Electrodes in your skull can improve your memory

Sounds like a scary idea, the illustration I came up with is a bit literal but it's (again) a work in progress. I really need to experiment with the colours for a while and maybe add some textures. So far though I am kinda happy with how it's turning out.

First replicating organism created in simulation

Summer Project: To illustrate the most popular stories in the NewScientist. The first one up is a story on how a computer simulation has produced the first self-replicating organism. I tried to find an animal shaped as something that can tessellate, but all I could really come up with (without knocking off Escher's fish illusions) was some snakes. Still a work in progress.... haven't got them all fitting together just yet. Also thinking they need something to make them more interesting......

Trip to America

IMG_2718
Originally uploaded by ailishsul

Took a great trip to the US as a great 21st celebration with my little sister. Was an amazing trip and photos are on flickr but drawings to come soon too.


Photos on:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ailish_sullivan/

Macmillan Nurse commission

Macmillan Cancer information center needed an illustration for their new leaflet. These two are some of the first drafts - second and final drafts soon to come! They are watercolour and pen drawings which show the main building at Mount Vernon Hospital.

W.I.P

Organising/ Curating an exhibition in London!

Opening night: 6 - 9pm 3rd June

running from 3 - 7, open 1-6 everyday.

Everyone Welcome!!!

http://www.facebook.com/magnolia.bird#!/event.php?eid=118950984805173

breaking out of the frame

Playing with the frame to give it more of a purpose.

Starting to think differently about the map....

Trying to find a more creative way to present the map. The map in the middle is still a rough but hopefully it gives you the idea.

Title page

the Iglot's ravens

Playing with the borders a bit by placing them perched on the edge with a bit of out of control paint leading off out of the border.

a rough mountain

A very rough, meant to be unstable looking landscape as it is meant to build some tension before the final scene.

Shameece and Meer

When Shameece meets the books equivalent of mother nature, Meer, in the form of a wolf. The tilted head of the wolf was meant to look curious but these images may have a little more work to do...

Oak and Shameece

This is the moment when Shameece, the main character, copies the form of the Oak tree outside her cave. She copies his form exactly and talking with him is very calming which is why I have left it very simple. Meant to be a double page spread.

Cave scene

Running into the cave. I really enjoyed making the cave texture and the figure hopefully fits well to explain the scene.

Iglot final

This may be the final image. Slightly obscured face is a bit unnerving hopefully and the composition leaves a lot of black space to think in.

losing control of the paint

Although the outcome looks a bit too pretty and not unpredictable and uncontrollable as I had hoped...

Beginning to enjoy again...

I was struggling a bit with the working in style with these drawings but I'm starting to to find ways of working. I'm hoping to create a mini narrative within the drawings which show a loss in the control of the paint as the fear in the novel increases in the central character and as the dark forces begin to take over the world. Fingers crossed this is the right way to go.

A couple of experiments

A couple of exeriments with style.

The Vespera Start

I met Kathleen Sullivan, an author in New York who has written a book about the adventures of Shameece, a girl in a world governed by the powers of truth and deceit. She has asked tat I do some black and white illustrations for the chapters within the book and a map which I have made as my final project. The first images I've been working on recently is the initial setting the scene to get the mood and style for the rest of the book.

This image is a small pen drawing which will hopefully be turned into an etching later on.

Tono-Bungay reference images

From my trip to Ireland this summer.

Mr Polly reference images

Lewisham reference photos

Images from a trip out to East London which I am hoping to use as reference photos for the final covers.

Tono-Bungay, kind of

Might be the cover, but I would love to add more colours to the sky.

Mr. Polly, maybe

Might be the cover of Mr. Polly but the figure looks like he is floating a bit too much.

Love and Mr Lewisham, hopefully

Might be the final image on the front cover of Mr. Lewisham now that I am happier with the arch than I was before.

small drawing

Small drawing of a scene in the Irish dunes.

A History of Mr. Polly

Cover plan, unfortunately the type messed up a little bit so needs another version.

Tono-Bungay

Hopefully close to the final cover of Tono-Bungay.

Random

Random landscapes but very much liked...

Finding images

Working on finding images to use for the front covers, I'm hoping I can repeat these images onto the texture of before while working on clearer text.

First covers...

Starting to plan how the covers will look. I liked the fact that the writing looked embossed. I hope it intrigues the reader enough while standing out but I need to make the writing more clear and easier to read.

I chose to use 'Love and Mr. Lewisham', 'A History of Mr. Polly' and 'Tono-bungay' because I hoped these all feel within the identity theme I was hoping to follow.

Idea Hopeful

The main idea for the front covers of a selection of H G Wells books. What I got from the books was that they were very much about identity and the changing or loss of this. Also, Wells presents the world from the view of the characters as very stiff and dignified so I used the stiff texture and cut out the main figure, making it recede.

Hoped it is clear enough to interest someone to read the book.... catching the eye of the reader seems to be more of a challenge if I want to stick to muted colours and textures that I enjoy.

Initial experiments

Getting back into watercolours which I love! Trying to experiment with the textures I used over the summer. This is made with modelling paste which is alot better than the arylic I used in the summer with watercolour painting over. Then I sanded down the picture to get a hazy effect. Definitely happy with it!

Download my red riding book!

- The website where you can download my book for free!

Hoooooo - the wise owl said.

Twiggy

The writing made of twigs I used for my most recent project.

Wrong is Right

Illustration for a book I wrote for the wrong is right christmas project. Although I now wish I did it on snow because there is so much of it right now!

Ebook - new generation

Hopefully the new generation of ebook illustrations... of little red riding hood. Very different from what i'm used to but working out ok.