A little experiment with a simple subject matter, the humble but super healthy avocado fruit. A lot of people believe the majority of my work is made with watercolour and ink, yet this is not the case as I usually don't use any ink. So! I thought I would give ink a go - here is a comparison showing the two techniques on different illustrations of the same subject.

Here is my regular go-to technique, simply graphite and watercolour:

And below are more avocado studies, this time using watercolour and ink:

I really enjoyed using the ink with my watercolour - surprisingly it is also a little quicker to complete than my usual graphite and watercolour technique. It does seem to create a different overall look to the illustration, perhaps a more fun, sketchy vibe than the traditional, more polished feel the graphite exudes. I will definitely continue to experiment with more watercolour + ink illustrations.

Do you have a favourite out of the two styles? Let me know your preference in the comments! :)

Artwork (C) Amy Holliday 2015. Please do not use without permission.

A brief little Q&A I answered this morning in reference to my fruit illustrations.

1. What inspired you?
Lots of things seem to come together to influence and inspire me to create artwork for different reasons. One such thing is the stunning intricacy of botanical art and how the artists can capture the beauty (and sometimes weirdness) of nature. With my fruit illustrations, botanical art has influenced me but I find that I am inspired by the fruits themselves - so colourful, juicy and delicious! I try to capture this in my artwork.

2. What materials do you use?

To make my drawings, I use a mixture of pencils. I change between a broader, softer lead weight for softer or fluffier textures and a very fine lead for the detail. To add colour, I love to use watercolour paints. I mainly use brushes but sometimes if something needs a certain texture I will try painting with different tools to obtain it, eg, sponge, tissue, leaves, feathers.

3. How long have you been doing art?

I've been drawing, painting and crafting since I can remember! I think I showed a keen interest and my parents have always really encouraged it by teaching me new things and suggesting new ideas to try.

4. How do you get the best images (do you use a pen to outline)?

To get the most out of my illustrations, I do like to highlight special details with small amounts of mixed media such as darker pencils, acrylic paint, fine-liner pens and ink.

5. What do you most enjoy doing in art?

I enjoy drawing animals the most! They have so much character and each animal has a different personality. Like people, but more interesting (haha) :)