water under the bridge

More work for the merboy story: sketches and practice pages. Not sure whether I want to draw this story with brush or pen; the lines all have something different to say.

Dip pen and Noodler's Luxury Blue.

Dip pen and Noodler's blue;
Winsor & Newton Cotman pan watercolours.

Pentel brush pen on Canson smooth watercolour paper.

merboy story, interior sketches

Some sketches for Fionn's house and his modifications. I didn't have any references on hand so had to work from memory. The rest of the house is based on Abbasid architecture but Fionn's room is more conventionally Medieval English.

Pencil with Neocolor II acquarelle crayons.

Book project, home stretch...

Guys, the book project is set to launch in January! This is not really a sneak preview, just a sideways glimpse of my favourite illustration of the bunch.

Pentel brush pen, Hunt 512 bowl nib with Noodler's Bulletproof Black. I have used this ink for nearly the whole book (plus other things) and after 100 or so drawings with washes, I have barely gotten past the shoulders of the 3oz bottle. Awesome.

The Bodhisattva of Action

This may be one of the most comic-book-like of the bodhisattvas I have drawn. May have something to do with the fact that I don't have my rubber stamps, and therefore my usual mixed-media approach necessarily has to change.

Skin colours laid down first.

With flash.

Without flash.

Based on the deity Zaou Gongen, a being with a rather mixed history. Instead of standing for aggression, the clenched fist represents emptiness, and therefore detachment. The flames represent inspiration, and the sword confidence.

oh look, another mermaid

Are you sick of fish ladies yet?

Actually you might know this one: I drew it ages and ages ago and have only just come back to colour it.

In the meantime this physical artwork (and the sketchbook it's in) has been in three different continents since I created it. It's the John Watson of watercolour art. Think of that as you look at it. You're welcome.

spring cleaning

Working on something that's pretty old, but could do with a bit of cleaning up. I'd like to shop it around, if anyone would be interested in a rather depressing little book...

Now that I think of it, this is where I really started to explore working with dip pens. Now they're my favourite drawing tool.

page a day: hysterical romance

See last post.

WIP (warning: pink)

Ahahaha this is taking forever but I feel pretty good about it. I wish the red pen had contrasted better though; I should have used the violet one all the way. Sakura colour turned out bolder in the scan.