NEW BLOG

I've moved! I'm now blogging with my illustration collective/housemates Laura & Brodie over on theonethreethree.com! Check it out, it's updated 4 times a week and you get to see my friends' awesome illustrations as well as my nerdy doodles

Kit x

Christmas Cards at Cardiff M.A.D.E

Life as a third year SUCKS. I've been working really hard, trying to balance a tough workload and the winter blues. However, I had a wonderful opportunity to design a bunch of cards for Cardiff M.A.D.E @ Milkwood Gallery. I really like making things like this and I've had some really positive feedback. 

Winter Coat, Gouche & Digital 

Dear Ears, Digital Media 

Snowflake Dress, Digital Media 

Girl in the Robin Jumper, Digital Media 

Deer & Stars, Ink & Digital 

I also made a quick robin card that my parents have been sending to family & friends: 

Hope you like them & if you get a chance, pop down to milkwood gallery and take a look at the other local artists who have made some really gorgeous designs. 

I'm looking forward to designing for Cardiff M.A.D.E in the future - I'm especially looking forward to making some anti-Valentine cards ;) 

 I wish you all a Happy Holidays!! 

Virago Book Covers

Here's another one of my university projects from last year. We had to design covers for Virago Books. We had five to chose from, all from female writers - I chose The Bell Jar (I actually managed to read this one, it's very good!), Mrs Dalloway and The Magic Toyshop. 

Click through to see how they work as an entire cover - we had to design the spine, back and sleeves too! 

How To Flourish Creatively (And Kick Art Block's Arse!)

-Any artist, designer, writer or other creative has struggled with Artist’s Block at some point. It often comes (for me, at least) when I finally have to time for freedom (ie, no university projects or commissions.) I finally have the time to draw for myself, to draw for FUN! Except, nothing's coming out right. And that's if I can actually think of something to draw. I've spent far too much time staring at paintings I've spent hours on, yet still inexplicably hate. At lot of the time, it's linked to self-doubt, that feeling that nothing I draw is good enough which never really goes away. (but you do learn to smother it.)

Here's a list of some techniques that I have used when trying to cope with that awful feeling.

• LOOK AT OTHER ARTISTS.
• Not just other illustrators, but designers, fine artists, writers and even musicians. Go to galleries and exhibitions. Submerge yourself in art and DON'T compare yourself to them. Your voice is just as worthwhile as theirs. Remember that art is subjective - someone else will hate what you love, and love what you hate!

• LOOK AT ARTISTS WHO AREN'T AS GOOD AS YOU
• This might seem a little mean, but they don't have to know! It can give you a confidence boost if you're struggling with self doubt and comparing yourself to others who are 'better'. If they can do it, with their wobbly lines and overly bright colours, so can you! You're probably not as bad as you think.

• FORGET THE RULES
• Psst. The box isn't real. Break the rules. Draw with your toes. Use twigs instead of brushes.

• ASK QUESTIONS
• "What if I just did this..." is a favourite of mine. As is, “Wouldn’t it be hilarious if…”

• GET MESSY
• Just cover yourself in paint, clay, grass - play around with the materials. BE WILD

• FORCE A DOODLE
• This is a technique I learnt in Summer School. FORCE IT. Just start scribbling until something comes out of it. It doesn't even have to be good. Mistakes are GREAT.

• KEEP AN IDEA JOURNAL
• Keep a sketchbook, moleskine or notebook and don't give yourself any pressure to make it look good. You're the only one who has to make sense of it. Write lists, mindmaps, draw cats when you're waiting for the bus, scribble down ideas and what you dreamt last night.

• TAKE A NAP
• My personal favourite! Sometimes anxiety builds up and I get angry, frustrated and just have to give myself a time out. Also, your subconscious starts to think more creatively in the initial stages of sleep, so set an alarm for 15-30 minutes and start thinking about your problem. When the alarm goes, you can write down your ideas (and then turn the alarm off, roll over and go back to sleep for 4 hours)

• PLACE LIMITS ON YOURSELF
• Use a limited colour palette, only use solid black shading, don't use any lines, only draw in negative space. Give yourself the hardest challenges you can think of, and then figure out how to solve them.

• COMBINE DISTINCT IDEAS
• What are your two favourite things? Dinosaurs and chocolate? Design some chocolate-themed dinosaurs! Easter eggs that hatch into dinosaurs -- actually, that's pretty good. Don't steal that. I should use that.

