I have a new blog!

I am sorry to report that I will no longer be posting on this blog. It really is Goodnight Neverland! The good news is you can still follow me and my adventures over on my new blog - http://kerriannhulme.blogspot.co.uk/

I promise to be a better blogger & post regularly about all things illustration, books and pretty things.

Illustration Inspiration

Digital illustration doesn't really appeal to me, I appreciate it and some are amazing but I've always preferred older hand drawn illustrations. I am so inspired by Walter Crane, George Cattermole and Randolph Caldecott that I thought I'd share some of my favourites with you.

This is Puss in Boots illustrated by Walter Crane.

Also, a double page spread from an Alphabet book by Walter Crane.

And an illustrated Pan Pipes music sheet by Walter Crane.

Next are George Cattermole's illustrations for Charles Dickens. I love the cross hatch detailing, it gives the story a spooky, dark atmosphere.

These next illustrations are by Randolph Caldecott. I always imagine he could have illustrated Jane Austen's books as the style would fit perfectly the way I imagine them. 

Little Cabinet GIVEAWAY RESULTS!

Congratulations EMMELINE! You are the winner of an art print and 4 necklaces from Little Cabinet! 

I'm also giving away a small runner up prize and the winner was ANNA!

I used random.org as a fair way to choose the winner. Thank you to everyone who entered and I do hope you have a little look around Little Cabinet! I have some new pretty things :)

A Special Gift

I recently won a giveaway held by the lovely & talented Emma Reynolds. 

The prize was a portrait of myself and an animal so naturally I picked a cat. I absolutely love the illustration Emma came up with! She also sent me some goodies, postcards and a cute foxy sticker. You can check out her work by clicking the link below, her work is insanely detailed and really quite lovely, especially her Reynard the Detective story!

www.emmareynoldsillustration.com

Thank you Emma!

Little Cabinet GIVEAWAY!

Little Cabinet is having a GIVEAWAY! 

I am giving away 4 lovely necklaces and an A5 print of a rabbit illustration to one lucky winner. All you have to do to win is leave a comment on this post and follow my blog (if you aren't already!) 

I will announce the winner next Friday evening! Good luck!

Book Hoard #1

I am going to start sharing the books I buy/find with you, because I love books and I buy a lot of them. My bedroom is so small it is starting to look like a tiny library.

My first book, 'Wild Flowers' by Marjorie Blamey I saw in my local library and knew I had to buy it. I love flowers and I thought this book would help with reference in my drawing and watercolours.

My next book, 'Moses the Kitten' by James Herriot and illustrated by Peter Barrett I hunted down on Amazon. I had it when I was little and something reminded me of it a few weeks ago but I couldn't remember the name of the book. I spent ages searching for children's books about kittens and finally got it. Brings back so many memories! Do you remember this book too?

The next book I found lurking in the depths of an old book shop in York, right near the Minster. It's a 1950's edition of 'Emma' by Jane Austen. I am a huge Austen fan and snapped this treasure up as soon as I saw it. The damp has gotten to it a little but I love old books and it smells incredible.

The last book in this hoard is 'The Goblins of Labyrinth' by Brian Froud. I saw some of his Labyrinth art work online I knew I had to buy a book. To be honest I thought there would be more artwork in here other than just the goblins... but there are only a few pages that aren't, however it is still a really amazing book.

Amanda Seyfried Portrait

I've been working on this portrait of Amanda Seyfried for my final watercolour class. I really want to start adding colour to my drawings. This is a practise piece so I wanted to scan my drawing in before I start splashing water and paint all over it.

Watercolour Class 4

In this weeks class I learned a valuable lesson. Always check that you are using the correct side of your watercolour paper! I quickly sketched a ballerina and I learned how to mix subtle skin tones and to use less paint building up layers. It is a lot different than using acrylic paints which is what I am used to, I need more patience but with some practise I'll get there! It just doesn't look right because I used the wrong side of my paper. 

Little Cabinet

I just opened my own boutique called Little Cabinet! I am selling jewellery, art prints, Peter Pan collars and soon to be much more. Please come by and see if there is anything you like. As a big welcome I am offering 15% off every order until midnight on the 7th July! Just use discount code HELLO at checkout. So go grab yourself something pretty.

Click here for Little Cabinet!

Watercolour Classes 2 & 3

Class 2 of my watercolour course was all about still life! We were looking at flowers in detail and discussing different ways of creating an interesting background so you're not left with a floating flower. I decided to use some masking fluid to create a striped wallpaper like background. I'm not happy with my flower and leaves, I am too heavy handed when applying paint and I tend to do too many layers. I just don't know when to stop, I also need to work on watering down my paint.

Class 3 was all about abstract watercolours. It is something I have always liked because it doesn't have to be precise and if you make a mistake it is easily hidden! I really enjoyed this class.

This is a colour page where I was just experimenting using wet on wet techniques and seeing what colours went together. 

This was my finished piece, it is a moody, stormy sky with an autumnal tree to one side. I think I might start doing more abstract watercolours, it was really fun!

Watercolour Class 1

I started my new watercolour course on Friday and I wanted to share what I did. We looked at using gouache and how it can enhance or highlight your watercolour painting. Gouache is a paint I have always wanted to try but just never been taught how to use it properly. Hopefully I will be using it more in the future!

Here are a couple of experiments I did to get a feel for using gouache.

Ballet Shoes

My lovely boyfriend bought me the book 'Ballet Shoes' by Noel Streatfield. I first heard of the book in the film 'You've Got Mail' when Meg Ryan says it's one of her favourites. There was a TV production starring Emma Watson that I watched a couple of years ago and ever since I've wanted to read the book and now I can.

The book is about 3 sisters, Pauline, Petrova and Posy whose parents die and after growing up their uncle's wealth they are left penniless so they become actresses on the stage. But the sisters soon learn that there is much more to being a star than they thought.

A fox & rabbit

A couple of new sketches..

Tea & Crayons

"In June and July, ShellsuitZombie is taking over the 55DSL store in BOXPARK, Shoreditch, and asking thirty creative individuals, groups and companies to take a day each."


The Tea & Crayons ladies are very excited to be taking part in 'Uncontained' - a 30-day pop-up event in the 55DSL store in the Boxpark, Shoreditch, London. Join them on Tuesday 5th June for live illustration, cups of tea, a slice (or two) of cake, mini workshops, and drawing on the walls! There will also be lots of lovely little prints and goodies to buy. The girls would love to see as many of you there as possible, so please come and show some support for Tea & Crayons. 


Let's all celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in true Crayonette style!

Drawing.

I have been practicing my drawing skills...

Hugo

I love the book 'The Invention of Hugo Cabret' by Brian Selznick and I also love the film version by Martin Scorsese (and produced by Johnny Depp!). I have wanted to illustrate my own version for a while now and I finally did it.

Set in the 1930's at the Parisian rail-station Gare Montparnasse, Hugo Cabret lives in the walls fixing and winding all the station's clocks. It's so lovely and the film really shows the amazing atmosphere of the station with dancing, bands, pastries, bottled milk, flower stalls, dusty libraries and a mean station inspector.

Rabbits like Radishes

More rabbits. I like to draw rabbits. 

You can buy this as a print on From the Wilde! Here's the link.

Sewing Machine!

Look what came in the post yesterday! My very own first sewing machine from John Lewis. I am so excited to get sewing. It looks really pink in the pictures but it's more of a coral colour. I can finally start using my Cath Kidston and Kirsty Allsopp books.