Searching for a Princess

So, on top of an already crazy-busy year for me, I took the plunge and signed up for Carla Sonheim's 'Year of the Fairy Tale' illustration course.  My regular readers will know how partial I am to folklore, myths, legends and fairytales, so this was one I just couldn't resist. 

I love that with Carla, drawing doesn't have to be 'realistic', we are encouraged to embrace free-form play with pencil and pen and just go for it. I actually really like the art in children's picture book illustrations to be 'stylised', a bit cartoony, animated manga, or folk-arty and that'd totally great by me. 

I also like the openness and innocence and freshness of one-off drawings without any eraser correction.

For the first assignment we are quickly sketching some faces for a character development study of our Princess. No eraser. Just ballpoint pen or pencil to paper.  Here are my first face sketches as I begin seeking my Princess....

So watch out for more sketches coming soon...of enchanted frogs & more, as I prepare the spot illustration part of this assignment for 'The Frog Princess' (The Tsarevna Frog) - a Russian Fairytale. 

Till then....
Blessings on the Beauty Way,

Catherine Athena xo

• • •My journey through the senses• • •

taste:: Fresh squeezed Grapefruit Juice is a refreshing burst of citrus to my senses
smell:: The divine scent Rose petals in my homemade tea-blend... so feminine-nurturing!
touch:: My cowgirl hat, putting a Star on it & getting ready for the sunshine
see:: Anna Karenina - indulging in the Russian vibe of storytelling.
hear:: Pharrell Williams -'Happy' (can't be anything but, listening to that song!)
think:: Things are coming together nicely, piece by piece
feel:: Ferociously busy of late but pacing it well.
read:: Course notes, course notes, course notes
intuit:: My life will be very different in a few months time! Massive astrological shifts are a'coming mid way through April!