Ladybird/ Ladybug

I very rarely take on custom commissions and to be honest, I was a bit doubtful about taking this one on, as I couldn't immediately *see* it in my head. Although I've done normal ladybird designs before (such as the one above) this was for a standing figure and I got a bit of a block about it. When I finally sat down to sketch it out, I almost gave up - my first effort looked like a children's version of the 'Creature from Planet Zog'. Adding a face seemed to help.

Then I remembered a poster called 'Fairy Bake Day' I produced for an educational magazine, seven years ago.

I don't like it much now, but it did have these characters in it and my problem was over. This reminds me of trips to town with my mum when I was little and being allowed to choose a cake for tea as a treat.





At last I'd found a design I could work with.

She was a bit of a challenge, not least because I've never made anything with a humanoid face before. Despite the wonders of the internet, I still tend to go to my own books for reference material. She was going to be a bit 'Downton Abbey'.

And although I initially struggled with the concept, I was relieved to find that she was, in the end, a successful design. And my customer loves her. She - the ladybird, not my customer - is about 5 inches tall.

Whether she is a ladybird or a ladybug - that's up to you, depending on which part of the world you are reading this from! But she is definitely a lady.