could be in a dream

OK, here is one of those examples of taking a drawing too far. I think. I really should have left it as it was. And, now, I'm even contemplating laying down the shadows, in the version below, on each and every one of the woodland hair accessories. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

Oh well, you win some, you lose some. Bit annoying, though.

And if you still don't know; click on the drawings for a better view. Go on, stick your beak in.

throw those curtains wide

So, it's here again. Yeah, it's that time of year. I do have a drawing I want to post but as this photo, quite randomly, turned up in a Christmas card (that's my mother for you) it suddenly seemed more appropriate. Hope you all have a wonderful time, just like I am having at my first birthday.

Have fun, folks.

love in mind

'Woke up this morning with love in mind,

it was raining outside but my love still shined'.

smells like teen spirit

Niece: Go and get some more crisps and drinks.
Me: You go
Neice: Your turn
Me: You haven't even had a turn
Neice: Go on.
Me: Ooooh you....
Niece: Go.
Me: You're such a....er...a...
Niece: Boghouse rat?
Me: Yes, a boghouse rat.
Niece: And? Now go and get those crisps.

The inspiration for this drawing was a weekend spent, watching back to back episodes of the Mighty Boosh, with my niece. It was a typical weekend for a couple of boghouse rats. Holed up in a dark bedroom. The curtains drawn. Not leaving except to use the toilet or to stock up on supplies. Taking it in turns to lie on the bed or the sleeping-bag-plus-mattress-combo that we'd set up on the floor. And supposedly, taking it in turns to stock up on snacks. Well, one of us taking more turns than the other. Happy days.

I love my niece. We have lot in common. Including our boghouse ratishness.
Happy Birthday, love.

To find out if you, too, are a boghouse rat, just answer the questionnaire below (it would have been longer but I just couldn't be bothered to finish it).

CLICK on drawings to view.

drop me anywhere

This fiver was really interesting to draw. All those lines and creases. As unique as a fingerprint.

This is my response to Everyday Matters challenge #191, draw some paper money. I'm really enjoying doing some Everyday Matters Challenges at the moment. I hadn't done any for quite some time, so it's really good to get back into some good old observational drawing.

I also very much enjoy being a part of the Everyday Matters group. Especially when I need some information on something arty, like in my last post. Thanks to everybody who emailed me, commented and left a message at the group forum. Here's that fiver I owe you.

Oh, and the detail in this would have been much finer, if my bloody pencils would have sharpened without breaking.

catch the breeze and winter chills

A couple of oldies here, from my Everyday Matters challenges. Or maybe, they are newies to the newcomers to my blog.

draw something yellow

Either way, there is a point (sorry for that awful pun) to me posting these. There is a question I've been meaning to ask ever since I started this blog. I do love to use colour pencil, but it often gets sidelined it for pen. I want to do a series of drawings in colour pencil soon. So I've started getting warmed up again. But, every time I do start using them I remember exactly why they got sidelined in the first place. And, that is the matter of them always always ALWAYS bloody snapping and breaking when being sharpened. It's just so annoying.

draw your palette

I've come to the conclusion it must be down to the pencil sharpener. It doesn't happen ever with graphite. And, as it would be a bit of a coincidence if every single colour pencil I own (from many different brands) were snapped before I'd bought them, I think it has to be the sharpener. So any pencil sharpener advice would be very welcome. The type of sharpener you use? The brand? How long they last? There's a fiver in it, for you. Cheers, folks.

never ever

I believe that, in the past, I have vowed to never ever draw anything that incorporated a light design on a dark background ever again. It really is a bugger. If you don't believe me have a go.

But, there again, I do believe that I've also vowed to never ever reveal any more of the contents of my underwear drawer.

I'm calling this one EDM #193 - Draw a close-up part of something. You can see my set of challenges, so far, HERE. I've also been interviewed this week by the lovely Laura of Make Do And Mend. And, you can read that HERE.

you little charmer

Everyday matters #200. Draw something lucky.

