The siren call of garden witches + bookmarking

This is what my sketchbook constantly looks like these days. Traditional or digital-- doesn't matter I just keep drawing this character over and over again with the hopes that it will make the animation side easier by refining the shapes and stretching her features to see how she might express herself differently.

Her glum expression on the left reminds me of an 1930's film actress or something, can't think of who.

I usually think of detail in drawing as being something that's really satisfying in the moment but kinda destructive to your chances at completing a project. Completing projects isn't everything of course but lately I'm feeling like the thing I'm least practiced with, creatively anyways, is conceptualizing how all of the little ideas coalesce into a big one.

The more actions you see a character take, the more realized they become as a personality in the theater of your mind because you can see how they respond to the world around them, and I'm really craving more opportunities to explore that in particular in animation.

Winton, ad nauseum

Speaking of unnecessary diversions, I also made a little bookmark to throw in with print orders this week. 🧡 It started as a slip of paper that would just say "thanks for buying my print" but I thought I might as well make it functional and not just something that gets immediately tossed in the trash or hopefully recycled so I turned it into a bookmark.

Indesign Layout so it plays nicely with my printer

I don't know what this design sensibility is evolving into. I like these wiggly stripes and the kinda chaotic layering of elements. There's something kinda cheeky about graphic design that is hard to read and a little maximalist.

I was initially going to make them big 10" inch book marks but I shortened them down to 8.5" so I could fit 6 to a page instead of 5. I also gave some little alterations to this old Libby drawing so it could be more sfw.

As a very last consideration I hooked her panties around her finger 😘

In other news, to help myself escape doomerism, when I need a break throughout the day, instead of reaching for my phone I've decided I'm just going to take a book off the shelf behind me to look at instead.

From "Ariel Illustrations" by Masahisa Suzuki pub.1989 - I love the layered images, I don't know why

I need some different thoughts rattling around in my brain or else I'll go crazy, and books are a good place to turn. Maybe that's what put the idea of making a bookmark into my head.

from "Pyecuts: Soreyu Illustration Works"

It's led me to rediscovering some things I was really looking at a lot earlier in the year. Like this Soreyu art book which is so beautiful. I just noticed when taking this picture of the dust jacket/bellyband that the actual softcover of the book is a sketch for the real cover art😭 This book is wonderful.

Happy Wednesday

❤️Winton