The title will be something like “the team north” or “the northern buddies”…maybe.
They are animals living in Hokkaido, the northern island in Japan.
I’ve been drawing trees since last Dec because I am going to have a solo show in Sep.
The show items currently ready for the show are here.
In this process, I’ve tried many different ways to draw trees, and for this particular piece, I am trying Jamie Hewlet’s approach to tree drawings.
When I first found his tree drawings on Pinterest, I was blown away by his bold, but very convincing approach.
So much so that I could not help but try it for myself.
Now that I actually tried his method in my new work, it is too fun.
It is so fun that I cannot leave my desk for hours.
Hi Teresa, thank you so much for your kind words. It is so much fun to try this new method. I think the way Jamie handles tree drawings is very much cartoonist-like. They are the pro of pro when it comes to black and white drawings. But while I’ve been working on this project, I’ve come to realise that I cannot completely copy his approach probably due to the difference in the size of the drawing. So I’ve decided to mix my own method for this particular piece. Look forward to seeing how it will turn out for myself!
I understand that. I have really enjoyed learning ways to use colored ink. I enjoy both using the detail brushes and stippling. Now I just need to figure a way of using stippling with a nib pen or maybe toothpicks! I have a lot to learn and figure out but am enjoying the process.
The style you are shaping with this new technique is really nice. I look forward to seeing more.
Wow, Maki, the change with all the added values is stunning! The textures are wonderfully done. This has to be one of my favorite pieces you’ve done! Just beautiful!
Hello @Brenda, @robichon, thank you so much for your kind words.
Well, to my surprise, there’s somebody who’s requested a print of this work even before it is complete. The request came when I shared the first WIP photo. How could she know for so sure that it would turn out to be something up to her expectation? That’s how I feel because I know that this work has still a long way to go…actually, I needed to spend the whole day to consider the designing aspect of this work yesterday. What makes the particular work by Jamie so amazing is not only how he handles the values and textures of the main tree. The surrounding small branches, the shadows, and the way they are laid out…all these designing aspect play a huge role in making his work a success. In my work, though, there are many animals added, the shape of the main tree is more complex, so I cannot do exactly the same thing as he did in my own work. I must figure out the best way to allocate some small branches for this work. I did tons of trials digitally, and looks like I’ve found it. But I still need to think and try more. After deciding how the small branches should be added to the scene, I recheck the entire work and do tons of correcting jobs. You see, there’s indeed a looooooooooong way to go!
Thank you so much for your kind words, Teresa. It took me the whole two days to analyse the current work to identify where exactly I should add the smaller branches. I wanted to make the addition to a minimum, so I needed to find out the places where the small branches are necessary considering the overall balance of the work. Some more small branches are to be added so that the additions make sense as tree branches at the final fine-tuning phase of this piece.
That’s how I feel because I know that this work has still a long way to go…actually, I needed to spend the whole day to consider the designing aspect of this work yesterday. What makes the particular work by Jamie so amazing is not only how he handles the values and textures of the main tree. The surrounding small branches, the shadows, and the way they are laid out…all these designing aspect play a huge role in making his work a success. In my work, though, there are many animals added, the shape of the main tree is more complex, so I cannot do exactly the same thing as he did in my own work. I must figure out the best way to allocate some small branches for this work. I did tons of trials digitally, and looks like I’ve found it. But I still need to think and try more. After deciding how the small branches should be added to the scene, I recheck the entire work and do tons of correcting jobs. You see, there’s indeed a looooooooooong way to go! 
