Planet Jen

B. F. M.

2011-12-24T22:07:00.007Z

Bill Murray. Christmas. Scrooged. 'Nuff said.

The Homecoming

2011-12-24T20:31:00.006Z

I was asked to create an image of Dartmouth as a gift for a colleague. I wanted to do something a little different, I wanted to imagine the castle and harbour at dusk as you would see it if you were returning from the ocean. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. This one is watercolour and watercolour pencils on watercolour paper.

Skellies & grave-robbers...

2010-09-05T00:28:00.011Z

This is a piece I was asked to create for a student's dissertation. It's an illustration of a hypothesis about grave-robbers raiding a high-status tomb in the Chapel at St. Mary Magdalene's Leper Hospital in Alresford, near Winchester, while the site was in use a Napoleonic prisoner of war camp.

I was asked to reconstruct the chapel from the excavated foundations, and 'cut-away' the wall to show the robbers inside. I also had to create an illustration of an adult and child in the grave, to be inset in the other image. This was a tricky piece to create, but I really enjoyed working on it. It was nice to work simply in pencil too.

The power of shoes.

2010-07-26T20:48:00.008Z

This is a drawing I was commissioned to make for the Oxfordshire Museum at Woodstock, illustrating a medieval shoemaker at work and rendered in the style of the small incidental & often humourous illustrations found in the borders of illuminated manuscripts.

It was great fun to do, and I particularly enjoyed the complete disregard for scale and perspective I could employ; those things weren't that important to medieval artists!
Indian ink on paper.

Doing the 'do.

2010-07-14T19:57:00.017Z

Hello people. Apologies for yet another chasm-like gap in posts, caused by a very welcome flurry of illustrative activity (yay) and a very unwelcome breakdown in internet connectivity (boo).

This piece was produced in a few hours using watercolours whilst taking part in the last Swindon Open Studios/ Heritage Open Days event, where I was asked to be 'illustrator in residence' within the Swindon Museum for one day. The museum has a crackin' Roman and Romano-British collection of artefacts, and I was particularly taken by some gorgeous bone, bronze and jet hair pins on display in the archaeological gallery.

I spent some time producing artefact illustrations of some of the pins, and on the day of the event, produced this illustration of a Romano-British woman having her elaborate 'hair-do' done. It was fun to work on this whilst talking to the public about what I do as an archaeological illustrator, and I'm pleased with the result. Watch this space though; I think this piece may end up being incorporated into another information poster. To be continued...

"...been a long time since I rock and rolled..."

2009-09-14T20:32:00.007Z

Yep, it's been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time, as the god of rock'n'roll once said.

So here's an illustration I was commissioned to produce for a museum in Oxfordshire. It's a Bronze Age hunting scene, and the point of it (no pun intended) is to show one of the purposes bronze spears had; knocking large animals over for food, that is.

I really enjoyed working on this one, I have a bit of a fascination for all things Bronze Age.

© Jennie Anderson

Trickster

2008-11-16T20:50:00.008Z

© Jennie Anderson

This is a painting I made as a gift for my father. I have inherited my dad's interest in Native American painting & sculpture, and have wanted to make an image of Raven, a Native American 'trickster' god, for a long time. I thought I'd try to combine a life-like image of the bird with a graphic representation of Raven, adapted from Native American drawings & sculptures I had seen. I really like how this piece turned out.

Lifeline...

2008-10-04T22:27:00.007Z

Annular Brooch poster

2008-09-21T15:20:00.014Z

© Jennie Anderson

Here's the final version of the information poster about Annular Brooches, made as the 'final piece' to a self-set project I undertook as part of my MA in Archaeological Illustration. I'm really happy with this piece; it brings together the original finds drawing I made and the reconstruction painting I made of a woman in period dress fastening the brooch (see post: August 27, 2007).

I also made three didactic illustrations (to left of poster) using Adobe Illustrator, to illustrate how annular brooches are fastened, as it's not always obvious! These small diagrams were a real challenge for me, as drawing from scratch in Illustrator is quite a different beastie to doing it in Photoshop, but I'm really glad I persevered with them, I think they came out well. A bigger version of one of the diagrams is shown below.

