Artistic Musings

Twitter is a wonderful medium, and through it, I have had the pleasure of “meeting” so many new friends, all with varied interests. Of course, my big passion is Doctor Who, through which I've forged many friendships, on and off of social media. Over the past few months, I've got to know and respect a fellow fan, and an incredibly talented artist, whose ability and talent belies his age. At just 17, his artistic capabilities are quite extraordinary, and so it was a pleasure when he agreed to do an interview for my little corner of the blogosphere.

I'm incredibly proud to be able to showcase some of his work here. All art featured is available for purchase, in a variety of formats, and the pictures link directly to his sales page. I hope you enjoy looking at his extraordinary body of work, learning a little about his creative processes, and so, in the words of The Ninth Doctor, and the title of the first image.. Do you want to come with me?

 

 

Firstly, tell us a little about yourself.

 

Well, I'm Sam Richard Bentley. I'm 17 years old, and currently a student studying Graphic Design at college in Hertfordshire.

 

When did you first discover you had an aptitude for art?

 

I've always loved drawing and colours, from a very young age. You know, I was one of those kids who hated it when other kids didn't colour in the lines of the colouring books? I've always had quite a passion for being creative.

 

I've come to know you through a shared love of Doctor Who. How long have you been a fan, and which eras do you enjoy most? 

 

Well, like many teenagers I became a fan of the show when it returned in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston. I have very vivid memories of watching the first episode 'Rose', and being completely petrified of the Autons! So, my father stopped me from watching it for a while.

 

Ironically, it was with the episode 'The Empty Child' that my dad allowed me to start watching again - possibly one of the scariest, and most tense stories in the shows history! But, alas, by the end of part one, I was hooked.

 

I was only 7 when the show was picked back up, so I really have grown up with the show. However, I eventually looked into the classic stories, Hartnell through to McCoy and McGann. And I fell in love - possibly even more so than I loved the modern series.

 

I have a real, true, undying love for the Who of the late 80s though - the Colin and Sylvester years! That's my favourite era, hands down. But, I do love the late 60s as well, with Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines, amongst others.

 

 

How do you come up with your ideas for your pieces? They are incredibly creative! 

 

To be honest with you, I don't really have much of an answer to give here. Essentially I just take something I love, whether it be a Doctor Who episode or theme, or maybe a film or other show I love and feel inspired by, and just play around with my thoughts until something comes up.

I do sometimes go in with an idea of a design, but more times than none the end piece is not quite what I had in my head originally, though I often find I'm much happier with it.

 

 

You create a variety of artwork, besides Doctor Who. Can you tell us which other subjects you work on? 

 

I am really inspired by film and television - in fact, it's my favourite thing. So, on my portfolio, you'll see work from... 'Back to the Future', to 'Game of Thrones', to 'The Wizard of Oz'! Sometimes, I'll watch something, and go 'Oh! Now I have an idea for that... quick let me see if I can get some images together...'

 

It's evident that you have a particular passion for the Seventh Doctor era; what is it about it that you enjoy so much. 

 

Hah! I get asked this a lot. I just love it, you know? I don't know if it's because I love the 1980s, or what - but I just adore those three years that McCoy held the top-billing for the show.

 

It's so colourful, so whacky and barmy . Some call it cheap - which is was. However, I would never said that was a bad thing, not at all. I think they did a fantastic job, for what they were given. If you put into context the behind-the-scenes hassles they had, given that the show was coming to an end against their wills and wants, it's some truly brilliant work.

 

Oh, and don't get me started on how fantastic Sylvester McCoy's Doctor and Sophie Aldred's Ace are. If I started on that, we'd be here for eternity.

 

 

How long does a digital piece of artwork take to create, and what software do you use? 

 

I use a free-to-download software called GIMP. I couldn't afford Adobe Photoshop when I started doing this - so I searched on Google and found this alternative. And, while I now do have the full Adobe program, well, I just can't turn my back on ol' GIMP - it's what I'm used to.

