Art Works: Youthoracle

Tuesday 17 February 2015
reading time: min, words

Rapper and grime artist uses boobs as his muse...

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When I was ten, I drew faces on topless girls in The Sun at my grandparent’s house. I’d sneak the paper away, draw a funny face on it, then sneak it back under my grandad’s table in the hope that he’d see it. And Titheadz were born.

I never pursued drawing in any way, shape or form, and I’d forgotten I could draw until about a year ago. I started doing them again as a series - numbering them, taking photos and sharing them on Facebook. Those fifteen-minute doodles turned into eight-hour drawing sessions and I'm now on number 63. I started off just using biro and would incorporate the colours in the background of the paper. I progressed from just doing heads to create full-bodied characters and I’ve started using Sharpies, including a lot more colour. I got some laughs on Instagram, so I began taking requests and selling them signed and framed. I scan every image and print them off - the originals are my babies.

I’ve done customised Titheadz for designers like Bluecheese Clothing, DopeThirteen and The FTS. I also do personalised Titheadz, turning friends, family members and partners into a Tithead. I’ve drawn everything from Storm Troopers to Minions, Del Boy to Gizmo, someone's girlfriend to their grandad. Up to now, I’ve sold over 100 Titheadz to people all over the UK, USA, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. I’ve given them to some high profile people too, like BBC Radio 1xtra DJ Charlie Sloth, Redman, and dubstep giant Cookie Monsta.

This year, I want to create a website, do clothing and merchandise, and hopefully some live body painting. I get a lot of different reactions - I like it when people don't realise it's a topless woman. The best reaction was when I gave Redman a Samurai Tithead after he performed with Method Man at Rock City, he said “Dahhhhmm, that's sick!” and off he went.

I spend all my time drawing now and I’m enjoying being able to support myself doing what I love - it’s giving me more time to write my album too. I do other drawings too - they range from a family pet, to Predator and Terminator as mates with their arms around each other, or Batman vs Millhouse or - and I quote - “Santa walking off into the sunset holding Hitler’s severed head with a caption ‘When I'm not delivering Furbys'.” I enjoy doing that madness just as much.

Titheadz on Twitter

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