Madness of Crowds

This week's editorial illustration was for the article Madness of Crowds: Will Self visits Las Vegas, Its gone family-friendly. The article is based around the idea that advertising of Vegas as a family resort and the consequential increase of families staying in Vegas, will in turn end its days as a partying  and gambling resort. Therefore I developed the idea of combining dice and building blocks together. I played around with different compositions however I am still unhappy with this final layout. If I was to refine this idea I would try an asymmetric, more relaxed composition.

Sun, Sea, Sand...And Sniffles

This editorial illustration for a Guardian article is based upon the idea that people with heavy workloads often get ill on the first day of their holidays due to their stressful day-to-day life. Consequently I looked at imagery which signifies holidays (suitcase) and illness (pills) and combined these two ideas together to create my final illustration.  

Why Small Victories Matter

This editorial illustration is for an article taken from the Guardian on Why Small Victories Matter. The article is based on the idea that you gain greater success and happiness working towards smaller achievable targets rather than one larger target. The comparatively small size of the central target-coloured duck illustrates this idea. The idea of hook-the-duck derived from the key words small victories which in turn led to the idea of fareground games which involve targets.

How to Decorate

This illustration is an editorial piece for an article taken from the Guardian called 'How to...Decorate.' The basis of the article is the idea that humans have an instinct for external decoration, with appearance being viewed as more important than character. Inspired by the reference to peacocks in the article, I based the henna pattern around peacock feathers, the henna itself conveying our innate need for personal decoration. Experimenting with colour for the background, I liked the contrast between the red henna and blue background, however in context I feel the hands look more striking against a white background. 

Oceana

This character was inspired by Ian Macarthur's highly detailed, intricate illustrations. Influenced by his choice of mixed-media, I similarly created this illustration using pencil, pigment pen and watercolour paints. The stern expression, strong stance and vivacious splash of colour convey Oceana's powerful, wilful, spirited personality.

Antlers

This graphite-on-paper drawing was inspired by the amazing Shaun Tan's illustrations. I feel I have successfully conveyed the personality and emotion of this character through his expression and body language. Overall I am pleased with the final illustration of this timid, shy, endearing antler-boy, who is my favourite character out of the seven.

Thumberlina

 

I created this character on a piece of wood using black fine-liner and chalk, inspired by Audrey Kawasaki's beautiful, evocative wood-based paintings. This character is influenced by Hans Christian Anderson's fairytale Thumbelina, as seen through the lily pad and petal dress. I like how Thumbelina's simplified style contrasts with my other more detailed characters. 

Tortoise-shell hare

Graphite on paper

This character was influenced by Mark Ryden's graphite-on-paper creatures. Ryden's evocative, poignant artwork contains layers of meaning and subtle twists. Inspired to create a thought provoking character, I decided to play on the Aesop's fable The Hare and the Tortoise in order to produce this intriguing character.

Foo Dog

Foo Dog final design, black fine-liner pen

Dry point perspex printing plate 

The medium for this character was inspired by the dry-point prints of Estonian artist Vello Vinn, the intricate detail seen on the Foo Dog relating back to Vinn's intense prints. This was my first attempt at creating a drypoint print, which I produced onto a piece of perspex. So far the prints I have tried to create without a printing-press at home have been unsuccessful, I plan on using the uni printing press soon to try and produce some good prints. The character was influenced by chinese Guardian Lions, known as Foo Dogs in the west, believed to have powerful mythical protective benefits. Overall I am very happy with the end Foo Dog character.

Ollie the Orangutan

This is Ollie the Orangutan, one of my seven characters for this years Uni summer project, inspired by Amy Schimler's illustrations. I created this character by scanning in a line drawing along with various different textures and then editing on photoshop; developing techniques I used when creating 'Kara the Koala.'

This post is dedicated to my brother and sister on their 17th Birthday, love you Ali and Claire.

