Griff the cat

I'm not sure if many of you (who draw) work in this way but I, more often than not, will sketch stuff in a sketchbook before I go onto re-draw it. I then, if I feel happy with the original sketches, will commit it them to 'proper' paper. One of the things I find over again, though, is that the characters or objects that I draw often lose something when they make that move from sketchbook to paper. Obviously the spontaneity is lost in the process but for some reason the character can go missing too. It's really frustrating. He just does not want to leave my sketchbook! Does anyone else have the same problem?


By the way, if you'd like to see the original photo* that inspired this drawing CLICK HERE. *Warning, this photo contains serious levels of cuteness.

homeward bound

I'm going away for a week - just back home. I won't have access to a scanner but I might get to post some old stuff. I'll sift through it to see if there's anything worth posting. Hopefully I'll get some time to catch up with all of your blogs and sites. I seems like it's ages since I did that. Catch you later.

it's a drawing of two halves

And the other half will be posted tomorrow...or, when I finish it.

(Click on image to view)

one hundred posts old

I remember, some time ago, Suzanne Buchanan celebrating her 100th post. Back then I was just a couple of months into my own blog and a hundred posts seemed like a life time away. Well, it's surprising how quickly it comes around! And, what's more, I've loved every minute of it.

I'm going to be little self indulgent now; I've decided to re-post my favourite picture from these last few months work. I have produced a lot of work in these 100 posts that I'm proud of. Work that would never have been created if I hadn't joined the Everyday Matters group and started this blog.

There are a few pieces that came to mind when thinking about my own personal favourite. But there was really only one picture that stands out for me which is this; my spotty brolly. I know that if I had seen this drawing on somebody elses blog I'd be thinking "Damn, I wish that was mine". And that feels good.

It also seems fitting that my favourite was a piece of work that I created in response to an Everyday Matter's Challenge (draw something that folds). To see the rest of my EDM set click HERE. Cheers!

Queila's cat

I have officially been addicted to Flickr for 5 months. I can get lost on there for hours. It's such a quick way to skip from gallery to gallery and see the wonderful work on show. This is a little piece of promotional work that I did for Queila, one of my Flickr contacts. You can see her work here. It's cute!

Iris

radiator

In the last few days I've been tagged twice. Lillan and Felicity both nominated me. So here goes, 6 unusual things about me;

• George is my favourite Beatle.
• Sloths are my favourite animals. I adore them. One of my ambitions is to see one (in real life) and, if possible, hold one. Aaaaw.
• For one year my job was picking roses in the desert.
• I love bad tv and films. In fact the badder the better. I'm talking really terrible; shaky sets and awful acting. I for one wish the BBC would bring back Eldorado.
• I have a phobia of horses in water or swimming horses. Eeek.
• Some years ago I was sat next to a stranger on a bus travelling from Bangkok to the islands in the south of Thailand. A couple of years later I was on a bus travelling from Israel to Egypt and was sat next to the exact same guy!

And I never even got to mention that Kermit was my ideal man - yep the frog. Well I now must pass this on to six other bloggers. So Teri, Mariana, Karen Blados, Chasing Tigers, Plain Jane and I Need Orange it's you!

little black bag

(click on image to view)

This black leather designer bag cost me a (relative) fortune when I bought it about 10 years ago. I feel the price tag was justified because I have used it regularly for the last decade. And the moral of the story is buy a classic shape and style and it'll last forever; resulting in less guilt.

helplessly hopscotching

Helplessly Hopscotching Her Headwear Hovers.....

A little dedication to my friend Tim and to many a night singing CSN&Y classics. Well, I say 'singing'...

gate post

On Fridays, which is my day off, I'm trying to get out in the countryside and do some drawing. Do something a bit different from the usual objects I seem to draw a lot of. So how come I get 'out in the sticks' and still manage to draw a man-made object? How does that happen? (It's the lock on a gate by the way).

lemon burst

I really feel like this blog, and I, needed some colour in our lives. What could be better than burst of lemon? I bought these organic lemons because they were not the usual perfect-shaped type that you get at the supermarket. They had all sorts of lumps and bumps which made them much more interesting for drawing.

I think I over did it a bit with the dark green on the left of the lemon. 'Over egged the pudding' as the saying goes. Apart from that I'm pleased with the texture I achieved on the peel.

(Oh, and I've just remembered there's an EDM challenge 'draw some fruit'. So this is my attempt.)

EDM#43 draw something china or ceramic

Everyday Matters challenge #43 draw something ceramic; kitchen ornaments. In an earlier post (perfume bottle) I experimented in using both ballpoint and pencil together in the same drawing. This picture takes that idea one step further. In the bottom of the two ornaments I have blended both graphite and ballpoint. I quite like it.

time to think

Time To Think.

Think about Things.

Think some Thoughts.

EDM#22 draw an item of clothing

Phew! I'm so pleased to have made a drawing like this. For a couple of weeks I've been struggling with my creativity. Thinking about making the next drawing better than the last. Feeling the pressure to post something that is 'good enough'. Trying to show more technical ability. Searching for the perfect image.

My blog is now four months old and it is the first time I have felt like this. The honeymoon period is over and now it's beginning to feel like more of an effort than it did before. Before I was just so in love with drawing that it was never an issue. I guess it's just time to readjust and find the best way of working for me.

So I'm so pleased to have made a drawing like this because there wasn't any thought put into it. I didn't worry about the outcome, how much skill it displayed or didn't - I just drew. And the bonus was it fitted into one of the EDM challenges!

playing with packhams

Click on image to view.

I've noticed that pears seem to be quite a popular subject matter for some of the illustrators from these drawing blogs. I know exactly why; I love them too. They have a great figure for drawing. I enjoy playing around with their shapes. My favourites are the short stubby varieties like Packhams or Williams.