I'VE MOVED

Come and join me at my new home. I'm still settling in, so excuse the mess... but head over to www.lucyolive.co.nz and check it out!

See you there kids.

FILM :: SIMPLE THINGS

Alright, it's movie time. If you haven't seen this little film floating around the internet, now's your chance to watch this stunning little something. It's often the simplest things in life that are the most pleasurable – the first bite of a watermelon, shooting a goal in football, jumping in puddles. Check out the video below, I'm rather fond it.

STRAWBERRY SUGAR

A sketchy sketch with a splash of pizzazz. Colours inspired by a gorgeous bunting my mama has, and the strawberry macaron I bought at the French markets today.

MERRY CHRISTMAS :: 2011

Here's the Christmas card my boyfriend, I mean, fiance (!) and I designed this year. We drew ourselves, and Ben also drew our pooch Juno on the reverse. Happy holidays!

CHALKY GIRL

Yes, I'm still here, believe it or not! I haven't had as much time to do my own illustrations as I've been working on other projects for other people, but here's a little something I whipped up this week:

Just for fun. Plus I love, love, love these colours.

It's classic – it's Clamp

I'm a bit of a fan of girls kicking ass, so it's no surprise that I have a soft spot for the Japanese artist group Clamp. This all girl group formed in the 1980s with much of the manga they create translating into anime. I must have been about 14 years old when I devoured the first season of Cardcaptor Sakura, subbed in all its Engrish glory. I thought it would be fun to take an element of this series for my next illustration project!

© Clow

Cardcaptor Sakura is about 10 year old Sakura and her adventures after she accidentally releases a set of magical cards called Clow Cards. Each card has its own personality and characteristics and can be activated to use it's unique traits. I thought it might be a bit of fun to make my own Clow Card... now to decide what the personality of the card will be!

¡Estupendo, -a! Conrad Roset!

My grandma loves painting with watercolours, and recently she gave me some of her old books on the subject. I've been wanting to dabble more with watercolours since my woman of the wood attempt. Well amigos, I sure found some inspiration! Meet Conrad Roset – a Spanish illustrator who’s also a teacher at the School of Design in Barcelona.

© Conrad Roset

In this series entitled ‘Cosas Intimas' (meaning 'Intimate Things'), he adds random splashes of colour to his beautiful illustrations. What might seem like a mistake gives it that finishing touch. The figures that feature in the series have been described as "cheekily dar[ing] the observer; defiantly holding his gaze, so aware of their disquieting power, and displaying all their charms in a delicious multicolor explosion." Vamanos!

Trying my hand – Jamie Hewlett style

Here's my little something inspired by Jamie Hewlett's Gorillaz style. I was going for a profile view to match the art on one of the Gorillaz albums, and I liked the way it turned out. I'm even going to include some development doodles this time, ooooh!

Click for full view

Click for full view

The colouring method is super easy, so I decided to do two very different variations. One has cooler tones and features geisha type make-up. The other one is a warmer, and makes me think she may be someone you'd find out in the desert. I can't make my mind up as to which I like better!

Comic artist + music superstar = Jamie Hewlett

It was only time before this guy turned up on here; he's got a few characters that most of you will recognise. Jamie Hewlett makes up half of the genius that is the Gorillaz, after all. While an art student at Northbrook College, Jamie made his first mark creating a fanzine called Atomtan, which later landed him a job developing a comic strip called Tank Girl for the music/culture mag Deadline. Tank Girl was an anarchic strip about a teenage punk girl who drove a tank and had a mutant kangaroo for a boyfriend. It may sound weird, but it was an instant hit. Later, Hewlett shared a flat with Damon Albarn of the band Blur, and they conceived of the idea of creating a virtual band while living together. And thus, the Gorrillaz were born.

© Jamie Hewlett

Ben and I were lucky enough to see the Gorillaz play in Auckland at the end of last year, and it was an awesome show. Not only did Little Dragon play warm-up (another favourite of mine), but the show was the perfect mix of visual and audible goodness. My little rendition of Jamie Hewlett's Gorillaz style is coming right up!

