After years of honing my digital illustration skills, I was longing for the imperfection of paint and pencil on paper. Turns out I learned a lot that will help me in my digital work moving forward.

Having made a calendar featuring my illustrations for a few years now, I thought I would write out some of the things I’ve learned, and some tips and tricks for how to set yourself up for success when creating your own illustrated calendar.

A bit about how I made Diana and the Dolphin and the process of working with a licensed property.

Sketchbooks are invaluable to the image-maker, no matter how mundane it may feel while creating them. Having a record going back years allows me to see the repeated imagery that shows up, clearly knocking around in my brain, asking to be further explored.

I have often found myself unable to fully describe my grief around miscarriage with only words. Drawing, sculpting, painting, making things, has opened up a channel to express feelings that might have continued to sit in the dark.

Adding thoughtfully considered architectural detail can lend a rich layer to the storytelling of an illustration. Quite literally, it builds a world. And yet, for years I have avoided this in my own work, always leaning more towards nature-based environments.

Lighting can have a huge impact of the look and feel of an image, but it’s so much more than that: it can change the mood, composition, and even the storytelling of a piece.

A little peak into my wonderfully weird childhood. Thank you to all the parents out there who hold onto our childhood stuff while it just sits there, taking up space! There's nothing quite like reading your own diary from 6th grade or leafing through a photo album of class trips over the years.

In the world of picture-makers, line is a powerful tool that has incredible range. No two people will draw a line in the same way. How someone draws a line, what they draw it with, and when they choose to use it —and leave it out— are all integral to an artist’s unique style.

A deep dive into artist copies! This classic art school assignment is also known as pastiche.

I love how adding traditional textures can add interest and surprise to an illustration. In this post I play with scanning in a variety of found and made textures, and explore other artists who do this in their work.