Getting Butch

  Sometimes I draw in white ink into a rather lovely black sketchbook by Paperchase. But it ain’t half difficult! Funny thing is, if I draw onto paper that I’ve coloured with a wash, I really enjoy it. Maybe it’s because the commercial one is so evenly coated and perfect, it’s like drawing straight ontoContinue reading “Getting Butch”

A Work Of Sadness

  I don’t normally draw landscapes but I always take a sketchbook with me when I’m travelling. Here’s a sketch I made from the window of my bedroom at the hostel in Bisham, Pakistan. It was my first sight of the Karakoram mountain range – spectacular. More people should think about holidaying in Pakistan –Continue reading “A Work Of Sadness”

Shady Lady

  Just got back from life drawing at the most excellent Swansea Print Workshop and I’m cream-crackered. Here’s my shady lady, our retired biology teacher who also happens to be heavily tattooed with flies, spiders, lizards and carnivorous plants. I love drawing older models, so much character in their bodies. I drew with a dipContinue reading “Shady Lady”

More Streetlife

  I try and spend a few minutes scribbling each day. If there isn’t a specific topic to interest me, I’ll wander along to the large windows at the east side of our studio block and do some speed sketching at around 4-5pm when people are making their way home. It’s good practice because IContinue reading “More Streetlife”

I’ve Got Wood…

…..and I know how to use it :). I’ve got a stack of plywood offcuts hanging around the studio so I thought I’d do some woodcuts from my sketches. I’ve decided to work on male nudes for the foreseeable future and I’ve just completed a series of three very large manier noir drawings, including oneContinue reading “I’ve Got Wood…”

Hats And Fire

  Guy Fawkes Night!!!!! A great British tradition. Some say that Guy Fawkes is the only person ever to have entered the Houses of Parliament with honest intentions. Tonight we took a young relative to the municipal fireworks display just across the road from the sea. It was terrific, some of the best fireworks I’veContinue reading “Hats And Fire”

Sprog Sitting

  Did some sprog sitting over the weekend with a gaggle of small nieces and nephews, so I grabbed the chance to do some more scribbles of children’s heads. Weird little alien bonces are very hard to draw. The proportions are so difficult – they have impossibly huge eyes. I’ll get there …. one dayContinue reading “Sprog Sitting”

Another Man. Another Day.

  I’ve been working on some very large manier noir drawings, based on life drawings from my sketchbooks, The drawings are on paper about 120cms high, Fabriano Accademica, coated with acrylic gesso and rubbed all  over with compressed charcoal. I thought I’d do a series of male nudes – there are loads in my sketchbooksContinue reading “Another Man. Another Day.”