An illustrated holiday diary
This summer 2022 I went on a sailing holiday to Croatia. I wanted to make an illustrated holiday diary, to have an even more indelible memory of this experience.
An illustration made up of many square illustrations
I usually like to do my illustrations with the traditional technique: let's say I like to get my hands dirty with ink and colours. This time, however, I wanted to experiment with digital drawing. To give myself a challenge, I decided to illustrate the two-week sailing holiday I took in July in Croatia.
By framing one shape with another, I created one big canvas where I imprinted my adventures, memories and emotions. I tried to give a meaning to each section of the drawing, explaining it in words on social media.
The ninja: my alter ego and protagonist
I let the little ninja have the adventures for me in the drawing. This is the recurring character in my drawings. I like to think that he can symbolise each one of us. He is the strong part in every person, who despite his strength is capable of excitement and wonder. He is capable of wonder.
Home is where you drop anchor.
Happiness is when a friend drops by to surprise you, and you hear your name echoing in the bay! My heart thudded with joy when I saw Ulysses the boat, captained by Matthew, approaching ours! What a pleasant greeting!
iCosini is a filter to have on your eyes, to see the world with a bit of magic. Like when, on holiday, we found ourselves passing by a series of small islands... which were evidently the back of a dragon half submerged in the sea!
Slow down... take one step at a time, one stroke at a time.
Among the wonders I saw was a fantastic 'pulmo' jellyfish: frighteningly large and hypnotically harmless. A surprising and exciting encounter.
Digital illustration: a beautiful discovery
Tackling a new technique is always exciting: on the one hand the frenzy of the new, on the other the fear of not being up to scratch, or of being disappointed. For me, it was a great discovery: it is a flexible technique, different from traditional drawing. It is not as easy as it might seem at first glance: the difficulties are different from those I usually encounter with paper and pencil.
