character is as character does

This is just a post of a bunch of random characters scattered through my sketch book. Most of them are not really attached to anything in particular at the moment, but I may find use for them yet.

...and another brief nod to a composition I enjoyed. This time from a tv show rather than a painting.

Anyway, that's all for now!

vita brevis, ars longa

More from my sketch book! Would it surprise anyone to know that I've gone through quite a number of these in the past few months? I'm lucky that they sell them in packs of three...

I have rediscovered my love of lettering. It's just such fun, and it can look so lovely done well... hence, much practice is required! The phrase "vita brevis, ars longa" means "life is brief, art is long-lived". And, some doodles to accompany it!

A brief foray into heraldry, for a character I'm working on named Roger of Eldercomb. I've since decided that this coat of arms is not the one I'll be using, but it was fun to make.

This, honestly, is just the back of my current sketchbook. Since I've basically just been using the same red sketchbook over and over and over again, my way of telling them apart is to doodle and collage on them.

More Sneak Peeks...

So, a peek into a few more of the things I'm working on at the moment, thanks to my trusty sketchbook:

I'm playing with the idea of making an illuminated page of the Code of Chivalry (based on the ideals set forth in the Song of Roland) for a friend. These are a few of the motifs I am contemplating using.

More fun with decorative borders and such - this time Celtic rather than Ottonian. I enjoy drawing Celtic knots, even if they can be a bit frustrating. Oh, and a brief nod to Edmund Blair Leighton because I love him. :-)

Another project idea that has me quite excited - doing a full, illuminated layout of Tennyson's The Lady of Shalott. I'm going to track down nice vellum and gold leaf (rather than the gold gouache I've been using) and really take my time on it. Plus, full page illustrations for each section of the poem. This should take me a while, but it will be a labour of love! Keep your eyes peeled for more of this. I'm still working on what I want the compositions for the illustrations to be, and the style of the lettering and such.

Also, some quick thumbnail sketches for an illustration based on the idea of the "Sorceror's Apprentice". So, we'll see how that goes. At the moment, I'm leaning most towards the second of the three sketches.

Te i'ch croesawu i'r ty!

This was my tea advert for Illustration Squared. Paned Gymreig does actually exist (it's what I was drinking at the time), and I decided to make mine based on Victorian advertising posters.