 

A piece can take up to one to two hours, excluding any breaks and thinking time. That's, possibly, why I love making digital art - it's really rather quick.

 

 

As well as the digital medium, you also create hand drawn, original pieces. Do you have a preference for a particular medium? 

 

I don't draw as much as I used to - I used to do nothing BUT draw. Hours and hours I'd spend in my bedroom, drawing. Pencils, and the occasional pens, used to be my main way of expressing myself. But, since taking up digital art, I've not really felt the need or want to draw. However, on my portfolio there are lots of my drawings and I have no plans of removing them just yet - it's still a talent I am very proud of.

 

Are there any artists which particularly inspire you? 

 

I've always loved the work of Vincent van Gogh and Andy Warhol - two big names, I know. I often say them, when asked similar questions, and people rather... nod along. 'Oh yes, yes I know, yes we all love them.'

 

But in recent years, I found lesser known artists that I just adore - such as Will Brooks, who has done the occasional artwork for Big Finish's Doctor Who audio range. Or Lee Binding, who does some of the best Doctor Who promotional artwork of recent years.

 

 

 

 

What is the long term goal for you? A career in artistic design seems a natural next step, but is there a particular company you would like to design for? 

 

I'm not sure if I want to work for any particular companies, to be honest. I'm still rather figuring it all out at the moment. I mean, what I truly want to do is get the licenses to be able to print some of my designs myself (for example, I cannot sell any of my Back to the Future, Star Wars of Marvel designs on public hosting services). The goal is to be a freelance artist - get commissions, sell my designs and just do what I love!

 

I've picked two favourite pieces of yours; The UNIT piece (above) appeals immensely to my passion for the Pertwee era, and the Series 9 Zygon inspired piece (below) that has an extraordinary three dimensional quality which I love! Those are my personal favourites.. Do you have a piece which you would call yours?

 

 

Oh my - that's a hard one, I must say. I hate to sound ostentatious, but I am so proud of a lot of my work, that it is simply impossible to choose.

 

However, earlier this year I got a lot of high praise for a collection of designs I made. Twelve pieces, one for each Doctor, showcasing a prominent companion of that incarnation. I got some very high praise for it from the companions I used in the pieces - Frazer Hines, Katy Manning, Sophie Aldred. I must say, they are probably the pieces I am most proud of.

 

Sam, it's been a pleasure chatting with you, and I'd like to thank you for taking the time to share your work and passion with us!

You can follow Sam on Twitter @SamRBentley and can view his portfolio HERE.

Blu Daleks!

A recent purchase has given me the perfect opportunity for Doctor Who review. Or rather, Dr Who review! I recently picked up the Peter Cushing Dalek films, on bluray, and housed in rather beautiful “steel book” cases.

I'm not going to focus too heavily on plots etc. Chances are, you've seen the films. You know what they are. I will, of course, venture forth my opinion on each one, but the review is primarily about the blurays themselves, rather than the films.

So, let's deal with the films first. Both are, in essence, remakes of the Hartnell stories, ‘The Daleks’ and ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’. It's easy to write them off as “cash ins” on the success of the prevalent Dalekmania of the 1960’s, however, there is much to enjoy with each film.

Dr Who and the Daleks

The greatest strength of the first film, and by consequence, the second, lies in the casting of Peter Cushing. His Doctor bears many similarities to Hartnell, although is a much softer, less abrasive character. Portrayed as human, and named ‘Dr Who’ (something I will never get used to!), his character is a joy to watch. Jennie Linden plays a competent Barbara, with a young Roberta Tovey as Susan. Both fair well, although Tovey, due, perhaps, to her age, has a tendency to be mildly irritating.

Perhaps the oddest casting is that of Roy Castle. Don't misunderstand me; I like Castle immensely, however his portrayal of Ian is bewildering, to say the least. Gone is the competent, resourceful, stoic character of the television series, only to be replaced by a bumbling, inept parody of the role, who spends half the movie channelling the spirit of Stan Laurel. I understand the film needed a comic element, but it does border on silly at times, and serves to add little to the proceedings.

