New Grimm's Fairytales Artwork

A short post for those who have not seen my latest output:

'The Fox and the Cat'

watercolour and gouache

24 x 13cm

'Shoemaking Elves'

watercolour and gouache

24 x 13cm

'The Raven'

watercolour and gouache

24 x 13cm

'The Cat and Mouse In Partnership'

watercolour and gouache

24 x 13cm

Some of you may have spotted these illustrations are all inspired by Grimm's Fairytales. I will be producing more illustrations based on the well-known tales very soon.

Interview by Elizabeth Dulemba

Elizabeth Dulemba has kindly interviewed me about my illustrations for 'Paisley Rabbit and the Treehouse Contest'. You can read it here - https://dulemba.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/chris-dunns-paisley-rabbit_25.html :)

The book will be released on 1st March. You can pre-order a copy now through amazon.

Christmas 2017

A surprise Christmas party for Paisley's little brother.

Merry Christmas everybody!!

Here's a festive illustration from 'Paisley Rabbit and the Treehouse Contest' which is due for release in March 2018. You can see lots more images from the story on my website, and you can now pre-order the book from all international variants of amazon. For example:

Paisley Rabbit and the Treehouse Contest at amazon.co.uk, amazon.com, amazon.fr or how about Canada, Russia, Spain... you get the picture!

Paisley Rabbit Cover, Leaf By Leaf (Part 2)

Now for the second instalment of 'showing you how I created the book cover artwork for Paisley Rabbit And The Treehouse Contest.' You can see the first part of this post here.

I left you poised to start laying in the basic colours for Paisley Rabbit and the flycatcher birds. Below you can see that stage completed. I tend to take these photos at the end of a day's painting, not stage-by-stage, so in this shot you can also see I have started to define the creeping ivy.

White spaces filled in and looking vaguely like animals.

The following day I removed all the masking fluid, leaving some very pale speckling across the bark. I decided to do that now so I could keep on adding paint to the branches, and gradually soften and darken those areas that had previously been protected by masking fluid. Sometimes I take away the mask too early and there is not much difference in tone between the applications of watercolour. Then other times, I remove the mask too late and it looks like somebody has sneezed all over the painting!

Mask off - may the true painting identify itself.

By this stage I was in the usual tonal/contrast dilemma that all my paintings go through. I wanted to make sure the top canopy was suitably dark enough to make centre strong in contrast. The left side of Paisley is lit, placing the other side of the ivy and branch in relative darkness. I really wanted to push that 3D contrast by matching it to the dark tones in the canopy.

Sloshing lots of paint with a big brush.

I was really piling on the paint, keeping things loose with the hope I could define the leaves at a later time.

Leaves become more defined.

Above you can see how I managed to outline individual leaves, by scrubbing back paint and creating contrasting hard edges where I could, particularly in the ivy. By now I was beginning to think this painting would never end.

Darker branches to create a separation between foreground and background

Finally I'm towards the end of the watercolour (and my wits) here. I was concerned the image would be a full frontal assault of green, with very little breathing space. How could I solve that problem? By adding more green of course! The logic was to darken the main branch of the tree, in the hope of pushing back the leaves in the background. I think it worked. You can see the finished painting below and really get an understanding of how much darker the canopy and main branch have become.

You can also spot all the little bits of pastel cerulean blue gouache and yellow ochre I used to further define the leaves and create a little bit of cool reflected light in the shaded areas.

Paisley Rabbit Book Cover
Watercolour and Gouache
42 x 55cm

Now the painting is finished, the next step is to decide on a suitable layout for the text. Once that is completed I will of course dutifully post the fruits of my labour on this 'ere blog. Until that time, take care and don't decide to paint an overly-complicated series of branches and leaves, unless you wish to loose your sanity!

Paisley Rabbit Cover, Leaf By Leaf (Part 1)

The approved rough design for the book cover

Last week I started work on the final painting for the book cover of Paisley Rabbit and the Treehouse Contest. Naturally this is one of, possibly the most important illustrations for the book, so I decided to enlarge the painting even further than normal to give me maximum room to create a really detailed and luscious watercolour illustration. Now, as I am still in the process of throwing paint at paper, there is no guarantee the finished piece will be luscious, at least I have given myself plenty of room to succeed (or fail).

