Pretend-Illustration Friday topic

Pretend, just a simple sketch this week. Sometimes I feel a bit of pressure that I have to create a masterpiece every week, but I know that's not what Illustration Friday is about anyway. It's meant to be fun and an opportunity to practice your skills more and be challenged with different topics. Plus I have to get going on designing / uploading art onto my illustration website :)

Wise - Illustration Friday topic

Wise: my illustration for the topic a couple of weeks ago. I know owls were the obvious choice for this topic, but to be honest even before the topic was posted I had been collecting owl photo references to draw from. I am thinking about having this on my illustration business card. I had a bit of a business enlightenment a few weeks ago after going to a web design seminar. I am going to create an illustration website separate from my graphic design / illustration one. I found that publishers only want to see illustrations on their own, not graphics work too. I have registered my new website domain name (just using my name but I have found that is what most illustrators do), so I have to get cracking on it!

I've had a lot of graphic design work lately which is great but I want to be illustrating more. I am also really inspired to start up an etsy shop one day and actually try selling some of my work. There have been some awesome Arts / Crafts markets lately in Perth including Made on the Left in Mt Lawley and there will also be Bazaar and Perth Upmarket coming up in December. One day i would like to try having a stall. So many ideas, sometimes i don't know what to start on first! If anyone has any suggestions on my owl at all, with colouring or anything feel free to comment :)

Vacant-Illustration Friday topic

My interpretation of this week's Illustration Friday topic. This is my Red-tan Australian Kelpie Banjo. Sometimes I think he is a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock! E.g. a little loopy and not all there, so therefore vacant! I enjoyed using simple fine liners for this sketch.

Repair - Illustration Friday topic

A bit last minute but I have been working on this little by little over the past few days. This is probably the latest thing I got repaired my blue carebear from the early 198os! I had it since I was 5 and then my puppy Banjo decides he will take it as his own toy! was quite upsetting but fortunately we found the heart nose and the cloud tummy outside and my mum sewed it back up for me :) Bless her

Sugary - Illustration Friday topic

'Sugary' an Illustration Friday topic from a few weeks ago that i missed out on. I hand drew the word, scanned it in, then searched for lolly imagery and placed them within the letters. 2 more to catch up on now 'Island' and 'Clique' and then i will be up to date.

Late - Illustration Friday topic

'Henry's bed was so comfy and cosy and he was having such happy dreams that he slept through his alarm and was late for school'.

When hearing this week's topic i thought of the obvious: running late for an appointment /meeting, staying up late, someone dying etc. None of these ideas inspired me so I decided to do a brainstorm and came up with a reason for being late. I am very happy with how this one turned out this week, I really love the 70s wallpaper and the whole piece makes me feel happy :)

Strings - Illustration Friday Topic

Just in time this week for Strings. I haven't drawn many instruments before so this gave me a good opportunity. I didn't do any preliminary sketches for this, I used ink and a nib and drew straight on paper, I then scanned the drawings in and manipulated the images in Illustrator (the first 2) and then Photoshop. I found these lovely wood grains on the morguefile.com a free photo site, comes in handy! :) I could have done many more variations of these and I may do some more later. I was originally thinking of overlapping all of the instruments but for now just wanted to show them in full.