TheStuartLee
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thestuartlee.bsky.social
TheStuartLee
@thestuartlee.bsky.social
52 followers 31 following 69 posts
Writer & artist, sharing my journey from game dev to author.
Behind the scenes & progress... I can't wait to see how this turns out!
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thestuartlee.bsky.social
Here is my book cover design for H.G. Wells 'The War of the Worlds'. I avoided the usual image of tripods and heat rays, and focused on the red weed and it's "cactus-like branches" to suggest the growing menace of the invasion. #bookcoverdesign #bookcover #booksky #coverdesign #book #art #cover
Book cover design for The War of the Worlds by H.G Wells, featuring spiky, red, alien weeds spreading over the text of the book title.
October 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
Mixed feelings about this one but here it is anyway... another quick lettering for #inktober 17 - Ornate ✨
#handlettering #lettering #typography #art #procreate
The word "Ornate" drawn with elaborate, curly details.
October 18, 2025 at 11:48 AM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
Another #handlettering practice, with a quote from #edgarallanpoe #theraven
I did the yellow version first, but then I think the minty colour is my favorite.
✨
#lettering #typography #art #procreate #poetry #poe
Hand letting the words "Once upon a midnight dreary", with swirling mist in front of the moon Hand letting the words "Once upon a midnight dreary", with swirling mist in front of the moon
October 11, 2025 at 9:38 AM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
Trying again with this, the image upload was a bit broken before... Another quick lettering for #inktober 09 - Heavy 🤘
#handlettering #lettering #typography #art #procreate
The word "Heavy" drawn to look like sharp, heavy metal.
October 10, 2025 at 8:36 AM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
Some quick lettering for todays #inktober - #murky
🐸
#handlettering #lettering #typography #art #procreate
Green text "Murky" on a dark, murky background
October 4, 2025 at 6:49 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
Some hand lettering practice. The words are the title of one of my favorite recent songs by one of my all-time favorite bands #SkunkAnansie It's my warmup song to get me working in the morning! 🔥⚡
#handlettering #lettering #typography #art #procreate
Hand lettering the song title "An Artist is an Artist" by Skunk Anansie. White & grey on black. Hand lettering the song title "An Artist is an Artist" by Skunk Anansie. Black & grey on white. Hand lettering the song title "An Artist is an Artist" by Skunk Anansie. Red on black Hand lettering the song title "An Artist is an Artist" by Skunk Anansie. Green and yellow on black
October 4, 2025 at 10:11 AM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
I made a book cover for a short story I wrote recently, inspired by the 'eye of newt, toe of frog' scene from Shakespeare's Macbeth, but from the point of view of the forest creatures. Like a Beatrix Potter story, but much darker 🐸🦇 #bookcoverdesign #bookcover #booksky #coverdesign #book #art #cover
A book cover for a short story called Implausible Ingredients and How to Harvest Them Photograph of an iPad showing thumbnail sketches for the book cover
October 1, 2025 at 3:33 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
I just found out that, although I didn't make the shortlist (top 8), out of over 22,000 entries I was in the top 150 in The Novelry's 'The Next Big Story' competition. Congratulations everyone who made the list! 🎉🏆 #thenovelry #thenextbigstory #amwriting #fictionwriter #booksky
September 30, 2025 at 5:28 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
Calling this one finished now, so here's a mock up of my book cover redesign for Slewfoot by Brom. #bookcoverdesign #bookcover #booksky #coverdesign #book #art #cover
3D mock up of my cover design for the book Slewfoot by Brom Cover design illustration for the book Slewfoot by Brom
September 4, 2025 at 8:25 AM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
Sharing work in progress is *the worst* but I'm always trying to beat the procrastination 'what if its not good enough' demons so sharing anyway... did a bit more work on my Slewfoot cover redesign, from sketches into Procreate to start illustration #booksky #bookcover #design #sketchbook #art
photograph of a page from my sketchbook showing some book cover ideas photograph of my ipad with work in progress illustration of my Slewfoot book cover redesign
August 27, 2025 at 6:56 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
Change of pace this week, started a cover redesign for a book I read recently - Slewfoot by Brom 🐐
Did some sketches to get the ball rolling...
