I’m taking a few minutes to work on a character for my new book. She will be in painted in oils eventually but I’m still practising her and working on her wardrobe and demeanour.
There is such a big list of those – but specificially I was asked for three things I wish I had known when I was starting out as an illustrator. The article, written by Larissa Ham, was published in today’s edition of The Age. Cool!
We asked a successful illustrator, two entrepreneur mates and a young franchising go-getter what they’d do differently if they had their time again.
It was a beautiful day on Sunday at the Abbotsford Convent and here is a glimpse of it on ONCE’s blog.
Check out Bronwyn’s gorgeous creations while your at it.
There was a great group of illustrators in the foyer of the ABC studio in Melbourne today. We started at 10 and drew until 2.30 and, as you can probably guess, I needed all of that time for mine! The theme was ‘Hairy’ and I thought I’d do something a little dreamy. I’m really happy with it!
The picture is A3 sized, in pen and a touch of watercolour and will be auctioned off with everyone else’s in September. I’ll keep you posted for when its happening in case you’re feeling like your walls are a little bare!
Here’s a great thing. Tomorrow I’m going to hang out in the ABC Studio at Southbank drawing for charity.
With a gang of fellow illustrators we’ll be drawing/painting/creating on the theme of HAIRY and the results will be auctioned off for charity (Indigenous Literacy Foundation).
It will be FUN!!!
For more info have a look at their site.
Yesterday a gang of us went to Carlton Primary School and hung out with the kids there… doing a little teaching, a little drawing and a fair bit of silly entertaining. It was fabulous fun and the kids were brilliant. Hello to everyone I met from Carlton Gardens PS and CPS!
Here is one of the pictures I drew under the kids’ direction. It’s a sneaky vampire monster.
Here’s another sneak peek from the book. It’s a picture that I redid after finally seeing the whole book together. It’s interesting, that final stage of work. Toward the end of a long book, I often find that my style and technique have developed over time so that, when I look back, my early pictures are subtly different. So at the end, I have to go back and bring them all into line. In this case, the previous version of this image had been crazily busy, trying to incorporate too many ideas. With a fresh eye I could see that those details were no where near as important as an engaging image that focuses on the characters. I’m happy with it now 
There are no words for my relief and joy tonight! I have finished my book. For the last 6 weeks I have worked till 2am (on average ) to get it done and used every moment I reasonably could. I feel like I did 4 months work in one. It’s been crazy. And in the last 3 days its been a completely weird roller coaster… My legs were burned by coffee but I worked on to finish off the last details of a batch of 12 images at 3am, then the next morning I completely rewrote the text in a moment of inspiration and finally (OMG) got the perfect words (felt like a lightening bolt), then I did my back, and now, suddenly I am finished. It’s surreal! I’m so tired I can’t tell you. But so elated. It’s been a marathon. And the heat we’ve suffered thorough hasn’t helped! I’m a little sore and broken, but I did it and I LIKE it. It might be the best work I’ve ever done. No, I think I can say it is. Halle-frikken-looyah!
This is the final picture. The whole book is big and surreal and detailed and intricate and full on. It’s why I have been AWOL from, well, the world for a bit. Hello world, I’m coming back now! After a sleep. Please excuse me if I missed an email – remind me! Or didn’t return a call – sorry! I’ve been in a twilight zone of industry.
Now off to bed Soooo early!
Here’s a new bit of the book I’m working on Pterodactyls! I was working late last night with music playing and the pen flying. So much fun!
Peter will be at the Abbotsford Convent market tomorrow from 10-4pm. I’ll be at home snatching a few hours of drawing for my new book which is due to be completed rather soon!
He’ll have all of the usual prints and books and cards and, back in stock, paperback copies of The Night Garden.
x Elise
