so far

Best laid plans went up in smoke early. Although what I learned was that it’s less exhausting if you go with the current than against it. Might not end up where you thought you’d be but better able to deal with what ever’s there because you’re happy and ready to go. 

January and most of February was swallowed by covid. Then a short holiday to Eden and home the long way through Canberra. Stayed with my sister-in-law and her husband , their construction is underway and making progress, I saw my niece and her beautiful family, fossicked in second hand stores and gift shops and played around in nature. Back in time to start the year in March.

With that, I’ve been quoting on some freelance work and about to start a book which the manuscript is on it’s way, but the best thing has been finally getting involved in a challenge on Twitter I’ve been stalking since, forever. #colour_collective  Has been going for a long while and run by an illustrator out of the UK, thus the spelling and one of the reasons I started following it. They post two colours (it used to be one, but now it’s two) and you have a week to create a picture with those colours. Some use it sparingly, others intensively, all look fab! These are some of mine:

Divas

Leaf season

Lily pond

Frog chorus

Fishies

Last blooms

I see such amazing diversity of work using #colour_collective and I try to like all of them (sorry if i missed anyones (eek!)). I often covet different illustration styles, marvelling at how these geniuses work, just amazing!

You can follow me @_essayer on Twitter and see all the other #colour_collective drawings they’re great!

Cheers!

characters developing

I’ve been doing more skills development. This time to show the same characters in different situations. It’s not the first of these and will not be the last.

I’m loving the way I’ve developed my own shorthand for doing eyes and noses. In general, I love learning new ways to express all of the things, shapes and tones. It’s wonderful to draw an illustration that can tell a whole story and I think I nail that.Each one of these on their own could stand alone with a story. Together, they could build a narrative…

The colour palette is, again, my own. I like how the muted tones give a softness while remaining gender neutral.

I think these are a huge leap in developing the expression I want to be able to convey… getting there anyway, more drawing (yay!) , because it’s called a practice for a reason, and I’d do it for fun regardless.

Cheers,

future me

My love of drawing active older people is expanding.

They have such lovely jowly, wrinkly faces and expressive eyes. I just love them! I’m not sure I do them justice, but they have history which means they learned to make the most of the now.

Secretly I think I’m drawing the future.

Most of the older people I know are living the most amazing lives, getting together with friends, going out and having fun, to a show, to swimming, to the shops, to see the sights and in general - having fun and learning all the time. It should be celebrated. Most of the depictions I see don’t fully do this so it’s now my thing - older people doing all the things and having a ball doing it!

I love these people! Not always the same people, maybe I’ll make a narrative… They definitely deserve a story.

This does seem to keep cropping up, I’m not a writer, this type of blathering on has been the best I can do and I really just write what I’m thinking. Anyway, I’ll keep thinking and keep drawing and fingers crossed a narrative pops up. I’m confident it will. I think.

x marks the spot

A little while ago, I was commissioned for one of the best projects. As you all know I’m a bit skeptical of committing to self-published work. Not as a value judgement of the work to be illustrated, it’s that the role of author, editor, book designer, art director, marketer, distributor and seller are usually one person - then me. And the weight of the responsibility and the financial implications are enormous. I’ve written about it here.

So when I was approached by this client I was a bit hmmm?!?!

The request was simple. A surprise gift for their partner who had written a picture book, didn’t want the whole book, but a mock front cover. How could I refuse. It was such a truly thoughtful gift. 

...and a dream client to boot. Every interaction was professional, payment and conditions were met, and the result was so good. 

The brief was to take the title, develop the character with some more form and surround it with images of the things related. The style they wanted was similar to my little birdies and they’d let me have at it.

So I sent through some pencil roughs. 

 Then some colour schemes.

Then finessed for the finished result.

The smaller people in the household liked it so much fan art was made! (I can tick that off the bucket list 😊)

Such a great and fun project, done with no-fuss in a professional and timely way. Perfect!

So if you’re a publisher, this is a cute concept and I’d love to illustrate the whole book. I can put you in touch with the author, contact me 😉 and we can get this done!

Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram and sign up to my mailing list for not-really-regular but rather ad-hoc missives.

Cheers,

Earth Matters

I know, right?!?

In January, during the fires, a million years ago, Donna Rawlins French put up her hand as part of the #AuthorsforFireys fundraiser on Twitter. I put in a bid for a portfolio review. Donna was very positive and forwarded my work to a publisher with the following comment to me:

I have also sent your folio on to a publishing chum. I hope that's okay. She and I work together and I KNOW she'll love your work

So after being contacted in January, Maryann Ballantyne and Wild Dog Books took me on to illustrate Earth Matters authored by Carole Wilkinson. 

After a few pandemic induced false starts and much back and forth and Donna as book designer, it’s done!

Out in April it is a non-fiction book for upper primary schoolers about climate change providing them actionable tools to help them feel safer.

All of the equipment and studio and  ‘stuff’ I have acquired over the years to work as an illustrator came to naught as all of the images were done on Procreate on an iPad on my dining table. And now I’ve got an advance copy!

The colours are fantastic, Donna has done superb work.

The trust I placed in her was amply rewarded, her knowledge and skill in book design is huge and cannot be overstated, and I think the trust in me was rewarded too ❤️

It certainly was a journey in what was a truly amazing year, in the full meaning of the word.

The opportunity to do this book through the long lockdown in Victoria was an absolute life saver for me and my mental health.

We all, myself, Donna, Maryann and Carole will look back on this as a major achievement with everything that was ongoing on in 2020.

It’ll be available in selected bookshops in April but you can order it at your local to make sure you get one 😉 I’m sure you’ll love it too!

Cheers and chin-chin!

Pandemic shutdown continues... :(

It’s been an interesting time here in Melbourne. Shutdown 2: electric boogaloo might just be done with next week (fingers crossed) but we are not counting any chickens and I don’t think it’ll be opening up without restrictions.

Still, I’ve been practicing more with Procreate and am about to update to the latest version so a new learning curve begins - nothing but excitement about the changes… Before I do that though, I have been working on a book and until I know they’re happy with what has been delivered so far I don’t want mess around with the software. This is in case there is any loss of data. Over cautious, probably, and I have backed up all the drawings, I just might let the it settle for a bit.

So aside from the book I’ve been giving flowers to anyone. Well, via Instagram, and they’re drawings…

I’ve also had a bit of success with the animation features. They are easy tools and great to make simple gifs. I can see a lot more of this happening.

I’ve also been up to my old tricks with statues, which you can see on instagram, and you can it check out here: https://www.instagram.com/_essayer/

Cheers!

Learning

It’s all new here on the essayer platform! New hardware, new software, new new-ness!

After waiting eons, I’ve gotten my hands on an iPad Pro WITH A PENCIL!

I’m slowly moving everything over to using it as my base. The interesting thing is that it works so seamlessly that I often forget it is a mobile device, but then when I’m using my desktop I try to touch the screen to make that work, and that is a big no.

The pencil is AMAZING, it’s as responsive as you’d expect and some. To use it as effectively as possible I’ve bought a new drawing package, Procreate. It’s made in Hobart and is absolutely loved world wide. It has all sorts of functionality including offering simple animation tools. Below are some Father’s Day Drawings done on all Procreate, including text - if you know a card manufacturer who’d like to license them *wink*

Having used Photoshop and Illustrator from Adobe for years, it’s been interesting teaching myself this new program.

I’ve also found another drawing suite that can do all the other things the Adobe Suite, could do called Affinity. It’s much more cost effective so I’m learning that as well. It really is a brain exercise to learn all the shortcuts, gesture controls, brushes, textures and fonts. The options are mind blowing.

It has been very lonely in the studio so the portability of the iPad has made it easier during this second lockdown. I can put it all in my back and away I go, connected and able to draw almost anywhere. Usually at home, but in theory anywhere.

I still love and adore my studio - can’t imagine being without it. It’s my happy place. Here’s to this second lockdown working.

Cheers and wear a mask!