More Brownies and Leprechauns.

Another page of possible characters for the new Irish Myths inspired book project I will be starting in May. I'm just trying to get a bit of a head start on some of the character designs. I'm anticipating the need for a variety of colourful bit players to populate the backgrounds and border regions of some illustrations.

Brownies

A bit more of the pencil work done for the Irish Myths project - just designing and drawing and trying to stay loose and open to whatever may present itself.

Irish Witches

A new book project is on the horizon and looks like it is going to require a lot of drawing and designing. We will be dealing with Irish myths and folklore - especially witches. This is the first bit of pencil work done for the project. There will likely be a lot more coming. :)

Title Page - The Secret History of Hobgoblins.

This image is the title page for the soon to be released book, The Secret History of Hobgoblins by the fine, old UK publisher, Templar. I was starting this project just about a year ago and it's now at the printers and due for a spring release. The blank area in the upper right will have text over it which is why it was left so unfinished, although I suppose a full moon would also explain a bright are like that in the evening cloud cover. The book will be concerned with the Hobs which are good and the Goblins which are bad that live in and around our homes, bringing either a helping hand or a nasty prank. Many of the mysterious things that happen around our homes every day will hopefully be explained. Please look for it in your local book shop  :)

Drawing Children

I have a project coming up later this spring that is going to involve lots of kid drawing. The above posted drawings are from a recent morning warm-up session . These were drawn from reference with an emphasis, hopefully, of capturing the character and spirit of the kids while trying also to stay loose and draw with a light touch - a tall order. That's why these are warm-ups.  :)

John Bauer Illustrations.

Please follow this link and see some truly amazing Faerie Tale illustrations by the Swedish master John Bauer. This artist is one of my all time favourites.

Enjoy.


http://www.animationarchive.org/2006/11/illustration-john-bauers-bland-tomtar.html

larry

Witches and Faeries - Doodle Session

 I'm pretty much staying in the same zone for the time being - witches and faeries in the woods - more or less :)  It is my intention to complete several, larger than usual personal pieces this spring and summer, but because I'm pretty busy at the moment with commercial projects there really isn't time for more than sketching. I want to stay on track and not lose focus so I continue to draw and redraw the same themes until I can actually sit down and paint them. This is good because it gives me some time to plan and consider what I'm doing - a luxury I do not always have.

Home of the Mouse Witch.

This year I am determined to get at least three personal pieces done between all the client work I have going. I will be heading out to an Illustrators conference in November and I'm planning for it now. These pages are just a bit more thinking about possible subject matter - all to be Faerie Tale oriented of course, with an emphasis on environment and mood. I want to create interesting places for the characters that I draw to inhabit.

Bed and Breakfast

Another one just for fun.

Faerie Fix

I'm calling this one Faerie Fix because I have just made a few adjustments, or fixes to this little painting. It is a book illustration for Jim Tague's poem Teeney O'Feeney King of the Leprechauns.
I thought I was finished with this picture and the project completed when it was decided that we would add one more illustration to the book. Adding more art is always fine with me and since the new picture was going to involve faeries I felt like I wanted to go back to this one and make a few corrections before starting the new picture. I made some adjustments to her wings and brightened up the colour in a couple of places and gave her a bit more hair. The changes are subtle but now she looks a bit closer to what I have in mind for the faeries in the new picture and they will all look like they come from the clan. It's watercolour of course, as usual, with some gouache over painting.

Sketches

Some recent rough work for a personal piece I am planning for the spring. I'm still figuring out how it's all going to fit together. I know that I want to have the girl posed in front of the tree but I need to have something in the background that will help tell a story. Is she hiding ? Is she waiting ?

I need to have something back there. At first I was considering a dragon but I think that might be too much. I don't think this is going to be that kind of picture. I want this one to be more about the environment she's in. Maybe a flock of crows. Something has startled them - maybe - don't know yet - still thinking. More drawing required.

Flora

Some more morning warm up drawing. I don't really have any plans for this just yet, but you never know, I may be able to use her somewhere. Mostly I was just interested in drawing the leaves and things on her head.

Witches - Spidery

I've been thinking about witches lately. I have some new personal pieces planned for this spring and I keep coming back to the theme of witches. So here are some witch deigns or improvisations. I'm calling these ones Spider Witches because I'd like them to have long arms, longer actually than I've drawn them here. I think that will give them a creepier look. These will not be the nice and helpful kind of witch but more the mean and nasty type.

Witch Cottage 2

Some more recent sketchbook. Lately I've been experimenting with ideas for  witch cottages. I'm planning a new personal piece and would like to be able to put a really ramshackle looking witch hovel in the background. I'd like it to look very organic, mossy and crooked as if it just sort of grew there, which could be true if it was built with magic using found objects and scavenged bits of other buildings - and of course it will need to be in the misty haunted woods :)

Alan Lee Drawings

Here is a link to some fabulous Alan Lee drawings. If you've not yet seen these amazing drawings I think you will find them well worth a look - a good look :)

 http://goldenagecomicbookstories.blogspot.com/search/label/Alan%20Lee

Enjoy !