ABOUT ME

I have worked in arts related industries since 1987, though my interest in art goes right back to my early childhood when I first admired my artist mothers' wonderful pencil, ink and oil paint creations.
In 1991 I studied figure drawing and painting with noted Brisbane artist David Paulson and at the same time became friends with Tony Champ, the Courier Mails amazing realist illustrator at the time. They both taught me truck loads, and with David Paulson's encouragement I moved to Sydney to study at the Julian Ashton Art School (Australia's only classical art school and one of the worlds' best).

At the school I was lucky enough to study with Nigel Thompson, Frank Giacco, Richard Porter and Ian Chapman, and to work alongside many many very dedicated and talented artists.
I started working as an illustrator at that time for various publishers in Sydney, and in 1999 bought a computer and began learning Photoshop and other digital programs.
Since then I have continued working freelance for publishers, advertising agencies and more recently with Special FX designers for Film and TV, working on the film "The Ruins" (out in July 08) and on the Speilberg/HBO project "The Pacific", a series about the Pacific battles in WW2 (on your TV's in April 2010!!!). 

I started teaching part-time after my first year at Julian Ashton's Art School (1994), and have continued to teach a wide range of artistic subjects ever since.
The subjects I teach include Classical and expressive figure drawing and painting, Creative drawing and painting, Concept art for film, TV and the games industry, Cartooning and Comic Book/ Japanese Manga creation.

Over the last couple of years I taught Design and Multimedia at two well known multimedia colleges - SAE Institute, Byron Bay and QANTM College in Brisbane, where I met many very cool people amongst my fellow tutors and students (and best of luck guys, you know who you are!)

I am now concentrating on my manga creation and concept art for film, TV and games, as well as my love of passing on my skills and experience to enthusiastic students at schools, libraries and elsewhere.
My agent for freelance lecturing is Helen Bain at Speakers Ink
( info@speakers-ink.com.au) and you can see my page there at http://speakers-ink.com.au/index.php/david-lovegrove.html
 

One of the highlights of my life was meeting Ray Harryhausen, the creator of the animatronics in classic films like Sinbad,Jason and Argonauts and The Valley of Gwanji.

My other great passion is practicing ancient oriental arts, in particular Yoga and Wing Chun kung fu.
This photo is of Sifu Jim Fung, the extraordinary kung fu master and founder of the International Wing Chun Academy.
I joined the school in 1997 and have trained with them on and off ever since.
Sifu sadly passed away last year, but I treasure this photo taken at the Surfers Paradise school a couple of years ago,at the celebration for the 30th anniversary of the forming of the school.
Behind us are some pages from a comic book I created about the legendary origins of the Wing Chun kung fu style.

Sifu really encouraged me both as a visual artist and a martial artist, and I train regularily at the school.
Wing Chun is a unique Chinese fighting style that teaches the use of the mind to generate and concentrate force instead of using brute strength.
Regular training can give small and less naturally powerful people a great advantage, and for 'big blokes' like me it teaches how to relax and not rely on muscle power and fitness. It is first and foremost, for me, a constantly fascinating exploration of a brilliant Chinese artform and a form of deep meditation akin to Yoga.