The Seventy Fifth Doodle

I recently took on a groovy commission to create an illustrated banner for a new tourism site promoting Sherwood, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. As I'm from Melton (not far from Nottingham) I jumped at the chance, I know the area really very well. 

Mr Pearson, my commissionee (?!) wanted aspects of Sherwood, such as the Great Oak and a reference to the infamous Robin Hood, but also cosmopolitan references to the city incorporating hotels, shopping and leisure. 

I began building up the different aspects of this collage type image. Mr Pearson really liked my urban illustrations (such as the one for the actress Charlotte Salt- see it on my Facebook page here) so I kept the same layout plan and focused on highlight colours, as opposed to full colour.

I began with the Great Oak as a strong central feature, and built the other images around it. The statue of Robin Hood (of course!) and Nottingham Castle were easy icons, and after a bit of research the other componants, like the tram, the church and the fairground ride, began to appear. 

I really enjoy creating these collage type illustrations, you can build in all these different images and piece them together like a jigsaw. Is it odd I find that fun?! How tragic!

The Sixty First Doodle

I would LOVE to go to New York. If anyone feels like sending me some money so I can do this, please feel free to do so. To turn that down would be downright UNGRATEFUL. And my mama brought me up right.

I did an illustration this year on London, and had an urge to do another city. For New York, I wanted something a little more gritty, something messy but stylish. Basically, how I saw it as a place. 

It's a jumble of famous landmarks and urban, graffiti style mess. And I like that. I used a combination of materials, from coloured markers to pencils, watercolours to chalk. I like the contrast between all the various textures and shades, and I layered the subjects to interlink them as well as create a busy sense of confusion. Are you confused? You better be. But in a good way, I hope. 

I have a plan to travel in Eastern Europe next summer, and I am so jeffin' excited to go and bring my sketch pad with me. I will love to draw my way around the cities Europe!

The Tenth Doodle

Carcassone. Possibly my ideal, achingly beautiful and historical city. As a history geek, this is a sort of Mecca for me.

This is from a photo took while there, and I enjoyed playing around with a 'scenery' sort of illustration. I wanted the colours to be just so, to reflect that aged feel, the stone that has been there so long. Then the colours on the figure of me were deliberately bold, almost a jolt against the natural background. I am but a blip, and the city will be there long after I am gone.

Goodness, I am philosophical aren't I.