Almost Manga

We have some little relatives staying for a sleepover and of course, they are scribbling fodder. My little niece was cwtched on the settee watching a film and I tried to draw her. So very hard! All children are aliens! They have such weird proportions – HUGE eyes, little turned up nose, tiny chin andContinue reading “Almost Manga”

Eadweard’s Horses

I rarely work from photographs but I took a series of photos on the beach yesterday and I’m going to use them for sketching for a few days. Drawing directly from life is energising, forces me to focus only on what’s absolutely important in the subject and is good practice but doesn’t give me theContinue reading “Eadweard’s Horses”

Way Too Cute!

I took my teenage niece with me to do a spot of puppy-sitting yesterday and I also took a drawing board, some beautiful vintage paper – Saunders from the Wooky Hole paper mill in Somerset – and charcoal, compressed and willow. I intended to do some portrait drawing of my niece, but I reckoned withoutContinue reading “Way Too Cute!”

Crowd Control

Standing in a queue is a good opportunity to do some crowd sketching. I like to draw individuals because, to be honest, it’s easier. But I shouldn’t stay in my comfort zone so I did these two crowd sketches when I was standing in a queue yesterday. Drawing in a crowd forces you to bringContinue reading “Crowd Control”

I Scream Ice Cream

Just a quick one at the end of the evening, a speedy sketch I did at the local ice cream parlour, Joe’s, a landmark for generations of Swansea Jacks, one of the widespread Italian cafés that grew across Wales in the early 20th century. The ice cream is sublime, possibly the best vanilla in theContinue reading “I Scream Ice Cream”

Beach Dog

On the beach. A dog. And its trained monkeys. This afternoon, in glorious Spring weather, walking with Husb and little nephew along the promenade in Swansea Bay. It was beautiful and sunny and I snapped this little group at the water’s edge and scribbled from the drawing this evening with graphite into my A5 TateContinue reading “Beach Dog”

Spring!!!!!!

Has sprung!   Husb and I had a long walk around Swansea Bay earlier, it was glorious weather, crisp and sunny. The prom and beach were full of action, cycling, boarding, skating, running, jogging, walking, dog walking. We stopped for a pot of tea at Blackpill Lido and I scribbled this family at a nearbyContinue reading “Spring!!!!!!”

Mindless Telly

What a day. Terrific opening of the new printmaking show at Galerie Simpson earlier. Now I’m shattered and slumped in front of the telly. There isn’t a cat available for sketching, they’re refusing to hang out with the trained monkeys because they’re on the roof bothering magpies, so it’s Husb again. And now, The Voice.Continue reading “Mindless Telly”