Oops! Sorry!

When Colour Collective came up with 'Portland Orange' I just knew I had to head into the Australian outback. Such a vibrant red-orange, perfect for Kimberley red dust!

I had such fun with the last CC I did, middle-grade-style linework with one-colour(ish) accents, that I decided to do that again this time. 

I chose to feature an echidna (because they're fabulous) and a spinifex hopping mouse (because they are the cutest things ever). Most of my time was spent on the echidna, because of all those spines. Now I remember why I don't often draw them! =P

Adobe Photoshop CC 2017 on a Wacom Cintiq Companion 2. About 2 hours, using Kyle Webster's brushes (China Marker, Perfect Pencil, Gouache a Go Go and Gouache Bonus Gritty Dry) 

Abandoned Graveyard

Colour Collective's "Pearl" prompt made me think of statues. And since I didn't want to go literal and draw actual pearls, I thought I'd run with that:

This went through several incarnations in the sketch phase. I started out with an Indian-style statue overgrown with jungle plants, and featuring monkeys. That was inspired by The Jungle Book. But then I decided I didn't feel like drawing monkeys and switched to a Grecian Muse type statue and squirrels. And then I decided that an overgrown cemetery was more atmospheric. I rather ran out of time, too - suddenly discovering I had a good two hours less to work on this than I'd expected. I was nearly finished, but if I had had the extra time I would have fixed up the squirrel on her head, which looks a bit stiff. 

There are 12 critters in this - two of them are very hard to spot.

Adobe Photoshop CC2017 on a Wacom Cintiq Companion 2. 2.5 to 3 hours.

The Witch's Companion

A little piece for Colour Collective's 'Pantone 292 C' prompt. It seemed like a good colour for a ribbon, perhaps around a cat's neck... and I'd been playing around with witches in my sketches so it sort of evolved from there:

Anyway, I need to practice cats. We've always had a dog, so I'm naturally more familiar with pooches than pusses - but that is no excuse!

I think this is my most popular Colour Collective to date, which makes me very happy. =) I'd quite like to do more with this little feline. I like to do chapter-book style illustration, I've always liked some nice linework. 

Here's another piece I did in the same vein for Colour Collective a few weeks later. The prompt this time was 'Vert Réséda:

Here are some more witchy sketches:

Adobe Photoshop CC 2017 on a Wacom Cintiq Companion 2. The Colour Collective took 2-3 hours. Not quite sure how long the sketches took - quicker than the CC, anyway. 

Pups on Purple Pillows

A quick piece for Colour Collective's 'Byzantium Purple' prompt. Naturally the colour really made me want to draw over-the-top Byzantium era costumes, but I stuck with something simpler!

This only took about three hours, and it definitely shows - but I do like that dachshund. ^.^

Adobe Photoshop CC 2017 on a Wacom Cintiq Companion 2

Hermione

When the 20th Anniversary of Harry Potter rolled around, I had to draw something to mark it. I've never been the biggest fan of the books (I liked the earlier ones best) but they were a big part of my childhood even so. If I'd had time I would have liked to have drawn all three main characters, but as it was I had to pick one, and Hermione won because she has the best hair. Sometimes illustrator choices are extremely shallow...

Here's the original sketch, which I posted first. I coloured it up the next day because I felt like doing some colouring. 

Adobe Photoshop CC2017 on a Wacom Cintiq Companion 2. A couple of hours in total.