Cartoon – Page 2 – Natural adventures

7093. Dean Lane skate park (857)

Hemper has had an interesting year so far, at one point there was no stopping him, producing multiple pieces in multiple styles, after which he went a little quiet, but recently he has returned with another burst of energy and a short-form theme to his lettering, of which this piece is typical.

The cartoon-style letters, spelling HEMS, are made rather more cartoony with the inclusion of character features in the ‘E’ and ‘S’. What sets this apart from other similar pieces of writing is that it oozes class, confidence and experience, from the yellow spiky splash background to the sharp black and white borders. There are only a few artists who can carry off small pieces like this with such perfection.

7092. Purdown (92)

It is a genuine joy to find Slakarts’ work, and this one up at Purdown is a real beauty. There was a time when Slakarts was painting very regularly, but I am guessing that the real world has caught up with him, and he tends to paint only a handful of times a year.

This is a wonderful hybrid piece, taking his stylised cartoon character and turning it into an abstract cornucopia of colour, shapes and fill designs. The piece perfectly fits the concrete slab and somehow captures the mood of an English summer’s day. More please.

7032. River Avon (86)

I am writing this post (last night) in a lonely hotel room in Warrington. Tomorrow, I am attending the launch of a new National Nature Reserve just outside the town, something I have been working on for a few months. It will be great to see the partnership project come to life.

This piece by Zake is a superb example of his work, and he has really managed to keep the whole thing very neat and tidy. Although it doesn’t look like it, the piece is quite large, and on a wall he decorated back in August

As with all of his portrait pieces, he has created great depth using light and shade to lift the face from the wall, deceiving the eye. Big teeth and a lack of pupils in the eye, give the character a sinister appearance, which is a bit of a Zake trademark. Below is his previous piece in this spot.

7019. L Dub (67)

I have to keep reminding myself what ABC stands for, and it is, of course, Art Beat Crew, which is a collection of friends and artists who operate mostly out of Lawrence Weston. This is a really funky cartoon-style portrait piece by the fabulous character artist Dun Sum.

Although he occasionally makes the journey into Bristol centre, Dun Sum paints most of his pieces on the subway walls in Lawrence Weston. It is a quiet backwater, with plenty of wall space and little disturbance. It also has a very small footfall, mainly graffiti artists and dog-walkers, so few get to see his talent. This is a beautifully presented character with big hair and beard, although cleverly Dun Sum has painted the moustache and eyebrows in a slightly different tone and style. Reflections in the goggles add a nice touch. A bit of fun from Dun Sum at L Dub.

6988. Sparke Evans Park (130)

Zake, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2025

I don’t really need to dwell too much on haw Zake has been smashing it lately, his skill is matched by his creativity, and in this piece he has really gone to town. I also like the fact that Zake has returned us to the wonderful colour combination of pink and blue.

Zake has combined three faces into one, to create something that looks like a primitive deity or something like that. The expressions on the faces, running left to right are contentment via uncertainty to some kind of evil rage. An interesting piece with lots to enjoy about it.

6978. M32 roundabout (690)

Dun Sum, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2025

There is something rather special and unique about Dun Sum’s incredible creations. He doesn’t come into the centre of Bristol often, but when he does, his work always makes an impact. Often, Dun Sum will paint approximations of real creatures, but there is usually a bit of a twist, and sometimes complete fantasy. This chameleon, however, is identifiable as such, with only a little artistic cartoon licence.

Having had a household chameleon pet ‘George’ a few years back, I am rather partial to any piece representing the charming little lizards. There is plenty of charm and humour in this piece, something Dun Sum excels at, and great to see him paint on the roundabout for Hypo’s birthday paint jam.

6960. St Werburghs tunnel (503)

Zake has been smashing it consistently for months and years. His cartoon-style characters peer out from walls all over the city and have become a familiar sight for anyone who chooses to open their eyes.

This is an eye-catching piece in the tunnel, painted alongside numerous other artists, during a paint jam about two or three weeks ago. In this rather sinister piece, the character is wielding a dripping syringe, looking as if there is some ill intent at work. As ever, lots of light and shade creating depth in the character, and a little bit of a story too.

6931. Purdown (89)

Only a few days ago I posted a piece by Mr Penfold, a collaboration with Mul that was at least a year old, and now I present a contemporary piece by the artist containing the same endearing character, that has a passing resemblance to Disney’s Pluto.

I love it when artists who make a living from their commissions and studio designs and illustrations, take a little bit of time out and decorate our streets. It feels like they are doing it for love and joy rather than for money, and there is something about that that is a refreshing break from the avaricious world that we live in. Thank you Mr Penfold for brightening up my day.

6873. Dean Lane skate park (823)

In the Dean Lane skate park there are a lot of ramps and slopes that provide a perfect canvass for street artists. There are two drawbacks: the first is that they are a challenge to paint and the second is that they get scuffed up pretty quickly by the skating, scootering and biking activity.

I think I got to this cheeky Zake portrait piece reasonably soon after it was painted, because it is in quite good condition. This is a classic Zake portrait, with lots of expression, and plenty of contours and depth. A fine small piece from the cartoon character specialist.

6823. Dean Lane skate park (816)

There is no question about it, Stivs is an extremely talented artist. Whether it is his extraordinarily tight calligraffiti, his cartoon characters or his portrait pieces, his natural ability shines through in all of his work. Recently he painted this stunning portrait piece in Dean Lane, bringing enjoyment to many.

I don’t know whether it is easier or more difficult to paint portrait pieces in single tones or in full colour, but either way, I am in awe of anyone who carries it off. This is a beautiful cartoon portrait piece, that feels like it has a Japanese film influence, but I am only guessing. The different tones and shades in the face create wonderful depth, and the subtle streaks in the hair hint at the shape and style of it. An outstanding and quite unexpected piece.

	paulh121 on 7403. Dean Lane skate park…
	hitandrun1964 on 7402. Stapleton Road
	paulh121 on 7402. Stapleton Road
	Loveswing on Winter afternoon
	scooj on 7400. St Werburghs tunnel…

	paulh121 on 7403. Dean Lane skate park…
	hitandrun1964 on 7402. Stapleton Road
	paulh121 on 7402. Stapleton Road
	Loveswing on Winter afternoon
	scooj on 7400. St Werburghs tunnel…

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