Tag: Character

5536. Dean Lane skate park (643)

Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023

What an absolute belter from Cheo, an artist who has lost none of his touch during his absence, and if anything has come back to painting on the streets with renewed vigour and creativity. It took me several attempts to get a clean shot of this piece in Dean Lane, because developers, who are working on the old Salvation Army building behind, had fenced off half of this wall, much to everyone’s irritation.

Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023

I understand, thank you Paul H for the insight, that the piece was influenced by the Rayman video games, something I would not and could not have ever known. The beast is so brilliantly painted, and has such depth and detail that few artists would be able to recreate. Just an awesome piece from an awesome artist.

5522. White Street (2)

Mr Penfold, White Street, Bristol, September 2023
Mr Penfold, White Street, Bristol, September 2023

I think that this is a reasonably old piece by Mr Penfold, but not to me it isn’t because I only recently tracked down this spot, after some considerable time looking for it. The side of this building in White Street has about five windows, beneath each of which is a nice flat rendered wall – perfect for painting.

Mr Penfold, White Street, Bristol, September 2023
Mr Penfold, White Street, Bristol, September 2023

I haven’t seen much on the streets by Mr Penfold for quite a while now, so finding this was rather pleasing. I think he is concentrating more on his studio design work, which is well worth a gander on his Instagram feed. Often Mr Penfold’s pieces are abstract designs, but every once in a while he paints a character, but they are usually peppered with abstract shapes as is the case here. I would love to see more of his str4eet pieces, but I guess he is out there being busy with his real work.

5521. Brunel Way (231)

Bean, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Bean, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023

Bean has more than made his mark in Bristol, and his characters have livened things up a great deal. He is on a roll and there doesn’t seem to be any stopping him. This colourful piece under Brunel Way, featuring two characters and some writing, shows how the young artist is quickly growing in confidence and improving his technical skills.

Bean, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Bean, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023

The characters that Bean paints have a very distinct look in a cartoon style that relies on using two tones of each colour in each section of the piece, light and dark, to create some depth. There isn’t much blending of colour or use of highlights, that some artists use to create depth. Bean’s writing is free in form, and very nicely filled. This is an artist who seems to be in a hurry and is turning out imaginative pieces at an alarming rate.

5508. Brunel Way 230

Mr Crawls, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Mr Crawls, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023

I am in Cleethorpes. This is something I never imagined I would say. I am here for work, and of course using the opportunity to find some street art and photograph a door or two. Watch this space in a month or two. This wall that Mr Crawls has chosen was painted three times in the space of a week, having been unpainted for months before that.

Mr Crawls, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Mr Crawls, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023

I really like this one from Mr Crawls, a return to the gull character in parrot colours. It is really well finished with sharp lines. What is new is the signature, it is the first time I have seen one, and now he seems to be sticking with it. We have seen a gull, a goose and a parrot. Does Mr Crawls have some more birds in his closet?

5503. Cumberland Basin

DFC1848, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2023
DFC1848, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2023

This is a fun little extra piece painted by DFC1848 during Werm’s birthday paint jam, sprayed in addition to his rather splendid blue and pink wolf. DFC1848’s portfolio of characters has expanded massively over the last couple of years, and he has a confidence and ease in his work.

DFC1848, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2023
DFC1848, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2023

I stopped to talk with DFC1848 for a little while at the Cheltenham Paint Festival, and he was as affable as ever, and introduced me to a couple of other artists he was painting with at the time. He is an artist who fills me with inspiration, as he has worked hard at developing his style and technique from a fairly low base only 3 or 4 years ago, before that he was like me a street art photographer and archivist.

5502. M32 roundabout J3 (511)

Mr Crawls, M32 roundabout, Bristol, Agust 2023
Mr Crawls, M32 roundabout, Bristol, Agust 2023

Mr Crawls’ work is always a pleasure to find, but not only that, there is a sense of fun with each of his bird characters, and the effect his pieces have on me is similar to the sensation I get when I find anything by Mr Underbite. Their concepts, although with different characters, have many similarities, and both present their heroes with a certain amount of pathos.

