Hugobian Emporium

..How?..

"How I create"

Most of my work is in Water-colour. Although I can (and do) use it in the more usual way (Washes etc) I tend to create my art quite small - actual size.

This was one of the things that attracted me to Playing Cards - 54 little masterpieces all in one little box!

Water-colours can be VERY vibrant but difficult to reproduce/print, to get the intensity of colour I start with my back-ground wash and build up the colours and shadings adding depth. This can be done in a number of ways including stippling (Little dots building up)

I tend to use the tiniest of brushes I can get for the detail - and yes, I've just started to wear glasses for ultra close up work! Even the tiniest of pictures can take hours to complete. I then add edges by using the smallest of drawing pens - then back again to close any minute gaps!

A deck of cards can take between 6 months and a year to create, my line drawing decks take a little less and I'm able to be quite loose in the creation of these decks and still get quite an effective finish - especially when I hand colour! This, is a labour of love. Although a hand-coloured deck may cost you £100 - it takes around 1-2 weeks per deck (Evenings & weekends)

Inspiration? Everything really, especially when I'm creating a transformation deck. I see transformations in everything! I love to hide detail and quirky visual humour, much of my work is inter-related in that even in a Goblin deck a teddy might pop up!

I love art, fantasy and have many favourite artists or illustrators, if my work resembles theirs in anyway - I hope they see it as a compliment.