Kittens

I found a rough comic plan based on a story from my gran's youth loitering in some old files, so I thought it could see the light of day here.

Cover Doodles

I've been too busy to look at my White Boots project for while, but have recently had a bit more free time, and spent some of it thinking of cover ideas. I haven't quite got it yet, but I've had some fun with coloured pencils.

Tras Mi Ventana (through my window)

Between the end of June and the start of September I illustrated a picture-book for Ediciones LaFragatina, and now it's out (in Spain)! Tras mi Ventana is written by Román Belmonte, and is for slightly older children, as the subject matter is quite dark (a man reflecting on his life from prison.)

Here are some of my original interiors:

and some images of the printed book:

Bloghop

The lovely Julie Van Wezemael invited me to take part in bloghop, which gave me the much needed impetus to update my blog. I have lots of exciting projects in the pipeline, a lot of which I can't show quite yet, but there will be updates soon.

Here are my bloghop answers:

- What am I working on?
I've just finished my first picture book with Ediciones La Fragatina which will be published in Spain, so a lot of my time recently has been spent doing final changes and edits on that.  I can't show pictures just yet, but I will do so as soon as I'm allowed! I've also just started the final semester of my Masters degree, and so am having a lot of fun coming up with ideas for my final project. Mostly I'm struggling with deciding between project ideas - there are so many things I'd love to illustrate.

These are some sketches for a comic book idea I'm playing around with at the moment. I love the aesthetics of Film Noir, and I've been keen to use them in my work for a while now.

- How does my work differ from others in it’s genre?
This is such a hard question to answer! I think no two people's work is ever the same, as they haven't been shaped by the same influences and experiences, so hopefully my work shows my interests and tastes. I like drawing from old films, patterns, nature and people, so I often try to shape my work around something I'm excited about.

(Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief - I quite often screenshot nice compositions in films for reference) 

- Why do I create what I do?
The simplest answer is because I enjoy it - it's a joy to be able to work doing what you love. Which is not to say that there aren't days where it's very hard work. I've always been drawn to narrative work, the idea of imparting something to a complete stranger through drawing appeals to me, and creating and reading narratives has always been a part of my life.

- How does my creative process work?
I try to start with what makes a project interesting to me, regardless of whether it is commissioned work or self initiated. I'll then do some research (visual and otherwise) into the topic, and some sketches to try and capture the mood of the piece. The next stage is planning, which is usually drawing endless tiny thumbnails and boxes.  I'll then draw increasingly large roughs, until I have a dummy book, or final rough and a clear picture of what I want the final piece to look like in my head. I usually paint (with gouache, watercolour & acrylics) and use coloured pencils for my final artwork, which I then scan in and tinker with digitally until I'm happy.

I've asked Lilly Louise Allen and Maisie Shearring to continue the bloghop, so have a look at their lovely work. 

The Ghost in the Glasshouse III

Chapter One

A little chapter heading for my poor neglected White Boots project

The Minnow

Yesterday I got my advanced copies of 'The Minnow' by Diana Sweeney, which I illustrated the cover and an interior minnow spot for. The finished cover has some elements debossed in silver, including the little minnow on the spine, which was a lovely surprise. Text Publishing have done a great job, I just need to read the book now!