IF - Mermaid

Mermaid

This is my illustration for Illustration Friday's topic 'Mermaid'.  It started as a rough scribbly silhouette in pencil that I liked so I scanned it in and finished it up in Photoshop.  I'm trying to do illustrations faster, so I didn't go in to much detail.  

When I think of 'mermaid', I immediately think of Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' (which according to my mum is the first movie I saw at the cinema) so it is no surprise that it kinda looks like Ariel.  

The Rough Sketch

Peace Lily

I always end up drawing the plant that sits next to my desk when I want to play around with digital painting and sketching.  So here is a quick sketch I just did in Photoshop.

My Peace Lily

You'll notice it has no flowers.  In fact it has only produced one flower since I got it.  I think that means it's unhappy, but not sure.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

During my visit to the Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh I did some quick sketches of faces from the portraits taken by the American artist Taryn Simon.  Here they are.

IF - Heart

'Heart'

I really wanted to create an illustration that tells a story and shows my influences from Disney character designers and animators.  They use a variety of mediums so well to create deceptively simple-looking but powerful character designs.  

IF - Pointy

Pointy

I wanted to experiment with a crisper, cleaner illustration style, as opposed to my usual, slightly messy approach.  I also wanted to simplify my message as I have a tendency to over complicate.  So here is my submission for illustration friday 'Pointy'.

My Sketchbook

It's been a couple of months since I posted anything and I haven't done any illustration projects since college finished but that doesn't mean I haven't been drawing.

So here are a few pages from my sketchbook.

Self-Portrait

My Window

Umbrella Plant

Mug

Jar and Glass

Peace Lily

Glass on table

I think it's important to keep drawing from life, even if (like me) it is just around the house.  I also think it's interesting to see the difference in how I draw and what I use, depending on my mood.  

Development Work

I think its always interesting to see how illustrators get to their final illustrations, and I find it really helpful to understand an illustrators process.

Here are some sketches, drawings and scribbles that show the development of my college project from concept to final.

Location Sketches

The first stage was to gather as much information on the subject.  Through observational drawing, research, reading.  The more information the better, obviously!

People Sketching

Monoprints

Ink drawings

Thumbnail ideas

Map research and sketches

Front Cover Options

Colour trial of monoprint

Final illustration

Final Map illustration

College Project

This is the finished illustrations and layouts for end of first year college project.  My project was on the Canonmills area of Edinburgh.  It is an area of Edinburgh that isn't as well known, so I created a magazine feature called 'Unseen City' that would highlight parts of a city that isn't so obvious to visit.  I'm especially pleased with the map illustration because I had never done one before.

Front Cover

Double Page Spread

Garlic

It is the role of the illustrator to make something that is quite ordinary, a bit more visually interesting. So, here are some sexy garlic bulbs.

Life Drawing

I've been doing some extra curricular life drawing classes recently.  Not exactly a class as there is no teacher.  But you still learn a lot.  Anyway, here are a few of my sketches coloured digitally.

Female 

Male

Collage

I've been busying away with collage for college.  I never considered collage as a means of image making that I would be interested in but I really enjoy it.  Once you have done the time-consuming part of sourcing and cutting out your images, it becomes a really fun and therapeutic game of putting the images together to create something new and unexpected.

Collaging (can be messy!)

I think the real benefit of collage - for an illustrator - is to improve their skills of composing images.  Composition is such an important part of good illustration, and with collage you can quickly see what's working and what's not.

Here are a few of my collages:

Carnival

Gazing

Geisha Fan

Deer Boy

Seeing Stars

Body

Look Out

Melted

Answer

Birdy

Travel

It has been almost a year since returning from travel and it feels like it was a dream.  I did this drawing on the floor of my beach hut in Ko Tao, Thailand around November 2013 for a Canadian couple we met, first in Cambodia and then again on the paradise island of Gili T, Indonesia.  They wanted a banner for their travel blog and I was happy to give it a go.

Original Drawing

I had promised them that I would colour the illustration on my return.  I will just say that they were very patient!

Coloured Digitally

They are still living the dream and travelling.  Have a look at their wonderful travel blog below:

http://freeyourmindtravel.com/

IF - Metropolis

The Hill of the Red Fox

I was delighted to find out that I have been shortlisted for the book cover design I entered as part of Floris Books Design Prize.

You can see the 12 shortlisted entries below and vote for your favourite.

Kelpies Design & Illustration Prize

My Book Cover Design

IF - Sleep

My submission for Illustration Friday topic, 'Sleep'.

IF - Noise

Noise

My submission for Illustration Friday