Paper Raven Co. Blog

Happy September! (How are we already in September?!) It's been a whirlwind of a summer, and I am looking forward to cooler temperatures, the Ghost Tour I'm going on in October (!!!), Stranger Things Season 2,  and sporting my extensive scarf collection.

Click below to grab the September Desktop Wallpaper - and enjoy! This month, I used india inks and my trust pen to complete this illustration. 

And don't forget about our sale! It's still going strong, but there are some items that have already been scooped up! Everything in the shop is on sale, so be sure to check it out. 

Click here to shop the sale, and don't forget to use code VERYGREEN for 15% off your order. All orders over $20 receive a free gift!

Hey, Happy August 1st! I'm particularly excited about this month because it's my birthday month yasssss! For this month's Desktop Wallpaper, I drew inspiration from all of the wonderfully overgrown plants on my balcony. It's been one of those great summers where it thunderstorms every afternoon (my favorite, not my dog's), perpetually smells like rain, and the plants have just been exploding. It's awesome. I sketched this in our sunroom with the door open and the smell of basil flooding in, while my sweet Patty was sunbathing in her corner of the balcony - it's a peaceful memory,  I hope that comes through in the final illustration. Click the image below to download it!




I would love to see your desktop or studio space if you use the wallpaper, so feel free to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram so I can see and give you high-fives. Bonus points if you hoard plants like I do. I really need to make a "Plant Lady is the New Cat Lady" Art Print, yea?

Thank you guys so much!
xoxo, Erin

Happy July 1st! I hope everyone is having a great summer so far. This month, I wanted to experiment with some new lettering techniques and fun, poppy colors. I created this illustration using my Tombow MONO Drawing Pens, and then finished it with color in Photoshop. Later in the month I'll be traveling to the Bahamas, and the bright hues definitely inspired me here. Hope you like it! Click on the image below to receive the Wallpaper, and enjoy.

* This post does contain affiliate links, as part of my work as a brand ambassador. I will always provide honest feedback and never recommend something I don't absolutely love myself.

I will be the very first person to admit this - Uhhh, it's June?! How did that happen?!

This year has been moving so fast. I can't believe we're already in the summer months, when my brain was 100% sure it was February, like, yesterday. Time flies when you're having fun, right? I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day and ended May strong and happy :) As for Paper Raven Co., we are about to go through a pretty big transition, which will be a huge opportunity for growth! I will be doing a few shows this Summer (including ICE in Atlanta this weekend), and will be traveling a bit as well. I hope you've got some exciting plans to look forward to this summer!

And without further ado, click the image below to receive the newest June Desktop Wallpaper! I hope you like this one - I was inspired by all of the greenery that is taking over our patio :) 

Yea, I really wanted to make my monthly subscriber desktop download a shameless homage to the song that's been stuck in my head for a week straight. I cooled it, though, and did some watercolors for you instead. Things have been super busy around here, so I'm going to be brief this month and just let you get to the good stuff right away. Shazam! Click below to grab the wallpaper!

One of the best parts of my day, as the weather has warmed, has been walking my sweet dog Patty in the afternoons. Our neighborhood is in bloom, and we have a ton of bird species nesting in the trees. During our outings, I like to pause and take a moment to intentionally appreciate nature, to notice details, and welcome that peaceful mental state into my work. If that sounds a little "woo-woo" to you, maybe it is. But in an increasingly chaotic world, especially when the environment and the planet is at such risk, it's become a focal point of my day to stop and be grateful for the beauty around me. Nature teaches us so many things: persistence, balance, harmony; I find that very comforting, and I've strived to make those principles an integral part of my illustrations.

So for April's Desktop Download, I give you an illustration based on my favorite scene from Alice in Wonderland: you can learn a lot of things from the flowers. Click the image below to grab it. 

Here is the full illustration (but click the image above for the download!), and a detail shot of me drawing it. I start with a pencil sketch, then ink in the leaves with India Ink, and then ink in the lines. Finally, I bring the illustration into Photoshop to finish it. Happy Spring!

Hello friends in love + equality, happy March! I can't believe it's already here, and as I am writing this, my balcony door is open and the first breezes and rumbles of a March thunderstorm are rolling in.

This month, I created a new illustration for our Desktop Wallpaper, starting with a pencil sketch, painting with india ink, and finally lining with my Faber Castell Artist Pitt Pen. The colors for this one gave me a bit of a time, but when I popped in that spot of lime, I was in love. I hope you enjoy it too!

 
Here's a close-up of my inking process:

I love to see when others enjoy my freebies, so feel free to post a pic and tag me on Instagram as @PaperRaven.Co - I would be thrilled to check it out and send some good vibes your way.

Every month, I create a special, original illustration for email subscribers to download and use for their enjoyment on their desktops. This December, I created a mini calendar backdrop with hand-drawn type and lots of festive flourishes. I used my trusty Tombow Calligraphy Pen to do the lettering ;) Just my way of saying thank you for taking a step alongside of me on the journey of building Paper Raven Co. So without further ado...