Have you read the book? If so, which one do you think fits best? #booksky #bookcover #book #coverart #design #sketchbook #art
Photograph of my sketchbook showing some ideas for a cover redesign of the book Slewfoot by Brom Photograph of my sketchbook showing some more ideas for a cover redesign of the book Slewfoot by Brom
August 20, 2025 at 5:13 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
Finished very rough draft zero of my novel, read it and... didn't hate it! *thunderous applause* So now it exists I can start making it better! Meanwhile, here's a bit of sketchbook from last weeks visit to All Hallows by the Tower #booksky #writerWednesday #fictionWriter #amWriting #art #sketchbook
Photograph of a page from my sketchbook, with sketches of objects I saw at All Hallows By The Tower in London. Including a Caravaca Cross, a silver ornament of a chicken in a barrel with it's head, feet and tail sticking out of the barrel, a traveling communion set and a fragment of a tombstone with a man's head.
August 13, 2025 at 4:28 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
Today is the 1yr anniv. of my moving back to England, so I took myself to a few of my favorite places in London. Very tourist but I ❤️ Tower Bridge! Followed by All Hallows by the Tower, a quick stop at #Liberty then on to the #V&A to visit my favorite object there! #London #dayout #museum 😎
Photograph of me looking a bit windswept on Tower Bridge Photograph inside All Hallows by the Tower - the oldest church in the City of London, showing one of the stained glass windows. Photograph of me standing outside Liberty on Regent Street in London Photograph of my favorite object in the V&A - Reliquary Head of St Januarius. A copper gilt sculpted head with a moonstone on his head. The head stands upright on makeshift feet formed of his hair and beard. It used to contain a relic of the saint's head, but is now empty.
August 6, 2025 at 8:06 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
Still working on first draft, so it's still too early to share any writing. Here's a page of random objects from my sketch book instead, which may or may not have some relevance to the story... 😉 #booksky #writerWednesday #fictionWriter #amwriting #art #sketchbook
a page from my sketch book showing some pen drawings of random objects including an hourglass, some ancient coins, a skull in a display case, a torch, a bird cage, a raven skull, a candle with wax dripping down, and a strange key with knotted snakes design.
July 30, 2025 at 8:35 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
Smashing it this week! ...maybe? 🤔 #booksky #writerWednesday #amWriting #procrastination
This Week's To Do List, with small tasks ticked off including; organise my desk, rotate the plants, make sure the curtain loops are evenly spaced. The final To Do is: Write social media post about procrastination, with a question mark next to it.
July 23, 2025 at 2:10 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
The original Half Life. Missed an important uni meeting because I was so engrossed in that all day! Many more since, but that's the earliest I can remember.
