughs then hand drawn finals...

Recent School Journal work

Recent illustration for the Ministry of Ed's School Journal. Thanks Ed! For a story by Tim Upperton.

1st the digital rough. Next the untouched original, drawn with pen and ink, wood gel and Copic markers. Then the final colour-tweaked version without the doodles where the text will be.

Random stuff

A random post of commissions and doodles and a tub of coconut ice cream...

Updates shmupdates

I stopped putting stuff here,. Not sure if I even need a blog or website anymore. Stuff’s on my instagram or twitter or facebook.

Anyhoo, here’s something. Started an unscripted/unscheduled/unplanned/unkempt, panel-by-panel #comic. It might go nowhere...

Timelapse doodling

A time-lapse doodle I did for Warehouse Stationary. Not sure where or when it played, but those prices might not be current. this was the last of many attempted doodles. I started off just doodling something different for each take, and had a lot of false starts from smudges, drawing out of shot, inappropriate content (beheaded robot space snake) and just not liking the results. Then I decided to sketch out a plan. The brief was simply to draw something with Sharpies, then photograph it with the new Samsung.

The final art...



and roughs concept doodles...

2018 catch up

Realised I didn't post any art from 2018. So will do some doodle dumps.
First, a bunch of stuff for the Ministry Of Ed.

Illustrations for a sci-fi story by Renata Hopkins in the Lvl 3 Connected...

A 2-part time-travel story in the Lvl 2 School Journals 2017 & 2018, by Sarah Johnson...

And some sharks, from Lvl 3 School Journal 2018...

Happy 1893 election day!

124 years ago today women in NZ voted for the first time in a general election. First time IN THE WORLD! The Electoral Act 1893 passed on the 19th Dec declaring all women, regardless of race/ethnicity, eligible to vote. It had taken three rounds of petitioning from Kate Sheppard and the suffrage campaigners to get the act passed, the last of which had 32,000 signatures. They then had less than ten weeks before election day, but in that time more than 80% of eligible women (over 21) had enrolled to vote, and 85% of those voted on the day (far greater than the 70% turnout from enrolled males).

This year Annual 2 came out. I was asked by the editors Kate De Goldi and Susan Paris to develop something with Kate Sheppard running a sausage sizzle. It evolved into an 8 page time displacement story. Here's some process doodles and final art for one of the spreads.

click for a closer looksee...

Annual 2 is available from NZ book stores and online from
Potton and Burton.

Whanganui Journey...

Toroa's Journey, to the shops

I have a new book out in book stores for Potton & Burton and written by Maria Gill. It's an honour to be collaborating with Maria, and I'm looking forward to meeting her in person finally at Paige's Book Gallery in Whanganui (details to come). For now, here's a couple of the interior spreads. That plastic patch one is a mixed media of paint and actual plastic trash collected from Kapiti beach near my coastal nest.

Game Of Awesome

A few years ago I illustrated a game for NZ schools called Game Of Awesome. The commission involved creating separate illustrations for 200 cards, plus wraparounds for 5 boxes and an instruction booklet. As it was designed to inspire kids in their creative writing, the best thing about the job was that the subject range was broad and perfectly ridiculous in every way. Chrometoaster, the awesome company who came up with the game and designed it for the Ministry Of Ed, wanted doodles on every surface. So there's always more for kids to find.

It picked up a Best Award for Public Good last year, along with the coveted Purple Pin at the New Zealand Best Awards. Tonight it picked up a bunch of awards at the Australian Good Design Awards, including the 2017 design of the year for all categories. The Chrome Toaster press release has more info.
Here's some hastily taken shots of the packaging. You can click 'em to embiggenate...