iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

This is a space for hand made, human visual storytelling. Here’s your look at some of the traditional process that went into creating my latest froggy comic, ‘A creature of puddles’. #comics #illustration #childrenspublishing #kidlit

A photo of my finished hand painted comic pages for my short comic ‘A creature of puddles’ now available to read on my Substack and my website.

A view of my desk with page one of the ‘A creature of puddles’ comic taped down on a cutting board for painting. Some acrylic gouache and materials used to create the comic can be seen at the bottom of the photo.

A view of my desk with page two of the ‘A creature of puddles’ comic taped down on a late clipboard for painting.

The rough pages for the ‘A creature of puddles’ comic with some of the prismacolor pencils I used to rough out the pages.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Come for another froggy comic wander with me back to the 90s. Our feet are bare as we walk through lush rain soaked grass to the puddle’s edge where tadpoles reign supreme. Read the full comic over on my Substack. amygardnerartist.substack.com/p/a-creature...  #comics

Digital lettering that reads, ‘A creature of puddles’ is overlaid on a hand painted gouache comic panel of myself as a little child, with loose blond hair and a bucket of water in my hand. I am standing in a puddle in a grassy field.

A hand painted gouache comic panel depicting a small child crouching in a puddle, their fingers dipping into the water. We can’t see their face and at the bottom of the panel, the hand written coloured pencil lettering reads, “ I was a snake-haired rainy day child. A creature of puddles.”

A hand painted gouache comic panel depicting an underwater scene of tadpoles in a grassy puddle. The hand written coloured pencil lettering reads, “ In the puddles tadpoles reigned amongst grass forests.”

This image is an invitation to read the full comic on the artist’s Substack, Monthly Letters from Amy. The link is in the post.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

One genuine benefit of living in an apartment building as an illustrator… (for there are so few)… Better snooping angles for architectural visual research and urban sketching. #illustration #picturebooks #comics

A coloured pencil illustration of a house seen from above, with a lot of trees and foliage surrounding it.

A close up of the same illustration from a slightly different angle.

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Reposted by Amy Gardner

Diane Duane @diane.dianeduane.com · 14/05/2026

Spotted on Tumblr…

Screenshotted tweet:”If people are fighting for an orb you are reading fantasy. If people are fighting fir a cube you are reading sci-fi. If it gas more sides than that. I dont know. I dont know man.”

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

My mum: the woman, the myth, the legend.   I love immortalising little memories I have with her in my comics. #comics #mothersday

A panel from my comic, “Toilet Frog”, in which my mum is carrying an overfull potty saying, “Bloody hell” while my toddler self stands next to her like a fat little cherub, oblivious to the mess I have made her clean up. The text on the panel reads, “ I would like to thank my mum for her patience.” The panel is painted in gouache with coloured pencil details.

A panel from my comic, “How an imaginary frog taught me to swim”. It shows a scene by a pool, with little toddler me holding my mum’s hand, pointing at the pool and saying, enthusiastically. “SWIM!” The panel is painted in watercolour with coloured pencil details and black ink linework.

A photo of my desk with some of the sketches of panels from my comic, “How an imaginary frog taught me to swim”. You can see the inked panel in the context of some of the other panel ideas.

A photo of the inked version of the panel from my comic, “How an imaginary frog taught me to swim”. It shows a scene by a pool, with little toddler me holding my mum’s hand, pointing at the pool and saying, enthusiastically. “SWIM!”

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

I can finally shout the news into the universe that my comic, The wizard and the girl, was longlisted in the dPICTUS Unpublished Picturebook Showcase 7 this year. #comics #childrensbooks #kidlit #dpictus #theunpublishedpicturebookshowcase #longlist

My comic book, The wizard and the girl, as it is displayed in the dPICTUS Unpublished picture book showcase 7 longlist.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

This comic panel I painted back in January brings me endless and complete joy. I can’t pin point one thing but I mean look at that little tum tum, the fat little arms, the 90s bikini, those funny knees, the sweet haircut. All of it. It’s pure, ridiculous magic. #comics

A comic panel painted in watercolour, ink and coloured pencil. It depicts a little child (me) in a 90s bikini looking very forlorn at the news the her parents forgot her floaties, as she has never swum without them.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Some in-progress character designs I created recently for a picture book manuscript I am writing. This project is currently sitting on the metaphoric back burner calling out for my attention.

