Sketchbook: Silly Halloween Pumpkins

I hope everyone had a lovely pre-Halloween weekend!! I think this is a good time to share a re-discovered sketch. I actually made it this time last year... 

All images are (C) Amy Holliday and are not to be used without permission. 

Tea Packaging // Appetizing Ingredients: Spicy Ginger

I was recently thrilled to be approached by a prestigious client with the prospect to provide the new illustrations for a certain rather large tea brand's new range of packaging...

I was interviewed at two stages and was asked to complete a trial brief. I made it though to the final stages although sadly, in the end I was not chosen as the final illustrator for the project.

However! Completing this brief was very exciting for me as it was an utter dream-come-true to be considered for such a wonderful project with such an amazing client. It has left me feeling very optimistic for the future.     

I was asked to complete three series of fresh, juicy, appetizing ingredients shown at various angles, similar to my previous lemon studies.

Here are the first of my ingredients. Warm, spicy root ginger...

 Two more ingredient studies coming very soon...

Images are (C) Amy Holliday. Please do not use without permission. 

Personal: "Dock Dogs"! Illustration + Sketches

This illustration happened as a warm-up/practice run whilst working on an illustration featuring the Southeastern Wildlife Exhibition (SEWE). This was the first time I has heard of the fantastic Dock Dogs and thought it was brilliant! I was pleased to find out that Dock Dogs are also in the UK, although I think my little Rosie is a bit too old for this kind of malarkey. 

Sketchbook: Border Collie Sheepdog Studies/Sketches

Quick studies from earlier in the year of a border collie sheep dog named Angus...

Sketchbook: Horses and Horse Racing Sketches

These work-in-progress sketches are from earlier in the year and are still waiting around begging to be finished. The inspiration was spurred on (pun intended) after seeing the beautiful sculptures of Paris (Visiting the art capital of the world this summer was incredibly inspiring...) 

I love how something still can capture so much movement, power and emotion.

Horses used to be my favourite thing to doodle when I was little, but I have rarely attempt them lately as they cause my perfection-ism to kick into overdrive. 

Collaboration // Swanky Egg Design: Sleeping Beauty Illustration to Fairytale Sculpture

The lovely Molly Miller aka Swanky Egg Design of Etsy, has finished her wonderful fairy-tale sculpture inspired by my 2011 Sleeping Beauty illustration...

Molly completed her whimsical sculpture a few weeks ago now, and I was so excited to see the finished piece. Molly really captured the essence of my illustration and then some. She added in extra details of castle spires and the spinning wheel, and even created a star-lit night sky by entwining tiny fairy-lights into the rose briars. The piece sold within 15 minutes of listing in her online Etsy shop!

Molly Miller is "Swanky Egg Design". She lives in Salt Lake City, US and creates beautiful fairy-tale inspired decorative pieces that she sells online in her Etsy shop. To marvel at more 

of her creations visit her online Etsy store here...

More of my fairy-tale illustrations from 2011 can be seen at my website here.

4G British Isles Map // for O2 UK Magazine October 2013

In August I was absolutely thrilled to illustrate for UK telecommunications brand O2.

O2 required a watercolour map in their signature brand colours, to show their 4G coverage in England, Scotland and Wales. I also provided the sea background as well as they pink and blue markers, leaving O2 to then added the labels.

This is a full page illustration which features in this month's magazine, available to pick up free in stores all over the UK, I've already got my copy!

 

 

 

 

 

All images are (C) Amy Holliday 2013, please do not use without permission.

SEWE Southeastern Wildlife Exhibition // Save the Date Illustration for U.S. Magazine

In July, I was approached by a US magazine who needed an illustration to open up their calendar of events section.

They wanted to depict the Southeastern Wildlife Exhibition which is held annually in Charleston, South Carolina. The exhibition celebrates all things wildlife and there is a huge focus on different mediums of fine wildlife artwork.

The brilliant concept they presented me with was "a fine art frame with different flora and fauna emerging from it"
As you can imagine, this one illustration was a lot of work but a dream to work on. I first needed to research South Carolina's wild plants and animals. Bears, foxes, deer...eee! Once I had established that I was working with the correct species, I was ready to work on placing them all inside the frame.

Also held at the event is a Dock Dogs competition, where sporting dogs run and jump into water to retrieve toys, competing for the title of farthest jump. I was therefore asked to also include a dock dog in the mix. (I had not heard of the amazing "Dock Dogs" this brief, and I loved what I learned so much that I ended up creating more work on this just for my own fun, (not to mention practice), more on this in another post).

Below is the progression of the project from concept sketches to finished illustration.

Concept progression from first roughs to final drawing in three stages:

The final illustration:

 

This piece was so much fun to work on, can you tell that I was enjoying myself!? That said - I also learned a lot from it. You can see more rough/sketch work for this project on my Facebook page here.

Details:

 

All images are (C) AmyHolliday 2013, please do not use without permission.