Illustration techniques & interactive web series plotting
My partner got me an online course for xmas, so I decided to go with a course in unlocking creativity through the use and experimentation with different illustration techniques. The aim is ultimately to have a playful, creative outlet alongside my work as writer and creative director this year, since the process for both my web series projects will likely be very cerebral.
But, I also want to resume and finish my illustration portfolio and my children’s book project which I started during lockdown and then put on hold as work started coming in again. So it’s not just art therapy. I do have ambitions to become a professional children’s book illustrator at some point as well.
The Death of Medusa by Edward Burne-Jones (1881-82) 
My first recreation, staying as true to the original as possible. 
Playing around with a different technique and style.
One of the first practise exercises in the first unit of the course was a lot of fun. It took me a while to relax and be playful with it, so experimenting with different mediums and styles really did work. By the time I’d moved on from pencil, watercolour, charcoal and ink to kindergarten-style cutting and pasting to create an abstract collage (as seen at the top of the post), I was in creativity heaven and feeling extremely inspired.
So I’ll definitely keep this exercise in my toolbox for future creative blocks.
In fact, I’m going to see if I can take this re-discovered playfulness and implement in the devising the structure tree and treatment of the interactive transmedia series I’m working on. So far, it’s been a lot of post-it notes and whiteboard scribbles and, although I’m making progress, it’s not without its headaches – literally – so maybe I should get the scissors and glue stick out?