it's been a long time coming

So, some time back France Belleville and I started this draw off thingy.

It started with France's great drawing of Tom's camera that you can see HERE.

I came back at her with THIS drawing. I wasn't too happy with back then, but it has grown on me a little since.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, she threw THIS at me.

And finally, here's my response. Drawn in black ink with a little help from a big fat 2B.

Yes, it was supposed to be a drawing of the front of the camera. I did try but I got all freaked out by all the circles (I have terrible OCD tendencies when it comes to drawing circles, they have to be perfectly round or I'll have a nervous breakdown). So it ended up being a side on version. I will attempt the full frontal version again sometime in the future. But, one thing is for sure, I definitely won't be getting into any drawing matches with Mademoiselle Belleville* ever again.

*Of course, I'm always up for a challenge with Madame Van Stone. Congratulations France and Tom.

hanging out my old love letters

(Click on drawing to view)

This was an interesting drawing to do. It stirred up so much stuff, about school and what it was like being that age. I hated school. I know that's a strong emotion but it's how I felt about it. What I didn't know then was that such strong emotions would make good material further down the line.

I can't remember doing much graffiti on my desk at school. But that's one of the great things about drawing. Now I can live out all that stuff on paper. My teenage rebel can have the space to run wild (with her pen) and do all those things I was to scared to do.

Another thing this drawing brought back was how many crushes I had back in the day. Lots. And lots. Even though they've now all drifted off into my long term memory they, too, make good material. There's one still continues. Decades later and I'm still worshipping at the altar of Paul Weller.

'Exercise Book' print available HERE.

keeping the faith

Another quickie. It's not great but it's filled my head with ideas and possibilities for future drawings. Sometimes, that's all you can ask of a drawing. So, here's a little pot, of colour pencils, decorated by moi. That's French, that is.

slooshy sloshy, slooshy sloshy, get that dirty shirty clean

I'd love to say that this was all my own idea, but I can't do that. I saw the very excellent Susan Rudat's washing machine drawing and thought 'why oh why wasn't that my idea'. Then I stole it.
And, here's a pile of dirty clothes thrown in free of charge. I'm too good to you.

i started something i couldn't finish

Here's a couple of photos of the contribution I made to Miguel's Moleskine for the MoleyX project.

The whole set of photos from that project, so far, can be seen HERE. And, I highly recommend a visit to the blog for a little surprise from one of our drawing blog stars.

I also made a different version of this drawing in my own sketchbook which you can see HERE. Both of these drawings include three gorgeous buttons sent to me by the lovely Emma-Jane. A kettle, a pencil and a ladybird. Can you spot them? Thanks EJ.

play dead

A real quickie here, folks. I've been working on lots stuff that I can't post quite yet. So I thought I'd do a quick little drawing. Just something to post. So here it is; a cat toy, before and after it had a make-over by my cat. Poor sod.

I did these in pink ballpoint which, I'm sure you'll agree, is a truly classy medium.

i'm not out to convince you or draw upon your mind

I've had so many enquiries, over the last few weeks, about the type of ballpoint pens I use. The answer is quite simple; any. Any I can get my hands on. I have no loyalty to a specific brand. I buy the cheap and nasty ones. I'll buy them in packs of six or ten. Usually I don't even buy them, I find them. I pick up any lost or discarded pen I come across. I use the ones that come free in charity envelopes. Any.

I don't really get hung up on the materials I use. I don't care. I'll use anything in order to draw. And, to me, there is something quite magical about creating a piece of work out of something so cheap. I like that.

This drawing is now available as a print HERE.

in the dead of night

This was going to be a quick simple drawing of all my black shoes. Quick. Simple. My arse.

and the rain came crashing down

Just like cups of tea, when it comes to Moleskines I always have two on the go. The first one is almost finished, and is the one I shamelessly plug by always adding a link. The second doesn't often make an appearance as it is more of an ideas book, full of quotes, doodles, lyrics, thoughts, etc. Now and again, however, a page will start off as a doodle and grow into a finished piece - of sorts. That's what happened here. I drew the figure (that's me, by the way) on a page that already contained some crappy doodles. I don't often draw figures that I am happy with, so as I'd finally drawn one that I liked I wanted to post it. I messed around with what was on the rest of the page. Then messed around some more. I also took inspiration from me old mucker Pete Scully. I love the way he uses text in his drawings.

So, here goes; a shameless plug for a set of drawings from my spare Moleskine. Just one more thing; does my bum look big in this?

foot soldier

Well, this drawing isn't exactly rocking my world but it's one page closer to finishing this Moleskine. I am desperate to finish it and to start the new one. Seriously, desperate. I have an idea, a concept, for the next one but more of that another time.

After creating a highly laboured drawing like the one in the last post(s) I always feel totally wiped out. So it's a good time to do something simple. Basically, a little colouring in. To me it seems like I've spent the last couple of years drawing shoes and socks. Turns out I' haven't actually drawn that many. See the whole set of foot furniture HERE.

in a moment, in a single moment

I'm calling this one done. When I started this drawing, and posting it step by step, I said that I had no idea where it was going. I must admit that was not completely true. I actually believed that what I was doing was taking THIS 'air mail' drawing out of my sketchbook and reworking it onto paper. So throughout, as I was laying down the layers of blue ballpoint, in the back of my mind I was expecting to make the final post the one where I'd change the whole mood of the drawing by adding the red. However, the drawing had a mind of it's own and took me somewhere else completely.

I can't tell you how much I love that. How a drawing, or creative practice in general, makes you the passenger on a journey. I've been wondering at what point this one changed direction, from the original idea. Where it turned down a side street. It could have been the slight turquoise-y colour of one of the ballpoints that changed things. It could have been the mood I was in or the music I was listening to. It could have been the calling card that came through the door or the hair band I found. Of course, it was all those things.

I don't know how I feel about the finished piece. I think it's over worked. I'm really annoyed about the shade of blue that I made the shadow in the bottom right hand corner. But hell, right now I want to post it and move on to the next one. 'Cause right now it's telling me it's done. Finished. Finito.

(I also promise I've finished with the Paul Weller references. Now where's that Joni lyric book....)

the story is still unfolding

So, I did think that the last post was the penultimate stage in the life of this drawing, but I still haven't quite finished. I know it probably looks like it was overdone about three posts ago, but this drawing keeps on going. It's the drawing that just keeps on giving. So if you haven't lost the will to live, and would like to see the finished thing, then come ye back.

push it along

I'm not even sure if you can actually see the difference between this and the last post. It may be subtle, but this is the point where I have to stop the cross hatching. It's the point where I need to start putting the detail in. And, it's the point where I'm starting to think that this is a rubbish drawing and that I shouldn't have done this step by step thingy because now I have to post the final drawing whether I like it or not.

where'er you go

Still not quite sure where the pen is taking me but that's alright. It's really alright.

you made up my mind for me

I hadn't planned to do this work in progress thingy, but there's a time and place for everything. And this is one of those times. I guess that these many layered drawings are just right for showing that step by step process. And, of course, it means I get lots of posts out of the one drawing. Just what you need when you're going through a dry spell. So, you see, my mind was made up for me. So easily.