Illustration

Daily Illustration

Inspired by the Honest Designers podcast talking about doing a daily challenge, I finally started my own daily illustration project. I had been aiming to do one for a while but the podcast gave me the push to actually start.

Everyday I created an illustration in the hopes of improving my illustration skills. The only brief was the square shape and size of 600 pixels square, because they were to be posted to Instagram. I didn’t post to Instagram in the end because it stupidly won’t let you upload files from a computer, only from the app.

Not AI

Since AI image creation became available for public use a lot of people have been doomsaying about our jobs. AI can be useful and helpful but it's far from perfect. This project highlights the inaccuracies whilst also putting the craft and human element back into the illustration.

I looked for a variety of colourful fish that I thought might make interesting illustrations, then put the name of the fish into the AI image maker. Whilst they always created a lifelike fish (excusing the odd abnormality), they never accurately created the fish I had named.

This one below (on the right) is my favourite. It's called a Peppermint Angelfish. As you can see the AI made a fish with a leaf growing out the top, I'm assuming it's a sprig of peppermint. This really does show the limitations of AI, but in a more humorous way

Marker illustrations

Most of my illustration work was vector based, using hand created shapes and textures, so I wanted to do more analogue work. These were part of me trying a few different ways to work whilst I tried to find my style. The colours are done with markers and then the black is added with inks. I'm not sure why I started doing colourful birds again, possibly because the colours are interesting to draw with the markers. I'm thinking I should try doing more architectural illustrations next.

Marker landscapes

These were part of my exploration into illustrating with markers. I was trying to do at least one illustration a day to help me learn the best way to utilise the markers. These are three of my favourite of the landscapes I created. They aren't depictions of real places, I used reference images for parts and then just winged it.

Flowers

Some of my early experiments with markers involved drawing flowers. I think I chose flowers because of the variety of colours but I only had 12 markers to start with. After my first few flowers I decided to put them in the letters of the word "Flowers". I was trying to do one illustration a day so this gave me a plan for a week ahead.

Colourful British Birds

This series of eight illustrations came about from my daily illustration challenge. I created the Kingfisher for that and as it turned out well I thought I would do more.

I kept the shapes fairly simple and focused on the colours and textures. I chose colourful birds so there would be more visual interest. They are completely vector, even the textures.

Waterfall

This illustration is a result of my Daily Illustration challenge. One day I just created a waterfall, not based on any real image, and the result massively exceeded my expectations. I decided that I could take that base and work it up into a full illustration by adding elements and refining it. It really felt like a big turning point in my illustration skills and will hopefully lead to bigger, better things in future.

Deepdale Duck

This was an illustration of Preston North End’s mascot, the Deepdale Duck. After the first version had been given the go ahead and all but finished someone decided they didn’t like it. They wanted it to look a lot fatter and more like the mascot costume (i.e. not like a duck). That’s where this version came from. Even though the sponsor ‘Magners’ isn’t allowed to be shown as it would promote drinking to kids, childhood obesity apparently isn’t an issue.

They have since changed sponsor, as well as the club badge so the ills have had to be updated. There are about 10 variations so far being used for a variety of applications; from signage (him pointing in a direction) to merchandise such as colouring books and birthday cards.

Winter Illustration

Whilst doing my daily illustration project I had the idea for this piece. Illustrated typography is very popular but it’s usually the typography that’s the focal point. I wanted to do an illustration that just happens to form a word.

It was pretty much all created in Illustrator, meaning it’s all vector and can be enlarged as much as is needed (in theory). I did use my usual mixed media textures to prevent it from looking flat and lifeless. That’s kind of become my style.

Water Illustrations

These are a series of illustrations on the theme of water. I’m not sure why it fascinates me but I find it interestingly challenging to try to illustrate. There’s a lot of randomness in how it moves and behaves, and to try to capture that in illustration was something I wanted to try.

Landshapes

This ‘Landshapes’ series are all different landscape illustrations framed in a different shape. No idea why, just go with it. There are eight illustrations so far, two circle, two square, two diamond, and two crosses. I tried triangles but they waste too much space and don’t leave enough to show the illustration.

Missing in the Mist

A lot of my illustration work is landscapes and skies but I was getting worried that it would get stale or I would get bored. I wanted to try add an element of storytelling into the illustrations but in a subtle way that only alluded to something larger. Illustrations, like photographs are a depiction of a single moment in time so I wanted to leave ambiguity for the viewer to figure out themselves. There is no information on the reason for the boat being adrift; it could be something innocent like it not being moored properly or high winds, or it could be more sinister.

Balloon Race

I saw a photo of sunset where the sky went form orange to blue in a great gradient. It was almost rainbow like so I thought about trying to create a rainbow colour effect in an illustration. I then added the two balloons to create focal point and an element of storytelling. Spent a lot of time trying to get them in the perfect position, eventually making a triangular focus using the sun as the third point. Still not sure if I should have made it bigger though…

Coke Side of Life

This is an illustration for Coca-cola to display the fun, excitement and energy that the drink gives you. Coca-cola sponsors so many sports and activities like football and the Rugby World Cup so I used them in the illustration too.

This was one the very first illustrations I created after uni, long before I even considered becoming an illustrator. I used my dark room experiments to create the effect of the coke bottles, something I can no longer do, which is a shame.

Study of Clouds

Lockdowns meant I spent a lot of time staring out of my window. I saw many amazing sights created by different cloud formations and incredible colours. Sunset and sunrise were both particularly good times for such sights. These weren’t intended to be particularly polished or finished illustrations, I was just experimenting with recreating the skies I had seen.

Lockdown Views

Because of COVID lockdowns I spent a lot of time staring out of the window looking up at the sky and saw plenty of amazing cloud formations and colours, particularly at sunrise and sunset. These illustrations aren’t technically part of a series but a lot of the work I created involved colourful skies so I grouped them together in my portfolio.

Twilight Reflection

There’s really not much to say about this illustration. It was one of those magical creations that just happened naturally, as if the piece was creating itself. Those moments are far too rare, it would make being an illustrator so much easier If I could always create work without the constant struggle of battling my inner pessimist telling me “it’s not working”, and “I’ll never be a good artist”.

The idea was to try create a landscape where the layers of land merged into the layers of clouds. I set out the swatches I wanted to use for the colours before starting which is a new way of doing things for me. It made things easier so I don’t know why I haven’t done this again.

Flamingo

This one went a little differently than planned. I had intended to illustrate the background, and did actually finish it, but I turned off the layers whilst working on the birds. Annoyingly, I thought it looked much better this way. Not that the background was bad, it was just a pink sunset so the birds didn't stand out particularly well.

This backgroundless version reminds me of old, Japanese style illustrations for some reason.

Aurora Borealis

I've always wanted to see the Northern Lights but have so far not had the chance, so instead I created my own panoramic landscape (albeit static version) that I can see whenever I want. This was made around the time of the COVID lockdowns where a lot of my work involved skies. This isn't a depiction of any particular town or city, it is completely fabricated by me.

Lurking in the Dark

Illustrating fire is just fascinating a challenge as illustrating water. Whilst creating this piece I noticed the embers looked like red eyes watching.

Sun Dial

I was watching something (can't remember what) where the passage of time was sped up and shadows moved across the floor like a sun dial. That was the inspiration for this illustration. I usually enjoy trying to illustrate water too and tried something a little different this time. Actually liked how it turned out for once. Not sure if the colours are a touch too muted though, could have made it more vibrant.