'Twilight: Alice & Jasper' 9x6" ink & wash © 2010 Klair Scattergood

In readiness for the new film next week and since I hadn’t actually read them yet, I spent last week listening to the audiobooks of Twilight, New Moon & Eclipse. I have Breaking Dawn all ready to go as soon as I’ve seen the film of Eclipse. I also have the Bree Tanner novella and I might listen to that while I wait to see the film. My favourite character is definitely Alice, the dark Tinkerbell. Jasper comes a close second. I much prefer them to the emo kids Bella & Edward, so I thought I’d do an illustration of them.

This is one of my favourite techniques for drawing stylised portraits. I used 300lb archival extra smooth HP watercolour paper and Parker archival permanent black ink, which is permanent but not waterproof (yes, there’s a difference!). I drew I the outlines first, then added darker lines where the shadows should be and finally I used plain water to dilute the ink and create washes for the shadows. The nature of the ink means you get a kind of marbling effect, which you can see on his shirt, where the ink separates into different colours. This ink separates into greens and yellows, giving a stone-like quality to the colouring which is particularly appropriate for this one!

I’ll get a decent scan of this when it’s dry and then it’ll be matted. I’m offering here on my site first for £19 + P&P on a first come, first served basis. If you’re interested in purchasing it for your own Twilight fan email me at rhomany{at}gmail{dot}com.

'China Blue' 9x12" Ink on watercolour paper (original) © 2010 Klair Scattergood

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Or maybe you’re the other way. Your word of the year has bolstered your confidence and now the kids are packed off to school you’re attacking your passions with new vigour. You’ve got your new habit nailed, you’re thinking about booking your summer holidays and finally the nights are drawing out and you no longer feel like you’re living cocooned in Dracula’s lair.

For this prompt, write about how you’re feeling and create a plan of attack to go with it. Do you need a pick me up? A little treat to blow away the midwinter blues? Or maybe you need a day off to review your whirlwind schedule and take a breath? Do you need to get started on that word of yours before it’s February already? Or do you need to find some motivation to keep going at what you’ve started?

So far my month is going OK, but then January is always just treading water for me. It’s just killing time between christmas and my birthday. But now I’m in the final week and I feel much perkier. Lots to do before Friday, lots to do before the end of the month and lots of pots on the boil that I need to keep simmering gently.

So far, so good.

"That January Feeling" 8x12" art journaling page © 2010 Klair Scattergood

This page is done in an ink and wash style like ‘La Parisienne‘ from last week. I really enjoy doing this very loose but colourful style and I want to explore it some more, so expect to see some more like this in the next month or so.