Day 2: The Fun Begins

So, second day into this blogging milarkey, and I feel I must apologise for the briefness of yesterday's post. After finally managing to fight my way through all the technical gubbins to get here, I was somewhat at a loss as to what to actually say! However, I do feel I should have some sort of mission statement:

I hereby state that this blog will be primarily for me to keep a record of the illustration work I produce on a daily/weekly basis. I hope that this will make me get off my bum and produce more work.

There we go. Although there's bound to be a bit of aimless rambling, occassional ranting and the odd photo too. And if I'm entertaining the "masses" then all for the good!

So, started off with some old-skool marbling today. (Whilst still in regulatory PJs, of course.) Inspired by the endpapers for Nigel Slater's "Kitchen Diaries" (excellent bedtime reading, btw) I bought Marabu's "Easy Marble" inks in black and white from Clarke's a few weeks ago to use on my new picture book idea. At a bargain £1.79 a pot you can't go wrong. I also got a cheap cat litter tray from Ransoms to use as my water bath.
I don't remember the inks being oil-based from my childhood, but I suppose that's how they float on the surface. They also "clog" up pretty quickly too, so you have to be quick with them. Had loads of fun, even if I did cover myself and my cutting mat in black ink. A quick hosing down with the white spirit and all was as it should be.

Here are a few of the better experiments:








I love the ones with a lot of white in them. The patterns in them are pretty amazing. Like, check out the psychedelic swirls, man. It's all random and left to chance so there's no control over the outcome. I think that's why I like it.

The lovely Meadowside Mark contacted me to ask if I could furnish him with some samples of my work that are "coloured in" using digital means. "Of course", I said, which roughly translates as "Shite. Better knock some up quick".

I did a couple, but George here is my favourite one:



I actually quite enjoyed it AND liked the result. Good grief, what is the world coming to?! I've emailed them off, so I'll wait and see what he thinks.

It was off to the library at 1.30 (once I'd actually changed out of the PJs) to do some extra-curricular birthday/Valentines card making with the kids. I was dreading it a bit, but it was actually quite fun. Couldn't take any pictures as that's not allowed anymore, but the display will be up for the 1st birthday celebrations in a couple of weeks.