Writer Portraits; Sky Arts Tv Portrait Expo

This is the project that I've been working on that I mentioned earlier in the week. I was approached by SkyArts Tv a few weeks ago asking if I wanted to sell my canvas bags at an expo that they are hosting on portraiture in the RDS. When I went to their website and saw the standard of stuff that will be on show I was bowled over, and more than a little chagrined/chuffed to be asked to be part of the show. I decided that I needed to add quite a few images to my range to expand them beyond the narrow field of Irish writers. 

I have loads of photos of writers printed out and piled up on my desk, over the past couple of weeks I've been whiling away the hours while sketching, painting, and colouring. As I mentioned I was finding it hard to get the creative juices flowing again so this has been a great gateway back to making things; to go back to my first love drawing. 

The event will be on in the RDS Dublin on the the 14th of July, from 10am-6pm, it's just a one day event, so if you are going to be in the area mark it in your diary. The event is part of a six part documentary series that Sky Arts are filming on portraiture as part of their national competition to find Britain's Portrait Artist of the Year. As well as my canvas bags I will be selling my original paintings and drawings, printed portrait greeting cards, and some badges and magnet sets. 

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Roller Derby Design

The Limerick Roller Girls are playing for the first time in their home town this weekend. I have a few friends and acquaintances on the team and they suggested that I sell my wares at the event. Instead of just turning up with my normal crafty stuff I thought I would design some derby t-shirts, canvas bags and badges. 

My first port of call was of coarse Pinterest, that's where all the crafty rockabilly girls hang out don't you know! Derby huge in America so there was loads to look through. Basically I was looking for striking photos  to base my illustrations on. I thought this girl was particularly kickass, so she was the first one that I worked on. So far I have done eight drawings, but this is the only one that I have finished in Photoshop. The event is on Saturday, so I really need to get my skates on, pardon the pun!

My intention was to go for a really muted palette, so I wouldn't distract from the line drawing too much, but I got a bit carried away at the end. As you saw in my Girl With The Dragon Tattoo piece I have tendencies to change my mind after a while(the joy of working in Photoshop is that is gives you that freedom that traditional illustration doesn't). I've been looking at the work of my friend Jordie Bellaire a lot, and trying to figure out a few tricks. She is an amazing colourist, looking at her work I discovered that a palette can really make or break a piece. She has been good enough to give me advice in the past(I went to college with her boyfriend Declan Shalvey) and I really appreciate how honest she has been. Colour wasn't something I paid a lot of attention to in college, and I feel like I'm only trying to figure it out now. I'm always tempted to go for really strong colours, but it's good to use some of the other tools in the box too.

The match is on this Saturday in UL, for full details go to their event here on Facebook, tickets are €10 with concessions for students and OAPs, and it's free for kids under 5. You can also go to their website to purchase tickets.

Note: Even though I will be selling at this event on Saturday my book stall will still be open for it's normal hours. 

Source

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Fashion Illustration Calender

Original outfit image here.

Ideas for new products come from lots of different places, sometimes it's seeing a tutorial, sometimes discovering a new material, and others it's chatting with friends. I was at my stall the other day and talking with fellow trader Mairead who sells beautiful home and gift ware called The Gift Store (great for house warming presents!). She sells a range of cards, prints and calenders, and we were talking about different illustrators, their styles and their range of products. Having seen my illustrated cards she encouraged me to do a calender, knowing that it would be very different to what she stocks at her stall. It was something that I've had in the back of my head for ages, but never got around to doing. 

Original outfit post here.

So I went home on Sunday and did a few sketches, I liked the idea of doing a fashion illustration one, with the clothes changing to match the Seasons. I did two pieces that evening. I wasn't really sure what style I would work in, but I just followed where the drawing brought me and stumbled upon using a monochrome palette with one popping colour. The idea is that each month will have it's own colour, with the most eye catching piece of clothing in the picture. I trawled through Pinterest and online for distinctive fashion photos to base the illustrations on, I've been looking at magazines, blog posts, street style; anything that pops out. I'm looking forward to doing more pieces, but I'd say it will take me a while to do all 12, lets just hope I have it finished on time for Christmas.

