theworldofsarah

bunnies, bunnies, bunnies…

I thought why not post them now…

I made the bunny by playing around with these two images:

I played with layer blending options and stuff…
Then I purchased the 3d model of the egg from Falling Pixel and played around with Photoshop CS3/CS4 3d functions where you can map an image onto the surface of a 3d file (obj or 3ds etc).  It didn’t work so well in CS3, but I downloaded the 30 day free trial of CS4 and they seem to have cleared up some of the bugs in this version.. so I was able to map Brora’s many fabric patterns onto the eggs!  If you’re really bored you can have a look around Brora and see some of the patterns…

Anyway, I’ve now created an easter basket full of these eggs and I’ve been working on an animation with the bunny all afternoon, and I’m mostly happy with it but can’t get Photoshop to export it at the same speed its previewing to me at.  I’ve been playing in Aftereffects and all sorts… I’m afraid I have to get back to some less exciting work now!

I will post the animation when I’m finished…

Goodness knows who is reading this…
but I thought I’d try to start using this site again.. My illustration aspirations have gone pretty stale lately, but I’m trying to revive them.

I’m actually working on some Easter imagery and animations for my current place of employment, Brora, and I will post some of these here later this week (lots of cute bunnies!).

In the meantime, I was just going to link in this cool video which has been created to look like some sort of animation, but is actually made of real footage:

I think this was already linked in to the drawn.ca blog listed under my ‘links’ on the right here.. but I don’t always get a chance to scroll through the myraid of posts on that site.. and maybe you don’t either, so I thought I would point it out.

Its made by Keith Loutit, using a technic called tiltshift.  The drawn.ca blog mentioned this technique a while ago and showed a step by step guide on how to reproduce the effect..  I cannot remember if I think I tried this out myself or if I simply read the step-by-step and felt like I’d tried it out… in any case, its a neat trick.

This is a pretty generic blog - just to give you a bit of an update…

I’m afraid I have put my illustration aspirations on hold for just a short while - I have recently accepted a new job as a Creative Artworker in Stevenage, and this means I am madly attempting to buy a car, etc. to make this transition.  I won’t bore you with the details, but this site may be a bit quiet for the next few weeks while I do all of this… I hope to pick up where I left off soon by setting myself more meaningful projects and posting the results here.

I don’t imagine this site has much traffic just now anyway..
but if you have stumbled upon this site looking for a freelance illustrator, please feel free to contact me!  I am eager to start with some commissions!

ta ta for now…

Well, I’ve have a pretty hectic time at my full time job this week.  Not had much extra energy to do any more illustration work.  However, today I sat down and challenged myself to come up with a new book cover design for Bill Bryson’s Notes from a Small Island.  This is mainly because I never liked the illustration on the cover - and it happens to be the last proper book I’ve read.  I’m a bit disappointed with my cover, however… I seem to have made a very graphic cover, when I really wanted to showcase my illustration.  I think I’m just easing myself into the whole thing - I create more graphic material at work at the moment, so it probably feels safer to me.  I’m hoping to take the next month to develop my whole process - working out the easiest way for me to approach a new illustration project. 

In any case, I thought I would show you the cover I have made, even if I’m not terribly happy with it at the moment (it is, after all, just an excercise).

Here is the original cover design which I’m not too fond of:

And here is my cover:

Any comments welcome, of course…

I thought I would start by posting a couple of recent sketches.. Both of these are done simply ink on paper.  I did each one on an hour long break from work.  The sculptures here can be found at the current exhibition - Return of the Gods: Neoclassical Sculpture at Tate Britain.

As you will have already read, my name is Sarah Jenkins, and I am an artist, illustrator and designer living in the London area - actually North West of London - in Chesham, Buckinghamshire.  I am currently working as a Desk Top Publishing Operator at Tate Britain, and I am launching this website to advertise myself as a freelance illustrator.  I have always had excellent drawing skills and a strong interest in all kinds of art.  If you visit my personal website, www.swanpillows.com, you will see examples of my wacky installation/sculptural/conceptual work which I produced during the three years of my BA Fine Art course at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College.  You will also find details about exhibitions I have participated in, as well as some design work, animations and links.

Over the next week, I will be submitting my work and website to various websites such as Illustration Mundo in an attempt to get some freelance illustration commissions.  As I produce work, I plan to write on this blog - plotting my progression.  I am also planning on setting myself several tasks to develop my portfolio.  One of these will be designing a book cover, and I am also keen to create some drawings for a possible children’s book. 

Please feel free to leave comments of feedback and/or advice…

Yay!

The new site and blog are up and running!