Holly Does Art

“Oh, monsters are scared,” said Lettie. “That’s why they’re monsters.”  The Ocean at the End of the Lane is such a magical story. ✨🌊  Print available now at the store!

I have a lot of art supplies. Like, A LOT. But here is what I carry day-to-day: Sketchbooks: Moleskine Canson These are my two favorite sketchbooks. I use the Moleskine for more practice, on-the-go sketches and the Canson is my favorite paper to really draw on, since it's mix media.  Depending on what I bag I bring, I usually have both with me.  Pocket Moleskine I also love tiny pocket sketchbooks/notebooks for smaller bags or just to thumbnail or jot down quick ideas. This Alice in Wonderland one is my current favorite. Pencil/Pen Cases: Kate Spade This is my favorite pencil case, because it's not only cute, but it lies flat and it's a decent size. I always have this with me. Wild and Wolf This is my larger pencil case for when I need to bring more supplies - different size pens, a small watercolor palette, brushes, etc. I recommend always have two cases ready to go: a small one for every day use, and a big...

A little concept art for a scary story. Love this color scheme!

Today I decided to do a piece that is inspired by one of my favorite illustrators, artists, writers, and filmmakers: Tim Burton. Nightmare Before Christmas Illustration by Tim Burton Tim Burton uses a lot of ink and has a loose, sketchy style. This illustration is my inspiration for this piece. It's from the original Nightmare Before Christmas poem, that I highly recommend this version of . It's all illustrated by Burton himself and it's beautiful. Amazon Anyway, here is my illustration: I went a ways darker with mine, but let me break down the process. This ink and watercolor, or you simulate it digitally. Start with the basic sketch. I drew two hills in and kept the trees very stick-like. The branches in this illustration start super high on the tree. Make sure to thicken the base of the trees and get thinner as the branches go further out. It's like drawing the letter "Y" over and over. I filled in the hills with loose,...

I’m giving away tix to see @thestrangers #PreyAtNight early on 3/6 in Los Angeles! You also get a prize pack and this art piece by me! Comment to enter! 💀💀💀 #strangersfanartcontest

John Tenniel John Tenniel is one of my favorite illustrators of all time. Following up last week's Inking Tutorial , I thought it'd be fun to demo a piece drawn in Tenniel's crosshatching/scribbling style. Tenniel is best known for his work in a little book you may have heard of called Alice in Wonderland. Alice in Wonderland The complexity of Tenniel's work is achieved by many layers of the simple techniques I covered. It's all very delicate scribbles and crossing lines to indicate shadow. I did this John Tenniel inspired illustration of a wolf in the forest. You can draw anything with this style, but Tenniel's technique works so well for natural backgrounds.  Start by blocking in the basic shapes with pencil. I use circles to block the wolf's body and some scribbly lines for the trees, rocks, and grass. Keep it loose. You can erase these later, or leave them as they will likely be covered.  Side note: Do you know the di...