the maker makes

A bit of retro here. This is an oldie. It's actually six years old - where did that go?

Anyway, I'm having a clear out of all my old cassettes, so, this too is up for sale.

You can get your hands on it HERE.

inside the artist's head

I found this drawing recently. Well, I found half of this drawing actually. I then finished it off with some added text and added nonsense.

 

It's for sale HERE.

late at night when the world is dreaming

In the last couple of weeks I've launched the book, been to France to promote the book (it's been published by a French publisher), organised a Dr Sketchy event, school visits, etc, etc.

So currently everything is a bit, well, you know (see diagram).  I'd like to say a huge thanks to everyone who has ordered my book. I hope you love it. I'm catching up on all the book orders - I've now sent out the majority and by Monday I'll have signed and wrapped and packed and addressed and posted every last order. I'll have a cleared the decks. Unless, of course, you'd like one?

and finally...

 You know, when I started out drawing I never imagined where that would take me. I was just doing it for the love of drawing. And, then after a while I began to believe that it could become something else, something more, it could be what I want to do with my life. Then things start happening and you get to a level of success. And then, you end up doing all sorts of other stuff that keeps you away from the drawing. That's how I've felt recently.

But then you have to take a step back and take a second to see where the drawing has actually taken you. I don't know if any of that makes sense. I'm tired. But I think I know what I mean.

Signed copies of my book (!), a book about my work (!!), is now available HERE.

you'll have to trust it

A double spread from my latest zine How To Draw Like A Barmpot. These art zines are filled with ideas and info that will, maybe, might get you drawing. From favourite pens to exercises like this one - which I made up, off the top of my head, as I was creating the drawing. I can honestly say that is my favourite favourite things to do. Just letting these ideas reveal themselves to me and unfold on the page in front of my very eyes. It's a bit like magic.

All my zines available HERE.

Now picture yourself in a room......

the barmpot has landed

So finally, here he is; Barmpot. Or, How To Draw 3. Above is the original artwork created for this new zine. I can't believe that the second in the How To Draw series (Loon) was made in 2011. Where did those two years go? And, how did it take so long to come up with the third? I love making this kind of work. It's probably my favourite thing to do; write and draw all the craziness, that would otherwise be filling my head, onto the paper. And, that's what Barmpot is about; drawing with your imagination.

As with the other two in the series it was created with nothing more than ballpoint pens, paper and too much time on ones hands. There are lots of ideas for you, too, to get your imagination and pen working.

How To Draw Like A Barmpot available HERE.

Now, I need to lie down in a dark room.

Barmpot

Forget Grand Theft Auto V this is the release that you've all really been waiting for. Yes, folks, in an hours time How To Draw Like A Barmpot will be on sale HERE . This zine has been years in the making (ish). Do you see how I'm building up the excitement here guys? Impressive isn't it? And, noooo, I'm not just buying some time while I'm just take some pics and write up the shop listing. Definitely not. No, this is how us in the advertising world  build the tension so that you all want to buy buy buy (that's what I'm hoping anyway, I sunk my wages into this bad boy)!!

Look and learn, folks. Look and learn.

here is a song for you

Here's a new drawing. Well, it's a new old drawing. You may well have seen it before. Quite recently actually.

I have a string of half finished drawings hanging around the house. I come across them all the time. In the strangest of places. Drawings that I've given up on for various reasons. Now and again though I'll try and breathe new life into them. This is what happened here.

This drawing must be at least three years old. It actually had a shoe print on it that I had to erase (I really do find them in strange places). I remember that I'd had this great idea of drawing each and every one of my pencil cases. I got half way through this before realising what a rubbish idea that was.

There was, however, another reason that I resumed this drawing; for a long time now people have been asking me if I'd considered making a film of me in action (drawing that is). When I came across this drawing I felt it could be used to show how I go about cross hatching. So, that's what I did - I say that's what 'I' did but I actually mean that's what a friend with the technology and know-how did.  Thanks Tim!

You can see the film in my last blog post or HERE.

Plus, you can get your hands on this drawing, and film star (haven't you always wanted to get your hands on a film star?),  as it is for sale in my little Etsy shop HERE.

deconstructing a daydream...

 Here's a brand new drawing.

It was never really actually meant to be a drawing, if you know what I mean? No?

Well it started life as a series of little drawings...

They were just individual drawings of individual pens.

Some of may favourite pens to be precise.

