Happy June!
Drawing and design side-projects can be a welcome distraction from a busy life. Sometimes they have surprising results and consequences.
drawing
Thinking Outside the Sketchbook
Let’s talk about finding inspiration to create. It can come from unlikely places and it can be difficult to find at all. Sometimes it’s easier to not go looking for it.
Wondering how to get started with drawing?
Drawing exercises can be a great way to get started with drawing. Sometimes the ideas that come from fun and doodling can be surprising.
Central Character Energy
Getting to know the central character of a picture book, their clothes and props, is a huge leap forward in developing a picture book.
New book on the way!
Tomorrow is the publication day for this lovely picture book celebrating some of the heroes of the catastrophic bush fires that took place in Australia early in 2020. I’m really proud to have illustrated this book, especially as it’s so local. It was a super fast deadline but fortunately there were no compromises and the …
Another Challenge
The 100 Day Project – again I do love a challenge, but sometimes you have to gracefully admit defeat. In February I started another #100dayproject. This time I chose to draw a character every day. It was fantastic practice with using the iPad and Procreate. And it’s always great to mix with other artists outside …
I finally kicked him out
My Space I know how lucky I am to have an office to myself. It’s an outrageous luxury, but like all luxuries sometimes you have to learn to share. D started working at home last March and moved into my office. It was an interesting experiment but yesterday we finally found an acceptable place for …
Love a challenge!
Another 100 days Once or twice a year I take on a ludicrous but entertaining art challenge. It’s always an interesting journey. I’ve had some that have failed miserably because I just wasn’t in the right space or at all organised. Others have been an adventure. In 2013 I created pop-up sketchbook diary for The …
Creativity, young people and mental health
As a teacher of creativity it was really disheartening this week to hear in the news that humanities degrees in Australia are set to double in cost over the next few years. The (total nonsense) logic is that it will encourage young people to consider more vocational subjects. But of course it will only disadvantage …
Happy Easter
Stay home, stay safe This time next year With any luck I’ll be able to look at this picture and remember this crazy time as a distant memory. A time when life was really odd but it’s ok again now. It’s not really looking likely at this stage though. But it is Easter! There’s chocolate …
Digital fun
Yesterday I had the absolute joy of experimenting and getting to grips with photoshop. I was motivated to reproduce a pop-up piece I did for The 52 Week Illustration Challenge last year. It came together surprisingly quickly.
New book on the way
This week I’ve been working on Naomi Hunter‘s new book. If you know her first picture book you’ll know that she doesn’t shy away from tackling the big issues. This one is about parenting and depression. Which sounds very sad, but it’s a book full of hope. It’s beautifully written and I really hope the pictures …