Thursday 28 April 2016

New: Illustrated Byron Quote

Apologies. Thought I'd already posted the illustrated version of an inspiring Byron quote.

Turns out that I'd forgotten to do so... (though it is already in the shop).

It's also one of my answers to the "Rainbow" prompt for "Creative Every Day 2016".

Anyway, apologies again and enjoy. 

Tuesday 26 April 2016

New: Cute Whimsical Snails & Mushrooms Design

Nearly all the feedback I've had suggest that whimsical designs are where it's at for BoundingSquirrel.

So when we had nine snails (yup, nine...I watched them for far longer than a grown adult probably should...:-) in or on our window box yesterday, this seemed like the obvious next design.

If you'd like to make things with this design, please favourite it at Spoonflower, and I'll add it to the designs for sale.

If you'd like to buy it (or just see something cute) it's on a huge range of items here.
More soon!

Friday 22 April 2016

Something Old, Something New

It's been a week for creating and revamping new from the old (even if not very old).

If you remember the clematis illustration from a couple of weeks ago (more info here)...Well it's had two new incarnations this week.

Firstly, as a fabric design entered into Spoonflower's latest challenge.  Thank you to all the people who have already voted for it and put it in their favourites list. (If you like this and you're a Spoonflower member, please do vote for it-voting closes on April 27th 2016).


Next, comes the "new" part. A new version of these motifs forms the basis of a new "Pink Floral Wedding" Stationery set, available here.


So that wraps up this week. It feels good to have properly used some of the very many designs from the illustration challenge at last! See you soon.

Thursday 14 April 2016

Honeysuckle (New Digital Illustration)

This honeysuckle sketch is quicker than I would have liked. Am working on something new that will be able to tell you about in a few weeks when it all comes together.

For now, just took a break from planning to relax with this.

And by the way, if you're in the US, do you call this a "woodbine" or still honeysuckle? Please do leave a comment if you know!

Monday 11 April 2016

New Digital Watercolour: Whimsical Pink Clematis

This is a new digital watercolour painting of a clematis flower. I actually took one of the reference photos for it nearly five years ago...and can only now even begin to feel I'm doing it justice.

Back then, the best I could do was some arty processing of the photo.

These days, this is a proper stroke-by-stroke digital watercolour (with the graphics pen and ArtRage 4, as you might guess.)

And if you weren't expecting a post after the end of the challenge on Friday...well...I *did* take a couple of days off. And I still won't necessarily post every day. But I missed this so much, just had to get back to it.

Enjoy!

Friday 8 April 2016

Daily Illustration #100: Tortoise & Hare (Digital Painting & Final Day of the Daily Illustration Challenge)


It's here. Daily illustration 100. Thought the "tortoise and the hare" was appropriate. not just because it's the end of the challenge, but also because it's been interesting to cultivate patient and slower "tortoise"-like ways and let my "inner, impatient hare" take a back seat.  Plus it's helped me to  cement and build up work in my new style, that now feels like second nature.

Would I do it again? In a heart beat. Would I recommend or help you to do it? You bet! (please let me know in the comments if you would or wouldn't do a 100 day project like this yourself).

And, will I keep drawing? Absolutely.

In fact, as the phrase goes, it feels like I'm, "missing it already".

I'll also still be posting new illustrations and digital paintings regularly, and creating something every day. The only change is that I won't necessarily be posting an illustration onto the blog every day. Which means more time for learning, for developing my own courses and projects for which people have asked or suggested, and for linking and interacting with more people, places and websites than I've had chance to recently.

So this isn't the end. If anything, it's simply the "end of the beginning" of something so joyful (and now so well ingrained) that there will be more.

But right now, it's time to celebrate. And whilst the tortoise in that picture may be delighted with lettuce, it's time to celebrate these hundred days with something a little stronger tonight...

Thursday 7 April 2016

Daily Illustration #99: Forget-Me-Nots (New Digital Painting)

Today's illustration is a new digital watercolour painting of Forget-me-nots in ArtRage 4.

By the wonders of digital art, it comes in two flavours, with and without a background.

Please do let me know in the comments if you have a preference between the two.

Either way-enjoy!


Update on June 5th 2022: There is now a new set of forget-me-not designs and info about them here.

Wednesday 6 April 2016

Daily Illustration #98: April Cartoon

This cartoon is for anyone who's ever read one of those women's magazines where the content seems to be several months ahead of the rest of us...

Enjoy, and please share if you'd like.

Tuesday 5 April 2016

Daily Illustration #97: Fluffy Bees on Fluffy Catkins

OK, so this is another challenge that may or may not have come off. The other day we saw the fluffiest bumblebees, feasting on fluffy catkins. It was all pollen and cute delightfulness.

Have had about zero time to complete this today, but wanted to do something towards capturing the moment before the feeling faded, even if I come back and readdress it in much more detail (and fluffiness. Did I mention the fluffiness? ;-)
 later.

More tomorrow.

Monday 4 April 2016

Daily Illustration #96: Zebra

Wanted to draw a zebra weeks ago, but am glad I left it this long, as he was surprisingly tricky. Just like dogs are defined by their fur, this guy is pretty much completely defined by his stripes. (It turns out that even zebra manes and tails are stripey, which I'd never noticed before).

Anyway, this was daily illustration 96. Just four more days to go until the end of this challenge.

(In answer to a query about this, after the 100 days, I'll still be drawing on most days, and posting often. It'll just give me more time for eg, paintings that take longer than a day to complete, and learning new techniques).

More tomorrow.

PS.(April 7th) In relation to the Creative Everyday "Rainbow" theme for April 2016, someone asked about adding a rainbow. This was the thought I had. Didn't like it at first, but it's growiug on me...



What do you think? Do you prefer this zebra plain or "rainbowed."? Please do comment and let me know what you think.

Sunday 3 April 2016

Daily Illustration #95: Spring Has Sprung (New Digital Painting)

This new illustration/digital painting (pen and watercolour effect wash in ArtRage 4) is a simple celebration.

For the first time this year, it's been warm enough to walk through a local nature reserve without a coat, in the sunshine, and notice flowers blooming (like this magnolia).

So it's definitely time for a celebration. Spring has sprung!

Saturday 2 April 2016

Daily Illustration #94: Whale Patterns

It's day 94, so am coming into the last week of this 100-day challenge.

Rather than slowing up, decided to have a go at something new for me: three co-ordinating patterns.

They're based around the idea of the epic whale migrations that every mother blue whale makes with her calf up the Pacific coast of the US, which blew me away in a documentary, in its scale and audacity.

These patterns aren't that audacious-but hopefully give you cute whales!

Friday 1 April 2016

Daily Illustration #93: Rose Floral Chintz Pattern

Can't get over how different this floral pattern is from the original Day 91 picture I reassembled into pattern motifs, as discussed here.

It took so long, and having added in extra bits, it might actually have been quicker to re-draw just the motifs from scratch. But that's another story.

I'm loving how this pattern turned out, especially on laptop skins and many other things available here.