I should have done this at least a week ago, but never seemed to get round to it. No decent excuses! Anyway, I had a bash at some quick sketches on Friday. My first thoughts were animals, but then I thought perhaps children instead for a change.I started with this character, who I thought was quite cute (if a bit boss-eyed) but a little passive on her own. So I introduced some action, to add a bit of humour:
I thought perhaps the boy could be better: still a bit static don't you think? I tried again, to get in more fun, by drawing him bent right over and the snowball hitting his bum instead. 
Since this isn't a commissioned piece, I thought I might experiment a bit with technique. So instead of colouring it in pastels, I imported the sketches into Corel Painter and tried a bit of digital painting.
I'm not 100% sure I like it, but it's ok. I've tried to keep some mark making, but the marks tend to feel crude to me, compared with real drawing! Any tips or thoughts gratefully received...
27 comments:
It makes a change to see children instead of animals, but I think the little girl looks a bit stiff. The boy bears an uncanny resemblance to John B!
Mmmm, perhaps you're right.
No resemblence to anyone intended -can't see it myself, I'll see if he can!
Hiya Lynne,
Wow! I love it, as I think it has your trademark style, humour and quirky-ness, but you've done it wih digital software. I'm guessing Corel Paint wouldn't take as long as pastels by hand?
I'm really interested in photoshop and things like that, and I would love to get one of these things, but they seem to cost 100's and 100's of pounds! Is this right?
I should have learnt at college (81-84) but I kept not going to lectures, as I 'didn't like computers'. Gosh, how stupid I was back then!
So, I really like this piece of work - but I like your pastel stuff more, if you know what I mean.... The other stuff really speaks, and is so very lively and beautiful - your work is mind-blowingly good!
Bestest Wishes,
Liz from Fluffville
this is funny and cute, i love the little dog!!!
I think it turned out wonderfully! Very sweet. :) I LOVE the dog!
Well, I love it! It's an absolutely darling illo. You really captured the joy and whimsy of playing in the snow. You managed to do what I was trying to do with this week's IF prompt - rambunctious. Great card!
It looks pretty damn fine to me, but I'm still fiddling with the bucket tool in ImageReady. Nowhere near the nuances of colour and mark making you've achieved here (however crude you think they are)
That's funny! I love it. Happy Holidays to you!
I love your image for IF. That ram's expression is priceless. What a great blog you have, too!
I like how it turned out! I can't really see it very well as there's not a larger version to note details (e.g. the lines you mentioned). Have you tried simulating your usual style in Painter? I work in Painter and just love how "undigital" my illustrations can look. Watercolor effects are another story, but I would think you could do your pastels in Painter and have it look like the real deal. What kind of tablet are you using?
Oh, and I came here first to say that I enjoyed your IF submission for "rambunctious". Hee!
love the color! this should be a great christmas card!
Love the humour, and very impressed to see how versatile you are with this medium.
I think that you are just so used to seeing the pastels, and that is why you are thinking this needs work. For a digital illo, this is fab.
I like a lot your drawings, and I like this too: Faces, colours... The cold, windy winter´s background is perfect... perhaps the only thing I don´t like is the position of the girl. But my favourite is the first sketch, a shy little girl ready to through away a snow ball... For me is simple and the story richer.
thankye for my card. cheered me up no end. Welldone you for getting it out- after an early start, I've flunked miserably... I'll have to aim for a new years card instead.
Anyway, my view, for what it's worth, would be perhaps to try some texture on the clothing garments and dog to break up the 'digital-ness' of it. I'm not sure how you do that on coral, but you can import textures on photoshop quite easily. Other than that, I love it. The snow looks fab and the little boy in front is sensational. cx
Hi Lynne, I've been messing about with pastels in Painter today for a magazine cover. If you want to get more mark making into it how about taking the finished image and making a quick clone then use an impasto clone brush to get some surface texture down, then use the pastels on top of that with 'clone colour' box checked.
Liz from fluffville - don;t know if you are interested but Corel uk shop is doing a halfprice offer on Painter at the moment think it works out at around £135 for the CD or download version, might be a good time to treat yourself - or better still get someone else to treat you for xmass.
Love your illustration for "rambunctious". Brilliant!
Katie L. White
I love your work. Those covers on your website are especially fun (the broomstick series eg) But I haven't gotten a chance to go through everything yet...theres so much and so much information on your site and blogs etc. Will be visiting again and again. The solidity of your work is inspirational as I am just starting out in illustration and building a portfolio etc.
Ira Robbins
Thanks again everyone for your fabulous feedback. If anyone wants to use my card as an e-card for friends this Xmas, feel free.
It's interesting - your digital thoughts, like using scanned in textures etc to add depth and variety, are things I will eventually get around to trying, which I'm sure will help. Never used an impasto clone brush, but will investigate further...
Excellent work! Came here to comment on your 'rambunctious' piece and just love everything here. Happy to have found your blog.
me encantó este dibujo!! muy divertdido!!!;)
Not sure what that means, but thenak you anyway! Translation anyone..?
translation for you Lynne: "Your drawing's charming! It's really amusing!"
Translated comment:
I was charmed with the drawing, very enterteining!;)
Thanks for the translations and the compliment!
such adorable card!!!
Just wanted to say thanks for all your support, advice, guidence and general patience with me this year and i hope that you have a spectacular christmas.
take lots of care and be really good.
you are truly a legend.
lots of love
Giles.x
You're welcome Giles - it's been fun!
I'm laid low at the moment - the perfect Christmas combo of streaming cold and toothache!! At least I can legitimately laze around, so currently playing about on the computer, experimenting with colour tinting some old pencil sketches. Sort of work I guess, but not real work.
Hope everyone out there is fairing better and that you all have a brilliant Christmas!
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