Category: Heroines series

Heroines series, Uncategorized

Before and After + Visa Update

Vanessa

After spending nearly three hours waiting and worrying at the application centre yesterday, I have been approved for Further Leave to Remain in the UK for two and a half years!  This means, among other things, that I can finally start working again.  I am in the process of getting a National Insurance Number, and will be getting in touch with clients later today.

Here’s a look at my progress on Uhura from Star Trek.  I still need to add a simple background, and maybe play around with some effects to make it look a bit more 1960s.

And, before I forget, I have added a contact section to the site.  Now, you can email me through the form or send me a message via Twitter.  Now that I am allowed to accept freelance work again, I will be adding more contact information for prospective clients.  Watch this page for more updates!

Heroines series, Uncategorized

“Make Good Art”

Vanessa

“Life is sometimes hard. Things go wrong, in life and in love and in business and in friendship and in health and in all the other ways that life can go wrong. And when things get tough, this is what you should do.

“Make good art.”

Neil Gaiman

I’m having a hard time getting motivated to work on things tonight, despite the fact that I have a lot of free time and even more ideas and ongoing projects with which to fill it.  Now, close to midnight, after reading some art blogs and re-reading the speech above, I’m getting a little more active.

I managed to finish filling in the flat colours on yesterday’s Uhura drawing and started on the shading.  Here’s a look at my progress so far:

I started by shortening her right forearm, which looked much too long to me when I saw it again this morning.  I then put in all the flat colours and have now moved on shading, highlighting, and changing the colour of the lineart itself.  I’ll shade this a bit more after I’ve had something to eat, and then there are a million other things I want to work on.

Comics, Heroines series, Sketch Dailies, Uncategorized

Keeping Busy

Vanessa

Hello!  My name is Vanessa Ellis.  I’m a freelance illustrator from the US, now living in London after getting married.  I’m not allowed to work right now (hopefully this will change by the end of the month), but I have so many personal projects to keep me busy while I wait.  Here’s a bit of what I’m working on right now:

  • Sketch Dailies:  This Twitter account gives a new drawing prompt every day.  I have fallen behind due to preparations for the next stage of my visa and other projects, but this has been getting me back into the habit of drawing every day.
  • Fan Art:  Before I moved, I had started on a series of drawings of awesome female characters from my childood, and now I’m getting back to that.  Currently I’m working on a drawing of Lt. Uhura from Star Trek to add to this collection!
  • Collaborations with my husband:  We’re working together on a fan comic for one of our favourite cartoons, the tragically short-lived Batman Beyond spinoff The Zeta Project.

There’s more to come.  In fact, I’m getting ready to sign off and get back to work on a few things.  Keep an eye on this blog for more updates!