Tansy Rayner Roberts’s Creature Court covers have been revealed!
These city silhouettes were so much fun (and detail), and the silhouette of Aufleur, for Book 1, is at the World Fantasy art show in Baltimore right now.
If you’re at World Fantasy, the art show this year is FABULOUS. And I’ve brought a lot of original art including this one.
The cats of November!
Greetings from sunny California, with a background soundtrack of trains, coyotes, and The Fictator typing in the next room.
These cats were so much fun to draw — especially the brown and white one. I’ve always hesitated a bit over cats, but this time it seemed to come together: the reference, the practice, and memories of cats I’ve known, the way they move and look suspiciously around and the peculiar arrangements of their muscles.
Printable versions are available below – pre-coloured, or to colour yourself.
This month’s calendar is, as usual, brought to you thanks to the support of people through Patreon (there will be some new sneak-peeks and glimpses of work in progress going up there soon, if you’ve been considering joining — and two years’ worth of printable December stationery at the $3+ level, if you’re so inclined).
GennaRose Nethercott – The Lumberjack’s Dove
I have just had the opportunity to design a second enamel pin, this time for GennaRose Nethercott’s beautiful poem The Lumberjack’s Dove, just out from HarperCollins. My copy just arrived in the post this week, together with a beautiful poem by GennaRose just for me (and, separately, Tom Hiron’s Falconer’s Joy – another poem of a very different modern mythology).
I really enjoyed designing this pin. It was a completely different proposition from the Creature Court enamel pins, in both style of book and of art. The approach, however, was similar: to create an image that would undeniably connect to and represent the book but also function as a beautifully (if mysteriously) iconic design in its own right. Something people might want to wear or admire even if they hadn’t read the poem (or novel), but with a connection it would be difficult to forget.
Below are some of the process sketches (supporters on Patreon got to see this one in more detail as it developed).
And here is the final pin. I have not yet worked out how to photograph gold properly, but it so very shiny!
For information about opportunities to get a pin, follow GennaRose. The National Poetry Series Competition winning poem is now available from HarperCollins: The Lumberjack’s Dove. And for more behind-the-scenes art than I can share entirely publicly, check out my Patreon page.
Oh, and I design pins now.
The October calendar, fleeing to you across the moor, is brought to you (as usual) by my very generous supporters on Patreon, who also get it early (and stationery, and sneak-peeks…).
It is also brought to you by: lurid Gothic novel covers art, Nancy Drew endpapers, and Sarah Rees Brennan’s classic “Jane Eyre, or: The Bride of Edward ‘Crazypants’ Rochester“, which is delightful to read in parts at social gatherings.
You can print it pre-coloured or to colour yourself at home. As always, if you’re willing to share your versions, I’d love to see them.
And if you’d like to support the calendar and related projects, Patreon offers support levels from $1 a month, or there’s a PayPal tip jar here: PayPal.me/tanaudel.
I’m giving a map workshop at Where the Wild Things Are bookstore in Brisbane on 3 October. This is an illustration workshop (I am not a cartographer!) about making maps of and for stories. Details and tickets are available from the bookstore’s website: Mapmakers Workshop with Kathleen Jennings.
It’s a school holiday workshop for ages 10+, but adults are welcome!
(If you’re a little bit further north, I’m giving Marvellous Bird and Narrative Imagery workshops in Hervey Bay and Maryborough on 22 & 23 September).
On 22 and 23 September 2018, I am giving two sets of workshops in Hervey Bay for the Fraser Coast Regional Council (a council initiative supported by a RADF grant).
The Narrative Art Masterclasses (22 September or 23 September,1-2:30pm, $15) are for illustrations and/or writers with some experience in their field.
Join Kathleen as she demonstrates how stories can be broken down and recombined to strengthen old narratives and generate new ones, whether in writing or illustration. Participants will use writing and/or art to identify the powerful elements of great myths and play with the possibilities as they build up a story idea or illustration.
The Book of Marvellous Birds workshops (22 September or 23 September, 9-11:30am, free) are for ages 8+.
Kids and adults alike will work with professional artist Kathleen Jennings to learn how an illustrator plays with pictures and ideas to create stories. In this workshop you will learn technique, style and application of ideas, all while filling your own accordion-fold book with strange and marvellous birds.
Registration is through the links above. I’m very excited about these workshops!
(These events are proudly supported by the Regional Arts Development Fund).
I have big giant feet, so any love I have for shoes must be limited to the fairytale variety. So the September calendar features an assortment thereof. As usual, this is brought to you by my very dear patrons on patreon.com/tanaudel — you are very welcome to join us, and get the calendar early(ish) and other things. (Also, anyone who has signed up at the $15+ supporter level before the end of August also gets an enamel pin, while stocks last).
Feet and shoes are not something I naturally find easy to draw, so I used to sit in cafes and draw people’s feet as they queued. Hot tip.
(Also, August’s deer design is now a repeating pattern on Redbubble, with Spoonflower fabric to follow).
And here are the printable files — pre-coloured or to colour yourself (for personal use only).
(for personal use only)