A character lineup featuring an elderly lady, a small child and a little rat, painted in watercolour, with coloured pencil linework and details. Check out the project in more detail here: https://www.amygardner.com.au/childrens-illustration

The rough pencils of the same character lineup featuring an elderly lady, a small child and a little rat. Check out the project in more detail here: https://www.amygardner.com.au/childrens-illustration

An earlier version of the character lineup, where the elderly woman had a much different design/ feeling.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Happy #WorldBookDay Today I am looking back to this time last year when I went south to Ancud, Chiloé for a 9 day art residency to complete my first comic project. What a special time that was! There I hand bound this first print edition of my comic, ‘The wizard and the girl’. #comics

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

I am a little obsessed with Toilet Frog, my latest froggy comic for this month’s letter on Substack. #CreatedWithoutAI #comics

A photo of my desk with the finished Toilet Frog comic on paper, the cover illustration in my moleskin notebook for Substack and a few materials that I used to make both. Everything is hand made and illustrated in acrylic gouache and watercolour.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

In this month’s comic on Substack I recall the terrors and madness of toilet training in the shadow of my one time nemesis, the toilet frog. amygardnerartist.substack.com/p/beware-of-... #comics

Toilet frog comic title panel, showing the toilet frog looking threatening but also with a ridiculous perky little booty. This comic was hand painted in acrylic gouache with coloured pencil details.

Comic panel one depicting the outdoor toilet from my childhood. The text reads, “We had an outdoor toilet when I was small.” This comic was hand painted in acrylic gouache with coloured pencil details.

Comic panel two depicting a frog waving from inside a toilet. The text reads, “Frogs would occasionally take up temporary residence inside the toilet bowl rim.” This comic was hand painted in acrylic gouache with coloured pencil details.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

Testing out a limited palette for my next froggy comic and decided to riff on the comic’s title panel. Really, it’s all an excuse to draw a frog with a silly perky little bum. #CreatedWithoutAI #comics #childrensbooks

Hand painted gouache illustration of a frog sitting on a toilet looking threatening while a cartoon version of me as a child looks on in horror.

The original title panel sketch for my upcoming short comic for my monthly letter on Substack, ‘Toilet Frog’.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

The first page of an ongoing short comic titled ‘ Listening’, set in the world of my silent comic, ‘The wizard and the girl’. I love stepping into this world of quiet magic and nature. Here’s to handmade things and celebrating the real human artists who make them. #CreatedWithoutAI #comics

An original illustrated comic page next to some of the traditional materials used to illustrate it. This comic is titled ‘Listening’ and it is ongoing. See more over on www.amygardner.com.au/

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

I’d forgotten how much I love mixing acrylic gouache + coloured pencils when painting portraits. My materials today were #holbiengouache #prismacolorpencils #strathmorepaper Would anyone actually like to see process videos of something like this?

Portrait study hand drawn and painted using Holbein acrylic gouache with prismacolor pencil details on strathmore toned tan paper.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

I applied!!! I can’t believe I backed myself so hard and got my manuscript/ dummy and all my applications in for this year’s final ever #pbrisingstars mentorship program. Thank you for the opportunity @pbrisingstars.bsky.social 🎉✨

Announcement sticker from PB Rising Stars that reads “I applied to be a 2026 mentee: because why not me?”

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Frogs can be mysterious and some frogs can be mysteries.  Go treat yourself to the full story of my latest handmade, traditional media frog themed comic over on Substack. amygardnerartist.substack.com/p/a-frog-tha... #comics #childhoodmemories #frogcomics #frogs #watercolourandinkcomic

Text only comic panel that reads, “The day’s rain had passed the night before.” Outside everything was mostly dry, but the air was steaming with humidity there under the blazing northern sunshine.”

Comic panel with images and text. The text in the panel reads, “I was on my usual hunt for treasures like fallen nests with eggs and little lost things at the school.” The two small spot illustrations depict first, a little child hunting for treasures and in the second, a small pile of finds, including a feather, some coins, an egg and a yellow flower.

