Why Colonise the Moon?

"Why colonise the moon
When every different kind
Of desperation exists?

In every single home..."

- from Golden Platitudes on "Postcards from a Young Man" by Manic Street Preachers

I'm allergic to minimalism. And I enjoy a dark, witchy aesthetic. This spread was made as an experiment, to see what I could do with my own digital stamps. I have the set of 10 graphics available as .png and .svg vector graphics over on my Etsy shop. You can check them out HERE. They're perfect for art journal or sketchbook projects. Or whatever mixed media adventure you're on that might need an illustrative touch.

*These journal pages are from my A4 Tiger sketchbook. Made with mixed media, including collage, acrylic paint, inks and oil pastels. Ethically sourced feathers and bones. © Amy Leonard, 2017.

INK - Art Zine - My 20 Page Illustration Anthology Book

I've always wanted to make a zine! But this is my very first one. I guess you could call it an "art zine" as it's text free. It features a collection of 20 illustrations that I made between 2015 and 2017. This is the first time these images have been available as prints, all collected together in one place. The printers did a great job, and it has a silk, high white cover in 160g paper, and inside is an off white linen paper. I love the textured pages!

I've got it listed over on my Etsy shop. You can find it HERE.

The first 10 orders will get a free copy of a brand new illustration, made especially for the launch.

It's an A5 copy of this one, on the same silk, high white 160g paper. And each one is hand splattered and signed by yours truly.

Anyway, here's a little video, so you can see what's inside.

Keep your eyes peeled for my next effort! I've definitely got the zine bug.

Carmine Pink in my Art Journal

My pocket sized Moleskine art journal is developing rapidly. Lately I've been obsessed with my bottle of Winsor and Newton ink in Carmine. I've been balancing it with Orange, Violet and Blue to create ultra vibrant spreads in my art book. With accents of neon pink acrylic paint, these pages are exploding out of my journal! 

Black Ink - Line Drawing - Traditional Illustration

Some of my latest work, made with black ink. My favourite thing might be a tight black line against a loose one. I use Liquitex acrylic ink in Carbon Black. I find if it's laid on heavy it dries really shiny and opaque. The way it should be, in my opinion.

A fairly demonic David Lynch.

Roy Orbison. What a champ.

Pansies, pansies, everywhere.

Howling!

A sulky young Elvis.

Paper Flowers - 3D Illustration

Lately I've been trying to find original ways of working in my favourite medium - ink. I completed the #PotterWeekPrompts at the end of July (find it here) and worked entirely in ink making fairly traditional line drawings with a dip pen, but with added inky splashes and washed areas. One of the prompts for Potter Week was flora and fauna, and I really enjoyed rendering an image of the poisonous flower Wolfsbane for this. I've been looking at different ways artists work with nature and florals, to work out if there's an original way of showing the universal imagery of the natural world. That's when I had the idea to work in 3D to make paper flowers and butterfly wings. Paper flowers have a long tradition, and you can find beautiful, botanically correct flowers made by crafters and artists out of delicate crepe paper. I loved the colours, but I wanted to make something more illustrative and fantastical. I've been experimenting with regular sketch paper, and layering pieces over flat drawings. And I've also invested in heavy cotton rag paper and created texture with ink and acrylic paints together. I like the crunchy mixed media look, and I love the contrast between the harmless and pretty with the bold and dark. What do you think? Find me on Instagram and Twitter and let me know.

Black Ink - Line Drawing - Hand Made Illustration

I've been experimenting lately with a lot of mixed media techniques. I've really enjoyed the processes, but I wanted to make a post celebrating my first love, and my strength. Line drawings made by hand with black ink. Here's a little round up of some of my favourites.