That's all they were ever meant to be, but sometimes I cannot leave a page be.

I cannot rest until I've filled it full of stuff; words, doodles, daydreams...

 I originally drew the pens to decorate the pages of my latest little zine.

But then it grew and grew and grew.

Into one big daydream.

 You can buy the original drawing HERE.

Or if your budget does not stretch to an original (I know mine doesn't), then you get buy the zine HERE.

 

Cheers, my dears.

Happy daydreaming.

playing on my mind

So, Tim here, Andrea's friend, stepping in as her technology has failed her yet again.

Obviously there must be a reason for the need to post something, anything, this thing.  The reason is that Andrea is about to release a, wait for it, brand NEW zine!  Hooray!, I hear you cry.  So here is a first glimpse of 'An Idle Daydream Based On Colour' a pen review (of sorts); as it is titled.

This Daydream is all about pens used in making some of Andrea's iconic images. So if you like pens, or like the work of Andrea, or both, or are just interested in the tools of an artist then read on.

The zine is A5 size, professionally printed on a lovely 170gsm silk paper, 12 pages and includes not only images from this very worldwide blog, not only a story about the pictures' creation but also a new illustrated pen on most of the pages, representing the pen used (sometimes) in that pictures', er, creation.

I have one of the 'Daydream's here and it is smoothly gorgeous. They will available worldwide from the Etsy shop SOON. Possibly by the time this is read by you, you lovely followers of the wonderful work of Miss J.

Thank you letting me bother you, and do check out the new zine, I think you will like it.

Bye.

may i introduce to you

Hello folks, look who have just flown into my Etsy shop. Meet Eric Pickles and his ex wife Gertrude Grub - the not-so Love Birds (it's complicated).

Yep, these are my new cut-out-and-make Dickie Birds. This divorced couple haven't been in the same room, as one another, for at least a year...

...so getting them in the same envelope, to send to you,  was a real struggle.

In fact, getting them in the same photo was a real struggle. The one below is the best I could do. And, even then, they couldn't look each other in the eye.

So, if you'd like to read more about and own your very own quarrelling couple of Dickie Birds check out my Etsy shop HERE.

(Rainbow not included)

crazy love

Hi guys, just a heads up here; my third zine How To Draw Like A Nut is now VERY limited. My shop has about twenty left in stock. And, that's it. All my zines (apart from some special limited limited edition ones) have runs of one thousand. So, if you are new to my work, and don't already own a copy now is the time to get one HERE. There's also an offer on the first two ballpoint zines HERE.

Right, that's it for the selling, for now. I hope you understand that I have to do it. It's how I get the time to draw and post all this crazy stuff. Back with more crazy stuff very soon.

show you the way to go

Right then, so as promised in my last post, here is the second part of the third stage of the Little Acorns project. Are you keeping up?!

Meet Archibald Twig again. The drawing at the top of this page is an original and I'm putting that on sale on Ebay (starting at a penny, as always), but that's not all. What you get is the original, the original handwritten provenance and one of the cut-out-and-make limited edition cards.

 You can find the Archibald Twig package HERE.

And, if you pocket doesn't stretch to an original, there are still a few of the printed cards available HERE.

carry me home, carry me home you old sea spray

Posting a couple of oldies here, whilst I get my head around Photoshop and while I tackle (struggle with) my tax returns. It really is the worse job of the year. Made only worse when you leave it until the last minute.

These drawings are both on sale. And, are both on a sale (?). Excuse me for peddling my wares but yes, I'm skint again. It seems being a professional doodler isn't the most lucrative way of making a living. The original, of the drawing above, is on sale at a ridiculously cheap price. One of my gorgeous friends said that this drawing was like 'jewellery flotsam, a tide-line of trinkets' and, you know, that's exactly the effect I was going for. The price has been reduced, by a third, and you can buy it HERE.

The print of this, probably my most famous drawing, is also currently on sale. HALF PRICE! And you can get your mits on it HERE.

The day started so well. Me, and this drawing, are featured in the London Metro today. In a piece about doodling. If you'd like to read it here's THE LINK. To be honest, just being mentioned in the same article as Larry David has made my day, week, year.

Something tells me, though, that today's going to go downhill from here. Right then, *rolls up sleeves* come on you tax returns. Let's be having you.

hold on

A little commercial break here, folks.You know, as uncomfortable as I find doing this kind of thing, I HAVE to.

