'Tis the season...falalalalaaalalalala



Pencil, marker and trusty old PS

Inky inky spider...

I've had some old calligraphy inks sat on my desk for a while now with lots of ideas in mind, so I thought it was about time I actually got on with something.

This is just a quick sketch to try out the colours since I couldn't remember what any of them came out like - hence the slightly odd combinations!

Black waterproof marker and coloured inks

Paz

A (relatively) quick sketch based on the lovely Paz Lenchantin, a bass player and general musical beaut originally from Argentina.

PS, references used for top half of pose and for bass guitar

A Black past

This a piece I've been working on on-and-off over the last week or so. What with Harry Potter 7 impending, the idea is that it's a traditional-type portrait done of Andromeda Tonks (née Black) done when she was a teenager, before she married Ted.

I'm not entirely happy with it, but I'm finished with it for the moment at least.

Done entirely in PS, reference used for inspiration for the chair. 

Hobbit hobbit hobbit hobbithob bithobb ithobbith obbit...

So I'm not even mildly excited about the Hobbit film. I refuse to listen to any pessimism on the subject: they HAVE TO GET MADE!  Ahem.

Anyway, probably inspired by all the Hobbit talk, here's a picture of an elfy-type person, because we all like a good elfy-type person once in a while and because I like drawing dresses.

Pencil and paper, then scanned and coloured in PS.

And yes, that hand is a total cop-out.

Cosy

A couple of recent sketches, based on the wonderful stock photos of faestock at deviantART.

I think I was attracted to the picture with the fur lined hood because it's starting to feel much more autumnal at the moment.

HB pencil, done while procrastinating instead of doing some proper work!

Ballet shoes

Have not been drawing enough lately. Would attempt to carry my sketchbook with me everywhere, but my bag has already broken from the strain of carrying all my folders and textbooks and stuff.

Conclusion: being a student is a real bum. 

"With the record selection
and the mirror's reflection
I'll be dancing with myself..."



 Photoshop and graphics tablet, no ref used

Railing against the world

Have recently started watching Mad Men right from the beginning and I'll admit that I've rather fallen in love with the whole look of the show. And Joan's hair. Do you see!? This is what the summer holidays do to me!

Anyway, this was done last night while half-watching Miss Potter. I do love my fine-liners, although this one was starting to go a bit scratchy by the end. Ah well, life goes on.

Live long and prosper and all that jazz, as ever.

Hummingbirds and heartache

To my lucky day, hummingbird don't fly away - BB King

Hummingbirds flap their wings 90 times per second, that's pretty amazing. And they're pretty gorgeous too!

On a side note, we always hear that we 'shouldn't be afraid to follow our hearts', but sometimes it's not as easy as it sounds. How do you tell what it is that your heart really wants?

A friend suggested flipping a coin, seeing the outcome and deciding in that instant, apparently it provides a moment of clarity...hmmm.

A quick sketch, photo ref used, Photoshop CS3

I am not condoning war

I believe this was originally meant to be a kind of futuristic sci-fi-type soldier. Oh well, I like his stubble.

Photoshop CS3 and my beloved Wacom.

Bring in...the wind machine

Haven't been drawing as much as I'd like to over the past few weeks - revision, exams and then the resulting brainlessness have been getting in the way. Ah, the life of a student.

Anyway, here's a quick sketch I did yesterday. I'm trying to work on making hair actually look a bit more like hair, instead of just avoiding it, and I am loving curliness at the moment!

I've also been working on a digital piece in PS, but it's currently progressing slower than a snail in thick mud so I'll try not to get too ahead of myself.

"You point me in the right direction, you get the hell out of my way."

Currently watching X-men Origins: Wolverine and couldn't resist Hugh Jackman's squiggly eyebrows!

Apologies for all the smudging in the background, maybe I'll go back one day and clean it up a bit.

B pencil and...not very long. Photo ref used.

"This is where I start to have fun"

Watching Tomb Raider the other evening and...here's the result. The baddest grave robber out there.

Also trying out my new extortionately expensive pen = totally worth it!

I'm foaling for you

Yes, I'm a sucker for terrible puns, although I will admit that that one was particularly dire.

I'm not a massive horse person or anything, just fancied something a little different from people for a change and I came across this photo, which I think I pawned off my sister at some point.

Hands, hands and more hands...

This is old - about 3 years old, in fact - but I'm posting it anyway because I don't have anything new to post. Exams and revision have an annoying tendency to get in the way of the important things in life!

Hands are the bane of many illustrators, and I am certainly no exception, but I'm a great believer in facing your fears head on, so here goes...

Colour me beautiful

"Artists can colour the sky red because they know it's blue." - Jules Feiffer

My justification for this floating head picture. It's not recent but I dug it up and thought I'd post it because it's colourful, and that doesn't happen often in my drawings!

Black biro and coloured inks. Hates the fact that the outline of the head is visible *shudder*.

When I'm old I'll take pride in my wrinkles

"I am jealous of everything whose beauty does not die."
        - Dorian Gray

Madness spreads out like ink

Some quick sketches I did last night - black fine liner pen again and then just add water.

It's great fun and I quite like the effect. I may have to do some more work on getting the amount of water right though; it's very easy to use too much, see pic in top right.

Dress me up and let me go...

Recently I've been trying out a looser, more textured drawing style. Normally I'm very precise, so it's been fun to let go of that a bit.

Silence is golden

"Sometimes silence is the best answer to anger."
A photo that caught my eye.

Ah, hands and fingers. One day I am sure I will love you...just not today.

Digital revolution

Since buying myself a graphics tablet last year I've been playing with it on and off and experimenting and (hopefully!) improving. There's still a lot more I'd like to try out and work on, but I thought I'd share this digital doodle from last weekend.

No reference - completely from my imagination (although at one point it did look rather like Cate Blanchett - certainly not complaining about that!).

The more I look at this the more crossed-eyed it looks. And the wonkier. And the more I wish I could have thought of something to do in the background............so I'm going to stop looking.

Masque

Drawing in pen is good for the soul.

You don't have to worry about making mistakes, because even if you do there's not much you can do about it, and plus, if you do make a mistake, it's good practise because you just have to work with it.

The first's biro (my preferred) and the second's fineliner. One day I might pluck up the courage to attack the second one with water and a brush, but until then...

There's nothing that says elegance more than a silk blouse :)

Here comes the sun...or not

Dreaming of summer, even though outside it's about as miserable as it can get.

The Red Queen...and raindrops on roses

Some recent drawings from my sketchbook to kick off my brand spanking new sketchblog. Here's to many more!

Having fun with coloured pencils - grey is so last winter :)

I hate the right foot/shoe, it throws the balance of the pose right off, but oh well. Maybe I'll go back and correct it at some point.