Illustrations, c. Kevin Sprouls
A few days ago, I was invited to go sailing with a good friend. This post, concerning mainly Illustrations of Ships and Sailing Adventure, is inspired by the fun we had.
I took a short video with my iphone 8…
We were on board a 41-foot European-made craft called an X-Yacht. She is sleek and fast, as you can see!
Several years ago, I made a large full-color illustration of an American boat-builder. Pictured here is Mr. Jack Leek, founder of Ocean Yachts:
Here he is on the dock, blueprints in hand. Quite the dapper gent in a world of rough types! The eye-patch does give him an essential swagger…
Below are two variations on an image of a viking ship:
This illustration was created for and published in The Wall Street Journal in the 1980’s. It’s a simple, straightforward drawing. The sea swells were fun to draw. I wanted to add some drama to this illustration, so I created an alternate take…
This image did not run in the WSJ!
Above is a design that was commissioned for a restaurant menu. I confess that I will look for any excuse to jump on a boat, but drawing them is almost as good!
A few years ago, I caught a documentary film about a very brave sailor named Ellen MacArthur. The title, “The Search for Speed” doesn’t quite convey the intensity and high-drama of her solo circumnavigation. This documentary is well worth seeing, and its heroic narrative brought tears to my eyes. Here’s a short clip describing her route — it does not come close to the movie, but it’s a taste: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v4RYcfIaxo
Here is another illustration of a tall ship I made. It’s just a spot illustration, but is elegant in its small way…
Finally, an illustration of mine on a grander scale. Here is the fabled Lighthouse at Pharos, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world:
That’s all for today. I hope you enjoyed this nautically-themed post. Smooth Sailing to You!