© Jennie Anderson

Charlestown

2008-09-21T15:10:00.008Z

© Jennie Anderson

An ink sketch I made a few years ago of the rigging of the tall ship 'Earl of Pembroke', which is usually in the harbour at Charlestown, nr. St Austell, Cornwall. It started to rain just as I was finishing this drawing, but I like the drops of inky rainwater, it adds something to the piece. I also really like this sketch because I remember it being the first time I got really excited about drawing with ink, without planning the sketch out in pencil first. A very liberating drawing experience!

Polperro

2008-09-21T15:05:00.007Z

© Jennie Anderson

Polperro in Cornwall is one of my favourite places to sit & sketch. Everything is just so... sketchable! Here are a couple of my favourites.

Maud & Moll information poster

2008-09-19T17:20:00.009Z

Here's the final version of the information poster I designed, giving information about Maud de Braose's life & actions during the siege & Battle of Painscastle in 1198, and her subsequent demonisation in Welsh folklore. I wanted to show the contrast in how a historical figure can be perceived, based on differently-biased historical accounts; in this case the Anglo-Norman chronicle record vs. the Welsh folktale tradition. I've used different visual languages to depict the two different natures of 'evidence' about her; the blue 'graphic-style' images depict the folk story, and the more traditional style gouache paintings show the events recorded by Norman chroniclers.

I was really happy with this piece, so much so, that I did a version in Welsh too! Big thanks to Catrin Evans for doing the translation work for me.

Moll Walbee

2008-09-19T17:08:00.005Z

Three graphic-style images from a series depicting the folklore surrounding Moll Walbee, real name Maud de Braose, a 12th century Anglo-Norman noblewoman living in the Welsh Marches (see also posts from: 27th March & 13th June 2008). Maud was demonised after playing a part in the slaughter of hundreds of Welsh soldiers during the siege and Battle of Painscastle, and has been immortalised in folk legend as a giantess and a witch.
In this series of images, she can be seen gathering rocks by moonlight, and carrying them in her apron. This particular folk legend about her tells that she built a castle single-handedly in one night using this method!

Maud (again again)

2008-09-18T19:43:00.011Z

Continuing on from earlier posts (see: 15th June 2008), this is another image depicting Maud de Braose at Painscastle, Powys in 1198. I wanted to show her being prepared for the siege & subsequent Battle of Painscastle, so here she is being armed. I think by not making the image a full-on representation of a woman in combat, and by hinting at that by showing her in preparation for it, it subtly raises the issue of a woman of that period being involved in a martial role, while still referencing the previous image of her as a mother through the inclusion of the same child figure. I like this one. Here's the pencil rough sketch I made first. I like this one too.

Thanks to fellow illustrator Sami for modelling for the armourer!

Medieval Lady archer

2008-09-18T19:43:00.010Z

A quick pencil study I did a while back, showing a 14th century Lady archer. Those of you out there who know me may recognise the model... ;)

Sketchy 3

2008-09-17T17:36:00.016Z

A little drawing I've been playing around with today, using an ink drawing I did a while back, sitting on Southsea beach drawing with driftwood dipped in indian ink.

Sketchy

2008-09-17T17:36:00.010Z

A quick biro sketch I made on the back of a paper bag whilst sitting in a pub in Marazion, Cornwall. The sun was going down, silhouetting St Michael's Mount over the ocean.

Maud (again)

2008-06-15T18:05:00.008Z

© Jennie Anderson.

Here's my second attempt at the image of Maud de Braose (see earlier post from March for first rubbish version of the same scene). I much prefer this one. It's supposed to establish Maud as a noblewoman, mother and someone in a position of power within a timber fortress. I think it works OK.

True story

2008-06-14T18:24:00.004Z

Once, twice, 3 tiiiimes (the size of) a Lady...

2008-06-13T21:19:00.007Z

© Jennie Anderson.

Hey people. I'm back. In black. As a great man once said. Or screamed, rather...

So. Yeah. The MA show is up & open, and now I have a bit of time that I don;t know what to do with, so here I am posting again! You may recognise this image from a post I made back in March, but this is the final incarnation. It's one of a series of images made to represent the Welsh folklore about Moll Walbee. Possibly my favourite image made of the year.

Sharp shooter

2008-04-01T15:18:00.004Z

This is a pencil sketch I was asked to do as a prize for my archery club's annual banquet raffle! I think it came out OK, I'm quite pleased with it!

© Jennie Anderson.

Big huge massive giant...

