into the light of the dark black night

Here's the last of he classified ads that will feature in my next zine. You know, last year I made a post where I vowed to never ever launch a new zine before Christmas. I am such an idiot. I really am.

Plus, on the subject, I was going to list 'How To Draw Like A Loon' today but after consulting my part time manager/shop keeper/advisor, Tim, I was advised not to. It is currently at the printers and he suggested that I do not list it until I have it in my hands and it's ready to go. That way, I shouldn't be making future posts where I apologise for it being late. Like I usually do.

Also, I would like to take this opportunity to ...er....ahem....apologise to all those who have been waiting to see their classified ads for bloody ages. I....er...welll.....uh....ahem....you know?

and any eye for detail

So loons, just a little note to say that I will be finally putting my new zine in my Etsy shop in the next couple of days. 'How To Draw like A Loon' is along the same lines as 'How To Draw Like A Nut' but with more pages. And, we know what more pages means; more drawings! I'll post the last of the classified ads tomorrow, too.

'Citing!

out of the blue

Unbelievably, despite having all sorts of stuff on the go, I have started a new Moleskine sketchbook. Well, it's not exactly new. It was the blue ballpoint themed Moleskine that I embarked on a couple of years ago. I wasn't quite feeling the blue ballpoint theme, though. For me the two things were not working together. Unlike my old sepia themed Moley; the sepia ink and cream paper were the perfect marriage - a bit like pineapple and cheese on a stick (for those of you who have never had the pleasure, cheese and pineapple on a stick is a British delicacy). The blue ballpoint was a bit like a pickled onion and cheese on a stick (another British delicacy). Now, I know to some pickled onion and cheese works, but I just don't like it.

So I ripped out the pages I'd made blue drawings on and stuck some other pages together and then I came up with this idea. It's a book about places that I know, or visit, and I'm sure you can see what I'm doing with the pages. I've always wanted to do a pop up Moleskine, and indeed have started one with an Air Mail theme, but the whole pop up thing is much more complicated than I could have imagined. So, while I get my head around it, this one's a compromise. It brings the total of Moleskines I have on the go to double figures, which is why I am giving it the working title of 'Another Bloody Moleskine'.

News on my new zine to follow shortly! Finally.

somewhere i can warm my bones

Have you ever noticed that it's not until you've uploaded a drawing, and viewed it on the screen, that you realise that it's not quite right? It needs something more. Something else. I posted the drawing above a little while ago, and as soon as I saw it on screen the banana screamed out 'colour me!'. My first concern should probably have been that a banana was screaming at me from computer screen but I could only agree with it.

And above, some nonsense about how I like to spend my Saturdays; which is basically as lazy as is humanly possible. I think the words in the last sentence should probably have been in a different order, but hey ho.

Sunday was a different story. Sunday saw the November sketch crawl for the Sketchcrawl North group. It started at Sheffield train station and then moved onto the Winter Gardens. I didn't get many drawings out of the day. Some bits and pieces on various journal spreads - which I'll post when the pages are finished - but towards the end of the afternoon I pulled this one (above) out of the bag.

You know, I'm never that bothered about not having much (drawing wise) to show from the day. I get so much more out of it than that. A few months ago I would never have thought I'd be enjoying sketching outdoors. With people! The idea horrified me, quite frankly. But, it's been a revelation. Sharing a day with people who love drawing as much as I do, chit chatting about pens, paper, techniques and all the other stuff your friends and family have no interest in and noseying in every one's elses sketchbooks at the end of the day is more than enough for me.

You can see some actual drawings from the day on our Facebook page HERE.

Happy Monday, folks.

autumn blew it's leaves at me

I seem to have powered through this latest Moleskine. I only have a few pages left and, yet, I only started it about four months ago. Some of my past Moleskines have taken that many years. I guess it's a sign of how much I have enjoyed this quicker, less laboured kind of drawing.

This book should be finished after the next sketchcrawl in Sheffield on Sunday. Anyone interested in joining the Sheffield and Wakefield sketchcrawl group get in touch and I'll pass on the details. Or take a look at our Facebook page.

I'm feeling a bit panicky that I don't yet have a new Moleskine waiting in the wings. I feel that some shopping is in order, because as winter draws in I'm hoping to hibernate and draw draw draw.