Chromaticraft

The brief was to create a motivational poster based on a life-motto that is important to us. I chose this little exert from Mamma Mia! Words to live by.

This piece was made from hand-cut paper & then digitally scanned & coloured 

It’s so interesting to go back to uni work & be able to see what areas needed developing & changing, whereas before I was hesitant to follow critique. Even in the space of a year I can tell how much I’ve improved as an artist, & how much more I have to learn. When I work with paper, I feel like I’m pushing the outer limit of my capability on everything I make, which feels fantastic, like stretching out a sore muscle, & I have more ideas than I know what to do with!

Even though I’m not particularly proud of this piece anymore, I think it’s still important to include. This was my first time making vignette images for a children’s book format & honestly I don’t think I did too badly! I really should have used references for the poses, but I hadn’t managed my time well & ended up having to rush it- ah well. I’m still fond of my colour choices, I’m hoping to spend some time soon having another shot at my old work to see how much I’ve developed my practice.

This is one of my favourite spreads from this project, in which Henry ties his blanket around his waist & imagines himself as a mermaid. I particularly enjoyed picking out colours for this spread & I still use the same swatches in my digital pieces today. At the time, this was a finished piece, but I liken it more to a colour draft nowadays. I would love to revisit this project & try my hand at creating something to industry standard, when time allows.

This piece was part of a uni project that required us to submit a children’s picture book to the Macmillan Prize. In the story I wrote, a little boy named Henry is getting ready for bed, with his Dad patiently following as he gets distracted by at various stages by his vivid imagination. In the first few pages, Dad asks Henry to be a good boy & put his toys away, to which Henry replies that he’s not a boy, he’s a dinosaur! The rest of the story continues in this manner, with Henry interacting with his surroundings & imagining himself as all kinds of creatures & characters. His Dad lovingly affirms him, never chastising him for this prolonged bedtime routine, but allows Henry to explore his identity through play. Though not explicitly about gender, it was always in the forefront of my mind to have the main character actively forming an understanding of the spectrum of gender through the characters he plays. He imagines himself as traditionally masculine characters: as a bearded wizard & a fearsome dinosaur, but also traditionally feminine, as a beautiful princess & a lovely mermaid. Henry’s father never questions either, & responds to Henry playfully as he helps him get ready for bed.