It's been so long since I did an Everyday Matters challenge, so today I thought I'd have a go at the latest one which is 'draw something lucky'. This little Welsh pixie charm is supposed to be lucky. That, of course, is if you believe in luck. I don't.

someone tell me how i feel

Tell me, is there anything wrong with driving through the hills, blubbering ones eyes out to Elbow? Apart from not being able to see the road, of course. But, apart from that?

That's not what I did today. It's just what I wanted to do.

i've been waiting for you

So the final final page of my Moley. The Sepia One. That's it.
And, here's some stats;

53 drawings.
1 drawing I have never (and will never) show.
1 drawing I showed and the deleted.
1 ripped out page (at the very beginning, before I considered collage)
3 drawings with a little added collage.
13 sepia drawing with a little added colour.
30 I like.
13 I don't like.
5 I despise.
12 sepia pens (ish).
1 year and 8 months.
More than 300 hours drawing. Way more.
16 shoes or boots.
1001 Faves on Flickr.
Loads of gorgeous comments (thank you).

My own personal favourite is THIS ONE.
Or maybe THIS ONE.
The most popular drawing was THIS.

And, if this all sounds like I'm blowing my own trumpet, well, I'd just like to draw your attention back to the amount of hours put into this bloody book. Well over 300 hours. So yes, I'll milk it. And now I'll close the book and put it away until I can bear to look at it again. I'll give it at least six months.

View the whole book HERE.
More works from the Andrea Joseph collection can be viewed HERE.

who do you love

This is the final page of my first ever Moleskine (the sepia one) finished. This drawing felt like going over old ground and was a real struggle. But, no surprises there. I'd put a few circles on the page a long time ago, and then left it at that. So, I was forced into continuing the badge theme. I always knew that the final page was going to be a real battle. I have issues with ending things.

Only one of these badges is a real actual badge from my actual badge collection. The rest are from my imaginary badge collection.

I have one more page of this Moleskine to share with you, and then I'm hoping to do a little something to celebrate fnishing it. More on that in the not too distant future.

some might say

Right guys, I promise, I PROMISE, this is the last you'll see of this drawing. I have no choice in the matter anyway, the the doodles are the only thing holding the paper together.

To anyone who fancies completing one of these step by step drawings, before the eyes of the world, it's really simple. Just follow these twelve easy steps;

Step one. I think I'll start a step by step drawing.
Step Two. Yeah, that's a good idea.
Step Three. Yes, I'm loving this.

Step four. I knew it was a good idea.

Step Five. Of course, now I'm committed to this.

Step Six. I couldn't just give it up now.

Step Seven. How long exactly have I been doing this?

Step Eight. Seriously.

Step Nine. I AM getting rather irritable now.

Step Ten. I'm losing the will to live.

Step Eleven. I'm considering murder.

Step Twelve. Finished. Thank f**k for that.

I have noticed that Illustration Friday's theme this week is 'Opinion'. So, as I finished this yesterday, I'm calling this my contribution. Some might say I should have given up on this drawing a long time ago. But as you can see I'm of the opinion - I mean the naughty kid who drew on desk is of the opinion -that it's better to burn out than fade away. Me and this drawing. Totally burnt out. Never again.

hung up

Finally. This print. Available. On Etsy. Find it HERE.

aware of the muse

Regular visitors may have noticed that I don't draw too many people. I find it quite a challenge. I am never happy with what turns up on the page. I do practice at it, though. Behind the scenes. I just don't share. But what the hell. So, here's John and Paul. Lennon and Weller, that is.

I have just finished the first sketchbook. These a couple of the better ones (I know, imagine the worse!). I know that when it comes to drawing people, photo realism is definitely not for me. So I tried out a technique I heard of on Danny Gregory's blog, some time ago. It's the one where you draw the portraits upside down. Not me, I wasn't upside down, silly. You turn the photo, that you are copying, upside down. It's really really good fun. So, even when the drawings turn out crap, at least you've had a good time.

out of the blue

From this;

To this;

For this;

You are probably sick to the back teeth of me drawing school desks, I know I am. But, I thought I'd share this with you. I was invited to contribute to this Urban Art exhibition by creating a piece of work on a piece of cardboard. It's all in aid of Cardboardshelter, a charity that raises funds for The Big Issue.