As I type this, I'm probably not even halfway through the painting so I could be documenting a monumental flop. However I'm going to risk airing my underwear in public and if you don't like what you see, you can always 'unfollow' me and set fire to your PC, laptop, or whatever device you view the great worldwide web on.

Exhibit A - fuzzy photo of fuzzy pencil line

Above is the line drawing on stretched watercolour paper (Arches HP). Before I begin painting, I always email an image of the linework to my client to make sure no major changes are needed and I am good to proceed with colour. After all, pencil is much easier to erase than paint!

This linework is slightly different than normal in that I have been very selective in what I choose to outline. Normally I would treat the whole area of the image the same and outline all the aspects of the composition. However if I were to be so thorough and draw every single leaf, you can imagine how much longer the process would take. Instead I opted to draw the leaves that were pivotal to the cover (such as those interacting with Paisley Rabbit and where the title box would appear) and leave space for the others that would gradually appear organically from the shapes I created with the watercolour.

Wet-in-wet watercolour fun

Once the pencil drawing was approved, I began wetting the whole surface of the painting and then grabbed a large flat brush and started to slap lots of Prussian blue, cobalt blue, cadmium yellow and lemon yellow around the paper. This is my favourite stage in most paintings as I start to see things emerge as the wet colours interact. I juggle between what naturally happens with the paint and how my reference is telling me what the tree should look like.

During a reference trip in October I found this great oak near my home

This ivy was climbing up a gatehouse at Stourhead. I took this photo nearly 7 years ago!

Blocking in - choosing what to put in and 'leave' out.

After the wet-in-wet stage, I dried the paper with a hair dryer and started to block in the basic shapes and colours for the whole image. For this I used the same colours and also scrubbed out lots of paint too, especially where the blue sky was too dark and thus competing with the leaves for attention (I should have refrained from using cobalt blue!). I'm very concerned about creating depth in this image as the composition is very cropped with a very shallow depth of field.

The next job is to block in the basic colours for Paisley Rabbit and the birds (flycatchers). Once they are reasonably defined, I will return to the tree and really work hard on developing darker tones and form in the branches and upper leaves.

Until next time...

25% Off Signed Limited Edition Prints

Here's a little New Year's gift to you all.

In other news I have recently completed this illustration for 'Paisley Rabbit & the Treehouse Contest'.

31 x 39cm watercolour and gouache

Here Paisley is meeting the site manager and architect as they, and the construction team, begin work on building Paisley's treehouse.

As you can see, I started out with a cobalt blue underpainting, in the hope all the shadows would remain cool which would create a nice contrast with the warm spots of dappled light. I must confess, once the watercolour painting was completed, I did introduce some pastel cobalt gouache to the shadow areas on the trucks.

Merry Christmas

Watch out for that tree, Santa!

Polar Bear Santa would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas (and so would I)!! If you decide to leave out some biscuits and milk for the big bear, please remember Mrs Claus has put him on a strict diet, so the vittles will have to be digestives (without chocolate) and skimmed milk only. Do not, under any circumstances, serve mince pies or sherry - you have permission to save those for yourself.

Here's the linework on watercolour paper just before I started to paint. See if you can spot any changes I made later on as I painted (there is extra holly).

'Paisley Rabbit and the Treehouse Contest' Continued

My last post on 'Paisley' gave you a sneaky peak at the huge treehouse cross-section I was working on - click here. Thankfully I eventually finished it and I'm going to show you the whole full colour version, including lots of details hitherto unseen on the web!

The Treehouse Cross-Section, watercolour and gouache 53 x 102cm

This took me roughly 30 days to complete and really pushed my studio's capabilities. For example the painting, when stretched on board, didn't fit my easel so I had to work with it propped against the wall. Also most of the time I was stood with my back against the opposite wall trying to take in the whole image as it progressed. You will see in the shots below, it was very easy to get lost in the details of this illustration and forget about how the whole painting should be knitted together with a consistency in colour, tone and level of detail.