Text only comic panel that reads, “No treasures emerged. On I wandered behind the groundskeepers’ shed where a pile of broken tree branches and retired bits of play equipment had found a messy temporary home.”

Comic panel with images and text. The text reads, “I imagined what lived there. The illustration depicts me as a child with a pensive look on their face imagining all kinds of strange dangerous creatures.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

I am putting my all into my application for the @pbrisingstars.bsky.social mentorship program for 2026. Anyone else on here applying? #pbrisingstarsmentorship2026

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

What do frogs and learning to swim have in common? Not much, unless you’re 4 year old me and it’s the 90s. Full comic over on my Substack! amygardnerartist.substack.com/p/how-an-ima...  #comics #childhoodmemories #frogcomics #frogs #watercolourandinkcomic

Hand written text in a wonky rectangular border. The text reads, “ In 1994, during a family holiday in New Zealand, we Visited my Auntie in Auckland who had an outdoor pool. As a born water baby, this meant only one thing…”

Watercolour and ink comic panel showing a little girl holding her mum’s hand, pointing towards a swimming pool in the immediate foreground and yelling, “Swim!”. Little love hearts are floating above her head and her eyes are hearts too.

Watercolour and ink comic panel with a strong birds eye view, from the perspective of the child’s mum. The little girl has big emotive eyes, pouting lips and is holding her hands together at her chest in a pleading gesture. The top speech bubble reads, “ You can swim but we don’t have your floaties.” In the middle and bottom left of the panel, there are two floating texts with arrows pointing to the child which read, “ Lip tremble” and “Has never swum without her floaties.”

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Relaxing while I listen to an old episode of @blindboyboatclub.bsky.social and organising colour chart of my new #schminkewatercolour set. I am having the absolute time of my life here. After this I get to hand paint a little comic I wrote about how much I love frogs. Magnificent. #comics

A photo showing the progress of quietly pasting in a collection all the wrappers from my new schminke watercolours in my sketchbook for future reference.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

Here’s your link to my December Substack letter for the curious. Alongside my end of year reflections, this month’s letter is full of some awesome photos of the student work from my recent comics workshop plus a cute comics exercise for you or your kids to try! open.substack.com/pub/amygardn...

open.substack.com

A little look at the magics of 2025

A view of the last year, local workshops news and some perspective for the heart.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

Subscribers to my Substack will be getting their twelfth Monthly Letter of 2025 in their inboxes tomorrow (Sunday) morning! Before this mad year comes to an end let me tell you about some of the creative magic and light I found along the way. open.substack.com/pub/amygardn...

An illustration of the earth in space above the words ‘We are all here’.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

To plot or not? In my November Substack, find out what happened to me when this question hit me in the face while starting my current fantasy writing project, aptly named, ‘Project Wander’. amygardnerartist.substack.com/p/to-plot-or... #comics #illustration #pantser

A cartoon joke about my pantsing journey paraphrasing the classic line Samwise Gamgee utters in the Lord of the Rings films as he is about to travel further from home than ever before. In my version, Frodo, also a representation of me, is not putting up with his shit.

A cartoon version of myself sitting in an armchair saying, “Let’s indulge in a little needless exposition”. This is the first panel of this month’s Substack comic.

Three talking heads on a blank background, each with a speech bubble. The first, who looks thoughtful and happy, says, “When I was a small child.” The very next head, who looks a little pensive, says, “no, no, that’s way too early!” The fire and final talking head says, “When I was a beleaguered 30-something riddles with equal [arts self-doubt and optimism… Ah Yes! This is the one… I started ‘Project Wander’.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

Listening [2 - part 1] Page two of my new short stories set in the world of ‘The wizard and the girl’ comic has arrived!   #comics #kidlit #thewizardandthegirl

The girl is holding the little fae in her hands. She asks, “Are you alright?” The fae replies, “Yes.”

Crop in on the fae as they say, “ Thanks for catching me. I was in the trees playing but the wind had other plans.”

The fae is now standing in the girl’s hand, stretching their back and saying, “Sooo…”

A medium shot of the girl and the fae. The fae asks, “…What are you doing out here?”