Mairead's stall The Gift Store

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Book Worm Canvas Tote Bag: Waiting for Godot

When I get an idea for a new project I become totally obsessed with it. Usually I'll be thinking about it as I fall asleep; planing out the finer details. For a while I've been toying with the idea of doing canvas tote bags for the my second hand book stall Bazaar Tales. It was only when ideas starting sparking off about the book themed illustrations that I could do that I became consumed by the idea. 


When I finished college years ago I really wanted to do children's illustration. I worked on making a portfolio for a while but I never had the guts to show it to anyone. In the end I got distracted by other projects and eventually by Nice Day Designs, and the dream was shelved. When I made the connection in my brain between the tote bags and my abandoned dream of being an illustrator I got very excited indeed. I really love the work that I do with Nice Day designs, but lately I've really missed doing artwork. I had chatted with some friends about maybe doing pieces for exhibition, and trying to get back to making work again unrelated to crafts. In reality I knew that I wasn't going to take that time for myself, as there is always a mountain of work to be done. But I feel that this new project could give me the outlet I've been craving while still expanding my range of crafts.

The idea is that I will do images based on books, quotes, famous fictional characters. I don't want to do anything that already has an established image, like Winnie the Pooh. But things like Alice in Wonderland have loads of different versions, so I would happily do my own. I've been wracking my brain thinking of popular books that have a visual element that really appeals to me. On the list so far is; The girl with the dragon tattoo, Hamlet, Frankenstein, Lord of the flies,and the Narnia books. 

I went through my illustration sketchbook and had a look at the ideas that I was working on. There I found this idea sketch for Waiting for Godot a play by Samuel Beckett, this depicts the character Lucky. I was chuffed to find something that matched exactly the kind of thing I was looking for to put on the bags. I set out to do the drawing and dug out my pencils and notebook. To be honest I was a little nervous, drawing is like any exercise, and I was feeling rather unfit and out of practice. The enjoyment of getting back to basics overcame any initial trepidation and after a few hours I was finished.


I got the transfer paper is Silkes and a bunch of blank canvas bags in Aldi. If you are attempting doing any transfer stuff yourself just be careful firstly reverse your image before printing it, and also to iron it for AGES. When you think you are done, iron it for a bit more, it's better to be safe than sorry; especially since the paper is so darned expensive!

I had a look through some of my other paintings and illustrations and I found these two pieces; Beckett and Yeats, which also work perfectly for the book bags. I'm delighted with how these turned out and they make a great pair. I intend on doing more Irish writers as they are so recognizable, and probably popular with the tourist crowd. I plan on doing a good few designs in the next week or two and then after that add a new design each week. The bags will be for sale at the Bazaar Tales book stall from this weekend and they are just €5. Or if you would like to buy one online head over to my Etsy shop.


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Illustrated Necklaces

I started making a whole new range of shrink plastic necklaces. Here are just a selection of some of the images, but if you want to see all 50 designs go to my facebook album here. They come with a ball chain necklace, and they are a perfect stocking filler at only €6 a pop. If anyone has a special request for custom drawn pictures just let me know. I listed a few of them in my etsy shop, and the Bowie necklace sold just after 5 minutes after listing it...very exciting!

Draw and Make Your Own Badges

I originally bought my badge maker so I didn't have to import my badges/mirrors from the US. I never realised how much it would change and help my business. It's much easier now to come up with an idea, do a bit of magic on photoshop, print it and make the badge within minutes. It's a really satisfying and fluid way of working.

Last year my friend Mary-Rose suggested that I bring the badge maker to the market so kids can draw a picture and make their own badges.They have a great time drawing pictures, writing their name, or writing who their favourite band is. It was hugely successful last year, but then there was the large hiccup when my machine broke and had to go on holidays to Germany to recover/repair. All is back to normal now and I've built up a steady stream of regular kids who come down on Friday/Sunday. These kids below were at my stall on Sunday, I had a great time chatting with them and their Aunt, and they made loads of really cool badges.