A ball pool with individually painted plastic balls. Why, Chris, why!?

A well stocked cellar ready for Christmas festivities.

No treehouse is complete without a cinema

An American diner, because it's the 1950s (and America).

I think we'd all love an entrance hall like this.

Paisley's on personal library, with a secret staircase running through a hollow branch.

 

More Paisley Rabbit And The Tree House Contest

Here's a short follow up to my even shorter post last month. Below you can see the completed single page illustration of Mr Otter sat in a muddy puddle after failing in his first tree house building attempt.

"All under control - nothing to see here."

The next illustration I have been working on (and expect to be still working on it for weeks ahead) is the cross section of Paisley's magnificent tree house. The rough design for the tree house was a challenge, so goodness knows what state my brain will be in when I complete the final illustration. I can see myself sitting in the corner of the studio floor, staring, slack-jawed and unresponsive. Some people would probably not notice any difference in me!

One tree house to rule them all...

Propped up against my studio wall, and measuring over a metre in height. This watercolour is a challenge on all levels.

Circus Parade

A fortnight ago I finally finished 'Circus Parade'. Apologies for not posting the finished painting until now. Anyway, better late than never...

Circus Parade
90 x 50cm
Watercolour & Gouache

I hope it meets your approval. The painting was certainly an intense experience, especially when it came to painting the audience. Sometimes I wonder why I put myself through it!!

At the moment I am undecided as to whether I think this final painting was a success, which is my typical response upon completing a large painting that took longer than a week to paint. However once I have a good break from seeing it (about 2 months), I will be able to assess it properly.

Cushy Cushions!

You can now buy cushions featuring my illustrations through 'Signature At Home'. The cushion backs are a nice purple, but eventually the red backs (as seen in the photos) will be available as well.
Just search for 'Chris Dunn'.

Here's the link - http://www.signatureathome.com/search?q=chris+dunn&submit 
Photos by http://www.photo-sensitive.co.uk/

'Circus Parade' Work In Progress

For the last six days I have been working intensely on this large 90 x 50cm watercolour painting. It might not be a mural but it's large enough for me!

Fuzzy photo time! Still using the drafting I was given when I was a school boy.

You can see I returned to the usual sepia tonal under-painting to maintain a warm hue throughout the image. I decided if all the action is inside a tent lit by gas lamps, without natural light, then all the shadows are going to be warm.

Fuzzy / wonky photo! Note the reflected warm light on the underside of the elephants.

Once the under-painting was completed, I blocked in all the local colour for every single character and object. In the process of 'blocking-in', I suddenly realised I needed to roughly outline most of the audience, using sepia, in order to create a mass of shapes that would convince the viewer they were looking at a group of seated animals. This took a  l  o  n  g  time, not surprisingly, but as I introduced local colour, when I returned to 'blocking-in', the effect was as intended and so worth the effort.

Final fuzzy photo! The current state of the painting, waiting in my studio for Monday morning.

Local colour down, I started to really render each individual character in the parade as best I could, starting from the left and moving across. I'm still in that tight rendering process now, but I'm happy with my progress. At this rate, I should be finished late next week - unless I run away to the circus.

Paisley Rabbit And The Treehouse Contest

If you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen my latest book illustration project, 'Paisley Rabbit And The Treehouse Contest' written by the wonderful Steve Richardson.

https://www.facebook.com/Paisley-Rabbit-and-the-Tree-House-Contest-1388441301462594/?ref=hl

However for those without Facebook accounts, I thought you might appreciate a post or two featuring some artwork.

Paisley excitedly tells her brother all about the treehouse building contest between her and her school friends.

During Halloween, Jimmy Squirrel goads paisley as the contest heats up.

So far I have completed just two colour illustrations (above) but I have roughed out the rest of the book. Below you can see just some of the drawings ready to be transformed into watercolour paintings.

Paisley and friends meet up to discuss plans for the contest.