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Reposted by Amy Gardner

Maranda 🖤 @whatevermaranda.com · 15/11/2025

Love this so much. 💜

Meme: a quirky hand-drawn cat beneath the script "AHEM - please don't give billionaires more of your money this holiday season - buy something cool and handmade from some fun weirdo instead & help them eat. Shop small, y'all."

Image credit: "Small businesses need your support more than ever 💗
By Sugarhouse Ceramic Co."

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

Some beach people sketching made at Totoralillo, Coquimbo on a recent adventure in the little north of Chile. #sketchbook #drawnfromlife #lifedrawing #sketching

A photo of a notebook with two little figures drawn in ink pen. One is a boy playing in sand and another is a small child with long hair walking away from the artist.

A small sketchbook with a series of figure drawings, one is of an older woman walking with arms clasped behind her back snd the other is a couple sitting in the sun on the beach chatting. Both are simple line drawings in black ink pen.

A small notebook with sketches of people. This has a drawing of a boy digging in sand with little mounds of excavated sand next to him. The other is a woman standing and looking at her phone. Both are simple line drawings in black ink pen.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

This morning’s plein air of a view from our cabaña in Panul, south of Coquimbo. This artwork was finished in watercolour, gouache and prismacolor pencils in a moleskin sketchbook. 🌼 Have a swipe through to see the painting process 🌼 #pleinair #pleinairpainting #landscapepainting

Close up photo of the plein air painting now with finishing touches of coloured pencil.

The plein air painting before the finishing touches are added. You can admire my brush stand and the mess of things I have in the table as I paint, including paint palettes and a dirty water jar.

First part of the painting process with the sky, building and mid tones added to the artwork. On the table is my gouache paint palette, some dishes for mixing and my water container (an old mayonnaise jar, because I am fancy).

A blank page ready for a new artwork, showing the overall view where I am painting on the patio of our cabaña.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

October almost got away with me but your latest Monthly Letter from Amy is now waiting patiently to be read.  It’s a holiday edition, as I am currently visiting the little north of Chile! amygardnerartist.substack.com/p/on-vacatio... #comics #illustration #visualstorytelling

A cartoon character of the artist wearing an oversized shirt that reads, “ I have so much to tell you and all I got is this lousy t-shirt”.

A cropped version of the illustration from the first image, now overlayed with text reading “On vacation, plus updates on new work, comics and community. What’s been happening lately.” Below is the link to my Substack, https://amygardnerartist.substack.com/

A screenshot from my October Substack post where I introduce you to my latest illustrations, ‘Cute meet’ part 1 and 2.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

I love this shot of my desk after I finished the final artworks from my two part story, Cute meet. You can see more of the final artworks and the process on my website here: www.amygardner.com.au/ #picturebooks #illustration #CreatedWithoutAI

Photo of my desk with the two finished artworks for my short sequential story, Cute meet. Around the artworks, the desk is covered in coloured pencils and above them is an iPad open on Pinterest with references for costumes.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

Panel linework for another page of my mini comic, “Listening”. It’s set in the world of The wizard and the girl comic because I don’t want to stop drawing these characters and telling their stories. #comics #comicartist

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

Hi #portfolioday! I’m Amy, I illustrate/ write comics and picture books for kids and adults in traditional media! Originally from Australia, I am now making the magic happen here in southern Chile. 🎨 linktr.ee/amygardner.art ✉️ amygardner.artist@gmail.com  #comics #childrensbooks #illustration

A watercolour and coloured pencil illustration by artist Amy Gardner, depicting two women walking dogs outside if an empty cafe. The two dogs have stopped because they are about to play and the women are turning back surprised, the dog leads stopping them from walking forward. The women are looking at each other with slightly shocked expressions. This illustration is part one of two.

A watercolour and coloured pencil illustration by artist Amy Gardner. The two women from the previous illustration are now sitting together at a table at the cafe, both drinking a hot beverage. In front of them, the two dogs which are now off the leads and are playing. On the left is the a British bulldog and on the right is the dachshund. This illustration is part two of two.

