Mat Cross
@matcross.bsky.social
Artist/ Illustrator/ Songsmith
www.MatCross.net
www.MatCross.net
#WIP Been busy constantly blowing my nose (2.5 weeks and counting 🤧) - and now rotoscoping banana fingers juggling loo rolls for a #JollyPessimistic lyric flip book.
October 29, 2025 at 5:13 PM
#WIP Been busy constantly blowing my nose (2.5 weeks and counting 🤧) - and now rotoscoping banana fingers juggling loo rolls for a #JollyPessimistic lyric flip book.
Some tiny wobbly sketches from Race Day at Shuttleworth aerodrome. I found myself continually attempting the double finger tap undo shortcut on the sketchbook page, it's been a while! 😬
#sketchbook #shuttleworthairshow
#sketchbook #shuttleworthairshow
October 14, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Some tiny wobbly sketches from Race Day at Shuttleworth aerodrome. I found myself continually attempting the double finger tap undo shortcut on the sketchbook page, it's been a while! 😬
#sketchbook #shuttleworthairshow
#sketchbook #shuttleworthairshow
Here’s the new album cover design, based on a previous supermarket-carpark-sketch-illustration - now with added toilet roll panic buying! The next task is to try rolling back some over-zealous vocal de-essing, and (runny nose permitting) re-singing a couple of tracks.
#JollyPessimistic
#JollyPessimistic
October 1, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Here’s the new album cover design, based on a previous supermarket-carpark-sketch-illustration - now with added toilet roll panic buying! The next task is to try rolling back some over-zealous vocal de-essing, and (runny nose permitting) re-singing a couple of tracks.
#JollyPessimistic
#JollyPessimistic
15th September: #WIP #JollyPessimistic After drawing lots of plastic chairs and the beginnings of a band I ended up putting this composition to one side, though I should be able to use it for something else album related. I’ve since been revisiting a #supermarketcarparksketch
October 1, 2025 at 3:47 PM
15th September: #WIP #JollyPessimistic After drawing lots of plastic chairs and the beginnings of a band I ended up putting this composition to one side, though I should be able to use it for something else album related. I’ve since been revisiting a #supermarketcarparksketch
31st August: #JollyPessimistic Some crops of album cover rough workings - I think I’ve settled on a faux-lithographic cut-out approach. The band are only naked because I hadn’t drawn any clothes yet… though with a raging apocalyptic fire in the background, maybe it’s a little on the warm side? 🤷
October 1, 2025 at 3:45 PM
31st August: #JollyPessimistic Some crops of album cover rough workings - I think I’ve settled on a faux-lithographic cut-out approach. The band are only naked because I hadn’t drawn any clothes yet… though with a raging apocalyptic fire in the background, maybe it’s a little on the warm side? 🤷
Yesterday’s sketch in Verulamium Park. I only managed 3/4 of the trees yesterday, and finished the rest off today. In the wind I could hear a fantastic blues band playing from the pub beyond the trees… #stalbans #Verulamium
August 3, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Yesterday’s sketch in Verulamium Park. I only managed 3/4 of the trees yesterday, and finished the rest off today. In the wind I could hear a fantastic blues band playing from the pub beyond the trees… #stalbans #Verulamium
Realised 10 full comics would take forever, so I’m back to an illustrated lyric book. Rough sketch for Feeding Time - a song about the state of UK politics. Banner reads: Serve with honour or you will be served cold. 🦁
#WIP #JollyPessimistic
#WIP #JollyPessimistic
July 31, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Realised 10 full comics would take forever, so I’m back to an illustrated lyric book. Rough sketch for Feeding Time - a song about the state of UK politics. Banner reads: Serve with honour or you will be served cold. 🦁
#WIP #JollyPessimistic
#WIP #JollyPessimistic
#WIP #storyboarding – Working on a sequence for song 2, OMG — first of 3 about climate change and the COLLAPSE of EVERYTHING (the album title Jolly Pessimistic comes from one).
Testing a scene in #MentalCanvas: a family watching climate news.
Wordless vid, speech bubble book? 🤔💭 #dOom
Testing a scene in #MentalCanvas: a family watching climate news.
Wordless vid, speech bubble book? 🤔💭 #dOom
July 19, 2025 at 12:58 PM
#WIP #storyboarding – Working on a sequence for song 2, OMG — first of 3 about climate change and the COLLAPSE of EVERYTHING (the album title Jolly Pessimistic comes from one).
Testing a scene in #MentalCanvas: a family watching climate news.
Wordless vid, speech bubble book? 🤔💭 #dOom
Testing a scene in #MentalCanvas: a family watching climate news.
