A short, sweet, and to the point newsletter from an illustrator, book designer, and all around busy bee. π By day, I work in the publishing industry as a book designer and illustrator. By night, I indulge in my inspirations and grow my creative business with slow, intentional steps. Every month, you'll get insights into living a creative life, what's currently inspiring me, behind the scenes peeks of works in progress, the stories behind the work, and freebies to help nurture your own creativity.
A New Studio Note has arrived! π November Edition
Published 2 months agoΒ β’Β 2 min read
Studio Note 11/25
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Hello Reader,
I know this note is coming to you a little early but there's an important reason I'll go into down below. I hope you're staying warm in these cooler temperatures!
Art Notes
Being back in "study mode", I've tried to start off with things within my comfort zone, so things like plants, trees, and nature. I've historically struggled with painting backgrounds, but I think I may have cracked the code with this one and found a way to make things so much easier.
What started off as an environment study became a haunting scene of a Dullahan (think Headless Horsemen) riding through a lonely, mist filled forest. I'm happy with how it turned out but feel like I could have pushed it a bit further. But what I discovered with this painting was backgrounds are far less intimidating if the background is conceptualized first, and the character is treated like an accessory to the background. Definitely going to keep exploring this method and see if it helps me overcome my fear of backgrounds!
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I also completed this scene study, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. There are parts I like, and parts I don't. It's fine, though, there is plenty to learn from even in failure. On to the next one!
"The Spirit Tree" gouache and colored pencil on paper
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Social Notes
I mentioned in my last newsletter that TourBox had sent me the TourBox Elite Plus to try out and review. I've put together my thoughts and experience in a blog post! I hope you'll check it out.
And if you're interested in getting your own TourBox Elite Plus, you can get one here*.
*This is an affiliate link and by clicking on it, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you!
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Shop Notes
Since I was late in announcing the Inktober books being on sale, as is tradition for the month of October, I've extended it! (Hence, why I'm sending this message out a litter early.)
Shop the extended sale and get one of the remaining zines for 1/2 off!! No codes needed.
I won't reprint them once they're gone, and I don't have many left, so grab one while you can!
I wanted to find a way to make these monthly messages more valuable to you, so I thought to try this : a monthly color and a subject to spark some ideas!
When I'm stuck, I find the best way to get unstuck is to stick within boundaries: limited palettes, one medium, studies of comfort zone subjects, etc.
You can use these prompts together, or separately. If you share your creation on Instagram (where I'm most active), tag me (@catheroldart) so I can see it!
If you find this helpful, hit reply and let me know :)
from Catherine Herold - Illustrator & Graphic Designer
A short, sweet, and to the point newsletter from an illustrator, book designer, and all around busy bee. π By day, I work in the publishing industry as a book designer and illustrator. By night, I indulge in my inspirations and grow my creative business with slow, intentional steps. Every month, you'll get insights into living a creative life, what's currently inspiring me, behind the scenes peeks of works in progress, the stories behind the work, and freebies to help nurture your own creativity.
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