More Secret Project Sketches...

Today I have a few more exploratory sketches to share with you from the *secret* project I am working on with Annie. I've been steadily sketching these little characters and locations out in between my other work.

I'll be sharing more of the themes and story for these images later on in a larger post introducing the series, but for now I am mostly just exploring everything and turning my tiny little inspiration scribbles into larger drawings.

Most of these tiny little scribbles look like the ones above. I have an entire sketchbook of work for this project that I have been steadily filling for the past few years whenever inspiration would strike. Now I just need the time to turn them into real drawings!

I've spoken about this before, but I think the best antidote to the artist's version of writer's block is keeping sketchbooks, and adding to them whenever inspiration strikes. It's why I am never at a loss for what to work on or paint next. Sketch ideas when you have ideas, but no time. Paint ideas when you have time, but no ideas.

And it's not all drawings at this point. Last month I posted the "Aphid Rancher," a color illustration made in pencil and digital for this series. I painted that image as part of my exploratory process, in an effort to find out which medium fit the series the best: watercolor, digital, or oil. Today, I am working on a monochrome oil painting of the "Nettle Warlock" posted at the top. (I love working in raw umber oil paint!!) I am planning on leaving this one as a warm monochrome. It's my favorite of all art methods to work in, but one that takes the right project to be suitable for. (Hopefully this one!)

I will have a step-by-step guide on this monochrome oil painting method going up this weekend for Tutorials members. And if you are a member on Annie's Patreon you will find a sneak preview of the whole project there today along with her first entry, "The Roly Poly Rancher"!

-jg