The Gallery of Mo

The days are getting shorter and colder, and Movember is on the doorstep. Yes, it's the time of year when those wishing to support prostate testicular cancer charities grow moustaches and raise sponsorship money for the cause. Now, thanks to the Gallery of Mo project, if you're female, follically challenged in the upper lip region, or just plain can't be bothered, you can still take part in Movember. Over 180 artists are drawing moustaches on demand.

The idea is just about as simple as they come. You head over to the site, decide how much you want to donate, choose an artist, upload a photo of yourself, and your chosen creative will render an image of you with a moustache. The amount of time they'll spend on the image will be proportional to your donation, so spend big and you'll not only be helping Movember's beneficiary charities even more, but also funding a potentially great piece of art… or comic art, at least.

Participating artists work in a whole range of styles and you can choose someone whose aesthetic you really enjoy. The fact so many are participating just goes to show how altruistic the creative community is. Artists include Jenny Robins, Sam Gilbey, Lucy Evans, Robert Cureton and Graeme Ross.

"I have done seven portraits so far, including the ones I drew live at the Movember launch party, and I'm just about to start on my eighth," says Lucy Evans. "What's great is there's no end of mo-styles to draw on people - thick ones, thin ones, curly ones, straight ones, french ones - you name it."

Sam Gilbey also loves the opportunity for variety, and felt that as much of his work is portraiture taking part was a natural 'yes' for him. "The majority of my illustrations feature portraits, and I'm always trying to capture likenesses anyway - successfully, I hope - so when Gallery of Mo got in touch, it seemed like the most natural thing to try and create a few portraits for a good cause," he says.

"I feel great about it," says Robert Cureton. "Right from the early days of drawing moustaches on photos in newspapers, I have always had a strong passion towards it."

Gallery of Mo has already raised nearly £3000 and Movember hasn't even kicked off yet...