cat studies

 Recently I've got into the habit of doing a little sketch before bed. I've always been a late night creative, I cannot go to bed if I haven't drawn at least a little something or other. But a theme has emerged, as it so often does.

 I have a little sketchbook that I'd sort of given the theme 'cats and dogs', but, as usual, I'd only filled in a few pages. Then, So I dug it out again and began doing a little drawing of my old cat each night. I wanted to do something that was 'live' (not that you'd notice) instead of still life. I've done more than enough still life, from around my house, in my time.

The old girl is really getting on now (by that I mean she is ancient) and does little but sleep. I wish I'd started this earlier.

 There was a time, back in 2009, when I drew her 100 times in just a couple of days (you can see the results of that project HERE) but since then haven't really taken the time to draw her. Until now.

 So, here she is taking a well earned rest after a gruelling grooming session.

 And, her being annoyed about me putting a sketchbook and camera in her face.

 I've also been playing around with collage, just for shits and giggles, recently. So here she is sleeping in collage.

I love those feet.

And, if you did follow the link to the project I did when she was a lot younger, it turns out that here daily routine wasn't that much different back then. 

two week sketchbook challenge

 The good thing about not blogging regularly for a period, is that you build up lots of work to post when you finally get back on it. Here's a project I completed earlier in the year.

So, I saw this post on the rather excellent Doodlers Anonymous where somebody completed a sketchbook in two hours. TWO. HOURS. I loved the idea.

 And, I had a couple of new cheap sketchbooks that I'd got in some sale. It gave me an idea of what to do with them. I should say that they were quite big sketchbooks (over 70 double page spreads) and so I set another goal; TWO WEEKS.

Which would pretty much mean taking the sketchbook wherever I went (including Ikea) and drawing even more obsessively than normal.

I started the sketchbook at a life drawing session that I used to attend weekly. It was a good place to start as that week we were focusing on drawing body parts, which meant I could fill up quite a few pages of feet and hands and, well, other bits.

And whilst I was totally pissed off that my washing machine was playing up, I did get a few drawings done waiting around at the laundrette.

I drew my friend's dog and I drew photos of my friends on my window sill.

The thing you have to do while speed drawing in this way is to ditch the fine liner pens. I pretty much used thick pens for the most of it.

I was also going to say you need to forget the detail, but I seemed to capture quite lot at my friend's gorgeous canal boat home - in both the one above and below.

Now it comes to something when you get home from another trip to Ikea, drop your bags on the floor and draw that, but I was determined to get that book finished.

The cat was not impressed.

Obviously these are just a tiny selection of the drawings I made. And they'll never be my best. But that wasn't the point.

It was a challenge, and I wasn't going to give up. I kept on pedalling.

In some places I had a field day.

Like at the antiques auction.

Where there was no shortage of things to draw. I was even sketching whilst bidding.

And I did it. And one of the things that pleased me most about finishing the book was that I finished it exactly two weeks to the day, at life drawing. And with the same model that was posing when I started.

So, if you're ever stuck for something to do, start yourself a two week sketchbook. Give it a go. And yeah, sometime in the near future I'll be giving the two hour sketchbook a bash.

raining cats and dogs

Still keeping up with #inktober (just about) and the last few days have been all about cats and dogs.

Not sure where it came from, some dark recess of my mind no doubt. Actually this poodle has been trapped inside trying to get out for ages. 

I've also been trying to work outside of the sketchbook. Not that I'm giving up in the sketchbook. NOOOOO way. I'd never do that, my sketchbooks are my favourite places to draw and that was the problem.

I just felt I couldn't draw outside of the sketchbook. And when I feel like that about some drawing related thing, these days, I challenge myself to....well....challenge the 'I can't' thoughts and feelings. 

So, with that in mind, I've decided to use up all of the scraps of paper I have around the house. It started with my bicycle challenge (the one where I felt I could never draw a bike so I drew fifty in a few weeks. Actually, I'm not sure I've blogged about that yet) I gathered every bit of blank paper in the whole house and have started drawing on them. 

A friend of mine bought this 1920s music paper for me so I drew on that. I drew on the cardboard backs of sketchbooks. And on brown paper. On old water colour pads. Anything that's been hanging around. It's getting drawn on.

 Like this poodle, if it's a bit of paper that can be drawn on then it won't be hanging around for long. It's going walkies.

 

Cat and dog drawings available HERE.

back in the old folky days

Happy New Year folks!

As I said in a previous post, I've been making some changes to my business (and life) recently. Some leaps of faith. Which all ties in nicely with the New Year and new leaf/chapter/beginning.

Here's something I've never tried before; bespoke, made to order original drawings. Not just bespoke drawings, but, bespoke pet portraits (and that's something I never thought I'd hear myself saying). They are, of course, pet portraits with a difference. They are kind of like drawings of your pet's ancestors. With a little imagined (by me) biography of said pet ancestor.

 

Where and how the hell do I come up with these ideas?

Anyway, you can get a bespoke, Victorian, made to order, portrait of YOUR pet HERE!

No, really.

there's a cat in the kitchen

I spent Easter Sunday drawing my kitchen shelves. But then didn't we all? Didn't we? Oh. OH, right.

I'm really happy with this drawing. Really very happy. There's a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, because this page in my sketchbook had been annoying, frustrating, depressing me for probably six months. I'd committed to drawing the shelves by putting an outline of them, and their contents, down on the page in back ink. You probably can't even see it now but it is there. And, that's as far as I got. But it was a horrible drawing; bland and contrived. I didn't know where to go with it.

So, I'd just let it sit on the back burner ever since. Sometimes that's all you can do with a drawing. There are times, actually, when this approach, of just leaving a drawing brew and going back to it some time later, has produced some of my favourite sketchbook spreads. That's what happened here.

Sunday I decided to tackle the shelves. I used blind contour technique to put the details in with coloured fine liners. Then I added some colour pencil  for the background and chilli lights. Then I put in some shadows with a green brush pen. Then I put in some other thicker lines with other pens (which it really didn't need, but then I never know when to stop). Finally, and for no apparent reason, I blind contoured the cat and added the phrase 'le chat est dans la cuisine'.

So, there we go. The story of a drawing.

Oh, and the other reason I really like it is, well, just 'cos I find it aesthetically pleasing. That's okay, isn't it?

you're a rare rare find

Sir Wilfred Digby Jones McPickles

You know, I'd really love to have a dog. I would like a dog not for the companionship, or to get fit, I'd like a dog so that I could dress him up as a Victorian gentleman. Then I would get him to parade around the house with my cat, who would be dressed in crinolines. Just for my amusement. Until that time arrives I've drawn them.

The phrase 'what am I doing with my life?' comes to mind. Again.

Lady Flora Josephine Fossington Smythe

Actually, when I was away, a month or so ago, I was working on a book deadline. I'm not sure how much I can say about it yet, but as part of my research I found myself looking through lots of Victorian and Regency silhouettes. There are some stunningly beautiful examples, and I'd recommend doing a little research (Googling) yourself. I think you'll be inspired. I was. It's also how I'm trying to justify these two drawings.

coming to take you away

I've been meaning to make this post for such a long time now. To announce the winner of the drawing below.

Now, you might remember my last competition draw (see it HERE). We roped in Wilf the dog, on the promise of a Bonio, to choose the winning name (WHAT am I doing with my life?). Since then I have been feeling the pressure to make this draw just as spectacular.

Has anyone ever tried to get a cat to do something that they don't want to do? Well, if you are attached to your face and don't, necessarily, want it to be removed from the rest of your body, I'd suggest you don't.

I tried. And, let me tell you, it was not a pretty sight. But I am getting over it. Once I'd mopped up the blood and put my eyes back in, I was able to retrieve the winning name. Unfortunately I was unable to get a photo of the actual draw. It was just too dangerous. And, was probably for the best.

So, the winner is Sara Blackthorne. The drawing is making it's way to you.

Thanks to everyone who purchased my little zine. For those of you who haven't yet got your copies of Molezines 1 and 2 (what is wrong with you?) they are currently available with FREE postage (for a short time only). So check this out, and don't be left out, you squares.

and i can't hold on, through my fingers she's gone

Recently, I read on one of the drawing blogs (sorry, I can't remember whose, but if it's you let me know and I'll link you here) that you never really get to know a subject until you've drawn it 100 times. I can relate to that. I know that confidence you get from drawing a subject over and over.

So, last week, while I was housebound, I decided to tackle a different subject, instead of my usual still life. I drew my cat 130 times in a couple of days. As you do. Just rough quick sketches.

I also conducted a highly sophisticated survey on how my cat spends it's time (it would be too technical for you lot to grasp so I won't go into it here). The results were;

sleeps 90%
washes/grooms 9%
eats 0.5%
goes outside 0.5%

(I was going to draw a pie chart of the results, but then I realised how ridiculous this would be.)

Anyway, back to the drawing project.
I'm really happy with the results. At the beginning the sketches were tentative and a little nervous, this is right out of my comfort zone, but I think you can see the confidence growing throughout. I can definitely say I'm now quite confident at drawing sleeping and washing cats.

I couldn't post all of the sketches. As, it would have been the most gigantic post known to man. So I've just posted some of my favourites. But you can see the full set HERE on Flickr. If, of course, you are interested.

Another note on this recession. I'm finding that I'm so much less wasteful (is that a word?). I used to spend so much money on pens, art supplies, pens and more pens. I have pencil cases full of unused pens. For this project I dug out pens that I'd never even used before. And, an old practice pad that would never have seen the light of day if I wasn't so poor.

Here's that link again to the FLICKR SET.

perfect weather to fly

I've been meaning to draw this view for so long. Well, ever since I saw that there was an Everyday Matters challenge called 'draw the view from a window of your house'. It seems an appropriate time to finally get around to it. Before the reassuring view of Jo and Nick's house is no longer part of my everyday life.

Everyday Matters #18, the view from my window. See the rest of my Everyday Matters set HERE.

tell me why

The leaning tower of cat bowls.

How can a cat have so many possessions? Twelve cat bowls. Twelve. Seriously.

i play dead

Just a little quickie today, more of a doodle actually. There seems to be a theme going on around here - cat toys. And they all belong to this girl HERE.