The Daleks look rather splendid, and I would imagine seeing them, in colour, on the big screen, would have terribly exciting at the time. Sadly, they are somewhat underused, slow and lacking in menace. They are rather fond of lava lamps, which, I'm sure at the time looked futuristic and alien. Nowadays, however, as set design goes, it does look distinctly dated.

Similarly, the Thals look decidedly camp, although credible performances, particularly from Barrie Ingham, as the Thal leader, Alydon, does much to assuage this.

Condensing a seven part story into an 80 minute film is not an easy thing to do, however, the film largely succeeds, and covers all of the main aspects of its televisual counterpart. It's a fun, but ultimately, fairly disposable film, which, even given the short running time does occasionally feel rather slow and stagnant.

Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 AD.

With Cushing retaining the role as the Doctor, and Tovey as Susan, the eponymous hero is now joined by his niece, Louise, played by Jill Curzon, and the delightful Bernard Cribbins, who would, of course, go on to win the hearts of every Doctor Who fan with his sublime performance as Wilfred Mott, some 40 years later. The film benefits from an exceptionally strong supporting cast, with performances from Hammer Films’ Andrew Keir, and an early outing for Doctor Who stalwart, Philip Madoc, who appeared in four stories in the television series.

The Daleks are much more uniform, and have a sinister quality which was somewhat absent in their first big screen appearance. Special effects are, frankly, magnificent, particularly given the films budget of under £300,000. The Dalek ships look stunning, even by today's standards, and whilst the occasional wire is visible, they move smoothly and effectively.

Humour is much more refined, and whilst Cribbins’ portrayal of Tom Campbell has a moderately comedic undertone, most notably in the ‘dance of the Robomen’, it is subtle enough not to be too distracting from the storyline.

Originally, it was intended that the Dalek guns would fire flames, however, this was felt to be too frightening for young audiences, and so the effect was replaced with a gas. In hindsight, and with the later parallels to the Nazis, the effect is surprisingly chilling, echoing the use of the gas chambers from the Holocaust. The allusion was almost certainly unintended, but works remarkably well.

Set design and the shots of a desolate countryside and a decimated London city are effective and haunting.

It is a rare phenomenon that a sequel bests the original film, however, I firmly believe that ‘Invasion’ is a far superior film. It has a more refined humour, considerably better storyline, a great deal more action, superb special effects and holds up well against the ravages of time.

And so, to the blurays themselves..

Dr Who and the Daleks

Full technical specifications are listed below my comments on each bluray.

Presented in full 1080p, Dr Who and the Daleks is a considerable upgrade from the DVD edition. There have been concerns about the transfers of the two films, and not without good reason. There have been some, notably the dual pack edition, which have had decidedly mediocre transfers. Fortunately, the Studio Canal releases do not suffer the same fate.

Picture quality is, it must be said, somewhat variable. For 80% of the film, it looks stunning, however, there are areas where colours seem a little muted and lacklustre. It is particularly prevalent in darker scenes, where the contrast seems a little off balance. Blacks are not as sharp as they could be, and the picture has an occasional softness which is inconsistent with the majority of the transfer.

DVD Comparison Screen Capture

Bluray Screen Captures

The audio is presented in LPCM (linear pulse-code modulated) dual mono, and is clear, crisp and effective. Those hoping for a 5.1 or DTS audio upscale will be left wanting, however, from a personal perspective, whilst surround sound adds much to a presentation, as a purist, I prefer the original audio track. As a side note, when played on an amplifier/receiver with Dolby Pro Logic II or DTS-Neo 6, the audio is well distributed, sharp and punchy. Nevertheless, I strongly recommend listening as the director intended.

Extras are very well served, with an audio commentary by Jennie Linden and Roberta Tovey, two short interviews, the trailer and a couple of interviews. The highlight, however, is the inclusion of ‘Dalekmania’ the 1995 documentary, originally released on VHS. It is presented in Standard Definition; unsurprising, as it was originally shot on video, however with a running time of almost an hour, it is an exceptionally welcome addition to the bluray, and is both informative and entertaining.

• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
• Resolution: 1080p/24 (24Hz)
• Audio Codec: English LPCM 2.0 Mono (48kHz/16-bit)
• Subtitles: English SDH
• Subtitles Color: White
• Region: B (Region-Locked)
• Certificate: U
• Discs: 1 (1 x Bluray)
• Digital Copies: N/A
• Run Time: 79 Mins.
• Studio: StudioCanal
• Bluray Release Date: May 27, 2013
• List Price: £19.99

BONUS FEATURES

• Audio Commentary with Jennie Linden and Roberta Tovey
• Dalekmania (1.33:1l SD/PAL; 00:57:30)
• Restoring Dr. Who and the Daleks (1.78:1; 1080i/50; 00:08:26)
• Interview with Gareth Owen (1.78:1; 1080i/50; 00:07:41)
• Stills Gallery (1080p/24; 00:02:12)
• Trailer (2.35:1; 1080i/50)

Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 AD.

Once again, the main presentation is in 1080p/24hz. However, it is fair to say that in terms of picture quality, ‘Invasion’ fairs considerably better than its predecessor. The images are sharp, colourful and evocative of the Sixties Technicolor era. Natural grain has been retained; something to be lauded, as digital removal often leaves the picture with an unpleasant, “waxy” effect.

Bluray Screen Captures

On the audio side, I refer you to my comments on ‘Dr Who and the Daleks’; the audio quality differs little, although is perhaps a little more taut, with a slightly stronger bass.

Extras are less well served, with approximately 15 minutes of interviews, a stills gallery and a trailer.

• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
• Resolution: 1080p/24 (24Hz)
• Audio Codec: English LPCM 2.0 Mono (48kHz/16-bit)
• Subtitles: English SDH
• Subtitles Colour: White
• Region: B (Region-Locked)
• Certificate: U
• Discs: 1 (1 x Bluray)
• Digital Copies: N/A
• Run Time: 81 Mins.
• Studio: StudioCanal
• Bluray Release Date: May 27, 2013
• List Price: £19.99

BONUS FEATURES

• Restoring Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1.78:1; 1080i/50; 00:07:11)
• Interview with Bernard Cribbins (1.78:1; 1080i/50; 00:04:02)
• Interview with Gareth Owen (1.78:1: 1080i/50; 00:04:08)
• Still Gallery (1080p/24; 00:01:36)
• Trailer (2.35:1; 1080i/50)

To conclude, let's give some scores on the Tardis doors..

‘Dr Who and the Daleks’

• The Film. 6/10
• Picture Quality. 7.5/10
• Audio. 8.5/10
• Extras 10/10

‘Daleks Invasion Earth 2150AD’

• The Film. 8/10
• Picture Quality. 9/10
• Audio. 8.5/10
• Extras 4/10

Lastly, I cannot finish without commenting on the packaging. Available in standard clamshell format, the artwork is stylish and effective, however for those looking for a collectable piece of memorabilia, the steel book editions are absolutely glorious! The artwork is stunning and capture the essence of the 1960’s to perfection. I highly recommend them over the standard releases. They make a fine addition to any collection.

Standard Packaging

Limited Edition Steel Books

Steel Book images are photographs of my own copies, still in cellophane, and really do not do them justice!

I haven't watched the Dalek films in a long while. I had planned, for some considerable time, to upgrade them to Bluray, and when Zavvi had them in a “2 Steel Books for £18” offer, it was an opportunity too good to pass up, both as a Doctor Who fan and as DVD/Bluray collector. And I can say with absolute certainty, it was £18 VERY well spent. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting these classic films, and seeing them presented in high definition was an absolute delight.

And so, if you are a collector, a fan, or simply fancy a wander through nostalgia, look no further than these. As films go, they aren't without their faults, but they are still hugely entertaining and with the Studio Canal releases, they have never looked better!