Psychedelic Butterfly

This years University Summer Project included the task of creating 7 very different characters, influenced by 7 different artists/illustrators. This psychedelic butterfly was inspired by Louis Wain's cat drawings. I created this illustration using watercolour paints. Without doubt this is the most colourful illustration I have ever produced! For someone who avoids colour, I actually quite enjoyed painting this fun, sinister character.  

A Bask of Crocodiles

Final piece for the phrase A Bask of Crocodiles, for our Second year collaborative art book.

Second Year Art Book

Pencil drawings to form my final piece for a collaborative second year art book based upon collective nouns for animal groups. The phrase I am illustrating is A Bask of Crocodiles.

Art, Craft and Flower Festival

I displayed these two pieces, as well as The Illustrator as a Phoenix and my Cat and Dog illustration for a children's book cover in my local Art, Craft and Flower Festival and received great feedback from visitors to the exhibition.



Kara the Koala Bear



Bears can swim



Bears are nocturnal




Bears love honey



Bears can fish



Four final double-page spreads for my picture book Kara the Koala Bear. I began by using mixed-media colouring pencils and fine-liner pen. However, I then decided to change medium; drawing the keylines in fine-liner pen, eyes in colouring pencil and then scanning these drawings aswell as different textures into the computer and editing on Photoshop. I feel that combining texture into my illustrations has made the aesthetic more striking, interesting and engaging for children.

Client Visuals

Four double-page spreads from Kara the Koala Bear

Meet Kara the Koala

I created the character of Kara the Koala Bear for a childrens book I was producing to be entered into the Macmillan Picture Book Prize 2012 . Unfortunately I didn't finish my final pieces in time to enter the competition but there is always next year! The story is based around Kara the Koala who thinks she is a bear. Her mum then explains how she is not a bear, but in fact a marsupial.

Branches

Beginnings of a drawing I started during the summer. The Deer's antlers are tree branches, inspired by a postcard my cousin Charlotte sent me when she was travelling in Indian of Tribal Art.

More Pet Problems



Skinny Pig



Lesser Known Dog Breed



The final brief set for Second Year Illustration was to produce 28 black-and-white illustration of given Pet Problems.

Pet Problems



Signs of a Stressed Guinea Pig

   

Living with Agressive Guinea Pigs




How to Keep Your Ferret Happy

 


Toy Suggestions for Rabbits




Ideal Housing for Rabbits

 

Dealing with Bird Obesity



If We Could See Secrets

For an illustration brief at University, I was given the character Physiologist and the theme of construction with the challenge being to create an illustration for a visually sophisticated audience, based on the character having a 'secret' connected to the theme. I devised the idea of a Psychologist holding the secrets to how the mind is constructed. Mixed-media pencil, fine-liner, and Photoshop illustration which incorporates MRI scans of both normal and abnormal brains.

Harrison Bergeron

Mixed-media: fine-liner, white pen and Photoshop

Mixed-media: fine-liner, white pen and string

Front cover and double-page spread illustrations for the short story Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, a story based on government control and the power of television in a future where intelligence and beauty is handicapped. Sophisticated adult audience. 

Nineteen plus One

Nineteen plus One, 19 snakes and One charmer. Sophisticated adult audience, produced using fine-liner pen, green and orange ink and Photoshop. Inspired by Indian and Southern Asian Naga, Celtic Knots and kaleidoscopes.

Numbers=Fun

University project to produce a promotional item for a new maths book. The book title, Number=Fun needing to be an integral part of the design. I created a bold, playful and fun poster for in-store display, produced using fine-liner pen and Photoshop.

Christmas

'Merry Christmas' Card design. Horses are awesome

Havana

Pictorial map of Havana. Mixed-media black pen, watercolour paints and Photoshop.

The Illustrator As A Phoenix

The Illustrator As A Phoenix. Constantly reinventing yourself. Mixed-media pencil and Photoshop 

Mythological Characters

The theme was 'The Illustrator As A ...' The university project was to produce a Facing Page illustration to be featured in the Association of Illustrator's magazine 'Varoom!' as a newly discovered illustrator. The idea I chose was 'The Illustrator As A... Phoenix' and began by researching mythological creatures.