Today I'd like to invite you to discover my store's very first illustration collection. It's an opportunity to get to the heart of the illustrations, but also to discover what goes on behind the scenes and the whole creative process.
The beginning of the illustration collection
It all started over a year and a half ago, when I decided to become a freelance illustrator. There were so many things to put in place: studying the market, taking care of the administration, opening an online store, finding printers and a whole host of other things that I'll perhaps detail in another article. But first, I needed a first project to present on my store.
So, an illustration in poster form was nice, but a bit bland on its own, so I had to go a bit further. As a result, I decided to create a collection of several illustrations, but also with different formats, which are currently posters, cards and stickers.
With that I had a base and could start working on the creative part of this first project, I was so excited!
The theme of the collection
Okay, so I had a little starting point, but that wasn't everything. I still had to decide on the theme and the number of illustrations I was going to do for each format. Except I'd never thought about it that way before. It wasn't easy, I felt quite stuck and every time I tried to think about it, it was impossible to move forward and I always ended up feeling more frustrated than anything else.
Until, to think of something else, I started making sketches in a notebook: a little cat, eyes, chibis' heads and so on, until I came up with the first stripe, then another. And then, of course, I thought, "Why not stingrays?Of course, as I found the initial idea a little simple, I wanted to add a little touch of "Kath", a little fantasy. That's why the feather idea came quite naturally to me. I'm very fond of feathers, as they're a sign of lightness, delicacy and softness, which can easily be linked to writing and drawing too.
Once I had this idea in my head, I started sketching and testing in my little notebook, and I was thrilled again!
The illustrations
Great, I finally had some sketches to work with!After a small selection and a few photos of the ladies, it was time to move on to the real illustrations on the computer. This gave birth to the orange, blue, beige and black Mantas you're familiar with, each available as posters, cards and stickers.
At this stage, I was pretty happy with my work, having created a colorful and frivolous collection. But there was still something missing, a link between all these magnificent little creatures and, above all, a more developed illustration that would arouse more emotion and interest.
That's when I created the "First Manta World" and the Manta Universe.This illustration took the longest to create, but was also the one I enjoyed the most, despite a few technical problems with the file and the printer.
Feathered Mantas
This is their story.
Feathered Mantas are fantastic creatures, not aquatic as you might think, but aerial. Today, they can be seen in the skies of every known world, but it's important to know that they all originate from the same world, "The First World". This world resembles a large, woman-shaped bubble. Yes, absolutely every Manta is born, their first light, their first color and their sisters in this world. But as soon as they reach adolescence, they must leave this world for another of their choice, where they must fulfill the mission of ensuring peace within it.
To tell you the truth, this short story is still very close to my heart, because for me, this first world is like the transcription of my own personal bubble, the one in which I create each of my projects, each of my illustrations, which in this case are represented by the Mantas and which are destined to bring joy and happiness to their future home.
About the store
If you've been following my work since the beginning, you may know that. Initially, the collection was to have consisted of posters, stickers and not cards, but phone covers. Of course, as things don't always work out the way you want them to, my printer gave up on me and, after further research on that side, I had to fall back on another who didn't offer me attractive enough prices on the covers. I still wanted to offer at least three different types of product. To do this, I had to evaluate other options, and the card option seemed the best. As a result, the collection now comprises 16 different products, including six posters, five cards and five stickers.
Conclusion
As you can see, this collection is much more than just a series of illustrations. It's my very first collection, the beginning of my adventure as an illustrator, and the first piece of myself I'm offering you.
I sincerely hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and that you'll be transported straight into my colorful, sweet world. So, if you do, don't forget that it's still available on my boutique and that it can also be a superb gift for your loved ones.
Thank you for accompanying me on this artistic adventure. Feel free to discover more on my site, subscribe to receive the latest articles directly in your mailbox and explore the rest of our creations. ❤️
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