Trying my hand – Viet-My Bui Style

For some reason this picture did not want to work for me. Computer issues, file corruptions, half finished drawings just disappearing into space – I've had my share. But after all of that, I just managed to sit down an hour and a half ago and pump this out, from sketch to coloured painting. Sheesh!

Click for full view

So I tried painting in Viet-My's style, and used colours that she favours often in her own art. The end result is ok (but better in full-view, nudge nudge), and it was a lot of fun. I know Viet-My doesn't always use lines with this kind of painting, but I'm not confident to go without yet!

Viet-My Bui Beauties

There's nothing I like more than doodling a female face. So it's no surprise that I was drawn to the wonderful work of miss Viet-My Bui (who also goes by the name of Ravenskar) from Vietnam. Her female characters are not only awesomely drawn, but beautifully coloured. Viet-My lives in Melbourne where she is (reluctantly) finishing her commerce/law studies, but she hopes to pursue a career in art and illustration afterward. Fair enough too, check out this girl's skills:

© Viet-My Bui

Absolutely love those saturated colours! I know it's a big ask to try this style, but we'll see how it goes. In the name of learning, here I go!

Trying my hand – Skottie Young style

Freakin' finally! Took me long enough. I've learned that Skottie Young's style is not something that comes naturally to me... but hey, I learned a bunch, and that's what it's all about.

Click for full view

It took me forever to pick a scene to draw. I was so eager to start that I would just begin doodling without knowing exactly what I was doing (unless you like running into dead ends, do not do this, people!). I wanted to draw a dude since, well, I never do, so that was another hurdle. And for some reason I chose to draw a night scene, which was silly as the whole reason I picked Skottie Young was because I wanted to try his bright, pastelly colour palette (d'oh!). All in all though, I'm happy with the end result... and I gotta say, using Ben's Cintiq to paint with sure was fun!

Good Old Skottie Young

Here's an illustrator/cartoonist who's work is closer to my partner's style than my own. Currently living in Illinois, Skottie Young has been in the biz for over ten years, and has worked for companies like Marvel, Warner Bro.s, Image, Upper Deck, Mattel, etc.

© Skottie Young

Skottie started his break into the business by attending a comic book convention, sitting behind a table with his friends. Someone left him his card, and they become good friends. This partnership lead to Skottie being referred to do a fill-in issue on ICEMAN. "Basically, an opportunity presented itself, I took it and then busted my butt every day since to stay in." Nice!

Trying my hand – Fafi style

Believe it or not, doodling can be a lot like baking. Looking at a delectable piece of sweetness may make me think "ooh, I think I know how they did that", but actually following the recipe leads me to think "ooh, I certainly know how they did that!"

Click for full size view

This is a little sketch I did in Fafi's style (see my previous post for more on her). I'd love to colour this properly one day as Fafi's palette is so bright and fun – unlike the colours I'd typically go for! And, from this point on, I thought it would be cool to follow up every inspiration piece with one of my own attempting their style. It's certainly a great way to learn. For instance, I like the nose and lips in this pic, so I might like to use those elements in future drawings.

Fafi from France

Alright, time for the first dose of inspiration. If you're into female characters, bright colours, street art and mischief, then Fafi is the artist for you. Fafi, a graffiti artist from France, started making her mark on the walls of her hometown (Toulouse) back in 1994 with her sexy, funny, and sometimes aggressive girl characters known as "Fafinettes".

© Fafi

Fafi has had collaborations with Colette, Adidas, LeSportSac, Coca-Cola, M.A.C cosmetics and countless press stories in the most prestigious magazines (ie. Vogue, Elle, The Face, XLR8R, Yen etc.). I first discovered Fafi in Yen's minimag called Miso back when I was in my midteens. The minimag folded out to reveal a full page Fafi poster. Needless to say, it graced my walls for many years!

Woman of the Wood

Dabbling in watercolours is something I love to do, but I must keep practicing and get more comfortable with it.

Woman of the Wood

This Woman of the Wood was first sketched in pencil prior to watercolouring. On second thought the colours seem a bit gothic for my style, but theres no 'apple Z' with watercolours! Had a lot of fun with the hair, though. I picture her to live in a cave river. Click on her for full size/detail close up.