Drawing on cardboard was something of a revelation to me. I have only ever drawn on white or cream paper before. I loved using the brownish background, it has opened up host of possibilities, and is something I will do more of.

Oh, this is my 300th post! Surely, that can't be right?

hey hey my my

This weeks sees a couple of projects come to fruition for me. This is one I am particularly chuffed about. Yes, it's my drawings, on Moleskines! That can mean only one thing; I have joined the AMAZINGLY cool group of artists at the TOTALLY awesome (I've never actually said that word aloud. I am British, after all. It would sound ridiculous.) Modofly.

If you've never had the pleasure of visiting Modofly's site, and especially if you are a sketchbook or Moleskine junkie, I highly recommend you take a look around. There is some truly gorgeous work on there. And, if you are a regular on the drawing blog circuit, I'm sure you'll recognize some of the other artists.

Unfortunately, I was also going to begin budgeting this week. As, you can imagine, that has gone out of the window. I mean, my very own drawings on Moleskines. It's too much excitement to bear. Check 'em out HERE.

room for a little one

It's been one of those weeks where life just gets in the way of art. It's kind of depressing. In fact, all of the news, these days, seems so damn depressing. You can get really dragged down in all that. Especially if you are a glass half empty kind of person, like me.

I was thinking about this stuff yesterday, before settling down to Neil Young night on BBC4. Five hours of Neil. Documentary, film and, of course, music. I love Neil Young. He's a true artist. Yes, Neil Young makes me happy. Music makes me happy. BBC4 makes me happy (surely the greatest tv channel). The crackling fire on a chilly night and the cat curled up on my lap both make me happy. So it's not all that bad.

Moleskines make me happy too. As does a Japanese Moleskine dropping onto my doormat. It makes me happy that Gabi's little Moley fitted perfectly on the top of this composition. And, that there's still room for growth. Of course, the glorious work of MoleyX12 group makes me very happy. Drawing. Art. Art makes me very very happy.

So I'm now feeling much more cheerful just thinking about all of those things. Now I'm going to have to think of some sad stuff. 'Cos I'm only ever truly happy when I'm feeling blue.

one week like this a year'd see me right

(Click on image to view)
Phew. PHEW. I'm back. I've had a wonderful, full on, couple of weeks. Full of music and laughter and wine. And fun, of course. Over the next week or so I'll try and get back to all the emails, comments, messages etc that I've received recently. Right now, I'm exhausted, after a long long drive.

Here's a little something I've been working on for approximately three months. Not a solid three months. I've been working on it bit by bit. Off and on. More off than on, I might add. It's a tribute to my best buddy. Thanks for a great time, ducky. Long may you run.

on the road

I forgot to mention, in my last post, that I would be away this week. It was all the excitement about my 'dates' with Stephen Stills. Of course, they weren't really dates (only in my head) I just went to see him playing live. Tonight I'll be dating Alan Partridge. Then in a couple of weeks Paul Weller. It's all go when you are so popular. I don't know how I keep up.

Anyway, all going well, I should have a drawing to post over the next couple of days. So, I'll see you guys soon with new drawings, news on my prints, some other creative projects and all the gossip about the men in my life. Until then, cheerio my ducks.

isn't it so

Hey folks, I'm in a bit of a rush but wanted to post something before I go. I don't have the time to add the links that I wanted to add. I may get to add them at a later date. Seriously, I should have left the house five minutes ago. Why am I always late for everything? That's a question I will ponder for the zillionth time while I drive through the hills. To my second date in a week with Stephen Stills. Ok, it's not quite a date. I'm just going to see him in concert.

(Oh, and I'm calling this one Everyday Matters Challenge 164, draw a camera.)

don't look at my shadow

Now be honest, are you laughing at the cat paw? It's a bit rubbish, isn't it? Did you even know it was a cat paw? I actually drew around the actual paw. Which, as you can imagine, the cat was thrilled about. I nearly lost an eye for this drawing. And you're laughing. Thanks a lot.

Illustration Friday; Strings.

push it along

While I'm on the subject - and since I don't have anything else to post - I thought I'd share a few of the inside covers of my ol' Moleskines. So, from top to bottom;

The Sepia One.
Quite minimalist, for me. It's all relative.

The Ballpoint One.
I'm really not happy with this, it seriously isn't working. There are bits of it that I like, for example, the train ticket and the fiver. The rest, however, is a mess. I'll keep you posted on this one. It WILL change.

The Diary.
Some of you may recognize this. It's the pocket at the back of my diary Moley. The drawing is an oldie. But I like it, so thought I'd post it again - while I'm on the subject.

going places

Ok, kids. I'm back with you. Really, I am. Thanks for continuing to visit even though there hasn't been much new work for you to see. It's going to be all about the Moleskines over the next few weeks. I've got some endings and some new beginnings to take care of.

From top to bottom;
1. The Sepia One (I'm so close to finishing this one it hurts).
2.The Ballpointy-Journally-Memory-Could-Turn-Into-Spare-One-One (a new one. I've only drawn on the inner cover and haven't quite decided on the direction of this Moley, although I know it is going to be strictly ballpoint).
3.Spare Moley (very nearly finished).
4. The Brand Spanking New One (hasn't even been opened. I have lots of ideas for this one. Lots.)
5. The Diary (where I am planning world domination)

one day it'll all make sense

Nearly there, folks. I've nearly finished the children's book drawings that have been taking up all my time over the last couple of weeks. I'll tell you more about it in my next post and then, I promise, back to 'normal' drawing and posting.

Oh, yeah, and this is a collection of hat pins that I found cluttering up the old dusty attic. The old dusty attic in my head, that is.

you can't dance alone

Click on image to view.

Well, today is my blogs second birthday. I did have something planned for it, but didn't quite pull it off in time. Ambitious but rubbish, that's me. It will still happen - just not when I intended. Anyway, all will be revealed in the next couple of weeks so stay tuned folks. My excuse, for not getting my act together, this time, is that I am frantically trying to get some of this children's book down on paper. The aim is five drawings by the end of the month. Yikes.

This birthday is a good opportunity to say another big thank you to all you guys. For all the visits, the comments and the encouragement that you've given me over the last couple of years. I've learnt so much in that time. On lots of levels. It has been quite a journey. The fact that you choose to join me makes me happier than you'll ever know. Cheers.

i got the cat spit blues

A little while ago I asked you where you may find all the items in THIS picture. The answer is, of course, they are all things that you would find in a pixies hat. Obviously. Fortunately, I mean unfortunately, nobody won the million pound prize I was offering.

This a drawing from the children's book that has being living in my sketchbook, and my head, for the past decade. It took me five days to draw. When I'd finished it, yesterday, I put it down on the floor and went into the other room (I know, I know). When I returned the cat was sat on top of the drawing taking a wash. She looked up at me, shook her head and a globule of saliva plopped right onto the drawing. It is not waterproof ink. So I had an orange stain that I had to try to hide. I think I've managed it. It was the pencil in the jar - which had a fine wood grain before the spittle incident.

This drawing is on A3 paper. I usually work on paper half this size. I've just been to the print shop to get it scanned. I was going to take some photos and post them, but it needed scanning. I want you to stick your beaks into every nook and cranny. So click on the image to view.

there's something happening here

As I said in the last post, I've been moonlighting over at our MoleyX group recently. Whilst I'm loving this project hugely there is one downside. You cannot post your drawings when you've finished them, you must wait until the next person in the chain has received the sketchbook.

I find that quite frustrating. The waiting to post. I was the kind of kid that would go hunting the house for hidden Christmas presents when there was nobody at home. I WILL open early birthday pressies. And then stick all the wrapping paper neatly back together if need be. So, what I'm saying is, this part of the project is testing for me.

This is my contribution to Juj's Moley. In my opinion, these little Moleskines don't seem to scan that well. They usually look better in photos. Luckily, I love messing around with the camera. Unluckily, I end up having to try to pick the best shots from about 80 snaps. I am not exaggerating. Even now, just as I'm about to click on 'Publish Post', I'm still undecided as to whether I've chosen the right ones. I'm rubbish at making decisions. But, hey, that's another song.

Anyway, you can see the full set of photos HERE or visit our MoleyX blog HERE. You decide.