Daily Illustration #31: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme (New Digital Pen and Wash Sketch)

Yesterday's parsley is joined by three herby companions (yes, like in the song...) Enjoy.






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Daily Illustration #30: Parsley (New Digital Wash and Pen Sketch)

I admire the intricately hand-drawn illustrations from old cookbooks and herbal tomes. This is a homage to them, and may or may not be joined by more.

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Daily Illustration #29: Crow Experiment in Digital Charcoal

Not sure about how this experiment with digital charcoal in CraftArtist 2 turned out. Not as upbeat as normal, that's for sure.

Still, you live and learn.

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New Digital Watercolour: Rose (& Daily Illustration #28).

Spent an unusual amount of time today trying to install new painting programs.

But the moment  this rose is quick, and still in ArtRage 4...maybe even destined for a birthday card if there comes a point to call it "finished".

More tomorrow.


















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Fun Bookmark (and Daily Illustration #27)

Something completely different today. Have just entered the unwatermarked version of this into a contest/call for contributions here. (The call for entries is open until Jan 31st 2016, if you fancy creating a bookmark too).


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Daily Illustration #26 (& New Digital Painting): Agapanthus Flower

Today's illustration (another ArtRage digital watercolour) is from a photo of a flower we saw in Holland Park last summer. I think it's an Agapanthus-but please let me know if I'm wrong about that.



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New Digital Painting: Swan (& Daily Illustration #25)

Day 25-and a new digital painting (ArtRage 4 watercolour & pen) of a swan we saw at the weekend.

I hope he counts as an illustration, as drawing  him*without* his reflection was a no-no, and the background enticed me in from there.

More tomorrow, anyway.








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Daily Illustration #24: "Material Girls" Seamless Pattern (Digital Pen-and-Wash Drawings)

This pattern is based on the theme "80's hairstyles" for another upcoming Spoonflower contest. Many thanks the people who have bought and made favourites of the (still very new) previous BoundingSquirrel designs there. I really appreciate it.





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Daily Illustration #23: Just Practice Petals...

Reminding myself that if I try to make *every* post in any way "finished" this will be a very short challenge...

So all that's happened here in the last day is a bit of practice. Flowers seemed easier in other software, like TwistedBrush.

 But maybe I just haven't had enough practice, because it turns out that petals at least are absolutely possible,  in ArtRage.

Time to keep practicing...



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Daily Illustration #22: Mermaid in Digital Pen & Wash

If you're dreaming of warm waters, this mermaid should help...


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Daily Illustration #21: Cosmo Pattern

Another pattern, this one based on cosmo flowers. In haste, but more tomorrow...


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Daily Illustration #20: Labrador Puppy Sketch

Sometimes, you just need something cute. Today was one of those times.

Enjoy!





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Daily Illustration #19: Monkey Fireworks!

Day 19-and a new milestone. The first time I've nerved myself to enter a contest at Spoonflower.Com.

This week's pattern-design contest there called for a monkey theme to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year.

As I had it in mind to do some monkeys anyway, and realised that this is a fire-monkey year, *and* that fireworks originally came from China, had to give this a go.

If you fancy voting for this in the contest, I'll post a link when voting is live.

Hope you're having a great day-more tomorrow!


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Bold Floral Pattern & Digital Painting (Daily Illustration Challenge Day 18)

Something different today. A floral pattern-tile, that also produces the bold pattern below.

Enjoy-more tomorrow.

Update: This is now for sale as a fabric in my Spoonflower shop.


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Daily Illustration Day 17: Free Cookie Image

Once again, it's healthier to draw these cookies than to eat them! (Right click and save to use this on your site if you would like to.)





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Daily Illustration Day 16: Faces

Faces...not something that has appeared here very often. So, time for more. Happy weekend!

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Daily Illustration Day 15: Green Parakeet

Just a quick sketch of a green parakeet today.

Green parakeets are quite new to London-they arrived about 60 years ago, and no-one knows quite how.

But they are a wonderful splash of colour on a winter day.







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Daily Illustration 14: Cute Hedgehog

It's cold now, so hopefully, all the hedgehogs are hibernating.

But not this little one.

Enjoy-more tomorrow.





