I love Colour Collective

Some illos I've done for the return of colour collective and why I love it...

Colour collective is a challenge started by Penny Neville-Lee , which I discovered a few years ago when I was developing my portfolio for children’s books. Each week Penny posts a colour and by the following Friday, you post your illustration using that colour.

It took a break and moved from Twitter (X) to Instagram, and I’m thrilled it’s back. As with other illustration challenges, I find prompts so helpful. I’m not sure what it is about having a word or colour for inspiration, but it just engages my brain, and I normally get an idea for what to draw pretty quickly.

I have also been collecting the little pieces of cardboard which come in packs of Kinder chocolate bars. they are such a pleasing size (about 3 x 5 inches), and this has given me a project to use them for, and an excuse to buy more kinder chocolate! Maybe one day, I will put them in frames and have a mini exhibition. For now, they’re decorating the window sills by my desk.

Here are the illustrations I’ve created so far. Each one using gouache, coloured pencil and chalk pastels. If you’ve not joined in yet, and would like to, head to @clr_collective on instagram to see what colour is next, all the info is on their page.

Little fox and autumn leaf, using cinnabar.

Rabbit and blossom tree using thistle.

Horses on a cinnabar backdrop.

Swallow inspired bird using celestial

Squirrel with some minium berries.

Snowy forest using myrtle.

Thanks for reading.

What or where do you find inspiration for drawings?