Illustration Friday - Phenomenon

How phenomenal are mullets really?
Quick pen and pencil sketch and digitally coloured. Next time all pen or all pencil - looks a bit odd. Anyway, back to coding a site - yawn!

Illustration Friday - Prehistoric

Ok I am being a bit lazy this week and putting up a pic from our current Sole Sisters Collective exhibition but the sand dunes in Canunda look so prehistoric to me - plus the only other thing I could think about was fossils but yeah, not much time. Busy week ahead getting stuck into the neglected sketchbook project.
Ink drawing, coloured digitally, with the nature words being a handwritten font and lino printed.

Illustration Friday - Burning

Ok so I have taken advantage of the topic slightly but I have had a burning desire to sketch the beautiful streetscenes I saw in Italy.

This one is a little alley from the town of Guglionesi where my Pop grew up. Just love the colours and the textures of the streets. Had a ball wandering around with my little camera.

Will be doing more for sure with more time. Eg. not starting them at 10.30pm.

Illustration Friday - Spent

I spent a lot of money on this jacket. Swanky Italian leather. I didn't spend so much time drawing it though. Tried using a thin calligraphy pen but felt too scratchy. Will go back to my old faithful next time. Worth a try anyway.

Also my evil cat Sebastian had a little spew on said swanky Italian leather jacket while I had it laid out on the bed ready to draw. Not happy Jan

Illustration Friday - Racing

These little things always get my heart racing
Painted the chillis and background and scanned in handwriting and sketches which I overlaid in Photoshop as I wasn't content with the painting alone.
Not sure what I think of it still. Very rushed!

Illustration Friday - Beneath

You never know why lies beneath the innocent appearance of a librarian.
There was a movie I watched when I was younger, cannot recall the name, but ever since I associate librarians with little deviants.
Hand sketch with pen and pencil - no touch-ups, just a bit of colour added.

Illustration Friday - Old Fashioned

Took a photo of this sweet ride when I was in Pisa a month ago and have been keen to draw it. It's old fashioned and totally gnarly. Probably even like the cropped version below more.
Ink drawing - digitally coloured. Had to be quick, time is precious with art exhib coming up :)

Illustration Friday - Acrobat

She looks a bit more like a ballerina but hey, I tried. We all know that only an acrobat can peace out in a hoop.
Lead pencil and watercolour overlaid on a stained paper background in Photoshop. I love watercolour, it always dries SO MUCH nicer that it looks when you first put it on. Happy days.

Illustration Friday - Double

Why have double when you can have triple?

Image loosely based on an old photo of my nanna and my three mothers. People think having twins is crazy, imagine moving here from Italy - not being able to speak english all that well and then having triplets. Luckily for Nanna, all the girls were just darlings, like me.

Personally I would love to have triplets. Hmmm

Must be making up for a lack of black last week as well, went with an old school greyscale comic theme this time around.

This will most likely be my last one before the holiday too. Hoorah!

The pic of Nanna and the girls. I cropped out the scary newspaper dude who was freaking out one of them out. Yep, I can't pick who is who here. So let's just say (L-R) Mum, Mum and Mum...

Illustration Friday - Breakfast

Ohmigod is it breakfast already! Reminds me of Toula from Fat Pizza. Anyway...
My favourite breakfast ever was waffles with strawberries and pannacotta gelato in a cafe in Glenelg a couple of years ago. So I tried drawing it minus the gelato, and in pencils with none of my trademark BLACK. It was hard yes, and I think I prefer black ink. But hey, worth having a play.

Illustration Friday - Diary

Ah I am back after a very, very busy couple of weeks. I miss Illustration Friday, I really do. So this week I made myself make time - and the topic - was easy for me this time around.

This is a pic of the wicked travel journal my friend Simone gave me for my travels. I cannot wait to use this as a diary for 6 weeks - fill it with lots of awesome memories! Ahhh!!!!

3 weeks to go - hoorah!

Quick ink sketch coloured in photoshop. The journal is a really funky matte paper so I drew it in that style. Will aim to get two more illy fridays in before I go :)

I'm still here!

So I have been MIA from Illustration Friday for the last two weeks as I have started to get really stuck into art for the Sole Sisters Collective exhibition (September and November this year). I am using the majority of my Fridays to work on art at at the moment lino cutting is where I am at. I love Illy Friday but at the moment I need every spare second to think of art - as I want to get as much as I can done before we head off OS.

These ones are taken on the computer, hence the whole 'reversed look'. Tried printing these on material - to see how it absorbed the paints and the print. Am having a lot of fun with it, hoping to get out another lino print done tomorrow, plus start on some illustrations. Plan is to have a digital print with the lino print overlaid on top. The idea is working in my head, let's just see if it can translate to the actual artwork!

Oh and from today it is 9 weeks until we take a ride on a big jet plane! Woop!

Illustration Friday - Equipment

My tools, or weapons of mass destruction - especially the ink and lino cutter.
Ironic that is hurts to type with my index finger after stabbing with lino cutter.
Channeling my inner obsessive consumption - big fan of her blog - simple, awesome illustrations.