2008-03-27T20:03:00.006Z

Hello peeps. Here's one of a series of images I've been working on this week, continuing the theme of depicting Maude de Braose, this time trying to make some images based on the folklore surrounding her. She was immortalised in Welsh folklore as Moll Walbee, a giantess and a sorceress, and so this is a stab at manipulating the angles in the image to evoke a sense of her stature in the folk-tales. I like the graphic style I've worked in in this image, and this follows on in the rest of the images from this series. More to follow, no doubt!

I just can't get you outta my head...

2008-03-11T18:16:00.006Z

So... here's a painting I've been working on for a while, and it's been driving me crazy. Sometimes you can be looking at something for tooooo long, y'know?! It's meant to represent Maud de Braose (yep, that crazy 12th Century grrl again) looking out of a window and over the bailey of the timber motte & bailey castle at Painscastle, Powys. The other figure is one of her many children. She had about 14 I think. Ouch.

I'm reasonably happy with the result, but don't be surprised if I post another (and hopefully better) version here in a few days... This one's gouache paint on watercolour paper.

And here's one of the first sketches I made for the composition. I actually really liked this one, but it just wasn't 'right'; it was a bit too serene & static.

I'm still here! I haven't deserted you!

2008-01-17T22:05:00.004Z

Hey everyone, it's been a long time since I last posted, and many things have been going on.. most of them involving too much work and the lack of a social life! But I did have a very lovely New Year in Cornwall again.. watching the fireworks over the sea from Looe beach.. dressed as a pirate wench.. as you do.. then on to a pub to see those most salty of seadogs 'Black Friday' play a stormin' gig... they were dressed as pirates too. Marvellous. Much fun was had. And not much alcohol was consumed, which is a good thing for me as I seem to have developed an allergy to the evil stuff. Ah well, at least when I do develop a social life, it'll be cheap!

So I'm still beavering away for my MA study, things are getting serious now, there's only 5 months to go. OMG. So there WILL be lots of pictures on here soon, I promise. But until then, and just to prove that I am still doing drawings, here's one I did tonight, after getting very inspired by an excellent session of life drawing this afternoon. This is what I look like! Almost! I am usually a bit more smiley than that...

The old toons are the best

2007-10-25T16:07:00.003Z

As well as creating conventional reconstruction illustrations of 12th Century costume and events at Painscastle, I'm also working on a set of drawings to accompany them which are based on folklore from the castle and the surrounding area, more specifically based on the folklore stories recounted about Maude de Braose, or as she was known to the Welsh, Moll Walbee. The stories are fascinating and depict Moll as a sorceress and giantess.

I'm trying to work in a more graphic, cartoon-like style for these drawings, to make them distinct from the more reconstruction illustrations, and below is a sketch for one of the frames I've storyboarded. The images will show one of the tales about Moll, that she giant enough to be able to build Hay Castle overnight on her own using her apron to carry the stones. This image will be the basis of one of the establishing frames, introducing Moll as a character, and was made in gouache and pencil.

© Jennie Anderson.

TIMBER!!!

2007-10-02T18:00:00.004Z

© Jennie Anderson.

This is another photographic 'sketch' for the reconstruction drawings I am working on at the moment, this time trying to visualise the timber castle that would most likely have been at Painscastle in Powys, Wales at the end of the 12th Century.

Using aerial photographs and plans of the site as reference material, I made a model of the earthworks as I think they might have looked, and then created card 'buildings' to flesh out the site. The buildings were based on artists' interpretations of comparable archaeological sites, as well as on surviving examples of Medieval timber buildings, and were also researched using contemporary depictions of timber structures from the Bayeux Tapestry.

The resulting photographs of the model were manipulated in Adobe potatoshop to accentuate the depth of field and general 'sketchiness'. Pretty pleased with the result. This one is a view over bailey buildings towards a timber keep.

More 12th Century fun & games...

2007-10-02T17:40:00.009Z

I've been working on some drawings recently for a reconstruction of a late 12th Century Norman noblewoman's costume, and in the process of the research ending up making a full costume to help me visualise the sketches. I tend to work through photography towards end pieces; kind of like sketching my ideas out, just using a camera rather than a pencil & paper.

So I shot a whole bunch of photos using a very very patient and understanding model (thank you SO much Gwen!). They came out a lot better than I'd hoped for and are proving to be very useful...

The dress is a reconstruction of those pictured in several wonderful manuscript illustrations and sculptures from the period.

"I shall go into hare..."