Today, I am offering a unique little piece of art. Well, two actually and a special edition of the zine How To Draw Like A Nut. I have just put these two little drawings above for sale. Also, included in the package is a version of the said zine, jam packed full of extra handwritten notes. So pop on by my shop for a better view HERE.

Cheers!

the lonliness of an illustrated zine maker

Thanks to everyone who has purchased a copy of 'How to Draw Like a Loon' thus far. They are still available HERE, before Christmas, to those in the UK. I'll open that up to the 'rest of the world' after the holiday.

You know, I've come across many a learning curve since opening my little Etsy shop, a couple of years back, and especially since I started making and selling zines. One of those curves, that I am currently in the process of tackling, is how to keep the personal touch whilst running an efficient small business.

You see, the postage and packing of the last couple of zines was ridiculously time consuming. I didn't make things easy for myself. In fact I seemed to make them impossibly difficult. Some of you who follow my blog, and who have purchased my zines, may recall the 'Nut' envelope decorating debacle. Plus, you may remember the hand written teeny weeny pixie letters and gift tags that came with 'About A Book' zine and caused my last nervous breakdown. I totally underestimated the time all of these little touches would take.

To say those experiences were stressful is a big fat understatement and I will not be going back there. Imagine hand decorating envelopes for over 250 zines. The scene below is just a glimpse into how that felt.

That HAD to change. Since then my friend has taken over the running of my shop and the mailing of zines. While this has meant that the orders are being sent out a day or two after they come in, the personal touch has been lost along the way. So, how do you do both? Is it possible to do both? I think so. And, have a few ideas on how to redress the balance. One is little limited edition compliment slips that change every so often, drawn especially to express my gratitude to you, like the one at the top of his post.

I hope these experiences of mine may be useful to you should you be considering zine making and opening up your own little Etsy shop.

And, finally another little plug for my new zine 'How to Draw Like a Loon'. The perfect stocking filler for anyone who loves to draw. Buy it HERE now.

so lift off love

Finally, finally my new zine is up for sale. But, hold your horses. This time I made sure I was ready to go. I've waited until I had the zine, the envelopes and the other bits and pieces in my hands before listing it. In the past, you may recall, I jumped in head first, not prepared and I vowed to myself that I'd never do that again. It was soooo stressful.

However, in waiting until I had all the components ready for the off I have missed the 'rest of the world' Christmas deadline. So, I am only going to be putting this little zine up for sale to the UK this side of Crimbo. Sorry, about that rest of the world. Don't forget to keep some of your Christmas money to get your copy after the holiday.

I'm absolutely chuffed to bits with 'How to Draw Like A Loon'. It's the best yet. I hope you will be just as chuffed.

Some actual photos to come.

So, get your copy HERE.
UK order this NOW to get your Loon before Christmas!

and any eye for detail

So loons, just a little note to say that I will be finally putting my new zine in my Etsy shop in the next couple of days. 'How To Draw like A Loon' is along the same lines as 'How To Draw Like A Nut' but with more pages. And, we know what more pages means; more drawings! I'll post the last of the classified ads tomorrow, too.

'Citing!

waiting for this moment to arise

Okay, so page two of the classified ads (above), that will appear in my upcoming zine, is finished Done and dusted. If you have bought some space a big thanks. I hope you like your ad. The last page (below) is almost complete. After fitting in all the ads I have a little space left. Three ad boxes to be precise. If you click on the drawing you can see the space. If you would like to purchase that space then you can; HERE. I will be finishing this drawing in the next day or two so please be quick.

By the way, Wil, don't worry that's not your ad!

as the dawn breaks over roof slates

I don't really like to clog up my blog with the same stuff, I like to give you visitors some variety. However, I'm working on a number of labour intensive drawings at the moment, these included. They are almost there. My next post will be the completed versions. So, if you've purchased advertising space, but do not see your ad yet, hang fire. They'll be along shortly.

People seem to like these step by step processes, though. In the past I've made a few such posts. To see my other step by steppers take a look HERE. I always think that this set is best viewed on slideshow.

I've said before, coincidentally in my last ballpoint zine, that one of the many things I love about the creative process is the way it surprises you. Sometimes, I feel, I have no idea where an idea comes from, but if you just trust yourself, and your pen, then it seems to unfold in front of your very eyes. I'm loving how these pieces have this bird theme. I have no idea why or how, but I'm loving it.
One last thing, have YOU seen the bird girl? I need to know.