Work: Hallo'ween Sign Writing

I am lucky enough to work in a shop where creativity is encouraged and, also, my boss knows how much I enjoy being creative so gives me lots of fun and craftsy tasks to do!

This weekend is Hallo'ween weekend and also we are launching a book/record shop in one of the rooms in our building - so lots happening and LOTS of new signs needed to promote it!

My boss bought 12 large pumpkins and painted them with her daughter and handed me a Posca pen and a Sharpie and asked me to do some lettering on them.

Firstly, she wanted me to write the logos of each of the shops on the smaller pumpkins.

This was really fun because every typeface was different and every logo had a different element, so it meant picking the right pumpkin to fit the text/image on and make sure that it was readable, because the pumpkin is, obviously, a roundish shape!

Next I did the shop logo - The Vintage Emporium

I then opted to do a standard HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

These were then placed together in the window display at the front of the shop.

Then, for the book and record shop, my boss asked me to make a 'Welcome' pumpkin as it was a new section of the shop. I decided to use a mish-mash of different vintage typography styles so make it more eye catching. 

I enjoyed making this pumpkin sign the most! Just cause it was experimental and fun. Soon after I had finished a group of college students came in and were taking photos and asking about how long it had taken me to do, which is great because it means it evoked a reaction and response and that's what I wanted!

I looooove making art on natural materials anyway, so this was a really enjoyable project!

Personal: Birthday Card

I am given the endearing nickname of Lady Trifle by one of my friends, so I made them a lady trifle birthday card, full of butts, boobs, legs, lips and lashes.

Delicious!

Tattoo: My First Tattoo!

The other day I went to Colly who gave me my first ever tattoo! (bar the ones I poked into my fingers but I don't count those!)

I met with her three months back and discussed what I wanted. I showed her this picture.

I drew this when my niece was born almost two years ago. Her name is Rosa. The words come from a song I love by the band Why? I had been holding onto it for a while with the hopes of getting it tattooed but, every time I looked at it, I wasn't sure about whether I wanted it permanently on my skin, so I asked Colly to alter certain aspects of it. I think you are always so critical of your own work that it's hard to be 100% happy with it so creative input from another source can be really helpful... especially with something so permanent!!

This is the outcome - I love it! Although the changes a quite subtle, it makes all the difference. She used a mixture of tattooing techniques, using a gun to do the outline and hand-poking to do the shading.

Present: Painted Globe

So, a couple of days ago I posted that I was doing a typography based project for someone as a gift and I can now show you the outcome!

It's a painted globe!

Yes, my friend is a keen adventurer and I was unsure on what to get him for his birthday so I decided I would paint a globe to tie in with his love of travelling.

I bought the globe from my work place.

I decided to paint over the map so that I would have a blank canvas to put my work on, however quite soon after doing this I wished that I hadn't and had left the map as a background!! But it was too late and I had to commit myself to an idea. I looked up didn't quotes about travel in the hopes of finding something that wasn't too cheesy and settled on the simple phrase 'Adventure Awaits'.

I did a LOT of doodling trying to get the typeface right!

I used paints and pens to try and get the style I wanted and, eventually, settled on using a Posca pen because it meant I have the smoothness of paint but more control.

I struggled for a few days on what to do with the imagery, so I decided to keep it simple and draw some planes puffing out little clouds of smoke with funny expressions on!!

I used a limited colour palette of cream, gold, black, white, blue and green.

 



Pinterest

We all know... Pinterest is addictive!
I could spend hours on end scrolling through ideas and inspirations and creating boards with the hopes of, one day, doing a bit of DIY and making some beautiful somethings out of nothings!

You can find me on Pinterest here.

I have a board of my illustrations on there as well as others that inspire me.

Give me a follow and I'll take a look at your page too!

Personal: My New 'Daytime' Job

Because I have yet to make enough money from drawing to live off (but it WILL happen one day, yes yes yes!) I have a part time job which I go to every weekday morning in Hereford. I work in a four-story vintage shop called The Vintage Emporium that sells vintage, antique and retro furnishings and fashion items, as well as having a beauty room and photography studio in the attic! It's a really exciting job and it's full of inspirational eye candy which alters on a day to day basis.

My boss is a creative herself and encourages the creativity of her staff. She hired people who have creative backgrounds and who are actually creating in one way or another - I work with two other illustrators, a seamstress and a photographer! It's a really lovely atmosphere to be in.

Thankfully, because we are encouraged to be creative, we are let loose in the shop to actually BE creative!! Most of this is with sign writing. These images are of the temporary signs I have made within the shop until I can get my hands on a Posca and some spare time to make it look like how I want it to! However, it's great experience so far, and people are already responding well to it!



Personal: It's A Secret for Now!

I LOVE making presents. I think it's the thing I'm most thankful for that I am a creative. Giving someone something that you have created just for them, tailored to their likes and wants, well... it's just lovely.

I'm not going to say too much about this project just in case wandering eyes happen to spy this post, but it is predominantly type based and is super fun already!