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 :) 

Because Mom is always extra, I whipped up this adorable DIY Cake Topper for you to use on Mother's Day (you're getting her a cake, right? She deserves a cake.)

It's super easy and fun and your Mom will totally be like "Whoa, a cake topper." *bonus points awarded* You're welcome.

You'll need: 
- The Cake Topper Printable (click below to download)
- Scissors and tape
- Skewer or stick
- CAKE! Make your own or go to your local bakery. Maybe a good time to support a small biz in your neighborhood? ;) 
- Any berries or flowers to decorate your cake.

Directions: 
1. Click below to download the printable. Then print the sheet in color on your home printer or take to your local printer: 8.5x11” sheet. (Pro tip: This works best on slightly thicker cardstock paper!) 
2. Cut out the graphic in your printable - leave a margin like I did or cut a large oval around the graphic - up to you!
3. Attach a skewer/stick to the back of the graphic with tape. Make sure it’s secure.
4. Insert into the top of the cake and decorate with flowers or berries. Voila! Enjoy! (Mom gets the first bite!) 

If you use the printable, I would LOVE to see how it turned out! Don't forget to tag me on Instagram and let me know how it goes (and also what flavor of cake you chose because that's super legit important.)

Happy Mother's Day! Love, Erin.

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!

Happy Earth Day! Earlier this week it struck me: I needed to do a free printable for Earth Day, and we need to spread some love around for our gorgeous, amazing Planet! I am SO inspired by nature (can you tell?) in my work, and even walks in my neighborhood, enjoying the Springtime, give me so much peace. I am a huge advocate for Green Energy, Climate Change Awareness and preserving our planet. So I wanted to send you a gift for you to enjoy for Earth Day, in support of our planet, its wildlife, and the organizations, scientists, and regular citizens like you and me that are committed to protecting it. Enjoy! 
 

 Click here to Download

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!

I have no grand schematic for this blog post, but I just felt the undeniable tug to say something today: I am so happy to be standing here with you. 

I had never owned the word "feminist" before; but in the last year of my life I have realized that feminism has been with me all along, and recently I have whole-heartedly embraced it. Feminism is the idea that men and women should have equal rights - financially, emotionally, in their healthcare, and in their home. In that a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle, the same is true for feminism. When we see ourselves in others' success, we know we can succeed. When we use our resources to lift up women and communities in need, we ALL win. 

For my MFA Illustration Thesis project, I created 12 illustrations of women who inspire me. These women impacted social change, started a dialogue, and live on as examples of the positive force women are in the world - and who WE can be. Today, I would like to share a few with you. These illustrations were created with pencil, ink, watercolor, acrylic and Photoshop.

Malala Yousafzai: A powerful activist for Women’s Educational Rights, Yousafzai survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban on her bus ride home from school. She is the youngest person and first girl to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. 

Maya Angelou: An acclaimed writer and poet, Angelou is not only known for her poignant and moving autobiographies, but also for her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. The message of strength and enduring faith in her writing has resonated with readers throughout her career.

Marie Curie: A ground-breaking chemist and physicist, Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the only person to win in two different sciences. She was also the first woman to become a professor at the University of Paris. She is credited with the discovery of Polonium and Radium and coined the term “radioactivity”.

Anne Frank: Renowned for her famous diary written during her 2 years living in the “Secret Annex” during the Nazi Occupation of Amsterdam, Frank’s faith, honesty, and positive outlook continue to inspire and inform millions of readers. The Diary of Anne Frank has been the basis for several plays, movies, and documentaries, with over 30 million copies of the book sold in 67 different languages.

* As we've come into a new era in America, I have decided to revive this series, as I feel the need to highlight the achievements of women and true equality has only gotten stronger. If you have a woman you'd like to suggest for this series, please leave a comment. 

The whole collection can be viewed here. Thank you so much for standing with us today.

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.