litsplaygames.bsky.social Lits Play @litsplaygames.bsky.social · Jul 16
Quote this with the first video game that you played that made you realize they're a great storytelling device. #BookSky #GameSky
July 16, 2025 at 6:12 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
💡Realised recently, listening to someone talking intensely about their day job - you really get to know someone from their *hot topics*, and its a good way to add depth to characters. Figure out what they would have a lil rant about at a party - their Hot Topics. #writerWednesday #booksky #amWriting
Photograph of a laptop and notepad on a desk in the reading room of The London Library
July 16, 2025 at 6:04 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
It's not a competition *AT ALL* but I did a little half-year review of what I've read so far. Surprised myself, with a total of 14 books! (not inc. shorts) 9 new, 1 already owned and 4 from the library. No favorites, all good for different reasons #booksky #reading #writerWednesday #novel
Book List - What have I been reading this year? The midway review... The background is an illustration of some piles of books, with one on a table, next to a chair. Full Book List: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell - Suzanna Clarke The Boy in the Dress - David Walliams Odd and the Frost Giants - Neil Gaiman Tom's Midnight Garden - Phillipa Pearce An Illustrated History of Ghosts - Adam  Allsuch Boardman Tinder - Sally Gardner The Great When - Alan Moore The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson Save The Cat - Blake Snyder The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller HP and the Philosophers Stone - JKR Goth Girl & The Wuthering Frights - Chris Riddell Coraline & Other Stories - Neil Gaiman SHORT STORIES & BOOKS Beatrix Potter series inc. Tale of Peter Rabbit William Wilson - Edgar Allen Poe Empty House & Other Ghost Stories - Algernon Blackwood The Collected Ghost Stories of M R James - M R James MID-YEAR BOOK STATS: Total - 14 New - 9 Pre-owned - 1 Library - 4 Debut Novels - 5 Didn't finish - 1 Non-fiction - 2 Oldest Book - Tom's Midnight Garden - 1958 Oldest Short - William Wilson - 1838 Newest - The Great When - 2024
July 9, 2025 at 6:42 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
🧵 I've been working on the plot for my book recently. I found I could ask the question "what would happen if they don't do 'the thing'?" and the answer was coming back "things would still be fine" which was a problem!... #booksky #writerWednesday #amWriting #book #plot #savethecat
July 2, 2025 at 5:39 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
🧵 I had the great privilege of spending a day at the incredible and historic London Library. Thanks to Miriam Gold + Pen To Print at Dagenham library for the class, and TLL for the use of their library. #Library #London #Books #Reading #History #BookSky
Many shelves of amazing books and The London Library A stunning German natural history book.
June 25, 2025 at 10:58 AM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
Here are some pics from my recent trip to the stunning Leighton House museum. Former home & studio of artist Frederic, Lord Leighton, the house is a work of art in it's own right! #LeightonHouse #interiors #London #artist
Interior of Leighton House, showing the fountain and tiles in the Arab Hall Interior of Leighton House, showing the stairs and taxidermy peacock Interior of Leighton House, a view through the hallway from the study Interior of Leighton House, a room with lots of art in elaborate frames on the wall and a dome shaped skylight in the ceiling.
June 18, 2025 at 2:23 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
So happy to finally get my portrait sketch by the wonderful Chris Riddell up on the wall in the *most* appropriate frame! 🖤👨‍🎨
Framed sketch of TheStuartLee by Chris Riddell
June 14, 2025 at 4:46 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
How do YOU deal with reference and other influences while you're working?
👺Avoid or
🧽Absorb?
#booksky #writingWednesday #fictionWriter #amWriting #writer #artist #creative
I was asked about this recently, and am interested to know others opinions... What do you think about reading or watching things that are similar to what you're working on? Are you worried about accidental copying or being too influenced by others work? For me, I love researching. Everything we create is based on a combination of our experiences. It's by looking at and analysing things that we learn, so it's OK to check out what others have done before you. I go for full immersion and surround myself with music, movies, TV, books, and images that have a similar atmosphere to what I'm working on. How do YOU deal with reference and other influences? Avoid or Absorb?
June 11, 2025 at 7:09 PM
thestuartlee.bsky.social
Its June 4th & my 4th week on BSky, so here are 4 things that if you like, you might like the book I'm writing.
#ParaNorman #Coraline #LockeandKey #LeightonHouse #ShibdenHall #historicHouse #ghost #otherside #mystery #booksky #hauntedHouse #novel #writerWednesday #fictionWriter #amWriting
If you like these... (ParaNorman, Coraline, Locke & Key, historic houses) You might like... (meeting ghosts, discovering 'other' places, solving mysteries, exploring historic houses) ...the book I'm writing! I'm currently working on the first draft. Follow along if you want to see updates and behind the scenes as I progress.
June 4, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Reposted by TheStuartLee
tstld.bsky.social
Little sketch with ink

#art #birds #illustration
Sketch of some ravens with ink on paper.
May 28, 2025 at 4:49 PM