Starting the Week Strong

After a rejuvenating weekend with my kids and quality time tending to my bonsais outdoors, I'm diving back into the studio with fresh energy.

A friend recently reached out asking me to illustrate his DnD character. The backstory is incredibly rich and detailed, so we've been working closely through the sketch phases to bring those elements to life. There's such joy in interpreting characters this way: taking someone's vision and translating it into visual form. It's storytelling work, just like the book.

Speaking of which, I made solid progress on our picture book this week! The current spread features a pair of nesting South African Cliff Swallows. I started with a rough undersketch in purple, as usual. For most of the other animals in the book, I've used bright, contrasting colors to differentiate the mother and father. But these swallows are already quite colorful on their own. The female has slightly more pastel plumage, so I'm leaning into that natural distinction. I'm keeping her tones softer while giving the father more vibrant, saturated colors. He's perched on the outside of their cliffside nest while she nestles inside, keeping their eggs warm.

The creative momentum is strong right now, and I'm grateful for it. Between the DnD commission, the book illustration, two other paintings, and finding time to work on a comic book project, I'm staying wonderfully busy.

If you'd like to support this creative journey and get an inside look at the process, consider becoming a supporter on Ko-fi for as little as $2. Every bit helps keep this momentum going.
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