A watercolour and ink comic page from the comic ‘The wizard and the girl’ by artist and writer Amy Gardner. Here we see a sequence of 7 panels where a little girl is secretly watching at an old white haired wizard using magic. She thinks he cannot see her but he spots her and then drives away in his horse drawn cart.

A watercolour and ink comic page from the comic ‘The wizard and the girl’ by artist and writer Amy Gardner. Here we have the next page in the comic, where the girl is running along the road following the wizard in his cart. She follows him all the way home and then shows him that she can also do magic, by levitating a daisy chain she had made.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

In my September Substack we are time travelling back to 90’s rural Australia. What’s a young artist to do when art supplies are thin on the ground? Find out on Substack: open.substack.com/pub/amygardn...  #comics #picturebooks #kidlit #creativepractice

The first comic panel starts with hand written text that reads, “I remember a time when I had no fear of the blank page. Unlike in my early 20s when I was all about that drama”

Below this there is a cartoon character version of the artist standing dramatically with their hand on their forehead. A little arrow points at the character and the text reads, the drama. Next to the character is a simply drawing of a table and the character appears about to draw something. A little around points to a flat rectangle on the table and the text reads, the blank page.

The second comic panel starts with hand written text that reads, “ As a small child, I had a longing for a simple blank piece of paper. We lived in a small rural township and we only had lined notepads and books, which were for my Dad’s plumbing business.”

Below this, there are piles of paper drawn as scribbly lines with an around pointing to one saying, “endless lined paper”. In the middle of these is a little cartoon character of the artist as a Chile sitting cross legged and clutching a lined piece of paper until it crumples in their hand. An arrow points to them and reads, “The dramatic eye twitch of a frustrated young artist."

The third comic panel starts with hand written text that reads, “I was at the peak of my realism obsession and all I wanted was blank paper to realise all of my lofty artistic ambitions.”

Below this, we see the artist again drawn as a child, hand on a blank page and a thought bubble at her side that she is gazing at happily, imagining herself as a fancy artist, dressed all in black with a beret and a framed painting of a human eye that she is gesturing to with great pride.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

Listening [1 - part 1] Some new short stories coming your way from the world and characters of “The wizard and the girl”.  #comics #thewizardandthegirl

A comic panel, watercolour illustration depicting a grassy field and distant trees with a blue sky overhead. By artist, illustrator and writer Amy Gardner.

A comic panel, watercolour illustration depicting someone holding their arms up to feel the wind while laying the long grass. By artist, illustrator and writer Amy Gardner.

A comic panel, watercolour illustration depicting a view of vibrant green trees being blown in the wind. By artist, illustrator and writer Amy Gardner.

A comic panel, watercolour illustration depicting a fairy being blown out of the trees because of a strong wind. By artist, illustrator and writer Amy Gardner.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

Does anyone else have someone in their life that always wants to steal the first bite of your food? In our house, it’s me. This is my sequential illustration for the theme “Nice to meet you” which I created a recent Picture Hooks prompt. #kidlit #picturebooks #childrensbooks #CreatedWithoutAI

A view of the artists desk with two finished illustrations placed in sequence of a big red bear trying to eat their sandwich and a little blue perched on their shoulder, looking them in the eyes expectantly. There are coloured pencils on the desk, both in a roll case and loose on the desk. Above the finished illustrations are pieces of paper with coloured blogs of watercolour and coloured pencil linework, showing where the artists experimented with colour and line making before starting the illustrations.

The first finished sequential illustration which shows a bear painted on red with blue coloured pencil lines about to eat a nice big sandwich. On their right arm, a blue bird is perched, exchanging eye contact with the bear, clearly asking for a taste of the sandwich.

The second finished sequential illustration. Now the red bear is sitting down, legs in front of them and leaning backwards. A big paw is on their belly and they are relaxed. They are holding out their right hand in which they hold the sandwich. The bird is sitting on top of the sandwich, with big puffy cheeks and a smile as it eats some of the sandwich. They are looking each other in the eyes and smiling.

