Illustration Friday: Egg

Happy Easter bloggers!

Enjoy the Easter weekend.

-Zesty

Updates!

I neglect this little blog.. and I shouldn't.

Here is what I have been working on...

(Click the links to see more of the work)

Project Luna

Blog background for a great project I am working on 

with Tony Camehl 

Project blog

Real Monsters

From an on-going personal project- 

Designing characters based on mental illnesses

Real Monsters

Jack and the Winter King

Picture book entry for Macmillan book prize 2013

More photos

Calender Tales

My shortlisted entry for Neil Gaiman's October Tale

Calender Tales

Illustration Friday: New

Mr Frog is celebrating New Year! Bubbly all round! 

I've rather fallen in love with this little character...

This time around, I created the line work traditionally with an Ink brush I recently treated myself too. I also tried a new technique to put together the illustration by using my lightbox I got for Christmas. I don't know how I got round without one before!

Happy new year everyone!

Illustration Friday: Snow

I need to start blogging again, so here's my entry for Illustration Friday: Snow

I'm trying to recreate my brand of illustration, so there is lots of experimenting going on. Today I tried using some thicker line work than I would usually- Please let me know what you think! 

I miss blogging...

I've neglected my blog for a long time, and its down to having frequent internet hiatuses and having lots of work to get on with. However, I am going back to uni in a few weeks and should start on a more regular routine that I can fit blogging into...
I'd love to start doing Illustration Friday again so hopefully that can fit in.

As for now, here's what I have been up to over the past few weeks/months:

Bluebeard sketches based on the fantastic fairytale-

Jason and the Argonauts (Futuristic) concept sketches-

And a few random things of course-

Long time no post!

I've been busy with little things that I haven't updated my blog in a while, so I thought I would!
I finished my daily draw challenge this Wednesday which was taking up most of my time and I think I will definitely have to do this again. I learnt a great deal about my practice whilst doing the 30 days, especially learning that If i put my mind to it I can create good work in a short period of time.
Here is the combintation of all my efforts over those 30 days in one picture!

I'd also like to share a few of my personal favourites-

All of my daily draws can be seen in one handy place, on my Tumblr blog- http://zestydoesthings.tumblr.com/tagged/daily-draw

Ive also had a few little commissions going on in between and offers to do lots of other exciting projects. Things are moving along nicely in Zesty-land, and I hope many more opportunities will arise when I go back to university after the summer.

I need to get back into Illustration Friday too...

IF- Secret

The world didn't approve of Swiss and Brie's relationship,

so they had to elope in secret...

Inter-regional cheese relationships can result in a fondu-sentance in some

parts of the world. A terrible fate for any cheese. 

(c) Toby Allen 2012

Monsters with Hats

My latest uni project has consumed my life for the past month or so.. if not more.

Its been fun but Ill be glad when its all handed in on Monday 28th! (which is also my 21st birthday!)

Its a handmade concertina book, made to sell at the summer show at Plymouth College of Art. Their is a standard version (with the envelope) and a special edition that comes with a box and 2 badges, as well as being hard-bound!

There is also a bonus mini book called 'En Gateau!' 

(A business card is also thrown in, that's the 4 paneled thing)

IF- Jump

Roll up! Roll up! Ladies and Gentlemen!

I bring you the latest in circus entertainment!

The Jumping Gremlin!

...

He's just about to jump... Watch out, he has a thing for snatching eyeglasses from

unsuspecting peoples faces!

Watercolour and Photoshop

(c) Toby Allen 2012

IF- Heights

From the heights of his vast intelligence to his huge love of vanilla ice cream, the 

Fez monster is definitely not a force to be reasoned with. He is always right and

if you dare try to correct him, he will do something drastic about it!

Deep down he's a softy really... Oh and he has an acute fear of heights, so he can't

fly. And when I say acute... I mean EXTREME.

--

This is a monster I designed for a project at uni which will come to light very soon.

It's called 'Monsters with Hats'

(c) Toby Allen 2012

IF- Swamp

Ive been craving peppermint tea for a while now...

So I brewed some and remembered I didnt like it.

It dosent help that my particular brand looks like swamp water.

So heres a Crocodile bathing in my swamp-like peppermint tea!

Ohhh, its nice to do something completely digital again. 

Haven't done it for a little while. 

Its also nice to have time to draw for myself. 

I missed IF last week due to workload at uni. 

UPDATE-

I expanded on an idea of Petra van Berkum in the comments, that it would make 

great packaging for the tea! Here's a little go at it! 

IF- Yield

I will not yield  to the cupcake gods!

...must resist! 

-hehe

Available as prints here-

http://society6.com/TobyAllen/Bless-this-Cupcake-then-eat-it_Print

and here-

http://society6.com/TobyAllen/Fear-this-Cupcake-then-eat-it_Print

IF- Intention

It was my intention to draw something 'Cthulhu' related this week, and

I was hoping to do something a little spooky. (sketched below to proove this) However, the result

 is much cuter than anticipated. Never mind, we shall call him 'Son of Cthulhu'.

The main idea behind this illustration was that this cute little 'Cthulhu' like

character isn't quite as scary of in fact evil as he should be, and so he is constantly 

being reminded of his horrible heritage.

Why can't a Cthulhu grow up in a normal life, go to school and become

a scholar? He only has good intentions.

Its nice to bring out the watercolours again. 

Oh and my current reading of 'The Call of Cthulhu and other wierd tales' is

to blame for this. I've finally discovered Lovecraft! 

Concept illustration for the cute little Cthulhu

Sketches for a meaner and more Lovecraft cthulhu

And then I unleashed the cute! hehe

IF- Capable

Sir Cape-Pebble and his trusty sidekick Broomsworth!

Superheroes of the Victorian age!

They are both rather 'Capable' aren't they?

PS

Thank you everyone, so much for the comments on last weeks 

illustration! I appreciate them all! 

IF- Fluid

A very sketchy one this week.

I should have spent more time on it, but I rather like the sketchy feel.

Anyway, its a mermaid in a bottle. Of course. 

IF- Popularity

What better way to gain popularity than to dress up like Pikachu?

Gotta catch 'em all!

Character Development

Me and my cousin are developing a story idea I've had for a long time, called 'A Nyght's Tale'. The characters were created ages ago but the story had never been fleshed out properly. 

As I said the story is being written fully and will hopefully be put forward in some form in the future, either in a comic form or a game or something.

Anyway, I've been working on the character designs and discovered my characterization and character development has come on a lot recently.

Nyght the main character. How he looks in the real world (left) 

and how he looks in the dreamworld. (right)

Grulff, Nyghts companion. Dreamworld form (left) and real

world form. (right)

Nyght works in a coffee shop.

Grulff in his ogre form. 

Character designs (c) Toby Allen 2012

Wizard of Oz pop up book

I found some old photos of my final major project in my Foundation diploma.

I made a pop up book spread featuring a scene from The Wizard of Oz.

It makes me want to play with pop ups again!

All work (c) Toby Allen