Just lying around…

The following images are of thing I have just came across, (mostly in the studio’s at uni). These images have simply caught my eye for one reason or another.

What can I bribe you with …

“What can I bribe you with, so I can come round, use your wifi to download my vampire diaries series?” I know vampire diaries is not exactly important, right? Well actually it is because putting aside the fact that I’m addicted and really need to keep watching the episodes; it is in fact Final Major Project related.
My book, well the book I’m illustrating The Demon Girl; is also about vampires and demons just like The Vampire Diaries and because I want to avoid using cliche vampire/demon things in my illustration. It is important that I research cliche vampire/demon things already out there.
You may not be aware but before the world of Twilight Saga, Vampire Diaries, The Demon Girl and few other books and programs in between, I was what you could call a Vampire/demon virgin. Anything that had the slightest chance to be scary and freak me out, causing me sleepless nights I refused to watch or read. Until the summer of nagging friends nagging me to read the Twilight Saga. I got addicted - very addicted but I’ve never looked back.

Right, back to the main event - my tutorial with Johnny.

After much discussion with Johnny, okay more Johnny talking and me listening. He suggested I put my stamp on things, giving my illustrations quirkiness that may not necessarily be stated in the book. - The 'Literature Loop-hole': The book may not specifically say that a certain something as something else on it or attached to it but nor does it say that it doesn’t have that something attached. For example, The book may not say that Rae’s wings have tattoos drawn on them, but nor does it say that Rae’s wings don’t have tattoos drawn on them.

This got me thinking about my other passion with of course you all know is tattooing. Tattoo influence is not just coming from me and my obsession and addiction to the art but from lines in the book where it describes Breadan (fairy) and how his torso is covered with intricate tattoos. It does not say specifically what these ‘intricate’ tattoos are, which allows me to create my own, so why stop with Breadan’s torso. 
I’m thinking lets over indulge in my passion, lets put a tattoo spin on everything, from trees growing tattoo machines, ink pot and bottles of tattoo ink to the characters having mysterious and random body parts covered with tattoos. From old school blue army tattoos to clean crisp new school.
Why don’t I create each demon with a tattoo twist on it: Rae could have tattoo ed wings, Breadan and his intricate tattooed torso, Tomas (The Vampire) could have tattooed fangs and eyes. etc

I am excited about this new development and can not wait to get drawing.

Watch this space!

28/2 - 06/3 :: Week summary.★

★More vampire and other deomn addictions.
★Tutorial with Johnny.
★Inspiring images around the studio space.
★Self promotion - Sink or Swim.
★Relisation of my future.
★My illustrations take on a little 'Dionne-ness'.

First initial sketches and almost finish illustration ...

                                 

 

1st Final Colour Illustration.

The first initial drawings were hard to come by, I have had so many images going around in my mind from reading the book that I found it hard to just concentrate on one. At first my aim was to do one illustration per chapter of the book, however while re-reading the first chapter I found myself wanting to illustrate several parts. But because I did not feel I should do more than one illustration per chapter, I found myself considering putting several scenes into one illustration. As I actually began to draw and because the forest that the book describes is so busy and wild; I believed if I showed several scenes in the same illustration the illustration would become to muddy. 

Bearing this in mind I choose to illustrate the one scene that stood out the most to me: the scene where Breadan and Rae meet for the first time and Rae discovers that she is a Demon.

I like my final image once it has been scanned into the my computer and edited slightly, so the background is more intense.

I chose not reveal too much of the fairy demons at this early stage, and I don’t think I will reveal them fully throughout the whole book.

I believe somethings are better left to the imagination even in illustrated books.

I also emailed Penelope (the author of the demon girl) my first illustration to get her opinion to whether I was capturing the essence of the book. The following is her response:


Hi Dionne,

I thought it was amazing! Me and my friends/family were discussing it over the weekend. 

I loved how the fairy was in the corner and the hazy impression of tattoo's. The wings were beautiful, and I love that you resembled the wing shapes on the flowers in the environment. It was dark, but still had an eye catching vibrancy. You caught the beautiful and gloomy aura I wanted the book to convey. Plus, the darkness had a blue tinge (well it did not me anyway) and since the fairies see in blues and purples when it gets dark I thought that was inspired. 

A more imaginative turn you say? I can't wait to see it. I'm following your blog so I get your updates when you post them! :)

I would love to share them online when you send them through, let me know if you would be comfortable with that.

PJ

21/2 - 27/2 :: Week summary.

★First initial sketches.
★First finished illustrations of The Demon Girl.

Michael Kirkman Lecture.

Right third time lucky, as I have tried to write this twice, via my iPhone app and had it deleted twice! ARGH!!!

Todays lecture was good compared to others, with the exception of Professor Norris-Wood (Whose lectures can not be given justice in words, you have to witness him and one of his lectures to appreciate just how ‘fab’ they are.
One student once said “It is like being sat in the pub with a mate you have known for ages”. I think that sums up on of Professor Norris-Wood’s lectures quite nicely.)

Anyway back to todays lecture with Michael Kirkman. A guy who is only a couple/few years older than most of us students, a guy who as not long completed his MA in London and became a freelance illustrator almost immediately. Yes, he may not have had much long term experience but he his out there, a freelance illustrator in todays society!
The difference I found with this lecture was that you could still hear the love for what he does (printmaking) in his voice, which is what I found was lacking in other lectures.
Even though his life is clearly not perfect; still using his bedroom as his print room occasionally, trying to put on his own solo show, while holding down commissions etc but he clearly loves printmaking and the process of making images!

A few tips I picked up on during the lecture were:

“Don’t underestimate talking and drinking beer in the pub with professional illustrators and tutors”. - Can’t disagree there.

“You need to be out there saying ‘employ me’”.

“Embrace the fun stuff, if you enjoy doing something do more of it, and see what comes out of it.”

“It’s alway the students that hung around with the tutors, they were the ones that won the competition prizes”. - It’s like that good old saying;
“It’s not what you know it’s who you know.” That pretty much sums up what I hate about this world, this rat race. Michael’s in the rat race but he hasn’t let the rat race over taken him, he hasn’t lost his passion for what he loves to do!


“The more focused you are on doing the thing your good at, expanding it, exploring it. The better off you’ll be.”

“Stick to what your good at”.

These last two quotes reminded me of what I love and what my passions are; tattooing and painting.
Listening to tutors over the years saying “don’t do that”, “you always come back to tattoos”, “it’s a bit dark isn’t it” etc but I’ve never really paid much attention and I don’t plan on starting now, because it’s my passion, I know I am good at it and I know I’ll get even better as more time passes.

I refuse to give up know matter how many people think I can’t or shouldn’t do it, because theirs plenty of people who think I can do it!
“You have to have faith in yourself because nobody else will”.

Posting from iPhone continued

Had to download full version of my app to upload pictures.

This is an image I saw stuck up in our studio space at Uni that I loved and had to take a picture of.
I do love my skulls!!

I'm out.