Monkey Bars

Editorial illustration for Big Issue North Magazine
Thanks to AD Kevin Gopal

I was commissioned to illustrate a short story by Donal Ryan; a beautiful and melancholy piece about a little girl called Eva and her thoughts about her mother.

We decided the “zoomed out” composition would work best, as it gives room for Eva’s introspection.

I coloured this piece using a limited palette and overlapping layers of varying opacity set to multiply to give depth. The blues and pinks made moody purples which set the tone of the narrative - intense, sad, and a little hopeful. The illustration was finished with highlights to make the stars and a layer of grain for texture.

Tools: Adobe Fresco, Kyle T. Webster brushes, iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, Photoshop, iMac