a local shop... for local people...

Like my llama panorama post I did these quick illustrations mainly as a landscape layout and colour exercise. I hadn't seen The League of Gentlemen since it was aired on TV so I treated myself to the boxset and have worked my way through at a rate of knots! Deliciously dark and twisted humour. Highly recommended. It never really occurred to me when I first watched it but part of the reason I think I like the show is it's locations are predominately up in The Peak District of Derbyshire, where I grew up. Now I live in the concrete jungle of Surrey I appreciate all the more the moors, and watching the show really does remind me of where I grew up (in the nicest possible way of course...). The League of Gentlemen really did make the locations as much of a character in the show as the people and thats shown nowhere better than the infamous "Local Shop" of Edward and Tubbs Tattsyrup. Given the subject matter and the fact that it was 'just' a TV comedy it's perhaps surprising just how beautiful some of the establishing shots are in the show. Brooding skies, the grand natural scenery and careful use of post production really give a great backdrop to the humour. If you have no idea what I'm on about here's a taster :-)

Llama panorama over on a little bit bunny...

It's Llama time over on A Little Bit Bunny (cue music ... 3 minutes 6 seconds in ;-) this month and, as always, here's a sneak peek and my sketches.

Llamas are a lot of fun to draw (who knew). Much more fun than horses with their far too bendy rear legs, thats for sure! In the end however my idea for an illustration (after the obvious "Llama in Pyjamas" or the "Dalai Llama") was a "Llama Panorma" so, as it turns out, my Llamas are almost too small to see on the final piece.

I've been meaning to practice more of late my environments / backgrounds and using colour to establish a scene so this illustration became more of an exercise than a way to play with Llamas. In case all the Inca and Aztec pattern studies don't make sense I did intend to have graphic decorated Andean mountains in the mix too but the final result worked better without any additions. Still fun to play about with patterns though.