i've got a pen in my pocket does that make me a writer?

It's so hard to get going sometimes. You start thinking this funk may never end. I did intend to do a pen review on the right hand side of the page, but then I just decided to go with what was troubling me at the moment. It's more relevant and maybe it'll free up some space inside.

You know the drill; click on the drawing for a better view.

come on, baby lets go

Okay folks, let's get drawing. Right?

get it on

I've been doing so much of that very precise detailed drawing recently - the stuff that I'm probably best known for. But, I feel that I don't actually learn anything new from that kind of work. I guess that I'm always improving my technique but it's nice to have a bit of a change and do something a bit more freehand. That's what I did hear with these sugar sachets. I did draw around each of the sachets to get the shape but there were no pencils involved or any measuring up. I just drew. And that's refreshing.

This is another spread from my travel Moleskine. You can see the rest of that 'carnet de voyage' HERE.

you know that we belong in the presidential suite

Hi guys, sorry to leave you hanging there like that.

I know that I keep saying that things have been a little mad recently but things really have been a little mad recently. It's been non stop orders, sales, launches and deadlines. All of which have kept me from blogging. But, I've had some really exciting stuff on, which culminated in a fabulous evening at the the Gherkin on Tuesday at a launch for a new pen 'Spire' by Cross. If you don't know their beautiful products then take a peek at their site HERE. I know that I am forever extolling the virtues of the lowly old ballpoint but there's nothing like a little luxury from time to time, right?

You know, I've always hoped for a collaboration, of some sort, with a pen company and I couldn't have wished for a better one than Cross pens and I have the lovely ladies at their PR company to thank for that. So thanks, girls!

And, of course the experience was made all the more enjoyable for having my part time manager/personal assistant/tour manager/life organiser/best buddy with me. Cheers, mate.

Anyway, I am currently deadlineless (call the Oxford dictionary I've just invented a new word) but I do have a huge bag of London underground souvenirs which should finish off my travel Moleskine nicely. Okay lets draw.......

sleeping through the day

WARNING; zinemaking can seriously damage your sanity.
'How to Draw Like a Nut' is still available HERE.

between the lines

I seem to have been waffling on, in my posts, quite a lot recently. So, in this one I'll just let the drawing do the talking.

You know the drill; click on the drawing for a better view.

makes me feel i'm from another world

Not content with just drawing on air mail envelopes I've actually take to drawing the little buggers too. I was going to take this opportunity to have a right old rant about the Royal Mail. I am seriously fecked off with them right now. There's been a much higher percentage of people not getting their mail from me this time round. Specifically the stuff I posted before Christmas. I'm not sure how they can justify this. Or how they expect small businesses, in a difficult time, to soak up the extra costs of resending orders. Plus, when I think of all the time I've put into getting this stuff out it just makes me furious. And, that's not the half of it. It's, perhaps, not so bad when you actually have the stuff to resend but when an original drawing goes missing then that really hurts. To anyone who has not yet received their order (if you ordered over a couple of weeks ago that is) then please get in touch and I'll put it right. Big apologies, once again. So, I'll save that rant for another time. I still haven't started the tax returns.

i don't expect you to understand

You know, I cannot quite believe I'm actually saying this but, folks, but I am actually finally on top of all of the recent orders. Yeah, I know, I bet you never thought you'd see the day either. So, as of yesterday, every single actual zine, print and original drawing are now in the mail. I actually cannot believe it. I am going to celebrate by drawing. Yep, I'm going to do an actual drawing this weekend.

Thanks to everybody not only for the orders but for your patience too. I know what a loser I am when it comes to getting this stuff mailed so buge (big huge) thanks. I'm really pleased with my little zine and I hope you are/will be too. The only issue is on the back cover where some of the writing got chopped off. Should you want to write like nut, but couldn't follow the instructions because of the chopped offness (hey, I haven't slept for a month, I cannot think of words), then you can simply click on this drawing and see how it's done.

Thanks again guys, I appreciate it muchly.

to follow where you are

So you might have seen a bit of this drawing before. Half of it to be precise. This is the last piece of artwork to be finished for the new ballpoint zine. I'm looking forward to seeing it all printed and assembled. It's quite different product from my previous Molezines so, as yet, I have no idea how it'll turn out.

I'm hoping it'll look pretty cute. I'm quite happy with this spread, anyway. But, to bed now. I've been awake until the wee hours for the last three months. Or at least that's how it feels.

Night night.

a song that i know

Here's one that started life in one of my sketchbooks and has now been reworked on paper. I was looking for a final image to complete the new 'drawing with a ballpoint' zine and as these were such a hit when I exposed them in France (I can't think why) I decided to go with them.

I've added a little extra something to the zine version (no. I'm not getting my bra out again) but you'll have to wait until you get it in your little paws.

all through the night

Here's one from the up and coming new ballpoint pen zine. It's not completely finished in this version, a little more has been added since. A little something extra for those who purchase the zine. C'mon, I have to entice you somehow. I'll be putting it for pre order in the next couple of days.

This is my living room and the armchair is my workspace.

something to be

So here's a little thing I've been working on for a little while. It's a new zine. Or rather this is the cover. It's not a Molezine, it's a bit different. Not quite as posh as my little Molezines, but, I think, more in the spirit of zines. It's also a kind of 'drawing with a ballpoint/biro/stilo/bic' zine. It'll be out in the next couple of weeks (bad timing I know, with the Christmas mail, but that's typical).

