There are instances when I can look back at my progress and pinpoint where I really gained traction with daily practice. This illustration is a clear cut one for me.
When I look at it, I know (and vividly recall) it’s one of the first times I really tried to shade my work and give depth with cross hatching. It’s funny to think of how foreign those pen strokes felt then, compared to how quickly and freely I do it now. Cross hatching is really laying pen over pen in two directions- And if you can’t tell from my work, I am quite particular. Things go where they go, they don’t touch. They don’t overlap. They aren’t messy. They’re relatively controlled.
“Royal” - Original Illustration
This all goes out the window with cross hatching, and I definitely felt like I was just ruining the piece as I did it. It was hard to trust that I would lean back, zoom out, and it would give a desirable effect.
I got through it though! This turned into one of my favourite and likely most versatile pieces. I’ve worked it into a lot of products, and admittedly a TON of puns. I often call the vinyl stickers my “wee bees”, and my business card that shows it my “free-bee”- especially when handing it to kids because it’s like a free mini print. I met the couple who had purchased the original at Artisan’s on Main and instantly said “You’re the bee keepers!”- I low key loved meeting them and knowing who now has this piece.
While the original is off to it’s forever home, I do sell prints of this piece. Prints, cards, and a great vinyl sticker! I’ve had it on my own car for just under a year, and it’s not going anywhere. Actually it’s on my water bottle as well!
You can find “Royal” as an 8” x 10” print, as a blank greeting card (often framed as a mini print) and of course as the vinyl sticker. It’s an excellent gift, well loved by many!