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

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

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

Process process process #comics

Spotted on Tumblr…

My mum: the woman, the myth, the legend. 

I love immortalising little memories I have with her in my comics. #comics #mothersday

I can finally shout the news into the universe that my comic, The wizard and the girl, was longlisted in the dPICTUS Unpublished Picturebook Showcase 7 this year.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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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 🎉✨

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

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

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

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

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...

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...

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

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

Love this so much. 💜

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

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

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

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

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

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 ✉️ [email protected]
 #comics #childrensbooks #illustration

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

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

#comics #thewizardandthegirl

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 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

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.

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

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

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!!!

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

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.

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

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

Right, I'm off to go try this! Ta-ta #comics

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

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

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

Cooking up some cute new pages #kidlit #childrenbooks #picturebooks

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.