Trench Cats: Lost and Found
You know those creative itches you just have to scratch? That's how this Trench Cats illustration came about. It started life as a pencil sketch last year, which, in a moment of questionable tidiness, I've since thrown away! Needing a break between Chuffin' Billy episodes, I felt the urge to create something for myself. While the original sketch had a certain atmosphere, going digital allowed me to really dive into the textures. It was a satisfying process, yet the initial image felt a little… flat. It needed a touch of reality about it. Ai generated images using Google Gemini. My first thought was a quick layout AI fix, but no matter how I prompted it, Gemini just wasn't capturing what I wanted (hurrah!?). So, I went back to basics and did a bit of research. A walk into town along The Black Ash Heap route, hugging The Calder , provided the perfect visual fuel. I collected photos of the wonky wooden steps, twisted trees, and the raw, desolate landscape. The Black As...
