Adder Sketch + Colour Blocking

Here’s a quick Adder sketch with a colour blocking experiment! I really like using arch shapes within my work, they feel like windows or portals and I also enjoy how they work aesthetically within a piece.

As you can see from some of my other recent sketches (here and here for example), I normally use a black scribbled arch as a background and to frame the subject of my illustrations. For this sketch I wanted to see how else I could use this shape and so this colour blocking aesthetic was used!

I don’t typically use much, if any, colour in my work so I’m really excited by this simple method of injecting a pop of colour into a piece. I’m also looking forward to experimenting more with this to see how else I can play with colour!

Antler, Betony, & Snail Shell

The process of deciding what to include in an illustration and then creating that piece with focus and intention makes the creation of art the perfect vehicle for creating super sigils.

Sigils are a popular and accessible way to create an intentionally charged symbol that can be used to facilitate change in your life. If you would like to find out more about them I recommend checking out this page on Erin Alise’s shop, she has a beautiful sigil oracle deck, and in the description she talks more about what sigils are and how they are used.

Now, a super sigil is very similar but rather than creating a symbol, more time and focus is spent in elevating it into a piece of art. My favourite method for this requires researching plants, animals, objects and symbols that match my intention, and then arranging these elements in a way that works aesthetically and to match the end goal of the super sigil.

This illustration is an example of a super sigil created with the intention of protecting the home so it utilises symbols of protection and home.

The snail shell is an easily recognised symbol of home, and here it is combined with the protective symbols of an antler, Betony, and the ogham called Fearn.

This is a very brief look into the practice of creating super sigils, but as it is something I enjoy doing and intend to create more, I thought it would be beneficial to create a space here that touches upon some basics to give these illustrations context. I hope you found it interesting and I’m excited to show you more work like this!

Reworked Chrysanthemum Illustration

Back with the theme of reworking older illustrations, I decided to change up this Chrysanthemum sketch a bit!

Reworking older illustrations you’ve done is really helpful when you’re dealing with art block or burn out, and that’s the main reason why I do it. When I’m feeling burnt out I like to revisit an older illustration to see how I can change it up with what I’ve learnt since then, and since the main focus of the work already exists it serves to be a gentle and low-pressure exercise for your creativity! Sometimes these exercises can be just the spark I need to feel like I want to move on to creating new work again!

Since this exercise is so low-pressure it can also be really great for people who procrastinate when it comes to creating new work. If you’re somewhat of a perfectionist, the fear of creating something less than perfect can cause you to procrastinate, this is something I deal with too. Reworking an older piece can break that hesitant mindset by giving you a smaller task to focus on first which can then lead to creating new work!

I know a lot of artists also like to do warm up sketches before starting a new piece and I feel like this exercise can work in that way too!

Have you ever reworked a piece before? If you haven’t, would you consider reworking one?