Mr Crawls, M32 roundabout, Bristol, Agust 2023
Mr Crawls, M32 roundabout, Bristol, Agust 2023

I am a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to photograph this one a little sooner because it has been tagged a little and it looks like some posters were plastered over the top of it too. This character is a goose wearing a rather warm looking hat. I imagine that the goose is resting from a cold weather migration – he reminds me a little of a WWII pilot, if you know what I mean. Nicely conceived and painted – lots more from the artist in my archives.

5493. New Stadium Road (52)

Werm, New Stadium Road, Bristol, September 2023
Werm, New Stadium Road, Bristol, September 2023

In the murky underpass for pedestrians, still with a blackened ceiling from a car arson attack in the spring, Werm has painted his magic letters alongside a character, which, although he has done combinations before, is quite rare. The character in this piece is a busty bikini-clad lady, presumably enjoying the last throes of summer.

Werm, New Stadium Road, Bristol, September 2023
Werm, New Stadium Road, Bristol, September 2023

Werm’s work is becoming ever more complex and disguised. The letters WERM are at the centre of the piece, with elaborate extensions emanating from the centre. The letters are actually quite thin, which you can see if you concentrate on the green, tan and black ‘camouflage’ fill. The blocky look of the piece is down to much of the rest of the available space being taken up with the deep 3D drop shadow. This is a great combination piece from an artist constantly looking to improve and push boundaries.

Update: Painted as part of the World Wall Stylers camouflage challenge.

5492. Dean Lane skate park (636)

Bean, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
Bean, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023

I really love it when a new artist becomes a regular on Natural Adventures, as it switches things up a little bit, and Bean has certainly made a massive impression in the short time he has been in Bristol. Bean is a master at creating character pieces, each one quite different from the last, but all of them in his very recognisable cartoon style.

Bean, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
Bean, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023

Bean uses a two-tone colour approach to each element of his work, to define light and shade, for example, two tones of pink for the character’s face, two tones of green for the hair, two tones of blue for the clothing and so on. I imagine that he drafts up his work digitally, using design software, and then faithfully recreates his work at scale. Of course, I might be wrong, as I frequently am.

5490. Dean Lane skate park (635)

Dibz and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2023
Dibz and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2023

There is no stopping these two at the moment, Dibz and Fade are on a roll and seem determined to make hay while the sun shines. The writing, by Dibz, is characteristically complex and perfectly finished, when is it ever not? The fill is a lovely earthy mix of colours in a style resembling army camouflage patterning. The 3D drop shadow has an icy cool feel to it, with a low central vanishing point, which works really well.

Dibz and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2023
Dibz and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2023

The superbly painted character, by Fade, is not known to me, but is probably, from the look of it, a Disney cartoon character. Since I and my children grew up, my knowledge of children’s cartoons has diminished and I often have to rely on Interweb searches to work out what people have painted. In this instance I have drawn a blank, so unless you know, you’ll have to linger, like me, in ignorance.

Update: Painted as part of the World Wall Stylers camouflage challenge.

5483. Dean Lane skate park (634)

Chill, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2023
Chill, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2023

2023 has been a very good year for PWA (Pirate Wall Art) so far, with dozens of pieces being painted either individually or as part of a paint jam. Chill, a reasonably new member of the crew, has been super-busy this year with his really cool cartoon sketches.

Chill, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2023
Chill, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2023

This character in green and orange, surprisingly good bedfellow colours, is holding a delicate and rather beautiful flower, perhaps demonstrating his caring/compassionate nature. Chill has come a long way from his rather small black and white pieces to these larger and more colourful works. I was lucky enough to catch up with Chill, a lovely bloke, shortly after he had completed this piece which he had painted alongside a Danish (I think) visiting graffiti writer Wizer.