Cardinals

It's been a few months! If you haven't already, and you'd like to, please 'like' my facebook page, Nicola O'Byrne Illustration, which I update almost daily. I have been trying a couple things out for a publisher. The text is lovely but a little tricky to illustrate. The feedback I got for my first sample was that it was lacking in personality and the relationship between the papa bird and the chick wasn't developed.

I've tried to simplify things down and zoom in, hopefully this works better. 

Scandinavian Style Cards

New Style!

In uni I was always concerned about style. Mostly because I didn't seem to have one, or at least not one that I could see. I put this down to the fact that I'm inspired by lots of different things from Japanese ukiyo-e to Brian Wildsmith's heavily textured work; sometimes my work would go one way and sometimes it would go the other; it doesn't worry me so much anymore as I think the main thing is to being able to reproduce a 'look' if you want to. Over the past 2 years I've been developing a couple different styles with the help of publishers and my agents, and today I've done a sample in a new one. Hope you like!

The Mighty Artichoke

I have been racking my brains trying to think of a good ending for my second picture book with Nosy Crow. Today I decided to take a break and do a bit of printmaking instead. The mighty artichoke.

Printing Press

I am the proud owner of a tiny new printing press! I was eager to get stuck in so I printed off 4 small black and white illustrations. I'm really happy with the way they came out so I'm thinking of starting something a little more ambitious.

Greetings Cards

I received some great news on friday, one of my cards has been licensed to a UK greetings cards company! This is my first success with art licensing, and hopefully bodes well for the future. You can view my full range of greetings cards here.

Open Very Carefully Preview

I've just seen on the Nosy Crow website that they've put up a preview of my picture book, 'Open Very Carefully'! I'm very excited about it,  to take a look for yourself please check out this link:

http://issuu.com/nosycrow/docs/ovc/7

This book is available for preorder on Amazon, here:

http://amzn.to/NNYf1u

Count & Colour Books

I have 2 new books available for pre-order on amazon! They are counting and colouring books published by Blue Apple Books (USA), suitable for ages 3+. Publishing date is 12th Feb, 2013.

You can find this one here: http://www.amazon.com/Count-Color-Swim-Nicola-OByrne/dp/1609052994/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1346407761&sr=8-5&keywords=nicola+O%27byrne

And this one here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Count-Color-Fly-Nicola-OByrne/dp/1609053427/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1346407827&sr=8-4

Christmas Cards

It's never too early to start thinking about Christmas cards, here are a couple I am working on.

Keeping busy

Is it really already August? I've been on holiday in California, but now I'm back at my desk working away, here's a sneak pee of work for my upcoming deadline. If you haven't already and would like to, please 'like' my Facebook page, Nicola O'Byrne Illustration, which I update regularly.

Stickers

Today I am drawing stickers for an activity book.

Colour and Count

Oops! Was it really almost 2 months since my last post? If you haven't already and you'd like to, please 'Like' my Facebook page Nicola O'Byrne Illustration, which I update weekly.
Here are a couple of process shots from my second 'Colour and Count' book with Blue Apple Books (USA).

Rain, rain, go away..

I know we're in a drought, so all this rain must be a good thing, but Arnie isn't impressed with the weather forecast this week.

Neglected blog

I've been busy the past month trying to finish off a project and getting out samples and things for potential new ones. Here is a hint of things to come :D

Flowers for me!

A happy customer sent me flowers! I am so chuffed. Feeling all appreciated :D

8 monkeys

More coffee. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Holland Village, Singapore.

I was on holiday this past week and I haven't got anything new to post, so here is one from Christmas. Aside from one awkward table, I am quite pleased with how it turned out.

23 Bears

Flamingos

Japanese wood block printing... sort of.

I have long been interested in Japanese woodblock printing, maybe from the age of about 13 onwards, so this year I decided to give it a go. I started with something very simple, just 2 blocks, (I've heard that 'proper' ones average about 17 colours!) and I made every mistake possible. I used Toshu washi paper, it stretched and shrunk so quickly as I printed that the registration was off, made worse by my own improvised registration system which I thought would be simpler then carving kento marks. The ink wouldn't stick and then when I used more nori, the ink stuck too much and to places where I didn't want it! This took 2 days to carve and print and was a wholly frustrating experience. To make matters worse I chipped my favourite wood block tool so I have to send it off to get reground. However, I am not giving up so easily. This is definitely something I can see myself working on in the future.. as soon as I find out what I did wrong and how to fix it.

Snowdrops and Rosemary

It was lovely and sunny today, and having finished by noon what I hoped to get done today, I decided to pass the afternoon sketching in the garden.

Illustration Friday - Forward

Rhino felt like he was never moving forward.

Illustration Friday - Twirl

A little bit of weekend silliness, and maybe only a very tenuous link to this weeks illustration friday theme, but hey! I felt like drawing a pirate.

Private View Tonight!

Private View Tonight! Hot Off The Press Exhibition, Curwen Gallery, North London. Hope you can make it.

Day in the life of..

I have done a blog entry for my agents, you can find it by clicking the link below:

Bright Group International - A Day in the Life of..