Recent Sketchbook 3

I have several projects running at the moment - lots of drawing, designing and planning.
These drawings are not necessarily a part of any specific project but are nevertheless a key part of the process - keeping the imagination working and the hand moving because you never know when a drawing done on the fly may work perfectly for a project later on.

Recent Sketchbook 2

More sketch activity.

Recent Sketchbook

Just some recent sketch activity - the usual stuff.

Arctic Mythology 2

More prep work for the Arctic Myths book. Giants and trolls and ogres and other characters - just drawing - getting back into the swing of illustrating these fabulous mythic tales from the harsh and unforgiving north.

Arctic Mythology

Starting a new book project all about Arctic myths - giants and troll and ogres - I just love the Inuit mythology - it's a little on the brutal side but full of fun and interesting things to draw. This one, like the last couple will be for Inhabit Media. They're based up north - way up north - well past the tree line where it's already winter.
Anyway - this is the opening sketch work - we have some designs to nail down - a man eating ogre and a couple of giants. There's also a troll who eats children but since I've drawn her before the design isn't an issue at this point. They've also got these great aquatic demons that crawl out of the ice flows and grab kids and drag them under the ice.

Absinthe Faerie 3

More roughs for the Absinthe Faerie - still searching - feeling lost, there are so many ways to go with this. My instinct is to do a light misty watercolour to play up the ethereal aspect of this mythic character, but I could also nail a solid rendering in gouache, although I'm liking the watercolour idea more and more - gouache is the commercial route - tight and bright - that feels wrong here - besides, this is a private commission not a commercial job. Part of the idea is to have her posed with the Wormwood plant, which of course is the plant where Absinthe comes from.

Absinthe Faerie 2

More concepts for the Absinthe Faerie. What am I going to do with this ? She's like a psychedelic dream, hallucination, which I love, but what's the best way to show it ?
Is this piece going to be serious or fun - it could easily go either way - still not there yet - more drawing required :) I'm also messing with the Wormwood plant designs. They have these big flower tops that I'm using but also working with the idea that other weeds and grasses may be growing along side. I'm more concerned with coming up with pleasing shapes, or at least shapes that I find pleasing, than I am with botanical accuracy - gotta keep it fun.

Absinthe Faerie

A private commission came in a few months back for an Absinthe Faerie. I'd never actually heard of an Absinthe Faerie before but was curious to find out about them. It turns out that back in the time of the Impressionists, Absinthe was a very popular drink with artists, writers and poets. The drink was very potent and it was said that you would be visited by the Green Faerie or Absinthe Faerie if you drank enough. She would arrive in an hallucinogenic haze and inspire creativity - I like that idea.