TART AND HORSE

Today: finished off this horse-based illustration while watching two episodes of Game of Thrones (because people keep telling me it's good, so I thought I should get around to watching it), did a bit more folio shuffling around, and successfully made my first ever lemon tart (a trial run for taking to my sister's on Christmas day). All in all a reasonably productive day.

 

Hopefully I can get another couple of drawings done before the end of the week. Possibly.

A PORTFOLIO-THING

It's taken a while to get around to doing, but I finally started putting together a portfolio-thing. I should probably finish putting that together, shouldn't I?

MAPPING LEGBA

Only a few more drawings to go for this current book-thing. I think I finally managed to figure out how to tackle this particular character (based on Legba). He kind of evaded me for a little while. And here's my laptop being used as a lightbox for a bit of resizing, because I'm all technical like that.

LIGHTHOUSE

Here's a terrible iPod photo of a lighthouse I was working on this week.

A SLIGHTLY VIOLENT BOOK COVER

 

And now for something slightly different. I was asked by a writer friend if I wanted to cobble together a cover for this black comedy novel thing he's working on, so here are a few sneak peeks at some options I've sent him so far. Computers and dogs and ink and blood spatters and what not. There may or may not be a spot of violence in the narrative.

WOLF: REDONE

This one's getting a bit of a redo today. It was the ears, mostly. The ears were annoying me.

VERY NEARLY ALMOST

Just finished off the eighteenth illustration, which means I'm nearly almost halfway there. Next stop: cheetahs!

LET THERE BE PEACOCKS

To the left we have the original tiny (glass) peacock that somehow sneaked its way into an illustration, and to the right we have the one I said might happen here. Next on the list we have antique weaponry, striped tomatoes, and wolves (which completely explains why I've spent the past two days drawing baby dragons).

GATEKEEPER

Yesterday was one of those days where every line you draw is just...wrong. But I stayed sitting and drawing, determined to get my teeth into the next batch of drawings despite not feeling much hope for anything of use to emerge. It took pretty much all of my willpower not to just cave in and draw dragons (or bake cake) in a bid to pretend I was being 'productive'.

 

It resulted in this little dude. He's a gatekeeper - one of those fleeting characters in the book. He looks a little bit haughty and like he takes pride in his appearance. I might throw a peacock in the final drawing too, because ever since drawing a tiny one as a detail for chapter five I've been itching to sneak another one in there somewhere.

THERE'S PEOPLE OUT THERE

We escaped to the city yesterday. It confused me a little bit because there were all these...people...around. More so than usual, and it isn't even festival time yet. Then I realised it was a Saturday, a day many people tend to have free from work or school, and that since I usually work weekends I'm more used to escaping to the city on quieter weekdays. It took me a while to realise this, because I'm clever like that. And then I still kept forgetting and wondering why the streets were so busy.

 

I also really, really want a copy of this book.

 

 I've only really managed to finish one drawing this week, thanks to the Easter holidays making work busier, so now I'm off to do a bit of drawing.

MONDAY SNEAK PEEK

 

Another sneak peek at an illustration in progress.

STUFF IN A BREAD BUN

 

Yesterday went from drawing a fairy crouching on a well, to drawing fast food. Nice little jump in subject matter right there. I have to admit I had to consult the Oracle (otherwise known as t'internet) because I am a vegetarian who grew up in a town lacking in a McDonald's and didn't really know what a McChicken Sandwich and a Big Mac actually looked like in detail, other than "stuff in a bread bun". Now I know.

 

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AND ON WITH THE NEXT

I had an early morning text message telling me not to come into work since it'll no doubt be a very quiet day, considering it's snowing again and the world outside has turned back into Narnia. Hopefully this means I can get a fair bit of work done today, although I'm thinking blanket+tea+napping on the sofa in front of a film might happen first.

 

This is the central character of the next book I'm doing the drawings for. The last book is all finished (more on that soon), so now it's time to get on with the third.

OH HELLO, ORBS

Another two illustrations I've been/am working on. It'd been a while since I'd drawn anything based solely around planetary-orb type things, so the one of the left reminded me how therapeutic that can be. I still like drawing circles.

ON AN OVERCAST THURSDAY

I don't know what it is about tree-filled skylines, but I like them right now. And there's a dragon for good measure.

IN-FLIGHT

MOTHSPIRATION

 

I was working on this crown-type thing one night. There was a moth hammering itself against the paper light shade. Not a huge one that resembled some form of flying rodent, but it was big enough to make a significant thudding sound. I haven't really drawn anything unrelated to this project for the past few months, but now I find myself wanting to draw symmetrical moths. Just wanted to make a note of that.

THE DRAGON MADE ME DO IT

I had planned on getting an early night last night, but failed due to dragon-drawing. Eh.

WRINKLES

I wasn't too sure how this character was going to turn out, but I think she ended up as one of my favourites to work on. It seems I like drawing wrinkles.

MOURNING DOVES

I finished one version of this, spent about two days looking at it, and then started again from scratch. Sometimes I think it's best to just give in and start over.