New Book

I have got a lovely new book. I first saw it in the Tate Modern shop on the Saturday that I was in London. I resisted the investment as I couldn't carry much more home. However, following the Sketchcrawl I decided to invest and have been eagerly awaiting the delivery.

Yesterday, it arrived. I hadn't done my drawing for the day so thought this would be perfect! ... however, it took me sooooo long to draw I didn't even open the book yesterday after all!

I found it a really interesting exercise though, to try and copy the front cover (Piccadilly Circus by James Hobbs)- to draw in the style of someone else and to try and think how they had viewed the scene when they drew it. How they chose to record the different elements of what was before them. I loved stumbling on more and more detail as I went on. I wondered what my drawing would have looked like if I had been in the same spot sketching the same surroundings (- this is another joy of a Sketchcrawl, many different interpretations of the scene in front of you).

So, the important bit... the book is called 'Sketch Your World', it is by James Hobbs, and published by Apple and it is brand new for 2014.

So, tonight I'm going to read (and gaze at the pictures) of my new book!

Beautiful pens

I have recently rediscovered the dip pen. I love the sound it makes on the paper. I love the ink, and I love the gamble of whether I've got the right amount of ink on the nib... or not! (often too much). I also love that my friend Barb has recently got the dip pen bug, and we've been having dip pen appreciation chats.

I plan to dig out my bamboo dip pen and have a go sketching with that.

Red toes

Looking at the floor, wondering what to draw...

Sketchcrawl...

In a moment of last-minute-rashness I decided to go to London last weekend. I had a lovely day with my sister on Saturday, walking for miles along the river as we always do.

We paused opposite Big Ben so I could draw a London Lamppost before it got too dark to see the detail.

On Sunday we had a very exciting bus ride through the big city (both the bus and the city are exciting for this country mouse!).

Timberyard cafe

After a brief bit of admiration of the Lions, the Blue Cockerel and Nelson, in Trafalgar Square, we scampered up to Covent Garden.


At the Timberyard cafe I joined the Urban Sketchers London Sketchcrawl. It was lovely to be in the city and drawing with fellow sketchers.

I often chicken out of a) drawing in public and b) drawing people, and so today was great as it got me doing both of these.

Neal's Yard (outside until I got too chilly! then in the cafe)

I'm overly strict on my drawing a day rules - once I close the book, that drawing is finished, no colouring in later or tweaking the picture. However, pictures like the one above make me think about changing this - I wish I'd stayed cold for a bit longer and coloured the buildings in (picture on the left), but as it was I went inside, ordered a hot chocolate ... and closed the book (briefly!) so it will have to stay as it is.

I left the fellow Sketchcrawl-ers while they were still in the warm at Neal's Yard, as I had to head back to meet my sister and then walk towards Marylebone for my train home (we like to walk!). We met back at Trafalgar Square and stayed for three songs by these guys. I was still in sketch mode so did these really quickly (Beatles songs are short!). I hadn't thought enough about the spacing and so poor 'Ringo' is crammed in the corner and the drum hardly gets a look in!

2014

Apologies for the delay in updates, but fear not... the 'Drawing a Day' continues into 2014! I decided to carry on as I really enjoyed my daily drawings last year.

I have a lovely new sketchbook. It is one that I bought last summer at Art in Action, and have been saving since.
It is slightly smaller than last years book, which I hope may mean it can fit into a (large) pocket and venture out even more than the last one.
It also has much thicker paper, which I only realised on the 1st January, when I finally allowed myself to unwrap it from its cellophane. This discovery has enabled me to use watercolour and ink in a different way to the last book - it dries much faster (absorbs better) and doesn't seep through to the previous / next page in a distressing manner.

I have been experimenting with some black ink in a water brush, for quick application of shading or... general greyness!
The little black dog seemed a good place to trial it!

- this was particularly exciting as I found the £20 in a handbag that I had just decided to give to the Charity Shop. I thought I'd better just check the pockets before saying goodbye to it, and just as well I did - 2 IKEA pencils (!) and a £20 note. There was also a receipt in there, that was dated 2008, so I have a feeling these had been lurking there since then too!

Pheasant

This gentleman was strutting about on the lawn outside the window on Christmas Eve Eve - it was very wet, but he pecked about for a while before retreating under a bush, where he looked a bit bored of the rain.

Christmas!

... seems forever ago already!

I've spent the evening scanning some sketches that I did over the festive period...