Angus Lord Snizzort of Trotternish // Madoli Design Costume

I was very surprised and excited to hear that Angus, the Lord Snizzort of Trotternish himself has his first fan-creation! This incredible costume was created by Olivia Laking of Madoli Design. The details are spot-on! 

Angus is the main character in a book I illustrated last year for children's author Kelly McGill.

Artwork (C) Amy Holliday 2015 

Angus Lord Snizzort of Trotternish (C) Kelly McGill 2015

Angus stage costume by Olivia Laking. For more info visit www.madolidesign.co.uk

Batty Halloween // Starry night bat

A quick painting of a seasonal critter... hope everyone has a great Halloween!

Artwork (C) Amy Holliday 2015 

California Fruit Wine Co. // Pumpkin & Cranberry Fall Wines

Shortly after I created some fruity illustrations for California Fruit Wine Co.'s labels, a second batch was needed. This time it was "Pumpkin Spice" and Cranberry, whose flavours have just been released for the Fall/Autumn season. Yum!

My portfolio website: www.amyholliday.co.uk

California Fruit Wine Co. website: www.californiafruitwine.com

California Fruit Wine Co. on Instagram: https://instagram.com/cfwco/

Artwork (C) Amy Holliday 2015

Photos (C) California Fruit Wine Co. 2015

California Fruit Wine Co. // Illustrations for Wine Bottle Labels

Way back at the start of the year, I was asked to create some fruity label illustrations for the fabulous California Fruit Wine Co.  The San Diego winery is the pioneer producer of all natural wines handcrafted from fruits other than grapes.

I illustrated each fruit separately and then placed pairs together where needed, working within the format of the labels. The style of the series is based on my own pineapple illustration (you might recognise!) from last year.

My portfolio website: www.amyholliday.co.uk

California Fruit Wine Co. website: www.californiafruitwine.com

California Fruit Wine Co. on Instagram: https://instagram.com/cfwco/

Artwork (C) Amy Holliday 2015

Photos (C) California Fruit Wine Co. 2015

Avocado Studies // Watercolour + Graphite VS Watercolour + Ink

A little experiment with a simple subject matter, the humble but super healthy avocado fruit. A lot of people believe the majority of my work is made with watercolour and ink, yet this is not the case as I usually don't use any ink. So! I thought I would give ink a go - here is a comparison showing the two techniques on different illustrations of the same subject. 

Here is my regular go-to technique, simply graphite and watercolour:

More avocado studies, this time using watercolour and ink:

I really enjoyed using the ink with my watercolour - surprisingly it is also a little quicker to complete than my usual graphite and watercolour technique. It does seem to create a different overall look to the illustration, perhaps a more fun, sketchy vibe than the traditional, more polished feel the graphite exudes. I will definitely continue to experiment with the watercolour + ink more.

Do you have a favourite out of the two styles? Let me know your preference in the comments! :)

Artwork (C) Amy Holliday 2015. Please do not use without permission. 

Food Illustration // Organic Chestnut Mushrooms

A little "still-life" chestnut mushroom study. 

(C) Amy Holliday 2015 please do not use without permission.

Radio Times // BBC Proms 2015: The First Night of the Proms

I was very excited to be asked by Radio Times magazine to illustrate "the first night of the Proms" which was due to air on BBC Radio 3 on Friday. I came up with a number of various designs, compositions and colour schemes before a favourite was selected. 

I drew inspiration from the page's purple colour scheme and incorporated this into illustration. Drawing the Royal Albert Hall and classical instruments provided an interesting change to the norm. :)  

This work was commissioned via my agent, Lemonade, who very kindly sent me a copy of the issue featuring my work.

 

rough thumbnail ideas:

practice sketches:

Artwork is (C) Amy Holliday 2015 please do not use without permission.