2007-09-09T19:53:00.003Z

© Jennie Anderson.

I found these drawings whilst having a clear-out; I'd made them a couple of years ago while on holiday in Cornwall, and I'd forgotten about them. I started doodling on scraps of paper one day after a walk on Bodmin Moor, and these drawings took shape. It was only later that I learnt about Cornish folklore stories of women turing into hares to escape pursuers, usually in tales about witches escaping persecution. Spooky! The superb musician Seth Lakeman wrote a song called 'The White Hare' about just such a tale, which is well worth a listen if you're interested!
Anyway, I thought I'd stick them on here for all to see, simply because I like them, and they remind me of the magic of the moors in Cornwall.

© Jennie Anderson.

The drawing below is a variation on the theme; a moon-gazing hare-woman. I left it at quite a sketchy stage, but I prefer to see the energy of the first marks in the image, it adds something to it. I think it is my favourite of the three drawings shown here.

© Jennie Anderson.

New adventures in archaeological finds illustration...

2007-08-29T18:58:00.012Z

So... today I thought I'd post some archaeological finds drawings that I did earlier in the summer. They are both artifacts from the reserve collection at the Wiltshire Museum. The first drawing, above, is of a medieval bronze buckle, a really nice object with lots of decoration on it. It took a long while to get the detail right, and several attempts were made, but I'm pleased with this result.

The next drawing, shown below, is of a 12th - 13th century bronze annular brooch. This one was quite tricky; lots of curved changes in surface to render in line. Quite tricky; this was my third attempt! I'm happy with this one, and I learnt a lot in the process of making the drawing.

After making the illustration of the brooch, I wanted to do something more with it, and decided to make an interpretative illustration showing someone wearing the brooch. What strikes me about these annular brooches is how tricky they can be to fasten; I had to go and ask a Viking re-enactor to show me how to do it. So I thought I couldn't be the only one who needed this explaining (I hope!) and I thought I'd make a piece of work about the brooch showing its use and method of fastening.

I made the painting below as part of this project. I wanted to show the brooch being worn in a typical manner, to give an impression of the kind of person who might have worn it, and also to try and introduce the idea of getting people to understand how the brooch is fastened. So here's my good friend Gwen posing as an early 13th Century woman! Cheers Gwen!
I'm pretty happy with the result, and will post more pictures of the completed info-graphics project when it's done.

12th Century crazy...

2007-03-21T17:24:00.000Z

Been mad busy lately, hence the chasm-like gap between posts, and have been working flat-out for the MA I'm doing. I'm trying to research 12th Century women's costume, which is proving to be quite tricky due to the very small amounts of contemporary visual evidence, but it is coming together... v e r y . . . s l o w l y . . .

This is a first attempt at a costume reconstruction for a 12th Century noblewoman archer, and was made using Potatoshop. Quite pleased so far, but I need to do more for this. Which means lots of sewing in the near future to get some good reference photos. Lucky for me, I enjoy that kind of thing!

Crimbo

2006-12-27T19:11:00.014Z

And so, in keeping with the 'Retro ... Crimbo' theme, it came to pass that JEN did post more of her recent artworks...

These paintings were made as part of the afore-mentioned induction project for the M.A. (see post made on 20th December 2006), and are intended to be reconstruction drawings based on the finds illustration made from the original artefact. The brief demanded a reconstruction of the person the artefact represented, which proved to be quite problematic to say the least, due to shaky (or indeed non-existent) evidence, and so I decided that the most satisfactory solution would be to pose two or three possible reconstructions based on the minimal evidence I had found during my research.

The illustration below interprets the figure as representing an early thirteenth-century noblewoman.

The alternative reconstruction painting, shown below, interprets the artefact as representing a late thirteenth century man-at-arms. I had great fun painting the mail hauberk! Hard work though... Both paintings were made in gouache and acrylics.

Retro

2006-12-20T15:23:00.004Z

Today I'm feeling retrospective. It's probably the time of the year that's doing it. So I'm going to post some stuff I've been doing over the last few months. This drawing was made as part of an induction project for the M.A. in Archaeological Illustration that I'm studying for at the moment.

It illustrates a reproduction of an archaeological find I was given to work with; it was described as a '13th Century Knight Templar Pilgrim Badge'. In my opinion, none of these 'facts' about the object are accurate, but that's just me...
The drawing was made with an inkpen, and is 1.5:1 scale.