Halflings

This was painted to entertain an idea that had been brewing for a couple of months. Based loosely on The Hobbit, this self-pleasing piece gave me the opportunity to live out a childhood fantasy to illustrate for book covers.

Coincidentally, this was painted while I was teaching a class of 1st year animation students who had started the course in the middle of the year. To avoid confusion with another 1st year animation class that had started at the beginning of the year, these July intake students had been 'fondly' referred to as the Halflings.

The Sweet Shop

This is what the final emblem looks like after the finished illustration has been treated with a layer of noise and colour filter to give it a quaint storybook look.

The Crown and the Shield

The Maori Girl

The retro and sometimes cheeky nature of the commercials concocted by The Sweet Shop are probably best represented here by this topless Maori lass in a pose very much inspired by 50s pin-up beauties. She was probably the hardest element in the emblem to get right. Her skirt was especially tricky as I had wanted to give it a woven look without looking like it had been overworked.

The Moa

A relative of the emu and cassowary, the giant moa has never really been depicted as a demure creature. We were hoping that the viewer would find amusement in this departure from the more common majestic poses often seen in books and museums.

The Seagull and the Trout

The ridiculous size relationship between the seagull and the trout is one of the elements used to reflect the rather playful and whimsical quality of the company.

The Butterflies

These are some of the butterflies that appear in the final emblem. They are actually really tiny in the final illustration, but I painted them on a fairly large scale in case The Sweet Shop wants to use them as individual elements in the future.

The Fantails

I was contracted by The Sweet Shop a few months ago to produce an illustrated emblem for their company. These two fantails are just some of the elements that appear in the final illustration. I thought I would post these close-ups first before posting the finished emblem. I shall post the other elements in the coming days.

Niue

Amid vast ocean the islands scattered, as if by careless hand;
She waits upon a distant promise, no tide doth sway Niue,
Her feet fall steady, her gaze holds true,
Born of sea but breath'd on land;
Of sands that warm each absent kiss, take flight! saith my Niue

-Rebecca