wish i knew you well

I was going to say that this is the finished version of the drawing I posted part of a little while back. But now looking at it on the screen I think it could do with more shading; a little sepia to give it an antique feel. That's how I had seen it in my head before I began. Also, I always intended adding a handle because it is supposed to be a drawer full of souvenirs. Or, the handle could have made it look like a suitcase. And, I love that ambiguity.

I'm often asked how long my drawings take. Well, at a guess, this one took a mere fifty hours. To appreciate the obsessive attention to detail click on the drawing and stick your conk in. Please do; FIFTY chuffing hours.

Oh dear, it seems that some of you have having trouble enlarging this image. I'll try to fix it, until then you can see the bigger version HERE.

i'm hanging on the wire

I'm so tired these days. I'm exhausted and need my bed as I type this. I just cannot keep up with everything I have to do. When I started this blog I guess I just wanted to start drawing again. Then some time went by and I realised that I might just have some skill and, who knows, I could actually turn my hobby into work. Now I'm at the stage where I can't keep up with it all. I know that all small businesses go through this transitional stage and this is where they can flourish or, for want of a better phrase, go tits up.

I just wasn't expecting to get to a stage where I hardly have the time to draw. These are two pages from my new Moleskine project; the airmail/penpal/Scandinavian themed one. I managed to sneak an evenings drawing in earlier in the week. At this rate this book will be finished in 2036.

Any advice?