Grimm Tales Challenge Entry

Double update today it seems. The Art order is currently hosting a challenge around the classc Brothers Grimm fairy tales. Basically, participants were asked to find a Grimm story and to illustrate a scene from that story.

From what I've seen so far it seems like a lot of people went for "Little red riding hood" or "Little red cap" as I think it's called originally. I don't blame them. It is by far one of the most well known and beloved stories. I was tempted to do the same thing myself, but I chose to do a bit of research and I went with a different story after reading some stories.

I chose the tale of "Brother and Sister". It tells the story of an older brother and his sister who are running away from home because of their mean step mother. The Stepmother follows them and curses all the drinking water they find (for no other reason than being mean it seems). Anyway, if the siblings drink the water they would be turned into wild animals. After passing two water sources without drinking the brother couldn't wait any longer and at the third river he drank before his sister could stop him and so he turned into a Roebuck.

It is the scene right after he has turned into a Roe that have chosen to illustrate. The siblings are crying over their ill fortune, and the girl has put her golden garter around the Roe's neck.

Here is my sketching process:

I didn't really have much time to finish this in since I have a lot of illustration work to do on my other projects, but at least I was able to enter it in the challenge. I'm looking forward to see the other entries :)

Until next time
Anita Night.

A young illustrators life is never easy

I feel the title describes well the situation that we all find ourselves in when we graduate or when we decide to tackle the business of illustration.

As most of my followers probably know, I am graduating this summer. In September I will receive my diploma and go back home to Norway. I'll try to attend business classes, apply for government funding so I can actually buy some proper equipment and set up a nice office in whatever shady apartment I end up in back in Oslo. (Not looking forward to moving all my stuff to a new place, but I am looking forward to getting back home to my beloved country of origin).

I'll have to get a part time job so I can actually pay rent, and my other half will hopefully be able to go back to school, finish some of his remaining courses so he can start studying web design. Let's just say we have a lot on our plates. (Sometimes I wish I had an inhaler *wheeze*).

It makes me feel a bit sweaty every time I think about it, so I try not to. Instead I am just focusing on the present. As long as I'm in the UK I'll try to involve myself as much as possible in University projects, personal projects, exhibitions and the like. After all I have all summer to prepare a nice portfolio. At the beginning of June it seemed like I would have an eternity to do all the things I wanted to do. Now however, it seems like time is going too fast and like I'll only get to do half the things I wanted to do.

My biggest concern though is money. I just hope we will have enough to survive through the summer, get home to Norway, pay a deposit for a new apartment and so on...

Well enough about my worries. On the bright side the Hip Pop Rocksy project seems to be going in the right direction. I've done 4 of 45 illustrations,
yeah 4 down only 41 to go :p
I have to say that so far actually finishing the illustrations didn't take as long as I thought it would, but I probably won't be able to finish this project before September or Something like that. 45 large images is a lot after all. It'll be fun to see how things will evolve as I go.

Well that's enough from me right now.

Until next time
Anita Night

*happy dance and a slightly sad jig*

Yeah, this post is a bittersweet one. I've got good news and bad news for those who might read my blog.

The good news is that I passed all my classes at the University, and that I am graduating with a 2.1 BA(Hons) degree. I have to say that I am very pleased. I was hoping for a 2.1. I never thought I would graduate with a first, so I set my aims at the next best thing.

I'm looking forward to the graduation ceremony, with the cape and hat and everything. We don't really do that kind of thing in Norway. I've already ordered the cape and everything. The only thing missing would be my parents. it would be really great if they could attend the ceremony, but I realize they might not be able to because of the distance and the economy being what it is.

The bad news...I have to postpone my wedding. Moving back home to Norway in September is going to dig a huge whole in our personal savings. It's actually going to eat up all of our savings. We have been struggling so hard to save up as much as possible, but it's not going to be enough for deposits and moving costs and new furniture. Least of all our wedding. I have to admit it made me quite sad having to postpone as it was one of the things I was looking most forward to this year. But Ces't la vie right. It's only one more year and I can wait. And in the meantime I can do a bit of self-pity corset sale shopping. (www.corsets-uk.com FIY).

Beyond that I'm going to London next week to attend the New Blood exhibition in Shoreditch at the old Truman Brewery. For once we've booked an expensive hotel room so we could at least have a comfortable night of sleep and relaxation. Some of my works will be fatured at the University of Wolverhampton stand, so if you're attending New Blood please do drop by.

Until next time
Anita Night

Grand Etsy store Opening!

Oh yes, it is quite grand indeed. I wonder if this shop will be noticed by anyone besides my poor fiancée who has to attend and look at all the things I set my mind to doing, and my friends who by now are probably sick of me and my constant blog spamming.

But back to the point. Hurraaay, I opened an Etsy.com shop today. It only features two items for sale as of yet, but I will probably be adding some more items as soon as I decide what to put up there.

Should you want to visit it, please do. You can find it here:

www.anitanight.etsy.com

I think the items for sale are priced very reasonably, considering the limited print run, and the techmical effort that has been put into the images. Hopefully someone will like them and purchase them.

Until next time
Anita Night

Nouveau

I did some doodles today while guarding the precious degree show exhibition from art thieves :p
(I guess they exist)

Sitting on your ass for four hours straight is not very satisfying. I brought a book and my sketching kit and got to work. I did some simple sketches, because I was bored. Something most illustrators seem to turn to when they are bored, be it work or just for fun. We seem to be unable to let go of the pencil and sketchpad sometimes.

Time went by faster than expected actually. When I got home I scanned my sketches, adjusted the contrast on the faces and added a nice little self made texture in Photoshop.

Until next time
Anita Night

Hip Pop Rocksy - Recent release!

I've got a project...can you believe it (well I guess it's not so unbelievable, I'm just not used to having someone wanting my artwork, since I'm still in Uni). I can't say too much about the specific specifics, but I'm terribly excited about it :p

I'm doing some artwork for Dilemmr and their Hip Pop Rocksy project.

They recently launched their project online and you can check it out at this address:

www.hippoprocksy.com

You can follow Rocksy the the rockstar on her missions through space and well wherever her jobs take her while listening to some of her specially recorded songs. Follow it on Twitter or on facebook, or even on MySpace.

A lot of things will be happening in the future and hopefully a lot of people will find the project intriguing and interesting so stay tuned. It really is worth looking in to.

Until next time
Anita Night