My Art and Illustration Journey

The following show my illustration journey of where I started in 2016.

However, if you want to skip the story and head straight to my most recent art, and my published illustrations, please click here and here.​

2017
​ 52 Week Illustration Challenge

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I took a couple of paid 6 week illustration courses, watched YouTube tutorials, got books out of the library on different aspects of art and drawing. 
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And then I felt confident enough to offer to illustrate some short stories for a children's anthology. Initially, I offered to do illustrations for four stories. Then, as other authors involved saw the sneak peeks of the illustrations I'd completed for others, I was approached to do more. This was a huge learning curve and one I was grateful for. 

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 2019
​Black and white internal illustrations from the Creative Kids Tales Story Collection Vol. 2. Things that go Bump in the Night and Enchanted.

The Bright Flower

Smelly Bear

Down in the Deep Dark Forest

Sleipnir's children

Epona's Children

Supermoon and Fairy Dust

Riley to the Fear Monster

The high priestess from The Empty House

Difficult Daniel

And then came...

The publisher putting the Creative Kids Tales anthology together, saw my submitted illustrations and asked if I was available as an illustrator as she had an author looking for an illustrator for her picture book. And so, after a little bit of encouraging from an artist and illustrator friend, I said yes. And then I discovered that the author was a writer's group friend who lived in the next town. ("Why didn't she ask you herself?" I hear you say. Because I had said I wasn't ready, so she didn't push). After a year of being mentored by Nina Rycroft and working through the illustrations, My Princess Wears a Superhero Cape was released. 

2021
​Illustrations from, My Princess Wears a Superhero Cape by Melissa Gijsbers

Building a superhero hideout.

A princess' secret hideout.

A prince in the tower and a dragon at the base.

The princess invites the dragon for afternoon tea.

Illustrations from online challenges

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A personal artwork

The Grief Beast

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2022-2025
From the Pitch Perfect Portfolio Course by Margrete Lamond

As of the time of writing this in June 2025, I have nearly completed Pitch Perfect Portfolio course by Margrete Lamond that I started two years ago and have been slowly working my through the course. 

Throughout Modules 1-3, we were to use simple shapes for our characters. So, no arms or faces until Module 4. As the modules progressed, I learned many things which began to translate into the personal art projects I did on the side. I would often go down rabbit holes as I would come across concepts that were totally foreign to me. I felt I had to do this, to play around and experiment so I could gain a greater understanding and get the most out of the course.

Examples from Module 1 and 2

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Examples from Module 3. 

We weren't supposed to add arms or faces until Module 4. Occasionally, an arm would slip in, otherwise the action wouldn't make sense.  

​Below: 
The Planting of the Apple Tree by William Cullen Bryant (Shhh. I know. An arm slipped in here)

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Below: Tonal values, horizon lines, lighting, and shadows

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Below: Concentrating on tonal values and negative space to create mood. Oops. An arm slipped in there. 

Below: Some quirky houses in coloured pencil

Below: Some quirky trees in acrylics

Examples from Module 4

Woohoo! We get to add arms and facial expressions