• DON'T TIE YOUR SELF-WORTH TO YOUR CREATIVE OUTPUT
• This is one of the hardest ones and is something I'm still learning to do. Listen to feedback, but if you value yourself through how many 'likes' your new painting gets, you'll always be disappointed. Don't worry if someone else is drawing 5 new things a day and it takes you a week to make one painting. Everyone works at different speeds, has different routines and different ways of coping!

• BE POSITIVE AND CONFIDENT
• aka Fake It Til You Make It. Look for the parts of your drawing that WORK. You got the hair perfect! Maybe the legs are a little wonky, but look at that hair! It's GREAT!

• GET ORGANISED
• Use the time when you aren't feeling creative to get your other work done. Sort out your schedule, reply to emails, ship items from your shop, do your taxes, write a blog post... Whatever you need to do, now is the time to do it!

Try all of these, pick and choose your favourite, have a play and don't worry about mistakes! Don't give up, have a cry if you need to, take a break and don't panic. Creative Block sucks, but it is a natural part of being a creative person.  I'll close up this post with a lovely quote I found about creative processes.

One reason that people have artist’s block is that they do not respect the law of dormancy in nature. Trees don’t produce fruit all year long, constantly. They have a point where they go dormant. And when you are in a dormant period creatively, if you can arrange your life to do the technical tasks that don’t take creativity, you are essentially preparing for the spring when it will all blossom again.— Marshall Vandruff

  

Hopefully these little tips will help you out, or give you a starting point if you're struggling with inspiration. Don't worry about making mistakes or not making it 'pretty'. Anything you make is wonderful cos YOU'RE the one who made it! 

Kit ♡

Inkvelvet Illustration: G2 Covers and Boy & Bicycle

One of my university projects last year was to illustrate a week's worth of G2 Covers (G2 is a supplement that covers arts and culture in the Guardian newspaper). I found it quite fun to have to design one cover everyday - I think I cope quite well with a shorter deadline. There's no time to panic (or leave everything to the last minute) but also not enough time to get bored with the topic.

These are mostly digital media - although the first ("Popcorn Baby") is watercolour. I would like to do a project like this again. I liked the opportunity to pick things that weren't entirely serious: it was a great chance to experiment with my more silly illustrations. 

My favourite is probably the - uh- Footjob one, even though it was kinda embarrassing presenting it to the class. My tutor was very flustered and didn't want to look at it. (although it attracted some very odd usernames when I posted it on Tumblr...) Sorry, Amelia!

As it was featured in the same module, I'll bless you with viewing the poster we had to design for Ridley Scott's first film "Boy and Bicycle". 

Aw yeah. 

Hope you like them! 

Kit ♡

Keep Portland Weird

I got back a few days ago from a wonderful long weekend visiting my best friend and platonic soul mate Brodie! She's super gorgeous, super kind - and a super talented illustrator. Check out her work here: CLICKITY I went with my arty boyfriend James (who still hasn't made a blog, tsk) which was lovelovelovely because I've barely seen him since we've been back home from uni. 

Portland was really gorgeous and I'm so glad I saved up to go! I can't wait to come back.

SO LUSTWORTHY: bloodmilk

Today, I want to introduce to you the incredible work of Bloodmilk – a wonderful jewellery brand that I’ve been lusting over for a while now. Inspired by the occult, the supernatural, by talismans & magick, death & nature, these pieces exude a wonderful sense of the macabre. 

They are, without a doubt, extremely beautiful; a perfectly dark addition to any outfit. My only criticism (and it’s an obvious one when you know me) is the price tag – but I guess that just makes it more special if you’ve saved up for one of these gorgeous pieces. Each one is made to order and if you’re looking for a stunning piece of jewellery that’s going to last – it’s not that unreasonable.

I have a strange love for the macabre (especially odd when you consider my simultaneous love for British garden birds, kitten videos and pokemon) I adore the aesthetics of darkness, magic and witchcraft, of the occult & the unknown and Bloodmilk manages to capture this surrealist imagery perfectly. It was so difficult picking my favourite images from 'The Conjurer' Lookbook and even harder to choose my favourite pieces from their Shop. I gave it my best shot... 

 

 the messenger - £151.44 | djed rattlesnake spine ring - £105.35

belonging to the darkness - £105.35 | the crystal tomb part iii - £164.60  

 two of swords - £131.68 | mini crystal tomb ring - £131.68

How gorgeous are they? If I had to choose one - oh it's so hard - I'd probably go for the crystal tomb or the messenger necklace. They're all so cool. I want them all.

Who fancies buying me one, then? 

Kit ♡