this post was submitted on 22 Apr 2025
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[–] Jimmycrackcrack@lemmy.ml 2 points 54 minutes ago* (last edited 41 minutes ago) (1 children)

This suddenly triggered a memory of one specific art attack but I've been scouring YouTube and so far haven't had much luck finding it. I haven't seen all that's available but I'm getting a bit sick of it despite my desire to still see it again. Maybe someone here remembers it.

  • I would have watched it in the 90s I think sometimes between 94-96. But I can't say for sure it wasn't a rerun from an earlier period
  • The particular art attack was a night scene of traffic on what I think was a wet road with a truck or lorry, the perspective is of the lorry heading towards the viewer, though a little bit profile, not directly head on
  • I think it was drawn on black paper
  • It may have been done with white and yellow chalk, certainly I remember the colours white and yellow being used
  • It was demonstrating ideas around being able to hint at the impression of objects at night without drawing the full object, only the outline of parts of it that would be illuminated by light sources which were headlights and smaller lights attached to the sides and corners of the lorry
  • It involved doing something kind of like how a little kid would draw a sun with a crude circle and rays but then some quite clever technique was employed to smudge those little suns and their rays in very straight lines used to trace the hint of outlines of traffic
  • It was finally finished off with some kind reflection on the road surface, don't recall how he did it

I've going through ep after ep, nowhere to be found. The wiki for art attack has only two mentions of "night" and it's neither of the two mentioned episodes, there's only one mention of "traffic" and it's in regards to using traffic cones. There's a mention of "truck" but that wasn't it either, I checked. There's no mention of "lorry". Couldn't find anything to do with "wet roads" either. Driving me nuts.

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 1 points 34 minutes ago* (last edited 14 minutes ago)

Oh wow, that's quite the memory to have, and I know just how frustrating it is to search for something that you're sure exists only to find nothing time and time again. (I once searched for a song for 15 years until the artist finally uploaded it to the web.)

Have you tried reaching out to Neil himself via his various social media? It might be something he did outside of Art Attack but was presented on ITV nonetheless?

I can only say your description rings a bell for me, but I can't remember anything concrete

[–] Railison@aussie.zone 6 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

I always wanted to follow along, but I could never master the trick where I could reach over and get a half-done one out of nowhere to keep working on.

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 3 points 22 hours ago

Lmao, the old Blue Peter "here's one I made earlier"

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That shit was fire! I learned a bunch of art stuff from it, often I'd make something based on what they show and give it to my grandparents. Awesome stuff.

Though this would have been much easier with streaming - back then I had to try and remember all the important details on first watch, which almost never worked!

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago

Haha yeah same!

[–] root@aussie.zone 4 points 1 day ago

That brings back lots of memories!

[–] jade52@lemmy.ca 30 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Fucking LOVED art attack. Also I wish the rumour that Banksy and Neil Buchanan were the same guy.

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 day ago

Nah, I'm glad it's not him. Banksy's stuff always came across as a bit pretentious, whereas Neil's stuff seems more fun

[–] BreadOven@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Neil!

Edit: and that talking stone head.

[–] Aggravationstation@feddit.uk 3 points 22 hours ago

That head really creeped me out.

[–] Psythik@lemm.ee 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Never heard of it. When/where is it from?

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 day ago (3 children)
[–] eddy@feddit.org 10 points 1 day ago (2 children)

It was also broadcast in Germany with dubbing and a German presenter for the segments between the crafting scenes. In the dubbing, they always spoke of "white crafting glue" which always mystified me, since you could not easily buy this type of glue in Germany back then, all crafting glue I knew as a kid was clear.

[–] Inkstainthebat@pawb.social 2 points 21 hours ago

Broadcast in Italy too!

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh weird, you not have PVA?

[–] eddy@feddit.org 2 points 18 hours ago

The glue we used was actually PVA but clear. The only white glue I knew was wood glue, which could well have been PVA as well. Wasn't allowed to play with that though.

[–] xthexder@l.sw0.com 7 points 1 day ago

It also aired in Canada when I was growing up!

[–] Psythik@lemm.ee 3 points 1 day ago

I remember the 90s but I'm not British, so that explains things.

Thanks for the reply.

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 19 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Oh my god, just after posting it has now hit me that the name is a pun on "heart attack". What a life.

[–] d00ery@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Before Art Attack and on the rival channel was Tony Hart and Heartbeat. Possibly a bit of an in-joke too. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartbeat

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago

I can hear the theme song already: doodoo doo doo-doo, doodoo doo doo-doo

[–] sanguinepar@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Always preferred Hartbeat to Art Attack. Buchanan was just a bit creepy. Plus, no Morph.

Also, was there not a story that those jumpers NB wore cost about Β£300 or something?

[–] Andrzej3K@hexbear.net 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I have very fond memories of the Neil Buchanan era β€” of how quaint, low-fi and distinctly British it was β€” so my mind was kind of blown when I realized it has since become an international franchise

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Same! I had no idea there were versions of him in the Red Shirt in different languages, with different faces any everything

[–] Andrzej3K@hexbear.net 3 points 1 day ago

The first time I saw the Spanish one was at like four in the morning, and I thought I'd had a stroke lol

[–] Deebster@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 day ago

As soon as I saw the logo the theme song played in my head.

[–] disgrunty@slrpnk.net 6 points 1 day ago

Neil Buchanan was one of the pillars of my childhood. I wish him nothing but good things.

[–] itsathursday@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

Neil knew ASMR before it was a thing when cutting cardboard with scissors

[–] obinice@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

This is an Art Attack,

[–] 58008@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

My favourite show back in the day!

[–] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 days ago

Wow, a blast from the past!

[–] shapesandstuff@feddit.org 5 points 1 day ago

I loved it, even though we only had the horrendous dub over here lol
Always wanted to make the random paper mΓ’chΓ© decorations but wouldn't've hat a spot to put them

[–] ShimmeringKoi@hexbear.net 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oi, I'm avin a bleedin 'art attack over ere

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago

Caw blimey guv'nah! Best gets you to the Aighenee we will! Right-o!

is it still going with Bec Hill?

[–] mooncake@lemm.ee 3 points 1 day ago

Funny you post this after I just watched an art attack video yesterday.

[–] SneakyWeasel@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago

I still use the way he draws fish

[–] Biskii@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Never heard of this, but now I'm remembering Pappyland. I don't recall a thing except a giant pencil

[–] TeMPotato@beehaw.org 2 points 1 day ago

Absolutely loved this show, I watched it religiously in the morning before going to school as a kid. So yeah, I would say pretty formative!

[–] tpihkal@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

I never saw Art Attack, but this just reminded me of Mark Kistler's Imagination Station. I forgot that show existed; thanks for the nostalgia!

[–] Banana@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago