Inspired Anthology

inspired anthology

I thought you might like to see my cover design for the sci-fi anthology Inspired is putting out later this year. You can see a few more on the Inspired blog, as well as a lot of development work from the other members. I'm working on a second one, but it's turning into a lesson in why I should always scan my lineart before I paint anything, as I'm now having to go through the laborious process of tracing all the lines on Photoshop, printing a blue-line, re-inking it by hand and scanning it in again to colour digitally. If anyone knows a faster way PLEASE tell me. Obviously that's taking forever, so here's some of the development work and the world's most basic page sketch to tide you over:

  If you're interested in some of Inspired's older anthologies (I've got a comic in Pick & Mix 2, hint hint) we now have an online shop that you can find HERE.

do you ever think about toes?

I think about toes.  I love the bony parts of people's bodies, including hands and feet.  The knobblier the better.  This lovely pair belong to my friend Lily's boyfriend, who was kind enough to sit still so I could draw them.  I'm completely in love with how long his toes are, it's like an extra set of fingers!

Tragically, this one is mine.  Those are blisters.  If shoes are designed to be worn with socks you really should wear them with socks, as it turns out.

(Yes, I sketched my blisters.  What else am I supposed to do after 3 years of art school?)

I did two covers for the Inspired cover competition, the one I posted a few days ago drew quite heavily on the comic I'm submitting, so I also did this one as a more general sci-fi cover. I like them both, but I think I'm being biased towards this one by all the drawing for the internal comic. Anyone would get sick of beautiful, delicate robots after several weeks of drawing them.

These are a set of four postcards I made when I realised my children's work was running low on black and white pictures.  I'm quite pleased with how they turned out, usually I can't really draw animals.  I was delighted to find out how much easier they were in this style.

I think I'm most pleased with the foxes and the dancing twins.

These are 2 of 7 illustrations I made for Ollie Tigwell, a graphic designer I know from university, to use in a small booklet containing the fable of the vixen and the lioness. I did them in a bit of a hurry, having been ill for a few days, so I was very pleased with how well they turned out in the end. You can see the whole set here, on society6. Ollie can be contacted by email.

The fable goes like this, by the way:

A vixen was taking her babies out for an airing one morning, when she came across a lioness with her cub in arms. 'Why such airs, haughty dame, over one solitary cub?' sneered the vixen, 'look at my healthy and numerous litter here and imagine, if you are able, how proud a mother should feel.' The lioness gave the vixen a squelching look and, lifting her nose in the air, walked away, saying, 'Yes, just look at that beautiful collection. And what are they? Foxes! I've only one, but remember that one is a lion.'

I think the moral is meant to be quality over quantity, but I actually like foxes better than lions so to me neither mother came across very well. Woops.

why helllooooooo there~/stalks:B

Hellooooo person who gives me Portal a week before my deadline XD