Illustration Friday - Fearless [ & Disguise! ]

Everyone is fearless when they are younger. Good to go back to that mindset that ANYTHING is possible if you put your mind to it.
Quick pen sketch and coloured in photoshop. Working on a project currently in this style so was fitting to do this weeks illo like this.

Illustration Friday - Cocoon

"I'm not really involved with politics. I'm living in my cocoon with my classical music around" Eva Green

I did a search on quotes for cocoon and came across this one that I really liked. I am the same. I know very little about politics and am happy in my little cocoon - listening to music, but not classical!

Tried a different style with lots of line work in black pen then coloured in photoshop. Went for a rustic looking piece this time for something a little different

Illustration Friday - Ahead

Ahead - what I have coming up ahead and can't freaking wait.
Pretty lame drawing tonight - creativity let me down this week. Although I have always liked drawing maps. I have highlighted Italy as that is the place I am most excited about - meeting the family - eating, drinking, etc etc.
I am bound to be FAR more creative upon return of my trip though :)

Illustration Friday - Detective

Detective = trench coat of course, and the raised eyebrow!
Quick pen sketch and coloured in photoshop

Illustration Friday - Linked

I needed to finish this pic and it kinda worked out to suit the Illy Friday topic of Linked. This is our family portrait! Bianca, Toby, Myfanwy and Sebastian!

Illustration Friday - Dip

dip loves crackers and crackers love beer
A Friday afternoon staple in our household

Illustration Friday - Subterranean

Subterranean:
existing, situated, or operating below the surface of the earth; underground.
existing or operating out of sight or secretly; hidden or secret.

Clearly I am missing sugar in my diet. Was dreaming of a cave where cupcakes grew like mushrooms. All pink and sweet. It has been a big week...
I still don't know why the ink goes brown either.

Illustration Friday - Perspective

A sketch of one of my favourite photos I took looking at the buildings in Melbourne from Fed Square. I have a job on at the moment where I am drawing streetscapes so thought the topic this week gave me an opportunity to practice :)

Illustration Friday - Propagate

Propagate: to cause to spread out and affect a greater number or greater area

I had to look up the word, terrible really! I knew of it as something to do with gardening but not exactly sure what. I chose to do little pansies planted in pots spreading beautiful colours to the world. I actually should put some pansies in my garden, come to think of it.

Had fun doing this little sketch, but not so much fun cleaning up when I accidentally knocked over the ink in the middle of the lounge room floor. Oops!

Enjoy this pic Sue, I am so stoked you like it :)

Illustration Friday - Adrift

Adrift - where I would rather be right now. This week has been chaos! I would have liked more time to work on this picture but basically it is me with my head in the clouds in my coffee break.
I don't know, not a huge fan of it, but promised myself I was doing a pic every week. Keen to hear the new topic for next week and start afresh!

Illustration Friday - Muddy

A muddy mud crab!
Bit of a messy ink job here - soaked into the paper a little more than planned but I guess I know for next time now :) I really am into flicking watercolour paints look lately!
Started in lead pencil, watercoloured, then outlined in ink with some more smudging afterwards with the ink.

Illustration Friday - Focused

Focused was the topic this week, and the first thing that came to mind was Toby, my partner (live-in lover, whatever I feel like calling him) who is currently in training for the Port Macquarie Ironman on March 28th this year. To compete in such a long event you must be very focused in training to make sure you can actually put all three disciplines of swimming, riding and running together, especially when the event goes from anything around 10-15 hours!

I still find drawing boys quite difficult, but gave it a red hot shot. I am still loving the watercolour splatters I did a few weeks back so recycled some of them.

Eventually will vectorise this image and make some tees for the big event. If anyone is interested in following Toby's progress you can here - www.howistobygoing.blogspot.com.

2010 the year of blogs for Toby and Bianca! haha

Illustration Friday - Clumsy

A clumsy ballerina! Would be me if I tried to be one. Quick watercolour and ink illustration

Illustration Friday - Wilderness

All good things are wild and free - the quote I found for inspiration for this weeks pic. Really loving Stina Persson's watercolour work so had a little play with some paints. Image of girl is in lead pencil and overlaid in Photoshop. Must be feeling a little designery today looking at the layout of it!

Illustration Friday - Confined

My first thoughts for the word confined was a bird in a cage, but I thought that would be good to think past the first thought for something different so I started jotting down words that confined made me think of. I ended up with the idea of private school girls who all have to wear the same uniform. I am sure they feel confined at times! I would.

The below version is one outlined in pen - I think I like the sketchy pencil one above more.

My Favourite Shoes!

I did this drawing late last year when I was in need to just draw something. These are my favourite pair of shoes, not the most comfortable after wearing them for a long period of time, but I love!
Done with watercolour paints (soooo much better than pencils) and ink.
I am kind of attached to this pic, I guess because I was just hanging to draw for so long, think I might frame it for my office one day.

First Illustration Friday - Renewal

Ok, so here is my first illustration. I wanted to post it now, otherwise I will just continue to make changes and probably add more things just for the sake of adding things!
I guess it is a little abstract but who doesn't feel renewed after washing their face or splashing cold water on it.