Thursday, October 31, 2024

It's been a while...

 


Well, it has been a while since I posted here. Apologies.

Apart from working on illustrations commissions and giving drawing workshops, my attention has been drawn to other places, mainly YouTube. I have been trying to develop my video skills and learn about how the platform works. 

I've also been sending out a regular short newsletter via Pencilbooth. I did think about copying them over to here too? Maybe I should try that, let me know.

My Instagram account celebrated ten years and then I realised that this blog is now more than thirteen years old. A teenager! And I suppose things always change then. The zine I mentioned in the last post is now ready to be published and I am heading off to Clermont-Ferrand next month to exhibit it there.

I'll put some images below a few of my sketches from this year and hopefully I'll show up here a bit more in the future. 


















Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Making a new zine - the process so far...

My first thumbnail layout for the new zine

I am in the process of making a new zine based on my travels in 2023. As I drew in a variety of different sized sketchbooks there are quite a few edits and adjustments to make. I am using Photoshop and InDesign to put the zine together as I used for a previous zine. You can read about previous attempts here and here.

The settings I used to scan the images

I started by making a layout, with thumbnail of each of the spreads. This gave me an idea for the flow of the zine. Then I scanned the sketchbook pages and cleaned them up in Photoshop.


The template for the zine spread

I made a master template for the double page spread size, including an area of bleed for the printing  process.

Once I was happy with the layout, I placed the spread into InDesign. Here are some examples of how they look. I need to add handwritten text too but I felt that the images should be the focus first. The writing will be based on notes I made at the time of the trips and also something about the colours I used on location. 





The places featured are Toulouse, Barcelona, Locarno, Leicester and Santiago de Compostela.

The plan is to have it ready by the end of February so it is available in early Spring in my Etsy shop. 

Monday, January 22, 2024

Videos on YouTube

I have started adding more videos to my YouTube Channel. Here are titles of the latest ones, I hope to make a lot more. Please let me know if there is anything particular that you would like me to make a video about.

Click here to link to the Channel.







Wednesday, December 27, 2023

A snapshot of 2023


January

Worked on: Map and watercolour illustration for client

Sketched: At the V&A and the Wallace Collection

Inspired by: Curtis Holder exhibition at the National Theatre



February 

Worked on: Admin and promoting illustration work

Sketched: In Tonbridge, Kew Gardens, Chelsea Harbour and Kings Stairs Gardens

Started mentoring sessions from Adé Bolaji at the studio



March 

Worked on: Maps and watercolour illustrations for client

Sketched: In Cambridge

Took part in a photo shoot at Jackson’s Art for upcoming article



April

Worked on: B&W line illustrations for client, started UK Export Webinar Series

Sketched: At the Barbican, Shoreditch and Broadgate

Inspired by: Workshop with Rob Ryan at House of Hackney



May

Worked on: UK Export Webinar Series

Sketched: In Toulouse

Took part in a Zoom call to sketchers in China with Jenny from Chicago

Applied for the RA Renee Gailhoustet Residency



June

Worked on: Watercolour illustrations for client, B&W line illustrations for client

Sketched: In Barcelona and London

Inspired by: Workshops with Maru Godas and Marina Grenchanik



July 

Worked on: B&W illustrations for client, roughs for watercolour map illustrations for client

Sketched: In Crystal Palace Park, Intragna and Locarno

Inspired by: Artists workshops in Switzerland



August

Worked on: Map watercolour illustrations for client, house portrait for client, watercolour travel illustrations for client, B&W line plus digital colour illustrations for client

Sketched: In Brussels and Leicester

Inspired by: Jean Julien exhibition at MIMA Brussels

Started to send regular ‘Pencilbooth’ notes to email list



September

Worked on: Maps and watercolour illustrations for client, changes to where I share and sell online

Sketched: In Stratford-upon-Avon

Gave workshops to students at the London Metropolitan University



October 

Worked on: Maps and watercolour illustrations for client, travel illustrations for client, started making videos at the studio

Sketched: At Farringdon and the Barbican

Gave workshops to students at the London Metropolitan University



November

Worked on: Watercolour illustration for client

Sketched: In Santiago de Compostela

Talked to Lana Lé on her Instagram series‘Artist Chats’

Went to ‘What is drawing research?’ symposium at Birmingham Art College

Put an entry in for the V&A Illustration Awards



December

Worked on: Maps and watercolour illustrations for client, B&W rough for client

Inspired by: Victoria Semykina and signed up to her Patreon

Business Away Day reviewing the year and planning for 2024

Received copies of 'Draw' and 'The Beginner's Guide to Urban Sketching' both of which contain some of my sketches

 

Friday, September 15, 2023

Barcelona Workshops with Maru Godas and Marina Grechanik


Sharing sketchbook pages from a great weekend in the summer in Barcelona, taking workshops with Maru Godas and Marina Grechanik. Lots of experimentation with a variety of media and exercises in drawing people. Nice memories!






















 

Monday, September 11, 2023

Leicester Sketching Weekend


Sketchbooks spreads from a weekend in Leicester in August. For this particular weekend I changed my usual sketchbook for an A4-sized, portrait watercolour Moleskine one. I also tried to use it more like a journal too. It will take a while to get used to. Not so easy to scan either!