Welcome!
On most Wednesdays, check this blog for a strategy, process, or reflection for illustration with the iPad app ProCreate. Today, I’m just reviewing the project and getting back to my plan.
The Project
I receive Catherine Coquillette’s [@CatCoq everywhere] newsletter and for July she’s challenging us each week to create some part of a holiday mini-collection. First I chose my palette and the theme idea included some birds all cozied up for the winter holidays. I’ve been working on it in a haphazard way with help from other newsletters that took me away from the “hero” illustration into the secondary illustrations. I wrote about them here:
Bekki Flaherty: Evergeen Florals and Magic Stripes
Jennifer Nichols: Evergreen Poppies
Evergreen Gingham [Strawbella Studio YouTube]
These gave me ideas for greenery and other motifs to coordinate with the cozy birds of the hero illustration. It seems I’m working backwards. Each of the designs I’ve created so far are secondary illustrations in the same palette.
Now I need the hero illustration and some blenders. I’ve not followed Cat’s weekly strategies, but this week I’ll finish the ideas she’s presented in her newsletter and will organize them into a mini collection sheet. Cat provides a template here.
The Birds
The first thing I need to do is sketch the birds in holiday sweaters. I started a quick sketch today:
I’ve created a hero illustration of cozy birds in hats and scarves before — even in the same palette– so I have a starting point:
I even know what brushes to use and have a mini collection for these. I don’t like my bird pattern for it though, which is why I wanted to try again this month in Cat’s challenge.
Let’s Get Going
So I’ve got my plan and a lot of illustrations and ideas to guide me. I even made a Pinterest Holiday board for ideas. I’m thankful for the tutorials and newsletters that have inspired me to dive in and get it done. If you would like the challenge, sign up for Cat’s newsletter here.
And if you could do a rain dance [no lightning], it would help. Six miles up the road people are evacuated due to the wildfires. Air support flew most of the day. If the wind shifts or the embers cross the river, we could be next in the call for evacuation.
Here’s the hillside across from our house:
I wonder, if I draw a line... 