Laura Mallaghan Illustration

A robin flying through the snowfalls. Thinking about the snow, even for Christmas although it's rarely happened. The last time I remember it was snowed on Christmas Day was 8 years ago. This December is Wet December, it has been rained very often, I had a feeling it's going to be Wet Christmas on Christmas Day, but I recently checked the weather forecast that they predict it'll be sunny Christmas Day. I wouldn't mind frosty weather as it's almost Christmassy, snowing would be nice too. Whilst I was painting this, I had been thinking something wintery and/or Christmassy, a glitter vinyl that called to mind. It's a silver glitter vinyl I've found as a sample and I thought that can make it snowfall shape, I planned to use it on my paintings and here it is. I tried to get some previews of glitter reflection from the bulb-light, this result doesn't seem to work as I hoped. So then I waited for the next day for natural light. The results still the same, couldn...

This illustration story, in another name of the narrative story, is called The Cherry Tree. There is a written story that inspired me to illustrate, by Ruskin Bond. I have made this illustration book in university, for the narrative book project. I have a blog about the process of the project  Narrative Book , though I haven't shown the finished work. Six years and six months later, I had an idea of how to show my finished illustration book, by filming it. Had the loveliest setup, white fluffy material for a background, two sets of a small bouquet and sunshine through the tree. Thought it works that well, as it took me over 6 years. Written Story (with my narrative pages): One day, when Rakhi was six, she walked home from the Musoorie bazaar eating cherries. They were a little sweet, a little sour- small, bright red cherries that had come all the way from the Kashmir valley.  There were ...

Hello you. It's May Day today and Britain is celebrating VE Day! Marking 75th anniversary of the end of WW2. Also, I feel like celebrating myself that I have finally finished my moving image! Or in another name GIF. Last time I worked on animation was when I was in university, that's 5 years ago! It's been so long and quite hard to find some time as illustration-animation is time-consuming. When the lockdown happened here, I thought something to get myself focus whilst isolating in my home, is doing illustration as well as an animation! So it's a perfect time to get back on animation again.  The equipment I used in university, working on my animation project, was utterly different from what I did on this and don't have them anymore, so I improvise. I would really use a proper lightbox to inbetweening as it's easier and less hassle, I had to use a makeshift lightbox with a clear plastic box with a desk lamp inside. Not the best for workspace, very awkward, if onl...

The Milkweed butterfly, also in another name of the Monarch butterfly, inspired me when I watched BBC's Spy in the Wild Series 2 in February. In episode 2 "The North", in this scene located the mountain in West Mexico, with the Spy Hummingbird capturing the place that's considered the world's most beautiful natural gathering, where the Monarch butterflies hibernated during the winter. It was Spring, the Spy hummingbird flying around millions of butterflies resting on the oyamel fir trees (I just looked it up of what kind of tree because I can't remember what it was, hehe). When the sunshine on them, warmed their delicate wings, then started to fly. And when they fly, it was absolutely spectacular, all orange and flow through the trees. I imagined myself in there, underneath them and watching them as they migrate to North. I felt calm and delight thinking about it, it was awe-inspiring. Being called the Milkweed butterfly is because they feed on ...

It's May Day bank holiday in the U.K, with this splendid weather, still! I've spend May Day being outside, inspired to draw the bird again. This bird I have drawn was male Dartford Warbler, that have such an astonish colours combination. Firstly, I sketched the bird in pencil, if I'm happy how it's looks, then used the pen for outline details, here's the result. To this. The close-up GIF. Again, I enjoy it very much drawing it outside in this weather. Hope you have a lovely May Day!

It's Summer Bank Holiday today! I had lovely long bank holiday weekend, as I have spend whole weekend and today some illustrations that I'm catching up. I have missed illustrating very, very much as I'm working on the weekday and most of the weekend I have been busy, as well as felt drained from work that I needed some relaxation. Since the Summer is nearly end and haven't been blogged this month yet. So I thought the topic of this blog is photography.  This photography is all about the insects that I took many photos of from this summer and the past. Here are the collections of each year in Summer. Summer 2017  28th August : I helped this poor Large White butterfly today, he was in the middle of my garden, struggling to fly, I gave him some water from my fingers and placed him on the flowers from large flower pot if he need some nectaries as well as to rest. 9th July : Honey bee collected some pollen from the lavender.  22nd May : I saw thi...