Leanne Barrett: January 2018

Monday 29 January 2018

Slinking Fox


Chickens still dominated my mind this last week.
My adventurous flock needed some down time at home.
But things are never as quite as you would like at home.
Today the slinking fox has decided to drop in for a visit.

This illustration focuses on the villain for Week 5 of the CDWC theme of Hero/Villain.

Tuesday 23 January 2018

Bungee Chicken

The theme of this week's Character Design Weekly Challenge is Poultry (Week 4).

My fearless chickens that want to fly have returned. 

They have parachuted and walked the tightrope and now an adrenaline junkie chicken is BUNGEE JUMPING.

See below for my daredevil chickens and some other chickens that I drew while having my hairdresser appointment this morning.

Monday 22 January 2018

Lucky Draw to Win An Illustration

Winner Announced: Kerry Malone


Do you live in Australia?
Would you would like win one my Riding High hand-painted watercolour and ink illustrations?

It's very easy - Go to my website leannebarrett.com and subscribe to my Newsletter by 14 February 2018 at 11.59 pm AEDT.

Tuesday 16 January 2018

Jump

The theme of this week's Character Design Weekly Challenge is Jump/Stomp (Week 3).

I have illustrated a kangaroo jumping over the farm fence.

When my family lived on the farm I used to view this daily occurrence from the kitchen window.

This kitchen window view inspired the idea in my picture book ms of the little dog playing chases with the kangaroos.

Below are the individual images of each kangaroo illustration.

Sunday 14 January 2018

Toddler

This is my illustration for the Character Design Weekly Challenge Week 2: Toddler/Baby.

Over the last week I have been working my way through the Nina Rycroft online classes for faces and body proportions. While this illustration is still very static I am showing progress in being able to draw the face and proportions of the body. 

Plus I  have included one of the toy rabbits that I illustrated a few weeks ago.

I'm hoping the toddler with the toy rabbit will appear in the illustrations of the picture book that I am working on.

Those of you who are familiar with the coloured illustrations from the SCBWI 2017 Storytime Exhibition will notice that I have used the same colour palate for this toddler illustration.

Below is an image of my preparatory work for this illustration. I have used blue pencil as part of my initial sketching process. Utilising the teardrop shaped head and quartering line on the head for proportions of the face. I also draw in the skeleton and body to give the clothes some structure to hang on.

Friday 5 January 2018

A Bunny Infestation in Leanne's Drawings

I have been surrounded by rabbits the last few weeks and they are multiplying.

Like in nature you begin with a few bunnies and then their numbers explode.

It began with my sister wishing for an Christmas Bunny. (5 rabbits)
It then spread into the PET theme for the first week of the Character Design Weekly Challenge. (17 more rabbits) Continuing through to the Nina Rycroft online classesThe Art of Bunnies in Books. (add 60 more rabbits)
A total of 82 rabbits in the last month.

Oh there was also copying 21 rabbit faces from picture books. I spent a morning looking at the shapes of difference rabbit character's faces.
Grand total of 103 rabbit drawings.

Plus the viewing of rabbit photos on Pixabay and rabbit videos from YouTube.

Cute Baby Wild Rabbits Discover Spring
Cute Wild Baby Rabbits want a Feed / Wildlife in My Backyard



Christmas Bunny

Week 1 PET
Character Design Weekly Challenge


Leanne's copies of Nina's Rabbit and Easter Celebration Illustrations

Leanne's Toy Rabbit Illustrations