onionbagblog

19:15

Welcome to @15QueenStreet, the heart of the Cultural Quarter here in Sunny Colchester - seriously.

What’s happening here tonight in the creative hub is something really quite special. To help raise funds for Comic Relief, local design team Lauren and Phil from the Hidden Dingbat Collective are attempting to live illustrate Comic Relief night on BBC1.

I say “attempt,” but having recently won a live draw off event over in Shoreditch, I think that we all know that they will pull it off spectacularly.

No pressure, then guys.

Art for art’s sake, ‘n all that - but how the chuffers are the Dingbats going to raise some serious wonga by simply drawing some rather splendid pictures of celebs on TV?

Good question, well put Comrades.

Well…

The plan is to then get as many of the celebs involved in Comic Relief night to sign the artwork produced on the night. This will then be auctioned off on eBay, with all the money raised heading the way of Comic Relief.

Neat, eh?

Here’s where any online (or even offline) folk can help out:

Head over to the Dingbats site for a live video stream of the evening, very kindly put in place by the good folk of @Kinura. There’s also twitter action to follow, with the safe hands of @CoolColchester keeping the twitterati happy.

There will of course be live blogging of the evening right here on m’blog. Using the traditional Grauniad technique of refreshing for updates, simply then scroll down for any new content. You can also leave comments on m’blog, or send us an email about the evening over here.

Plus don’t forget to pop down to 15 Queen Street in Sunny Colch is you are passing. They are an incredibly friendly bunch in here, and you would be made to feel most welcome to say hello to the Dingbats, and hopefully offer some coins towards the fine cause as well.

This has been something of a whirlwind 48 hours for the Dingbats since the plan was first hatched online midweek. Meeja appearances have followed, dahhhling, with the good folk of BBC Radio Essex and Tendring‘s Dream 100. There’s even a grand TV appearance on BBC’s Look East on Saturday.

So plenty taking place this evening @15QueenStreet

Pens and pencils at the ready…

19:25

Setting the scene ahead of the chaos breaking out in the @15QueenStreet boardroom, the Dingbats very kindly agreed to a brief @audioboo catch up. Here’s what the evening holds for us @15QueenStreet:

19:37

And we’re off! It’s all rather tense here in the @15QueenStreet boardroom as the @HiddenDingbat’s live illustrate Comic Relief. Nothing to do with the rather large amount of empty cans of Red Bull lying around. Oh, not, not at all…

Here’s the set up - this is a photo of the scene shortly before 7pm when Phil and Lauren were setting up for the seven hours of illustrating ahead:

And here’s what we’re looking at right now, after just over half an hour of illustrating action:

Don’t forget that the rather lovely @Kinura is live streaming the action over on the Dingbat’s website.

19:47

19:52

Slight *ahem* editorial issues as David Cameron appears on Comic Relief. A bit of internal debate between the Dingbats as to how best to portray our glorious PM. No worries - they’re an apolitical collective of course…

19:54

All getting lively here @15QueenStreet. Phil and Lauren are of course working wonders with magic markers. Meanwhile we’ve been graced with the local presence of Andy Winmill. He’s on his way to a gig (of course) but popped in for some support.

Just a reminder that @15QueenStreet is open all evening. Come along, say hello and offers some support…

20:12

20:33

We’ve had a request from the good @JaneDavis13 [helloooo!!] for some more images of the @HiddenDingbat’s live illustration of Comic Relief.

Aha! Here we go, madam…

Here’s the lovely Lauren, pen in hand, live illustrating some young pop star from the modern hit parade that I haven’t even heard of.

And completing the Beauty and the Beast creative collective, here’s Phil getting rather excited as the fun and fundraising breaks out around us @15QueenStreet.

As for the artwork itself? It’s coming on rather nicely. About a quarter of the first mass sheet of drawing paper has now been filled. Every scene and character from Comic Relief is being captured on pen and paper, telling the entire story as the evening unfolds.

One of these men is our esteemed PM. I’d say artistic licence was rather restrained…

Meanwhile, all of this creative surge in energy needs some sustenance. The fine Amy has baked this special Comic Relief cake. Went down rather well @15QueenStreet.

We’ve got some video content coming up next…

20:58

Two hours in, only five more to go… Enthusiasm is still high from Phil and Lauren as they carry on with their live illustration marathon. We’ve got a team of expert spotters (um, young folk) who are helping out and keep up with all the star spotting on TV. I’ve recognised dear old Dale Winton so far, and that’s yer lot.

It’s a glorious coming together of anarchic (un) planning on the night, which is somehow making sense. I think that the team here @15QueenStreet are collectively pushing the in-house WIFI to the max. I’m counting three MacBooks, one MacBook Pro and a clapped out laptop [hellooo @CoolColchester.]

Don’t forget that you can help with the fine cause. The Dingbats have a donate button on their website, where you can also watch a live video stream from @15QueenStreet.

I’m the one sitting in the corner, trying to look cool (yeah, right…) and waiting for some video to encode. Apologies if I bork the @15QueenStreet WIFI.

21:11

Video taking an age to upload. Grrrrr.

Meanwhile, here’s some audio with Lauren trying to identify one of Jack’s finer scribbles (all in an artistic sense of course…)

21:29

OK, with Ant and Dec currently booming out from the boardroom TV of @15QueenStreet, time to concentrate on some of the artwork. The Hidden Dingbat gallery is growing. Below is just a snapshot of just some of the on the spot sketches that Phil and Lauren are putting together. It reads like a Sgt Pepper’s album sleeve for the celeb generation.

But who can you identify?

You can tweet your thoughts to @HiddenDingbat, or leave any comments in the box below.

Only another four hours to go. Is the off licence still open…?