I did wonder about putting it for pre order, but after the debacle with the last one I'm not too sure. What do you think?

the way i feel from day to day

Before I signed with my agent I visited her at her home and we went through all of my drawings, so that she could get an idea of where my work was at and where it might go. When she saw the many drawings of collections, that I create, she said "These drawings look like endpapers. Beautiful endpapers, but endpapers all the same". I have to agree. They do.

You see, I absolutely love endpapers. I've bought many a book on the strength of the endpapers alone. They are often my favourite part of a book. Just Google image 'endpapers' and, if you are anything like me, you'll be drooling for hours.

It got me thinking that my most perfect job in the whole world would be an endpapers illustrator. Seriously, I couldn't think of anything better. So, if you hear of any endpaper-drawer jobs going please let me know. In the meantime here's a couple more from my travel Moleskine.

all the weaving of my dreams

Finally a new post on my children's book blog. If you want to know more about this mad drawing (and, quite frankly, why wouldn't you?) then head on over HERE.

and you tell yourself

OK, this is the last thing I am going to say about shoes, from now on. I feel like I've talked about nothing but bloody shoes recently. So, I'm changing the subject. From my next post, of course.

show me where it's at

A bit rubbish, I know, but I just thought I'd share this little story with you whilst I get on with a couple of big time consuming drawings. A couple of posts ago I was bemoaning the demise of an old trusted ballpoint pen. The ancient old blue biro was seen off by a drawing of Adidas trainers. I was also saying how difficult it is to replace an old pen when you become so attached.

Anyway, the next day, whilst out shopping I found this pen on the floor. It's a lovely blue ballpoint pen by Faber and Castell. And the logo on the pen? Adidas.

even after all this time

I remember at the beginning of the year, making a whole load of New Years drawing resolutions. I then proceeded to draw loads of shoes. Even though that hadn't been one of the resolutions. I had a big old shoe binge (or should that be purge?), for about a month and half. It seems that I have one of those every six months.

It's totally unintentional. I'm not that obsessed with shoes. I like them, yes, but I don't spend most of my day thinking about them. Despite what you may see on this blog. It's made me think about it. Why? Why shoes? Why do so many people like shoes so much?

Anyway, here's another drawing of a Stan Smith. It belongs to Josh, who has a thing for Adidas trainers. So it's not just a girl thing.

and it just don't matter now

As I've said a million times before, when it comes to drawing with ballpoints (or biro, if you're British) I'll use any old make. I have no loyalty to any particular brand. Biro, Bic, Papermate, Staedtler, unbranded, Tesco Direct. Any. Found pens, old pens, new pens, free pens, chewed pens. I'll use anything. There is just one problem with this. When your pens run out you can't always find replacements. That's especially annoying when a pen becomes a favourite. Like this one. This drawing of Josh's Stan Smiths has finished off my favourite trusty non blotchy unbranded ancient chewed up old biro.

This drawing is now available to buy HERE.

bright in my northern sky

I wish that I was better at scanning things. Because, I think, this drawing contains some of the most complex cross hatching I've ever done.

I often get asked about my cross hatching. How I do it. How I found this style of cross hatching. Truth is I could never answer those questions. Not very well, anyway. It would be like me trying to explain eating, or something. How do you eat? Well I put food in my mouth and chew. That's it. I couldn't give much more of an explanation. Cross hatching? I put the pen on the paper and draw lines. Lots of lines.

Seriously. I don't know how else to put it.

how to draw a shoe

As promised, here is the second method I use, when it comes to drawing shoes. This, it has to be said, is my favourite method of all. And, I use it not only for drawings shoes but for most of the still life drawings that I make. In fact, this is probably how about 90% of them were created. A friend of mine says it's cheating, but I don't think so. This method means that everything I draw is the actual size of the object. Plus, for me, it brings the object and the drawing closer together. I feel that the object really becomes a part of the drawing when I draw like this;

Method 2

Oh, and by the way, I have used exactly the same tools as in the last post minus the tracing paper. You don't need that.
Step 1. Get your Converse boot, or whatever it is you want to draw, and draw around it. Yes, actually put it on the page and draw around it. I've used pencil to get the initial shape in the drawing above. It'll never be true to shape, because it depends what angle you are coming from (in so many ways), but I like that.
Step 2. Then draw around the pencil outline with a ballpoint to give you a ballpoint outline (apologies for the totally bloody obviousness of what I'm saying). It doesn't matter if it differs from the pencil outline, it's your shoe and your drawing.

Step 3. Adding 'values'. I'd never actually heard this term before I started drawing-blogging. I think it might be a US term (?) or even a technical term. As I said in the last post, I've had no training so maybe that's why I'd never heard it before. So, for those, not in the know, like me, add some shading. By looking at your shoe you can see where the darker bits are - hatch there.

Step 4. More hatching. More more more. Continuing on from the last step, building it up and adding some texture.

Step 5. Adding more detail and continuing with the therapeutic cross hatching. Really feel those textures. Touch your boots!

Step 6. Finishing touches. Adding the lovely details and, again, for this drawing I've added a bold outline. If you don't want a bold outline leave it out. Not every drawing needs one. Finish when you want to finish. It's your drawing. Let the drawing tell you when it's done.

Well, that's the process I go through. But, hey, don't listen to me. I'm sure you have your own thing going on.

Check out THIS LINK to see the other method I use for drawing shoes.
Plus, you can buy my 'How To Draw...' zines, and other stuff, HERE.