I'm 1/4 of the way through my 100 Days Project (insert self-five here) and thought it would be fun to write a bit about the process since I've gotten a few questions since I've started. One of my main goals of this project was to get myself away from the computer (she said as she typed on the computer) and it really has been a great reminder that putting Photoshop away and making time to play with more traditional media is a really important creative habit.
Texture (usually watercolour) is such an important part of my illustrations and I wanted to experiment with new textures for my 100 Days Project. My mom gave me a Gelli Arts printing plate for Christmas that I used to create a stock pile of printed cardstock to use for collage. I had a lot of fun experimenting with unexpected colour combinations. It's such an easy, fast way to stretch my palette because if you don't like the way a layer turns out, you can just let it dry and then print right over it. (If you watch the video you'll be treated to some sweet, sweet background tunes).
It's been a really good challenge playing with different shapes and especially colour combinations. There is something really satisfying about being able to pick up all of the pieces and continue to rearrange them until I'm happy with the combination. It's an immediacy and a tactility that is missing when I work in Photoshop and I too often forget how fulfilling working in this way can be.
They're not that large! Just 5x5. The small scale really helps me not to labour over them. One of the challenges/questions that I keep thinking about as I make these is what exactly makes a building look building-y? Is it windows and doors? Is it when you add a little triangle roof? I've been drawing inspiration from different architectural styles (sometimes intentionally, sometimes it just evolves as I play around with the pieces on the page) and don't have an answer to this question at this point. A few days after I started the project, I ran across this great post by Supertrooper Studio that so perfectly illustrates this question.
Here's hoping that I can keep the momentum up for 75 more!
