Wednesday 19 December 2012

Merry Christmas everybody!

I'm feeling festive, wrapping gifts and watching Home alone! 
So here's a Christmas illustration treat for you all!

Merry Christmas!

xXx
M

Tuesday 27 November 2012

DOLLS NIGHT OUT: KURT GEIGER


I'm super excited for tomorrow! 
Not only is it my birthday but I also will be at Kurt Geiger, Newcastle
 from 6.30 till 9.30pm as their in house fashion illustrator! 
Where I will be drawing the lovely ladies that come down for the "Dolls night out!" 
Check out the poster and come along and see me if you can!

xXx

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Zombie Nation





Halloween is nearly here! One of my favourite times of year! 
I always like to do themed illustrations, and anything dark is a real treat for me 
as I normally create quite girly illustrations.

Above is my interpretation of a zombie/frankenstein monster.
 I call her Frankie! 
I'd say she still looks pretty glamorous even as the living dead.
 It's not surprising as I based it on a photo of Zooey Deschanel 
(who always looks gorgeous)

I've included a sketch, before it was coloured.
I coloured and layered it digitally which really let me play about with the whole composition.
I also added some vintage movie poster text!

What do you think?

xXx
M

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Aurora


Here is my latest illustration Aurora
I created it using pencil, watercolour and digital media.

This will shortly be available as a print, 
once I get round to sorting out my Etsy store!

I have already produced a print of this and have added silver stars
to the sky in the background.

It's rather subtle but works nicely with the delicacy of the piece.

xXx
M



Wednesday 12 September 2012

Etsy store: Céleste print





A new illustration entitled "Céleste" 
is now available as a print over on my Etsy store 
as a mixed media/print piece.

It is essentially a print wjich I have then 
drawn on top of with pencil, 
and also painted onto using silver paint.

The result is that no two pieces will ever be exactly alike.
I like to work this way as i like to have the basic lines form which to draw 
from, but also be able to add more definition and subtlety
 which I feel are things that can often be lost when a 
drawing is transferred to digital media.

My printer, although good, never gives me the full range of tones I want.
I want to be able to experiment and play around with a drawing 
and not be too precious with it. 
Scanning it and reproducing it gives me this freedom to play.

xXx
M

Tuesday 11 September 2012

Top Santé illustrations #1







Here are some illustrations I recently did for the 
September issue of Top Santé.
I drew a range of illustrations demonstrating different exercises.

It is quite a change to my usual style, but I do like to 
change it up form time to time.

xXx

Tuesday 4 September 2012

Progress 006



I'm currently working on a mixed media piece 
for my Etsy store. 
It's partially a print with pencil drawn over the top 
(mainly shading and accentuation in the hair)
and also silver paint.
This one is A4, 
I had started working on an A3 but I spilled silver paint all over it 
so will have to start again.

While working I'm listening to Imogen Heap: Speak for yourself.
A brilliant album, which, for some reason is making long for 
cold rainy nights spent cosy indoors and also snow.

xXx
M

Sunday 2 September 2012

//ROSES//


The fruit of this evening's labour...
It was created using pencil, and digital methods.

xXx
M

//Happy Sunday//












Hi everybody! I've been terrible at posting anything lately,
but as it's now september, I'm in the "back to school" mindset!
it's time to knuckle down and do some serious blogging, 
which for me means it's time to do some serious illustration work!

I've got a head full of ideas and also a healthy backlog of 
previous commissions I've recently completed.
Also to maintain I have me newly improved website!
You can take a look HERE
It includes an archive of some of my previous commissions,
personal work and sketch book work. 
All of which I'm still in the process of adding to.

Above are some lovely inspirational imagery,
 which perfectly reflects my mood this morning!

Enjoy!

xXx
M

Thursday 2 August 2012

Art Nouveau flowers














Well it certainly feels like a long time since I posted, 
I've been so busy with illustration work lately 
which is, of course, the dream,  so I can hardly say it's a bad thing.
It also means that I will have lots of work to share with you all in due course!

Here is the the first,
a recent commission I created for a Lovely lady and her flower shop:

I was really pleased with the way these turned out.
They are pencil drawings of three types of flower 
with a golden ink art nouveau border around each one
I was so precious with them while painting them as I knew that 
one slip of the hand and hours of work could be ruined!

I've also included some snaps of me painting one of them 
in what is my make-shift studio aka my dining room table!

Friday 15 June 2012

Inspiration: Iris Van Herpen




Yesterday I came across this absolutely mind bogglingly
 amazing dress by Iris Van Herpen, called "the cathedral dress".
Reminiscent of an old gothic cathedral, the dress is made out of wood.

I find anything with such incredible detail and symmetrical pattern 
so fascinating from an illustrators point of view.
If I had the patience (and time) I would love to draw this accurately. 
But for now, I have drawn a rougher version. 
I decided to draw it on brown paper to give the feel of the wood 
while highlighting the skin with white chalk.

Watch out for more similar drawings of the Van Herpen couture,
 because I am seriously obsessed with this stuff!

xXx

Friday 1 June 2012

Bluebell...Aida in the dark.


This illustration, that I call "Bluebell", was created as part of a 
recent commission that I did recently for the lovely Victoria Sugden, for her 
Publishing degree at Stirling University.

It was a really great project to work on as I was to illustrate a 
fashion fairy tale!

This illustration was my favourite of all the ones I came up with 
and I was really happy with the way it turned out.
It was based on how a character perceived other people 
in the story and how their true colours show through!

More on the way soon

xXx
M

Monday 14 May 2012

Mademoiselle Chat






A brand new illustration is available in my Etsy store.
It is an A3 print/ mixed media piece.

The original was a pencil and watercolour illustration, 
I digitally enhanced it, printed it out and then worked over the top of it 
with marker pen and pencil

xXx
M

Tuesday 8 May 2012

Progress: 005


A new piece I'm currently working on 
soon to be a new A2 print which will be available in my Etsy store.
Keep a look out as there'll be some new things arriving in it soon

xXx
M

Monday 30 April 2012

Progress:004



Progress 004: Watercolour inspired by Bluemarine.
Soon to be available as a print, 
and also original for sale.
So keep a lookout over at my Etsy store

xXx
M

Amethyst Moon






A new print is available over in my Etsy store.
I've applied pencil and silver paint over the top, 
making it truly unique.
Just clicke HERE to view it!

xXx
M

Leopard skin hat


After looking through a load of files on my computer, 
I came across this drawing which I drew ages ago. 
Normally I hate anything that Ive created in the past 
 but I still quite liked this one. 
I like how rough it looks.

xXx
M

Monday 23 April 2012

Flower Maiden















I'm very excited to show everyone this one!
and now "Flower Maiden" is available to buy from my Etsy store.

This is a mixed media piece, The main drawing is a print which I have 
then worked over with pencil and gold ink. 
The original is a pencil drawing.

I've been inspired very heavily by the Art Nouveau movement.
In particular by some of my two favourite artists, Mucha and Klimt.

This was my "prototype" version to see how it would look 
before committing to getting it printed out larger.

There will be larger versions of this available to buy 
within the coming week hopefully, 
so keep your eyes peeled!

xXx
M

Thursday 19 April 2012

Perfume




Some new perfume bottle illustrations here,
I created them using pencil ink and water colours.

They are all now available as prints form my Etsy store!
I sometimes wish I had my own powder room 
and I would have stuff like this all over the walls!

xXx
M