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Daily Illustration Day 13: Typography and chocolate

Most of the image on the right is just typography. (The quote came to me when there wasn't enough milk left for hot chocolate, but that's a whole other story).

But this is an attempt to integrate typography with my new illustration style.

What do you think. Please comment and share-many thanks!



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Daily Illustration Day 12: Crab (Digital Pen & Wash Sketch)

As I post, the temperature's dropping here in London.

So naturally, I started thinking about the beach (!) and along came this little crab.

Until tomorrow...

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Free Colouring Page (Petunia) Daily Illustration Day 11

Right-click and save on this image to download use and share this free colouring (coloring!) page.

There I was, pleased actually to have drawn this sketch and ready to add colour to these petunias...

And I've hit the wall and totally run out of time.

But my loss is your gain if you're into colouring pages. Please feel free to download, colour and share this image as you wish.

I need more sleep! See you tomorrow.







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Daily Illustration Challenge Day 10: Mushrooms

Just a sketch of mushrooms today, for day 10 of my self-imposed daily illustration challenge.

And a first-ever attempt at subtle colours from one of these least subtle people going!


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Daily Illustration DayNine: Cakes! (Work in Progress)

Eventually, these cakes may make a pattern if twizzled around (so no background for now). They were inspired by the (far more awesome-and*real*) cakes of the wonderful (and encouraging) Heidi Guerin Bristow at Cherry on the Cake.

Enjoy-and I'd urge you to go and drool over Heidi's cakes too.












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Daily Illustration Challenge Day Eight (Digital Watercolour Inspiring Image)

Needed this today-it warded off a bout of a  distinct "Friday feeling".

May it do the same for you too, if you need it.


(Watercolour lettering and leaves stroke by stroke in ArtRage4).




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Trivia Birthday Card. (Daily Illustration Challenge Day Seven)

Am fairly sure the recipient of this card doesn't read the blog (yet!) so can post this in advance. As it's all my own graphic design and sketch, figured it also meets the illustration challenge for today.

It was fun to research as well as to make. So if you'd like something similar designed/illustrated, let me know.



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New Illustration: Stargazer Lily (Daily Illustration Challenge Day Six)

Day Six sees me attempting to blend the flowers I used to do with the new style of illustration. An ongoing aspiration, rather than a "done deal," I think...

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New Illustration: Earrings (Daily Illustration Challenge Day Five)

The creative every day challenge *doesn't* state that you have to stick to one medium So I met the challenge on Facebook with the actual earrings made for my mother-in-law. (A re-make, actually, but that's another story).

But over here, that feels like cheating. (Bizarre, isn't it, that a voluntary project is already causing me to ponder ethics. This is supposed to be fun!:-).


Anyway, I sketched a simplified version of the earrings in ArtRage 4 to fit my own illustration challenge.

Enjoy!

PS. The actual earrings look like this picture below-so just as wonky as in the sketch...

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Day Four: Flower Painting Hydrangea Pattern (Work in Progress?)

For Day Four of this still-ridiculous daily challenge, decided to attempt a repeating pattern.

I took a photo of  a hydrangea about 18 months ago, always meaning to do something with it, but never quite getting round to it.

Today was the day, and it was the reference for a digital watercolour in ArtRage4. Which in turn, is the main motif in the pattern on the left.

Am not yet even sure if this is "finished", but need to leave it and look again in the morning!






























































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New Illustration: Lavender Sprigs

Lavender sprigs in ArtRage4 for today. (Confession: even though it's only day three of this crazy project, I came ever so close to not posting...)

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New illustration: Palm Tree

Still not sure for how many days in a row I'll actually be posting an illustration. But at least here's a second...A palm tree, for everyone who felt that yesterday's woollies made them feel cold!















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New Illustration: Winter Woollies

"Winter Woollies"

Winter woollies. They might or might not be the start of the "small-amount-of-art-every-day," I've promised myself since ever.  (It's so good for muscle memory, for one thing).

 But *have* signed up to  the "Creative Every Day" 2016 challenge as an incentive.

"Creative Every Day 2016 Logo

Though am thinking that as am planning just to draw, 100 days might be a better target.

We shall see...




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