digital wallpaper with squid and things

I've finally gotten around to doing a post about my first batch of digital wallpaper and I'm really excited to share it! You should have seen me when it was coming out of the printer, I was jumping like a child. Despite the very grumpy technician who I'm hoping doesn't blog or I probably won't be doing any more wallpaper. 

Here are some first examples - SALAMANDERS, SQUID & SLUGS.

My lovely housemate Louise modeled them in front of our house (technically we borrowed our neighbours' door since it's more photogenic).

It makes such a difference to see them on a big format like this and I'm looking forward to where it takes me next. The print on the brown wrapping paper is pretty effective I think so maybe I'll make a line of wrapping paper! Definitely a good time of year to do that..
I have a big deadline coming up on Tuesday so you shall hear from me later!

frogs & squid

So I've been moving forward with Photoshop a little bit and I'm finally getting more comfortable with it. About time! Here are some examples of playing around with multiplying the same ink drawing countless times. 

Next time I'll remember to add the background before flattening the image.

 

ALSO. Today I've digitally printed my first ever actual wallpaper, I'm so excited about it! I'm afraid you'll have to wait until next time to see it..
Finally trying to come up with a brand name, too. Stay tuned!

creature intro.

Even as a child I preferred strange creatures and monsters to princesses and dolls (not many things are scarier than dolls if you ask me). My dad would read me Greek Myths and Legends almost every night before going to sleep and I loved the likes of Minotaur, Scylla and Charybdis and Centaurs. And creatures from the deep sea have fascinated me for many years now (thank you David Attenborough!), I really like the fact that humans haven't been able to discover all that lives all the way on the bottom of the ocean, they haven't managed to infest and destroy all of nature. Yet. 

But even the creatures that have been discovered are often so incredible, I sometimes can't believe they're real and not from some sci-fi movie. Those twilight-zone organisms that emit colourful light or never touch a hard surface in their life. But even things living on dry land are sometimes just so weird! Platypus? Anteater? Armadillo?  

So right now I'm working on depicting strange animals that just fascinate me, together with repulsive animals that gross me out. But I feel bad for them because they're so unloved- people always choose cats, bears, owls but I think the not so pretty creatures have just as much right to be displayed on a dress, right? So get ready for some slug and earthworm dresses. When I learn how to do pattern cutting. 

I never worked with Photoshop during my BA and it took me a while to get the courage to actually open it and play around with it. But I started watching some YouTube tutorials and slowly started using the basic tools and learned how to do a repeat pattern! So here are some of my first attempts of my creature drawings on repeat. Exciting!

shrimp (crayon&ink drawing)

bugs (pen drawing)

gulper eel (pen drawing)

armadillo (pencil drawing)