The photo above is of one that I did of Sam Beckett, I'm starting a series of one off illustration badges that people will be able to buy in my Etsy shop. I'll try out a few and see how they sell. It's hard to gauge the price though, as they are specialist pieces, but at the same time they are only a badge.....hmmm...decisions decisions.

Draw and make You Own Badges

At the Milk Market 

Friday:11-5pm

Sunday:11-4pm

(times may be changing soon as we will be doing twilight markets on Fridays)

A is for Apple

It was about a month ago that I made myself an 'A for Apple' badge, and I've been wearing it on my coat for a while now. I got lots of comments asking if I had made the whole alphabet, which spurred me into making the set.

First of all I set to doing all the drawings in Bic pen, which is harder than you'd think. At stages I was left sitting at my desk thinking of 'something interesting beginning with J?'. After a couple of days drawing I was ready to scan them in and begin the colouring stage. It's much easier to do this in photoshop then in pen as I can change the colours as I go if I want to make alterations afterwards. Just at the very last minute yesterday I dashed to the printers before he closed and got the images printed up.

The idea is that they will be a 26 piece magnet set, used as a learning tool for kids.I'm now at the stage of pressing them in the machine...a lenghly chore in itself. And I'm also waiting on a delivery of boxes from The Tiny Box Company, hopefully they will arrive soon so I can have them on my stall as part of my Christmas gift stock. I'm charging €20 for a full set of magnets, but I'll also be selling them individually too. If you'd like to see more of the images, just click here to view the facebook album

Etsy Ireland Artist Trading Cards

Recently there was an artist trading card (atc) swap on the Etsy Ireland team blog. Readers volunteered to make a piece and swap it with another reader for free, it's a really nice idea for starting a mini art collection, and also a fun exercise to do. I've been a little late submitting my piece as I've been up to my eyes with work and the move in the house, and I just finished mine now. You can see the results of the other pieces here, there are some really good pieces, I hope they run with this idea again.

I already received my beautiful piece from Mary at My Rasimon, pictured above, and it's hanging on my studio now! I also received a really nice little red evening bag as a little extra surprise, which was so nice of her...thanks Mary!

The piece I did was a little colouring pencil sketch as a homage to the encroaching Autumn Season, it reminds me of warm coats and wet evenings. I pictured it here with the original photograph and also with a 50c piece to show you the scale of these mini artworks.

Chill out Sketches

It's been an absolute age since I did any drawing, so after a REALLY busy week it was so nice to sit down and chill out on a Sunday afternoon and take out my pencils and paints. It will take a lot more practice to get back to the level I was at a few years ago but even though the results aren't the best I really enjoyed it. It may seem a little mad that my chill out time was still creating stuff, but it relaxes my brain. I must find more time to treat myself to more of these types of afternoons...and maybe practice will make perfect too.

Talented Artist

I don't ever watch shows like Britains got talent or x-Factor, but a friend showed me this last night on youtube and I was totally blown away. This is the winner from Ukraines Got Talent, a beautiful and amazingly talented artist who does drawings in sand on a lightbox live on front of the audience. I really recommend watching it the whole way through, as the transformations between each picture just get better and better.

Drawing 28 Days Later

This is a slight change in topic from my usual but I was just over at my friend Declan Shalvey's blog and I just had to share. At the moment he is doing the artwork for the comic book 28 Days Later,and issue 2 has just been released of this series. Back at the very start of my blog I did an interview with this old college friend of mine, but I just thought he warrented an extra mention because his work has come on SO MUCH, and I'm really proud of him. So if you are A: a fan of comic books or B: love really beautiful linedrawings or C: you reaslly dig zombies...check him out

Drawings

It's been a long time since I did some sketches, but I always find it gets the brain going again. So here are a few examples...
Also if you want to see more of my artwork go to my website