A view of the desk, bow with the second illustration, currently unfinished, in the front. There is a paint brush to the right of the paper and the artist is clearly in the process of painting before starting the coloured pencil linework.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

A quick finish for one of the spot illustrations that didn’t make it into the first edition of my comic, The wizard and the girl. Not sure about this angle for process videos. What do you think? #comics #kidlit #childrensbooks #watercolourillustration #dippen #watercolourcomic #CreatedWithoutAI

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

I’m going to invent some sort of fantastical teleporting, which takes you to worlds that live in exclusively other creative folk’s minds, exclusively to go for a holiday in @secondlina.com’s comic worlds. Yes please, thank you VERY much.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 23/08/2025

I can never not laugh at this little comic I made for my newsletter back in February. The way I drew my partner in the second panel still tickles me. #comics

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

Take a little peak at what’s happening in my August Substack.   This month, I’m diving into what happened when burn out and grief hit all at once. Read the full post here: amygardnerartist.substack.com/p/when-the-b... #comics #creativecareer #burnout

A digital illustration of the illustrator's character self drawn as Wile E. Coyote running off a cliff, with a massive anvil poised to fall on top of them.

An image containing only text that reads, "When the bottom falls out: What I did when burn out and grief hit all at once. How facing loss of a loved one and the passing of time reaquainted me with the essential purpose of resilience, patience and perspective in my creative process and career. amygardnerartist.substack.com"

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Reposted by Amy Gardner

alix e. harrow @alixeharrow.bsky.social · 17/08/2025

just saw someone sincerely arguing that they need AI bc they don't have "natural" artistic talent and idk how to make you understand that nobody comes by this shit naturally. it's just...work. it's being bad at it for a really, really, really long time. it's intention, pursued over time! wtf!!!

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 17/08/2025

My comic ‘The wizard and the girl’ was made entirely by hand in traditional media using acrylic ink and watercolours. Here is the hand painted wrap around cover I made during an art residency in Chiloé, where I also made the first hand bound print edition. #comics #kidlit #CreatedWithoutAI

A photo of a finished hand made comic titled ‘The wizard and the girl’ by author and illustrator Amy Gardner. The comic is resting on top of the hand painted ink and watercolour illustration of the wrap around cover, which features the protagonist, a young girl with dark hair standing next to an old wizard which while hair and beard on a cloudy day, with blue sky showing through. Around these are the art materials the comic was made with, a set of watercolours and paint brushes, plus a black ink bottle and dip pen.

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Reposted by Amy Gardner

Jason Bailey @jasondashbailey.com · 16/08/2025

AI is for writers who don’t like to write but want to have written, and readers who don’t like to read but want to have read. Into the sea with the whole miserable joyless fucking lot of them.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 10/08/2025

Testing out some costume colours with watercolour and prismacolor premiers. #characterdesign #comics #kidlit #originalcharacter

Hand painted colour studies for the first two sections of an original character turn around.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 10/08/2025

Character turn arounds….. but do it entirely freehand in traditional media #characterdesign #comics #kidlit #originalcharacter

Hand drawn sketch of the first two parts of a character turn around.

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

Joining the chorus this #kidlitpostcard day! I'm Amy Gardner, an Australian illustrator and writer of comics and picture books living in Chile. Currently seeking representation. Portfolio: www.amygardner.com.au #kidlit #comics #graphicnovelart #childrensbooks #picturebooks

Illustration of a young child with dark hair crouching beside a bird on a boulder. The bird and the child are whistling together.

The text in the top right of the image reads, "Amy Gardner. Illustrator & writer. www.amygardner.com.au. amygardner.artist@gmail.com"

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Reposted by Amy Gardner

V. E. Phemera @visceralhit.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

Look you just have to make the cool weird shit that excites you. You must. In this world besieged by bland, scrubbed boring, computer slop, you must. Make the thing you’re embarrassed to make, the thing that feels “too much” because otherwise we get drowned in a sea of cowardly work made by a button

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

Finished my #picturehooks entry in time for the competition deadline tomorrow. These are submitted now and I can relax ! #kidlit #picturebooks #childrensbooks

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Amy Gardner @amygardnerartist.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

Yesterday I read a book in English to some Chilean kids at Piuke Librería, a local bookstore run by some lovely friends of mine. Here are some sweet things I rediscovered: I should not trust my face. It had a mind of its own.

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