The Big Read update!

The Big Read launches in 3 days on Thursday 14th July and here are some sneak peeks of the finished and varnished book bench for Thinktank Birmingham and Millennium Point.

I am so excited for it to go live and hopefully raise money for the Children's Hospital through all the creative and literacy events that will raise money during Summer 2016.

The photograph below is a snapshot from the wall display at Millennium Point which will tell the story of the bench's conception!

The Big Read Bookbench at the official launch of The Core at Solihull, 20-21st May 2016

The newly refurbished Core building launched across this weekend and it was great to have The Big Read bookbench project coincide with the launch. 

The Mayor and Mayoress of Solihull

Britain's Got Talent's The Neales cosy up onto my bench, could they feature in the final design?

The Big Read 2016

I have been commissioned to produce the bookbench for ThinkTank Science Museum & Millennium Point, and it will be inspired by the great Ichthyosaur at ThinkTank as well as JK Rowling's Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them.

A Nechells-based primary school were invited for a creative session and invented all kinds of fantastical beasts which I am now whittling down and distilling into a final design for the bookbench.

NYChristmas card complete!

New York City Christmas card on the way! It will be available via my etsy store or by contacting me at hello@milantopalovic.co.uk

Owl Aboard raises £5,000 at The Big Hoot Auction!

So blessed to be a part of The Big Hoot 2015! My owls contributed £8,200 to fund rare diseases at Birmingham Children's Hospital.

I'm proud that something as simple as drawing designs onto an owl can contribute to achieving something so significant for a hospital - to the sum of £530,830!

Lady Sonnnnnnnnsa, watercolour and pencil, (March 2015)

This is my completed Game of Thrones Compendium entry. I just need to reformat the piece and submit it in the next week or so. I feel I have captured her well, with a confrontational and piercing expression. I wanted to blend some gingerliness with darker tones in her hair to show the transition she has gone through and wash out her skin and eyes so she appears more like a cold, ruthless cow bag.

Lorde (pencil, digital, watercolour)

This is an illustration I have entered for the AOI World Illustration Awards under Self-Promotion. I wanted to enter some picture book work as I feel it is strong work however my newer pieces have this minimalistic feel.

 The piece uses a lot of negative space to focus attention on the intense detail which was created with mixed media, albeit fairly safe styles. The face is pencil then watercolour and the softness supports the hair/necklace illustration whilst bringing something new to the illustration, creating a softer mood.