Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 52

Week 52: World

"He's got the whole world in his hand". Collage using numerous disparate elements: acrylic wash and sponging over a circle of Quill "marbletone" cream card; giant hand in charcoal pencil on primed canvas sheet; gold glitter on black card.

Update:

Week 52: World II

"Alexander was sure that the world used to be much bigger." Cartoon drawn in white Signo pigment ink on black card. Highlights added with copper Kindy Glitz glitter glue and metallic gold Sharpie.

And that's a wrap... until next year, and the 2016 Challenge. Which is in a few days' time.

52-Week Illustration Challenge, bonus round

Bonus: Advent (Days #1-24 compile)

Flickr Slideshow:

Click HERE!

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 51

Week 51: Family

"Family tree". Collage of wrapping paper, light card and coloured cartridge papers, on corrugated cardboard. Characters (only partially glued to cause natural shadows when photographed) sketched in finepoint black Sharpie - no pencil lines - with highlights in watercolour and white Signo ink.

Update:

Week 51: Family II

"Nativity family". Freehand cut silhouettes in red and gold Quill Metallique cards, with some deliberate shading from the directed lighting. Collaged onto Quill glitter-finish Galaxy card.

Week 51: Family III

"Mr Minotaur & son". Black Biro and watercolour "family tree" portrait miniatures in plaster frames.

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 50

Week 50: Party

"Surprise!" Sketch in finepoint and metallic Sharpies on watercolour paper, with highlights in watercolour and dayglo yellow marker.

Update:

Week 50: Party II

Party balloons in coloured cartridge papers, collaged onto Quill glitter-finish Galaxy card.

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 49

Week 49: History

I checked Google for some Australian history quotes and one of the first items to appear was Kevin Rudd's "Sorry Speech" to the Aboriginal Stolen Generations. Created on black "scratch paper" (which comes in a pack of five sheets plus tool for $4.00 from a toy shop) with collaged pale yellow cartridge paper.

Update:

Week 49: History II

A very early historical event; collage of freecut snake and apple, with some deliberate shading from the directed lighting, mounted on Quill glitter-finish Galaxy card.

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 48

Week 48: Warm

Cartoon in finepoint black Sharpie on watercolour paper. Highlights in watercolours and dayglo yellow marker.

Update:

Week 48: Warm II

"The art of toasting marshmallows." Sketch in finepoint black Sharpie on watercolour paper. Flames are collaged.

Week 48: Warm III

Freehand cut symmetrical silhouettes using various folded cartridge papers, collaged onto black card. No guidelines!

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 47

Week 47: Play

Collage with characters drawn in black finepoint Sharpie on white linenbond card, collaged onto grey paper, with pleated paper curtains decorated in bronze Sharpie.

Update:

Week 47: Play II

"No rabbits up my sleeve, just a few hares." Drawing in finepoint black Sharpie. Highlights in watercolour and white Puffy paint on white Quill linenbond card. Rabbit add-ons are dayglo orange stickers that scan pale.

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 46

Week 46: Endangered

Freehand composite sketch in waterproof black laundry marker on watercolour paper, with painted watercolour highlights. References were photographs found in Google Image searches.

Update:

Week 46: Endangered II

"New Zealand Kakapo." Sketch from a photo, found in a Google Image search. Drawn freehand (no pencil lines!) with a black laundry marker on green card. Background is watercolour spatters (around a temporary paper mask). Highlights in watercolours.

Week 46: Endangered III

"Count them while you can." Lions in gold Quill Metallique card, cut "paper doll" style, initially with two tails each, then elements removed and added to break up the symmetry. Details in black Sharpie and white Puffy paint. Count them while you can, 'cos they are disappearing!

Week 46: Endangered IV

"Mr Minotaur thinks about organising a snack." Drawing in finepoint black Sharpie. Highlights in watercolour on white Quill linenbond, collaged onto cream "marbletone" card.

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 45

Week 45: Peace

Freehand dove in watercolour on white Quill Linenbond card. Olive branch cut from green paper and collaged into place.

Update:

Week 45: Peace II

"Peace of pie." Collaged watercolour paper and textured card on mauve Quill Metallique paper, extending a concept I tried out during last year's Abstract Week.

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 44

Week 44: Scandinavian

"Moominpapa." Collage in white Quill Linenbond and black card onto a text quote in "Word" on mounted card, and based on my own stuffed toy, bought in London, UK. The Moomins are the central characters in a series of books (and a comic strip) by Swedish-speaking Finnish illustrator and writer, Tove Jansson, Her beloved stories were originally published in Finland, in the Swedish language, by Schildts (from 1945).

Update:

Week 44: Scandinavian II

"Viking." Freehand-cut symmetrical collage, using coloured papers and black card on white Quill Linenbond, with watercolour and black Sharpie details. Inspiration from several Viking designs found in a Google Image search.

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 43

Week 43: Monster

"Can't sleep." Cartoon in black Sharpie, coloured with watercolours and highlighter marker.

Update:

Week 43: Monster II

Sketch of oblivious Granny, in black Sharpie on white Quill linenbond card, and freehand-cut black silhouette collaged onto green card.

Week 43: Monster III

Charcoal and watercolour wash sketch of actor Reggie Nalder as Mr Barlow the Vampire in "Salem's Lot". Highlights in white fabric paint, black ballpoint and collaged yellow paper eyes. Based on a publicity photo from the TV mini-series.

