Look Who Bounced Into My Sketchbook Today...

Tap or click here if you'd like to download and share
this rabbit's take on spring. Image is best for screens,
not print, and please keep all the attributions. Many thanks!

Hello there

Well, this image says it all, really. Here in London, it actually feels like spring (well, for this week, anyway :-). And so, in place of my planned post, I thought I'd share the joy of this cute rabbit... Tap or click on the image, or here, if you'd like to do the same.

The story here...

The story is simple. Earlier today, I was about to start on the planned post, when I had an irresistible urge to enjoy the sunshine...And then to take out my sketchbook...And half an hour or so later, (time may have warped a little as I sketched ;-),  this cute bunny  had appeared. 

Amazingly, though utterly unplanned, this rabbit is also  just in time for the Spring Equinox, which is on March 20th this year, I believe.

So you get to have this little cutie, at pretty much the same time as me. Which means I haven't had chance to "do anything with" this image yet (though will post links if and when that happens).

Previous rabbits and bunnies...

If you've been here a while though, you'll know that plenty of cute rabbits and bunnies have appeared in this blog over the years already. Such as the ones in Easter sheets and kit available here and here.

And of course, the ever-popular cartoon rabbits on an Easter card over at Zazzle:

Tap or click here to see more... 

Finally...

I know that as I'm adoring the spring, people in the Southern Hemisphere are also welcoming autumn. So if you're on the hunt for an autumnal image today, have a look at this post.

Overwhelmingly and overridingly though, my joy at the change of season is so profound that have just got to end this post by saying...Happy Spring!

More soon.

___________________________

Like this post? Tap or click here to subscribe to BoundingSquirrel

Day 74/100: Yep, It's a Partridge...

 After yesterday's pear, unsurprisingly, today's drawing is a partridge. Watch out for the next stage of this tomorrow (where, with luck I might even have time to finish this project).

Hope all's well with you...More tomorrow.

Every Flamingo Has His Day...

Some time in June, I drew this flamingo. And for reasons that were undoubtedly good at the time, I didn't post him on the blog. This was even though (apart from his legs and feet, which needed a surprising amount of thought) he was quick and easy to draw. Instead, I decided he wasn't "good enough", and needed "a purpose". (Am wondering now exactly why I thought that. He's a flamingo drawing...Which is probably purpose enough, in the circumstances...:-)). 

Anyway, I then set about attempting to "improve" him. At one stage I even sent him to the carnival, metaphorically speaking...

And yet, still nothing seemed right for him.

Then, out of the blue, there was a weekly challenge at Spoonflower, the theme of which was to be "vintage flamingos". And suddenly, he had found his niche. As a vintage 1950's lawn flamingo, he didn't even need those rather troublesome legs (sorry, Mr Flamingo) but just a simple pole.

And voila, this design was borne, almost as quickly as most of the original drawing.

The Spoonflower challenge was just for fun. But it does make a nice, fun fabric, both at Spoonflower and Zazzle.

Every Flamingo Has His Day...

So I don't know about you, but what I took from this is that every flamingo has his day. There I'd been, trying to turn him into the "perfect" flamingo, when he was destined to be an intentionally-fun lawn flamingo all along.

 In other words, perhaps every idea that comes to any of us in a clear form, is worthy of shaping,  however bizarre it seems at first. More than that, is likely to have a purpose down the line, without excessive stressing out on the part of the artist/writer/musician/thinker/insert your preferred means of carrying out ideas here, on the part of any of us.

What do you think? Have you ever had an idea that seemed strange at the time, but later slotted in mysteriously perfectly into your life or work, in a way you couldn't have predicted at first? Do please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

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...

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.

Daily Illustration #89: Tabby Kitten Sketch (& New Digital Painting)

Seem to have gone through a range of animals to draw in this project-and forgotten the animal rulers of the internet: cats! So thought would rectify that with this tabby kitten today (still in ArtRage 4).

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.








Click to subscribe to BoundingSquirrel by Email

Confession Time: It's Going to Be a Cute Black Cat Halloween Here...

It's confession time. Originally, you weren't going to see any Halloween designs here this year. I loathe horror films, large spiders, and anything related to guts and gore. So why do any designs on those themes, right?

But then, this cute little cat came into my head...(he's hand-drawn, but  in digital oil pastels).

And I wondered whether anyone else out there might like a cute Halloween, with a little black cat, as well?

I know that local customs on this vary widely. But here in the UK, black cats are traditionally lucky. (And if YouTube is anything to go by, they're also loved elsewhere too).


Playing around a bit more, I was really surprised when something so simple looked good on a mug.

Painted Black Cat Coffee Mug by BoundingSquirrel
Look at more Black Mugs at zazzle

So he made his way onto a pumpkin-gold background...

 

Which works out well for items like cards...

Happy Halloween Black Cat Cards by BoundingSquirrel
Shop for a different greeting card template online at zazzle

And then, in different sizes, the cat and his clone morphed into a pattern...(More on patterns in another post. I've finally getting the hang of them, and can demonstrate a simple method if you're pattern-challenged too.

Anyway, the resulting pattern was here...

Which translates itself onto items like this...

Painted Black Cats on Halloween Golden Background iPad Mini Case by BoundingSquirrel
Check out other Cat Cases at zazzle.com

And so, just like that, I ended up deciding to "do" Halloween 2014 after all.

 

So, what about you? Do you love cute designs for Halloween too? Or, are you a stickler for traditional gore? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.