Winter Sprite

This illustration straddles the New Year in that it was both my last drawing of 2023 and first drawing of 2024; I did the ink work late at night – which is why my linework is chunkier than usual – and then added the paint early the next morning. The context of Hogmanay led me to select a Draw This In Your Style challenge that was seasonal and I opted for a wintry character by artist Lady Moïra. As mentioned, the heavier line work was a function of drawing in poor lighting conditions with tired eyes and I am undecided whether or not I like it as a stylistic element. I do, however, like the finished illustration.

Festive Bear

Christmas is over, even the dinner leftovers are consumed, but I thought I would still squeeze in one last festive Draw This In Your Style illustration right before December ends. I decided to do something a wee bit different and selected a sweet bear illustration by a Spanish artist named Lana. I really enjoyed working on this drawing, especially creating the texture of the bear’s fur, and I am pleased with the finished piece. It is very different from the original because both my style and medium are dissimilar but I hope I have retained the spirit of the original.

Cozy Christmas

I foolishly tempted the hand of fate by lining up an array of festive DTIYS challenges to tackle so, of course, my week went entirely pear-shaped and I could not find time to even sketch out an idea let alone complete three or four drawings. Thanks to a fortunate cancellation, however, I did finally manage to create a Christmas illustration. It’s a bit slap dash because of those time constraints but time at my art table felt like an oasis amid the chaos of the season.

This DTIYS was set by artist Kitty O’Rourke and her original is very bold and graphic in its style. I like to choose challenges that are pretty different in medium and style from my own so this one seemed perfect. I like the suggestion of cozy relaxation of the final illustration.

Little Christmas Girl

Now that we are in December, I thought I would turn my hand to some festive art. Given how crazily busy this month is for me as both a parent and teacher, I decided to remove any pressure to produce anything truly original and keep at the Draw This In Your Style thing. They are fun to participate in and they ensure I am spending time at my art table on a regular basis.

First up was a challenge created by artist Laura Dumitriu because I thought her original artwork was cute and it seemed like something I could complete in one day. I really enjoyed working on this illustration. I felt like I should attempt some kind of background and added the bauble shapes and then almost instantly regretted it. I am still not sure whether I am OK with those or not but it is what it is. I am, however, happy with how the little girl turned out.

Birds and Blooms

For my next DTIYS challenge, I selected a digital illustration by Charly Clements. As readers of this blog will know, I tend to keep the backgrounds of my drawings – if I include a background at all – very simple. I thought, therefore, this piece would be both a fun challenge and shove me out of my comfort zone because the background is so full of imagery. Having to paint birds and flowers galore, in addition to a blue background, was also a useful test of how much longer it would take me to add more detail into a background. Since I only have brief periods of time in which to draw and paint, this was going to be useful information. The result was that it took me far longer than usual. Although it probably only amounted to an hour or so of cumulative time, it took me three days from start to finish. It was, however, a worthwhile investment of my art time as I am chuffed with how this illustration ended up. I think I did a good job of translating it into my style.

Queen of Heart

Thanksgiving weekend afforded me time to invest in another Draw This In Your Style challenge. I chose one by an artist who goes by the moniker Breakfast Jones on Instagram. I love the combination of turquoise and red. The massive hair and the anatomical heart were subjects that appealed to me. I am pleased with how the heart turned out.

Autumn Witch

I was still in an Autumnal mood when I selected the next DTIYS challenge I wanted to attempt. I, therefore, selected an Autumn Witch created by artist Aurelien Galvan. I liked its warm hues and the squirrel companion. There are imperfections galore in my drawing but I enjoyed creating it and that’s the best outcome.

Autumn Foliage Girl

I had time for another DTIYS challenge this weekend. I decided to tackle a seasonal illustration by artist Hai Anh because I am very much in an Autumnal mood, it being my favourite season. I also liked that their style is very different from my own, in addition to being digital art, so I thought that created an opportunity to really transform the ideas contained within the original into my own style.

I cannot seem to eliminate the blue caste in my photo of my drawing without throwing off the warm colours so you will just have to trust me that it has a warm hue to it.

The next couple of months are going to be very busy for me so I have decided not to embark on any of my own art project ideas until the new year. Since I am determined to keep up with the regular drawing, however, I think I will keep myself creatively occupied with DTIYS and other one-off or brief challenges.