Paisley finds help in the big city

Treehouse building gets underway.

There is a lot of work ahead, but I'm really excited about this book so I'm sure time will fly as i work on it. Every so often I will blog my progress with the finished illustrations, and don't forget you can follow me on Facebook to see more regular posts.

For more great children's books by Steve Richardson, visit his author page on Amazon.

'A Maths Lesson'

I've recently finished two paintings, the first being 'A Maths Lesson'.

A Maths Lesson

Watercolour / Gouache

24 x 31cm 

This particular scene was requested by Olivier, my fantastic client at Galerie Daniel Maghen. Mostly I conjure up the scenes and stories I want to depict in paint but every now and then Olivier has a great suggestion which I can then develop.

Initially I began with the teacher at the front of the class and all the pupils paying attention without any funny business going on. However as I progressed with my rough sketch I suddenly found that the young mole was passing a love note to the bunny next to him. Once those two characters had been fully realised another bunny decided to make himself known by appearing on the edge of the painting in order to observe the progress of the love note. Has the note been passed on from bunny to bunny via the little mole or is that a look of jealousy the male bunny is shooting at the mole? You decide.

Incidentally I have since been informed that this class must be in detention. Apparently school finishes at 3.00pm these days. I remember the good old days of being stuck inside until 3.30 before even thinking of finishing for the day.

Momo & The Totobrats

The front cover

Momo & The Totobrats written by Wendy Hesketh and illustrated by me is now available to purchase through amazon. This is the first children's book I have illustrated and therefore it's been a steep learning curve.

Momo (the main character) is a very spoiled little boy who is given everything he wants by his doting parents and grandmother, but they forget to teach him any manners. Momo pushes people around, jumps in front of queues and snatches other people's things. He has no friends. When he meets the Totobrats, he learns a lot about himself.

This book is good for teaching young children manners. It is especially useful for teaching children who have special educational needs, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Parents of all children, but especially those with ADHD, will also find it useful as a way to discuss and encourage positive behaviours.

Some of the interior pages

The style of artwork is very different to the paintings I have been posting more recently here on the blog and that is because I worked on Momo & The Totobrats two years ago. Way before I had a firm hold on my style of artwork and what I was going to do with it. I'm glad I decided to pursue a traditional watercolour wash with coloured pencil technique for the book's 28 illustrations otherwise I might still be working on the book now!

Hot Off The Press...

A proof of my first (to be) published children's book is here!

It's called Momo & The Totobrats, written by the wonderful Wendy Hesketh and illustrated by yours truly.

 

Pied Piper

 Pied Piper

Watercolour / Gouache

24 x 31cm

Here's 'Pied Piper' finished, he seems to be playing a jaunty little number to go with his outlandish get-up.

Again this was another challenge for me, to date I have never completed a satisfactory medieval street. I can only guess the multiple storeys each one overlapping the one below is the main architectural detail I tend to struggle depicting. However reference is key and I managed to use a few old illustrations for guidance and a photograph of St John's alley in Devizes which I took years ago.

Lots of gouache went into the chickens to help define their features and bring the wing forward on the front hen. I was also pleased with the shadow being cast over the brood of chickens in the middle-ground which contrasts nicely with the birds farther back in bright sunlight (but also a lighter tonal range to suggest atmospheric perspective).

Illustration For A Children's Book...

Previously I have posted a map for a children's book and now I can show you the beginnings of an interior colour illustration for the same book.

Above you can see the two roughs I produced to flesh out my favourite thumbnail sketch. On the top is a line drawing designed to show where it character appears in the composition, beneath that is a smaller sketch that outlines the basic values in the composition.

I quickly came to realise that a simple 3 value structure would apply to this painting - dark foreground, mid-tone middle-ground and light background. Dan dos Santos has done a fantastic post about this compositional technique on Muddy Colors.

So here we have a more detail sketch which shows the value structure I was after. As you can see the car has done a disappearing act and the main characters have been enlarged and their poses tweaked.

Hopefully in the next week I will get permission to show you the finished illustration.