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21:44

Many, many thanks for all the tweets and re-tweets folks. These are all being seen by the Dingbats, who are rather busy drawing away… They really are appreciated, and are keeping the @15QueenStreet crowd going throughout this seven hour stretch.

21:56

Watching you, watching me…

Here’s a fantastic line drawing of Phil and Lauren, penned by the fair hand of Amy, as the Dingbats go about their business:

New folk arriving in the @15QueenStreet boardroom all the time. Do pop in if you are passing in Sunny Colch. All support is welcome.

22:10

22:14

OK folk, here’s where we’re at…

Just over half way into the evening (oh Lordy) and the Dingbats are still looking bright and fresh. The Comic Relief live illustration is growing by the minute. We’ve worked out the hard and fast rule that celebs will be drawn if they appear on the screen for one minute or more. David Cameron just slipped through the benchmark…

Here’s the current state of play with the grand illustration:

And here’s a small section of the @15QueenStreet supporting cast:

Look at the talent on offer! Money couldn’t buy this! …but any spare pennies you may have jangling around would be greatly appreciated if they could find their way to the Hidden Dingbat Comic Relief Cause. We’re currently standing at the fine figure of £200 - many thanks all.

Still waiting for that video to encode.

Oh Lordy…

22:35

TV (and Dingbat) gold! Mad scramble as the legend that is Rick Astely appears on Comic Relief. Smiler Rick didn’t quite pass the one minute test (steady) but Lauren couldn’t wait to illustrate his cheeky chubby chops on the grand design.

22:38

We have Hidden Dingbat video action - hurrah! It may have taken almost two hours to encode (um, should stick with pen and pencil…) but here we have Phil and Lauren explaining more about their grand venture taking place @15QueenStreet this evening.

Meanwhile - we’ve just hit the £250 mark. Halfway there. Hurrah again!

23:06

Still with us? Hope so. Into the final stretch with only a couple of hours to go. If you’re watching the video stream, then you may have seem Lauren hopping around on one leg for the past five minutes. This *wasn’t* an artistic statement (I think) - simply pins ‘n needles from four hours of constant drawing.

There was also a blink and you’ll miss it video cam moment with one of those pesky Ram Man / Men. Like I said - it’s been one of those evenings @15QueenStreet.

We’re all counting down to Partridge time. Aha!

23:46

Reaching the midnight hour, and yep, hopefully it’s been worth the wait. Using a rough calculation involving squinting through my sleepy eyes and swigging back another Red Bull, I’d say that the Dingbats have filled 90% of the grand illustration mural. Here’s hoping that the future celebs appearing on Comic Relief are all under four feet.

Below are some of the latest illustrations that Phil and Lauren have been busy working away on throughout the evening. A fine, fine effort.

Oh yeah - wasn’t the Smithy / Gordo / Macca sketch simply ACE?

23:59

Keep those watching you, watching me images coming in. Below is the ace effort from the lovely, lovely @singyamatokun. Sadly she can’t be with us on the evening, but we like to think that a little of the @15QueenStreet love is located somewhere up in Staffordshire right now.

Cripes.

Phil and Lauren are currently sucking a lemon and fulfilling the non-existent client brief by sketching Jimmy Carr.

00:12

00:24

Righto - time for some more @HiddenDingbat video action. I do hope that a jumpy buffering video stream can do justice to the enormity of what Phil and Lauren have managed to achieve here in Colchester this evening. They’ve been working for almost six hours constantly now, producing this fine piece of work.

As for the next phase? Well… we’re open to offers. The plan is to try and get as many of the celebs as possible to sign the artwork, and then auction it off. Like most projects @15QueenStreet, we are open to offers and collaboration. How can we use this stunning piece of artwork to help generate more money for Comic Relief?

00:48

It’s getting mighty full now on that @HiddenDingbat Comic Relief illustration wall. Phil and Lauren are almost out of space, and then along comes the ego of Russell Brand. Woh! Where to fit him in?

Time to catch up on some of the illustrative highlights from the past half hour…

00:54

What has been absolutely ace about the evening here @15QueenStreet has been the online connections that @HiddenDingbat’s have been able to make, all based around their work.

The tweets and emails that have been coming in have been very supportive - thank you all. Even though this is a creative Comic Relief fund raising project, all @15QueenStreet were still surprised with the online creativity that has been pinging back and forth.

The latest in our watching you, watching me gallery is @pmmikes drawing of, um, Phil and Lauren drawing. Thank you, Sir!

Oh yeah - did I mention that we’re up to £250 for the evening now? Still time to give…

1:01

01:16

Hang on - 01:16 you say? That bike ride back to Wivenhoe is starting to look a bit hit and miss as I peddle back up Boundary Road. No worries. There’s always some audio I can listen to on my iPod as I turn the pedals…

01:27

Our fave quotes from the evening:

“Ringo! Jedward! Um, who am I drawing…?”

All spoken by Phil Lauren.

Whoops.

01:36

Almost seven hours since @HiddenDingbat’s started this crazy illustration idea, we’re almost ready to call it a night (or even morning) here @15QueenStreet. The design wall is now full, and Phil and Lauren have captured wonderfully the whole evening in their unique style as it has unfolded on TV.

We’ve raised £250 so far, with grand plans to take this further. What we now need is some support, ideas and collaboiration as to where we can take this amazing piece of artwork next. Please do contact the Dingbats if you can offer any support.

There’s a TV appearance on BBC Look East scheduled for Saturday, followed by a short rest before we take this project even further. Many, many thanks once again for all the support we have received both online and offline this evening.

Great things happening in Colchester…

Much, much later…

Here the final piece of fantastic artwork that was produced on the night @15QueenStreet:

Alongside the justifiably proud artists:

With a little help on the night from…

But we’ll leave the final word to Phil and Lauren, the Hidden Dingbat Collective supreme: