Friday, September 27, 2013

Bear & Fox Illustration


"To you I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. 
To you, I shall be unique in all the world."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

You can find Bear & Fox on my Etsy shop

Monday, September 16, 2013

Jellyfish illustration


If you like jellyfish just as much as I do - I've got some exciting news for you!
You can find this Jellyfish illustration on my Etsy shop or purchase it on a t-shirt for a limited time only via Mister Dress-Up. How fun is that?

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Fridge Magnets DIY


I'm a collector.
I collect too many things all at once: old coins, stickers, notes, magnets. Ah, magnets. I get a little excited every time I visit a new country just because I get to spend some time picking the most beautiful ones. And because I'm not planning a trip anytime soon - why not creating some handmade magnets?


The materials needed are simple: easy-dry clay, paint and brushes, neodymium magnets, quick-dry glue, pencil and permanent markers for the final decoration.
First off, you need to decide what shape your magnets would be. I was lazy, I admit it, so I only cut a couple of circles out of a thin layer of clay and left them on a flat surface to dry overnight.


Once the clay had completely dried off, I started lightly sketching my designs on with a pencil. You might skip this step and start colouring right away - I just wanted to have some guides. If you use a pencil though - don't get too serious. Erasing it from the clay is a little difficult and leaves smudges on the surface that wouldn't look cool unless you cover them with colour.


I used poster paint because it is permanent and because it hardly loses its color intensity over time. I am not sure if watercolours would be a good idea, since the clay is also water-based, but play around - it might work as well. Or you could try permanent colour markers.


It takes a couple of minutes for the poster paint to dry, so by the time you've painted your last magnet (if you're making, like, more than three) the first one would be ready. You can then add outlines and textures using permanent markers. And only one more thing before your magnets are good to go - because, let's face it, they're not yet magnets. Take your easy-dry glue, dab a generous amount of it on the backside of your work and stick on the magnet. A couple of seconds later you're absolutely ready!


Have fun creating your own fridge magnets and don't forget to share them! :)

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Falling Foxes Illustration


"You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed"
- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

You can find this illustration of Falling Foxes on my Etsy shop.

Friday, September 06, 2013

It is better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring


Long story short: I found a broken TV in our basement a couple of months ago. It looked so tiny and cute that I didn't want to throw it away. It was a freezing winter, I didn't have anything better to do (aside from studying for exams) so I took out some paint and brushes and decided to have some fun. 


I spray-painted the TV in white and let it dry completely for a day. It took about three or four coverings to hide the original color, especially the dark frame around the screen. Оnce the TV was all white, applying paint was pretty easy. I had chosen a favourite colour combination and a simple geometric texture (triangles have always been a soft spot). I used masking tape to keep the borders clean and two, sometimes three coats of paint to get a vibrant, vivid shade. The quote came last - Marilyn Monroe has said it quite well, hasn't she? It is better to be an absolutely ridiculous yellow TV with a quote on the screen, than one that has ninety-nine thousand channels and still cannot show you anything better.
Тhe original idea behind it all was to put the TV somewhere around town for passers by to see. I talked with a lot of people in order to find the best spot for it, but somehow we always ended up with nothing. We couldn't think of a place where the TV could be safe and visible at the same time. So it now resides in my room waiting to find a proper home.


Sunday, September 01, 2013

Hello, September


I'm glad it's September already. I love chilly mornings and sweater weather and rainstorms and how everything looks during autumn. I decided to create a couple of autumn-loving characters to welcome September and besides - after having so much fun painting on stones and sea shells - it was only natural to try out leaves, too.


There is something very relaxing in working with natural materials. Working with stones was easy, because the surface is flat and the material is easy to paint on. Leaves, on the other hand, are very delicate and can easily be damaged if not handled with care. I used permanent markers with soft tips for the illustrations and pressed the painted leaves afterwards to preserve their form. This is the perfect home decoration for September, or - even better - the cutest little gift for a complete stranger in the park.
I haven't used anything to keep the leaves from drying out completely, so I guess it won't take long before they get crispy and start to crumble. Nevertheless, they have served their purpose.
Hello, September.