For their submission to the 2021 Voice Summer Showcase, Renee Morgan submitted a digital painting titled 'Mellow the Stork-Human Hybrid'.
We invited Jack Solloway, Marketing Executive at Bloomsbury Digital Resources and former Assistant Editor to Voice, to join current Assistant Editor Saskia Calliste to view the submission and provide feedback to the artist.
Jack said: "Impressive digital illustration and character design to support the artist’s Arts Award fiction by Renee here. I’d have been interested to see a snippet of the fiction alongside the illustration, but I enjoyed the summary of the character’s backstory and the concept of the stork-workplace economy and the moral universe that Renne has built around it. A great insight into the foundations of world-building. Lovely stuff."
Saskia said: "Using a classic saying as a prompt has influenced Renee to create such a bright and cheeky piece of digital art. The creativity and the time it must have taken to really capture this character so full of life in a still digital image is great. The message behind Renee’s illustration and the story she has created is really well thought out and carries an important message."
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am from Africa but born in Britain. I'm currently a Year 12 student and absolutely love reading children's books, especially ones by Jaqueline Wilson, Holly Webb, Josh Lacey,Liz Pichon and Cathy Cassidy.
Give us a brief description of your submission?
It is a digital painting that I created using an XP-Pen Artist 12 and Paint Tool Sai. First I created a sketch, then on another layer the line art, then on another layer and using the selection tool I added the base colours, then on the same layer shading, then using the airbrush tool the gradients, then swirls and sparkles and stripes where applicable. Using the pencil tool I added lighting and locked the line art layer before colouring the line art dark orange, then combining the colour and line art layers. From there, it was a case of copying the character outline and colouring it before creating a silhouette by moving it on a layer behind the charcater, then combing the silhouette and character layers. And finally, creating the background on a separate layer using the airbrush tool.0o
How long have you been practicing your artform?
3 years.
What is some advice you wish you'd had before you started your artform?
Don't start posting your digital art online when you're currently learning it. Wait until you're at least somewhat comfortable creating digtal art so you feel more confident in the work you're posting. Also, experiment with different ways of making digital art by copying other styles, and combing the different aspects you like.
Who are your artistic inspirations?
I don't really consider any artists in particular to properly inspire me in that way when people say they really connect or look up to them. But an artist whose work I have really liked is Cicely Mary Barker. Her flower fairy illustrations are very sweet and whimsical. Sitting in the sun surrounded by nature, whilst painting one of these, sounds like one of the most peaceful things ever.
To see Renee's submission, click here.
To see all the submissions to the 2021 Voice Summer Showcase, follow this link.
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