Wordless vid, speech bubble book? 🤔💭 #dOom
#WIP #storyboarding - that’s the storyboard for song number one done, just 9 more to go…
July 16, 2025 at 9:05 PM
#WIP #storyboarding - that’s the storyboard for song number one done, just 9 more to go…
#WIP #storyboarding - spread number 2 for song number 1: Black Mirror. 🤳 I was thinking I could put song time markers in key panels so the sequence could be read along with the song, like a low-tech music video? 🤯
July 15, 2025 at 5:15 PM
#WIP #storyboarding - spread number 2 for song number 1: Black Mirror. 🤳 I was thinking I could put song time markers in key panels so the sequence could be read along with the song, like a low-tech music video? 🤯
Hooray!! I’ve finished my album, Jolly Pessimistic, here’s a little snippet of a song called Black Mirror. I’m now in the process of making an accompanying comic book… so it might still be a little while before the album is released into the wild...
#WIP #musicmaking
#WIP #musicmaking
July 13, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Hooray!! I’ve finished my album, Jolly Pessimistic, here’s a little snippet of a song called Black Mirror. I’m now in the process of making an accompanying comic book… so it might still be a little while before the album is released into the wild...
#WIP #musicmaking
#WIP #musicmaking
May 25, 2025 at 8:02 PM
☀️ Happy Winter Solstice! ☀️
More AI devilry - a rare photo of me in my SUNday best, perched on my solstice viewing chair.
More AI devilry - a rare photo of me in my SUNday best, perched on my solstice viewing chair.
December 21, 2024 at 6:24 PM
☀️ Happy Winter Solstice! ☀️
More AI devilry - a rare photo of me in my SUNday best, perched on my solstice viewing chair.
More AI devilry - a rare photo of me in my SUNday best, perched on my solstice viewing chair.
#inkyfingerpainting on an old iPhone
November 30, 2024 at 5:58 PM
#inkyfingerpainting on an old iPhone
I was chuffed to find this Ravilious-esque ‘tailors dummy’ pebble on Hastings Rock-A-Nore beach this time last week. We’ve got quite a good collection going now, mostly found by Mrs C, though I have to say this one is my new favourite.
HIGH STREET, J.M.Richards, Eric Ravilious
#lithographicpebbles
HIGH STREET, J.M.Richards, Eric Ravilious
#lithographicpebbles
November 22, 2024 at 2:52 PM
I was chuffed to find this Ravilious-esque ‘tailors dummy’ pebble on Hastings Rock-A-Nore beach this time last week. We’ve got quite a good collection going now, mostly found by Mrs C, though I have to say this one is my new favourite.
HIGH STREET, J.M.Richards, Eric Ravilious
#lithographicpebbles
HIGH STREET, J.M.Richards, Eric Ravilious
#lithographicpebbles
Random bits from my #sketchbook, which atm is mostly filled with audio related notes and daily To-Doooos.
The first image is the design for the album cover - a wooden puppet stood knee deep in flood water in front of a dilapidated band stand dressed as a Victorian undertaker playing a ukulele.
The first image is the design for the album cover - a wooden puppet stood knee deep in flood water in front of a dilapidated band stand dressed as a Victorian undertaker playing a ukulele.
November 19, 2024 at 2:26 PM
Random bits from my #sketchbook, which atm is mostly filled with audio related notes and daily To-Doooos.
The first image is the design for the album cover - a wooden puppet stood knee deep in flood water in front of a dilapidated band stand dressed as a Victorian undertaker playing a ukulele.
The first image is the design for the album cover - a wooden puppet stood knee deep in flood water in front of a dilapidated band stand dressed as a Victorian undertaker playing a ukulele.
Mini sketches of Hastings dry harbour from the café in Hastings Contemporary. Afterwards went for a stroll on the beach and found lots of sad faced dogfish and some exotic looking shea shells shea shells on the shea floor.
November 15, 2024 at 8:26 PM
Mini sketches of Hastings dry harbour from the café in Hastings Contemporary. Afterwards went for a stroll on the beach and found lots of sad faced dogfish and some exotic looking shea shells shea shells on the shea floor.
Continuing on with the Nomad Sculpt for beginners course (by SouthernGFX) - the mean old Dickensian gent now has eyebrows, a slick hairdo, lamb chops and a floating chain.
May 2, 2024 at 3:54 PM
Continuing on with the Nomad Sculpt for beginners course (by SouthernGFX) - the mean old Dickensian gent now has eyebrows, a slick hairdo, lamb chops and a floating chain.
Have been continuing with the Nomad Sculpt tutorials, although I don’t plan on creating stuff like this I’m enjoying the process. Looking forward to seeing how my blobby people will look in 3d. 👍
#3d #nomadsculpt
#3d #nomadsculpt
April 26, 2024 at 8:37 PM
Have been continuing with the Nomad Sculpt tutorials, although I don’t plan on creating stuff like this I’m enjoying the process. Looking forward to seeing how my blobby people will look in 3d. 👍
#3d #nomadsculpt
#3d #nomadsculpt
February 26, 2024 at 9:58 PM