My sweet friend Jennie tagged me for the One Lovely Blogger Award, so here are seven little snippets about me (if you happen to be interested!).
1. I'm an intensely private person and I really don't share very much at all so it's a little strange to be writing this! I think I'm getting better and obviously will answer questions if asked, I just don't often volunteer too much.
2. I've just returned from magical Orlando! I did all of the usual Disney stuff but I also got the chance to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I now think that the Universal parks are my favourite and are edging Disney out slightly - Diagon Alley was just so good! If you have any Florida related questions, I'd be happy to answer them as best I can.
3. Despite my love of Harry Potter, 'The Secret History' is still my favourite book. Donna Tartt is such a great author and it's almost painful waiting for her books to be released. Moar books needed!
4. I love most small animals but I'm still quite scared of dogs. It makes me feel so mean! If I see one wandering around without an owner close by, I always worry that they might chase me.
5. I have hundreds of favourite illustrators, the list seems to grow day by day. However my recent find is Brittney Lee, if you're a Frozen fan you NEED to check her out asap.
6. I'm not a very healthy person really; I eat lots of chocolate and biscuits and I really don't feel bad about it at all!
7. I freaking love Star Trek. That's another obsession that grows daily. Worf is my favourite character, but I also love Doctor Bashir. Quark and Nog are pretty darn high up on the list too.
I'd like to nominate my pal Marta!
C xxx
This is a little commission I worked on the other week for a lovely lady called Rose. Rose has set up a fund/charity in memory of her daughter Imogen who was stillborn in 2012. She hopes to be able to help other grieving parents whilst simultaneously raising awareness. The logo idea was all Rose's, I just thought it would be pretty to set the scene at night and add some stars and a deep rich sky.
I'd really love it if you could give her a follow on Twitter, I'm sure it would mean a lot!
C xxx
This is a private commission I recently completed for a lovely lady called Lynn. She doesn't currently have a blog but is looking to start one up in the future based around book publishing - I really hope she does as I think it would be interesting reading! Lynn's concept was quite simple but really sweet. She wanted to be hugging a big Aslan-like lion wearing a cute autumn inspired outfit with colours to reflect the season. I suggested adding a few autumn leaves on the ground to complete the scene.
Lynn was brilliant to work with and I'm so happy that she chose to commission me! I'd be delighted to collaborate with her again in the future.
I also wish I had the green dress from the portrait!
C xxx
I came across Oana's work quite some time ago, and was immediately drawn to the vibrant, lush colours and floral motifs that Oana includes in most of her pieces. Her work makes me want to dig my watercolours out again!
Her work is so beautifully detailed, just look at the first bouquet illustration. There is a lot going on there, but it doesn't look overly 'busy'. I love the variety of flowers she has chosen; it really reminds me of hot summer days.
You can view more of Oana's delightful work on her website, or buy prints/bags/shirts on her Society6 store!
C xxx
More pixel art today! Again, this is pretty much the result of an experiment. It's actually fairly fun to make these, as you don't have to worry so much about precision.
This illustration is based on an MMO called Wildstar which I've been playing recently. If you guys like it, I could do some more based on the planets in our solar system. Just drop me a comment if you'd be interested in seeing those!
C xxx
Nothing fancy at all, just a bit of a practise sketch! I tried to create this really quickly so I didn't stop and think too much about what I was doing. This is something I really struggle with because I work digitally - everything is usually so precise and I spend a lot of time looking at little details, trying to make sure they are perfect. It's nice to explore other ways of working in Photoshop from time to time!
I must just say, if you are looking to start illustrating etc, you really don't have to shell out on PS, there are plenty of other free applications you can try. Krita and GIMP spring to mind and include many of the same features as PS. Give them a try!
C xxx
I mentioned Drew very briefly in a previous post, but I really thought his artwork deserved a post all of it's own! Look at the pixelly goodness!
I really adore the attention to detail, from the fonts to the colours - everything is just so. The Hodor illustration is brilliant, even though this idea has been used so frequently, I think it really works as a retro game.
All of these designs are available to buy on shirts (as far as I know) and they'd make awesome gifts.
You can catch up with Drew on his tumblr blog to find out a little more!
C xxx
