Currently I am working on 2 projects. One involves choosing a location and making sustained observational drawings for thirty days *yawn* and secondly, my summer project, which is to choose a theme and develop it as and how you wish. Now, although the first project is critical in terms of actually passing my course, the idea of developing my own project has, naturally, meant that I have been more enthusiastic with pursuing the second option.
I will be putting up a full outline of the project itself shortly, but for now I wanted my first image that I displayed to be one that I was proud of, and, with a silent drum-roll currently resounding in my head, I give you my rendition of 'Dogsbody'
The inspiration for this piece comes from a mixture of sources but the most direct influences are from the Welsh tales within the 'Mabinogion' and Diana Wynne Jones' novel 'Dogsbody'.
I've been continuing practicing with watercolour, while this illustration also uses touches of gouache. I have been steadily increasing in confidence with this media. Why did I want this image to be my first? Well, for one, it has a dog in it, which will make a certain dachshund happy. Two, it has a dog in it, and I am very well known for not being able to draw animals at all! (Incidentally, this very fact was one of the factors why I started this particular project!)
I've also included these pages from my sketchbook of other dogs I researched and drew. The albino colouring and red ears is a reference to the spiritual dogs found in the first branch of the Mabinogion, so I tried to figure out which dogs would be best as both hunting dogs, and mythological at the same time.
So, here is the beginnings of what I've been up to this summer, in-between cheese and ham toasties, but expect to see more up here soon.
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