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 42

Week 42: Instrument

"Air guitar". Cartridge papers of various colours, with some brown Sharpie shading, collaged onto black card. Inspiration from a Google Image search.

Update:

Week 42: Instrument II

"Spock angel with Vulcan lyrette." Coloured cartridge papers, Metallique gold paper and photocopied fabric textures collaged onto watercolour paper, with details in black ballpoint, black Sharpie and watercolour. I almost wrecked this one about five times, then today I salvaged it from the bin and had one more go at it.

Week 42: Instrument III

"Guitar solo." Cartoon in black Sharpie, doodled on a Post-It Note and mounted. Coloured with pencils.

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 41

Week 41: Sweets

"Gingerbread house". White and yellow Puffy Paint on recycled brown paper. Details in watercolour and black finepoint Sharpie, with collaged roof and witch.

Update:

Week 41: Sweets II

Watercolour and collage with white opaque paint pen.

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 40

Week 40: Carnival

Luna Park Sydney's "Crazy Crooner" carnival sideshow heads. Cut from white Quill linenbond card, and collaged onto a background of mounted "scratch paper", with watercolour and marker highlights.

Update:

Week 40: Carnival II

Watercolours over masking fluid, with collaged masks and a horizon of carnival buildings. Accents in black finepoint Sharpie, white Puffy paint and various highlighter pens.

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 39

Week 39: Melbourne

"Luna Park, St Kilda". Sketched in black finepoint Sharpie (no pencil, no eraser) on A4 gold Quill Metallique card, with highlights in white opaque marker and black watercolour. Based on my own photograph.

I am always in awe watching pro cartoonists and carnival silhouette artists creating art without pencils and erasers, so I think I (almost) enjoy the danger. I learned in "Dance Week", with my Batgirl collage, that you can't really erase anything on the gorgeous Quill Metallique card without causing damage anyway, so... I had to be brave.

Update:

Week 39: Melbourne II

"Cole's 'Little Men', Cole's Book Arcade". Mechanised advertising amusement, now permanently located in Museum Victoria. Sketch in black fineline Sharpie, highlights in watercolour, and gold and white opaque markers. Based on several photos found in a Google Image search, plus the rainbow logo of the former book arcade.

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 38

Week 38: Fauna

Seal cub in watercolour, based on my own photo of a tiny, furry toy. A little detail in finepoint black Sharpie and white opaque Signo. (The toy is a childhood favourite, but I didn't get to own one till a few years ago.)

Update:

Week 38: Fauna II

White Unipaint opaque marker and oil pastels on black card. Halved "dayglo" orange stickers for eyes (which strangely scanned very pale, so I had to take this shot with my iPhone).

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 37

Week 37: Geometric

Collage of geometric honeycomb hexagons, with bee drawn on white Quill linenbond card, outlined in black and silver Sharpies and highlighted in watercolours. Wings cut from ovenproof baking tray mesh.

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 36

Week 36: Dance

"Tap dancer". Sketched in finepoint black Sharpie on white Quill linenbond card, with highlights of green and metallic silver Sharpie, a little watercolour, and collaged onto textured orange card. Inspiration from two photos on a Google Image search.

Update:

Week 36: Dance II

"Ballerina Batgirl". The late Yvonne Craig incorporated ballet moves into her weekly batfights in the 1960s' "Batman" television series. Silhouette cut from Quill Metallique and linenbond textured cards, collaged onto black card. Lettering in brown and blue Sharpie. Several photos used for reference from Google Images.

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 35

Week 35: Botany

Watercolour of Botany Bay, New South Wales, featuring the Cook's Landing obelisk, and Australian wattle and banksia plants in the foreground. Details in black finepoint Sharpie, watercolour pencils, Puffy paint and yellow cellophane.

Update:

Week 35: Botany II

"Hedges trained by Bark's Backyard". Out the back of Mr Minotaur's famous labyrinth, of course, was his lesser-known, but just as complicated, hedge maze. Collage of watercolour on textured cards, with details in black finepoint Sharpie, a little oil pastel, and some yellow Puffy paint.

Success at the Penrith District Show

This year, after years of encouraging school students to enter arts and crafts into the local Penrith District Show, I finally submitted five pieces of my own work. A few weeks ago, I had six pieces of my past 52-Week Illustration Challenge art professionally framed, and another ten secured into custom-cut mounts, with the idea that I might exhibit them somewhere. Well, suddenly the Penrith District Show was imminent - but the competition categories offered for adult artists were a little disappointing for what I had to hand. Most of my framed pieces were the more fragile (often slightly-3D) collages, to protect them - and, alas, there was no adult "Collage" class in the 2015 rules! Drat! So I had to scrounge some extra frames, and steal mounts from other artworks, to get my five "legal" entries (the rules were also strictly limiting entries to five per person, and there was no guarantee that all entries would be displayed). Luckily, "Portraiture" was open as to choice of media, so I hoped that two collages with faces in them might work?

Above is: "Week 17: Fluffy" (2015, entered in "Watercolour" class), "Week 14: Whimsy" (2015, entered in "Portraiture, any medium" class), "Week 31: Shakespeare" (2015, entered in "Drawing, charcoal" class), "Week 19: Eat II" (2015, entered in "Portraiture, any medium" class) and "Week 7: Watercolour" (2014, entered in "Australian landscape" class).

"Whimsy" was successful! An Encouragement Award yellow ribbon and a cheque for $100.