Can you believe summer has already slipped away and the crisp fall air is here? I already miss those warm days. Every year, summer feels shorter and shorter, definitely the quickest season out of the four. September is still one of my favourites though, with that golden light and comfy weather. I guess I’m just full of contradictions. 🙂 Anyway, grab something cozy to sip on, and let’s catch up.
New Website On The Horizon
Let’s talk about my website redesign! I’m hoping to soft launch by the end of October (a month later than planned, but who’s really keeping score?). Honestly, this update has been more of a beast than my past revamps. I can’t quite put my finger on why, maybe a mix of indecision and just being ready to move on already.
That said, I’ve actually followed my plan pretty well: I set clear goals, rethought who I want to speak to, streamlined content, designed pages around those goals, and even drew some new icons. Behind the scenes, it’s been a total rebuild from scratch (yes, WordPress, if you’re curious). Fonts, colours, responsiveness, images, speed, it’s all been reworked so things load lighter and faster.
What’s left? A few text tweaks, deciding which artwork to showcase (and making sure everything’s sized properly), some SEO, and then migrating everything over so the switch feels seamless. Minimal changes visually, but a lot of elbow grease behind the curtain. I can’t wait for you to see it live.
While the website’s been my big behind-the-scenes project, there’s also been some good news on the numbers side of things…
Income Goals
I don’t want to brag, but…I hit my little income goal for the year! Happy Dance! 🎉 Every year, I worry I won’t get there (this one especially, since I only signed one licensing contract this year), but I did it. Most of the royalties came from last year’s work with a single licensee, which honestly makes me nervous for next year’s numbers.
But here’s the thing: this year was less about stacking contracts and more about building a stronger foundation. I streamlined systems, updated my portfolio, and rebuilt my website so that next year I can focus on big-picture goals without so much scrambling and hesitation. And let’s be real, making money from art at all is the best feeling, even if it isn’t buckets of it. 😂
Hitting that goal has me feeling a bit lighter, which probably explains why I’ve had more headspace lately to think about the creative side of things, specifically, how storytelling weaves into illustration.
Storytelling Seeds
Lately, I’ve been mulling over storytelling in illustration and what it really means to me. I used to think it had to be big editorial spreads, storybook pages, epic narratives. But really, storytelling can be about the smallest details, those little sparks that nudge the viewer’s imagination. I’ve started calling them Story Seeds™.
Here’s what I mean: imagine a simple coffee shop storefront. Pretty building, a couple of tables, some flowers. Nice, but not exactly making you wonder. Now add an open laptop on a table, a steaming mug, a pastry ready to be eaten, and a cat with a blue bow in the window. Suddenly, there are questions: whose cat is that? Did the laptop’s owner step inside for a napkin? What are they working on? Those tiny details invite stories without spelling anything out.
That’s what I want to sprinkle more of into my art, little cues that make you pause and wonder what if?
This month’s finished pieces include a playful lineup of colourful studio staples, the full illustration behind this month’s wallpaper, so you can see all the cozy fall details and friendly little ghosts that don’t fit in the cropped wallpaper version, and a bright new colour refresh for my Sweet Birthday Card.
They’re all finished, polished, and ready for their next adventure, maybe even as part of a new product line. 😉
Let's work together!
Are you looking to collaborate on a project or maybe you're interested in licensing my artwork? I'd love to hear from you!
Procreate rolled out their 5.4 update recently, and it’s a good one. The biggest shift is how brushes are handled: you now get 18 new brush sets (about 180 brushes total), plus a much more organized brush library. You can create your own libraries, drag brushes around between sets, and—my favourite part—you can now search for any brush from any set or library. No more endless scrolling when you can’t remember if that texture brush was in “Pencils” or “Charcoals.”
Brushes also live in your iPad’s Files app now, which means you can back them up, organize them, or sync more easily. On top of that, Brush Studio got some extra love: new jitter and spacing controls, roundness tweaks, a pressure graph, and even a preview tab so you can really dial in how a brush behaves. Add in a refreshed colour panel and a universal colour history, and it all adds up to a smoother, less “where did I put that thing?” kind of workflow.
It doesn’t completely change the way you draw, but it does cut down on friction, less time hunting for brushes, more time actually making the art.
How I used it in this month’s wallpaper
I played around with a few of the new 5.4 brushes, and they ended up being the backbone of October’s wallpaper. Here’s where they show up:
Pelion (Pencils set)
Sketch line work using Pelion
This one became my all-rounder. I sketched with it, lined with it, blocked in colours, and even added smaller details. It’s got that perfect balance of crisp and textured, so it never feels too flat. Basically, if this wallpaper had a brush MVP, Pelion would take the trophy! 🏆
Mintbush (Basics set)
The moon's glow was created using Mintbush
The glow around the moons was all Mintbush. It lays down the softest, dreamiest halos, exactly what I needed to make them feel cozy and a little magical.
Firetails (Charcoals set)
Smoke from the chimneys uses Firetails
The smoke drifting out of the tiny homes came straight from Firetails. I love how it breaks up and trails off at the edges. It feels alive, unlike a stamped shape.
Fahan (Pastels set)
Magical accents created with Fahan and a light hand
This brush added the sparkle in the smoke and the warm light spilling from the windows. Layered gently, it gives that chalky, glowing texture that feels like tiny bits of magic caught in the air.
Wrap-Up
All in all, I’m loving this update. The new brushes feel like a whole playground to explore, and I’ve only just started scratching the surface of what they can do. Kyle Webster really knocked it out of the park with these sets—they’re such a good showcase of how powerful the new Brush Studio has become. They are smooth like butter, honestly. I can’t wait to keep experimenting and see what new textures, glows, and little bits of magic I can pull out of them.
The 2025 Pinterest Fall Trend Report
Pinterest’s annual fall report is full of cozy themes and moody palettes. It’s always fun to see how these seasonal shifts in style and colour show up later in design, fashion, and home décor.
The Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines
The 17th edition of this classic handbook is now open for preorder. It’s the long-standing go-to for pricing and ethical best practices in the creative world, and the upcoming update promises fresh guidance for today’s market.
Creative Market crowned “Mulberry Pie” as this fall’s colour of the season. A rich, berry-toned shade they say captures both comfort and boldness. Their post explores how this hue can anchor designs across everything from fashion to graphics, and it’s a fun reminder of how one colour can set the tone for a whole season.
Disclaimer: I’m not affiliated with any of the above resources. I'm sharing them because I found them interesting and thought you might as well!
Question of the month
What’s one little ritual that makes it officially feel like fall for you?
Hit reply, I'd love to hear from you!
That’s the latest from my little studio this month. Thanks for being here, it means so much to share these behind-the-scenes moments with you. I’ll be back next month with more updates, more art, and hopefully fewer website headaches. Until then, enjoy the crisp days, colourful leaves, and maybe one too many pumpkin-spiced treats.
Don't forget to use my code "TAWNART" for 20% off any art print, whether it's in my collection or not. (Affiliate link below. I can earn a small percentage of sales at no extra cost to you.)
Hey there! I’m Tawn, a licensed Canadian surface designer and illustrator bringing feel-good, colourful art to life. My monthly newsletter, Studio Sessions, is a mix of creative banter, biz insights, free wallpapers, and fun resources. Grab a seat and join the session! 🎬🎨
