12 September 2012

Twitter distractions....

I had a great day on Twitter today indulging in a game of 'quickdraw' with illustrator James Brown. It's a game he and another illustrator devised where we are challenged to draw something. The first person to finish and post to Twitter wins. It was thoroughly enjoyable AND a good way to break out of the illustrators 'block' I've been having a bit of this week (too much staring at a blank page and then thinking of a hundred different ideas at once, loosing patience and not exploring any of them)

Anyway, I challenged James to draw a pirate, and in return I had to draw a mermaid.

I got in with my Mermaid first (taking a break from reading her '50 shades of blue'!). However, I didn't add any colour. 

James on the other hand seemed to produce a whole mini story here complete with colour, so he had to win.

We next had a go at doing the same thing - 'Raining Cats and Dogs'. It's always interesting drawing the same thing as someone else as the ideas are so different.


James's fantastic cats and dogs. Some of them look really alarmed.

My cats and dogs. I really enjoyed this. I think it has echoes of my daughter who has been nagging constantly this week about us getting a dog. It isn't going to happen. Maybe it's her dream on one just landing on her?


Really enjoyable exercise. Please have a look at James's work here on his blog http://jamesbrownillustration.blogspot.co.uk.

6 September 2012

Foiled! HapPEA Publication Day.





At last here it is! I'm so proud to show off the lovely, sparkly, pink and funny new book The Princess and the Peas from  Caryl Hart and myself, published by the gorgeous people at Nosy Crow.

I love this book and especially the cover as it was really easy    to think of the idea and it was even better that everyone liked it too! Then, the icing on the cake was the decision to use a gorgeous shiny green foil on the leafy details. Fellow Nosy Crow illustrator Steve Lenton recently mentioned that it reminds him of Mint Aero.....Yum!