Yesterday I was trying to find some photos to use as guides for my graphic novel. I had tidied my studio a while back, and knew these images were somewhere. I sorted through my piles of sketch pads in the cupboard, in my desk drawers, the wooden trunk in the lounge, and back through the cupboard again. I found other, probably more exciting finds in there, related to illustrating work I did some years back. So, rather than some current sketches today, I thought I’d show you some oldies.

The Fiordland Crested penguin above, is somewhat random, for although I drew and painted many sea creatures for a children’s book, called Save our Seas, this little painting must have missed the cut. Next in the pile was this little painting of a dolphin. Again, it wasn’t used in any book. So, both are a mystery to me right now.

This next image, is from Save Our Seas. I used gouache on textured illustration board, as it can absorb a little water without buckling.

There were several images this size. If you’ve never tried illustration board, you may like it, though, best not to make the solution too wet.

Next, I found some prints of pencil roughs, where I was trialling different textured papers for a children’s book called Weaving Together, which is about the relationship between a girl and her grandmother. I made pencil roughs smaller than the finished work, as with the latter, I used Faber-Castell artist quality colour pencils on A2 paper. Working bigger results in a finer result when printed I have found.

Apologies for the crooked image above. I had trouble flattening the pages without capturing my own fingers in the picture! I hope you like this short trip down a different lane.