#inktober

So, we are nearly at the end of October or should I call it #inktober. It's the first time I've really joined in and on the whole I've really enjoyed using a list of prompts and ink as my warm up morning exercises.

It's so great to see other peoples work appearing daily too. As a big fan of Instagram it's a great accessible way to meet new inspiring artists or just watch the masters at work.

Here's a few names who have been doing some really great ink work
@doodleyboo AKA Becky Cameron- Awesome lively kidlit artwork and champion of the facial expression
@jeffreyalanlove AKA Jeffrey Alan Love- Fantasy art and all round bible of inking knowledge -check out the videos.
@zehrahicks -Children's book illustrator and collage, print enthusiast - her inks are simple and so effective.

The full Album of daily doodles are together in a file on my Facebook page if you are curious 

Battle

Broken

Collect

Scared

Slow

Transport

Tree

The Snow Queen and Handmade Lettering

There are certain stories that are told to you as a child or maybe an adult about human behaviour that just stick - The Snow Queen was one for me. Whether it’s the version with the ice in Kai's heart or eye or the determined Gurda travels to find the boy she loves or just her best friend it just lovely. I've seen it adapted quite a few times once years and years ago when I did works experience with a Scenic Artist at the end of Art College. It was one of the sets that told me I had made the right decision to apply for Drama School to do Set Design. All it took was expertly placed electric blue ladders and marbled tiles and I was a goner. Illustration for heart felt projects are always easier as you can get pulled along by something other than the desire to do a good job and a deadline and inevitably your touch is lighter and less contrived.    

Hand made lettering is something that interests me as I imagine most illustrators. Once you have created your artwork for commercial use it often feels a shame to have clumsy bog standard lettering on top. It’s a product to engage an audience and supply information in the end so I understand the need for type. Handmade lettering, for me, just softens the blow.

A to Z

Lo The A to Z

Of Unrequited Love

I started this project many many moons ago. When I was visiting my Parents in the pride lands, as in up north, and inspiration struck mid sentence. 

For a long old while it stayed in the sketchbook and was joined by a series of letters. Of course I had completely worked out all the images (Apart from H, M and Z which are hard)

During the merry month of November I decided i'd release them to my follows on social media as a little Christmas countdown - 25 days, 26 letters GENIUS. 

You lot didn’t get them because although I had done A and B oh and X and Y I hadn’t fully completed any of the others. 

Any who I went on with my plan regardless and quickly every night (or every morning) I edited and created a new image for that day. Some would say what madness! Why not get fully prepared or wait for New Year but Meh - I do love a challenge.

 To see the full set have a look at my Facebook Page 

www.facebook.com/thecreativefox

Or wait for me to have a minute to upload them here

Mystical Creature Dating Profiles - some more

Fly Away

 When I was supposed to be tiding up I found a collection of tissue paper shapes and as you guess all chances of organising went out of the window while I played with glue and tissue paper collages like a big kid. This was one of my favourite activities with my artistic Mother when I as a kid.

Long time no speak

Hi! Remember me

Insert feeble excuse, life, work, blah

I'm back

I have pictures for you and when I have more time I'll tell you what I've been up to. 

I present FLY AWAY HARE

Creating Characters Workshop

As part of the Create a Character workshop I provided yesterday for the Secondary School kids ,at Winton Community Academy, we played a little game to kick start their creative minds.

Here it is all you need is

Coloured card

A pen

Plenty of imagination

Something to draw with and on.

First write thirty emotions on one coloured card then thirty types of people/professions on the other

So we had

Sad

Shy

Grumpy

Moody

Snotty

Depressed

Jolly

Cheerful

Crazy... You get the picture

And then for the other cards

Doctor

Scientist

Athlete

Rock star

Teacher

Conductor

Gentleman

Queen ... And so on for the other cards

Each participant gets to pick a card from each pack and off they go. Once you have tried one example you can swop, change and rearrange till you find something that sparks an interest. 

I tried a few

A Sleepy Mermaid

A Disgruntled Alice in Wonderland

A blue Troll

I gave the pupils a brief demonstration about drawing emotions before we went into free drawing. Using circles to represent faces and depicting emotions with minimal details.

We went onto exploring other shaped faces with emotions and they created their own square and triangle headed people.

It was such a great day and the group of students were so bonkers I wished I could have drawn them all for my next exhibition

So,have a go at the game - with your students or just your friends and let me know how it goes. 

All the best 

x