New Focus

 I decided to focus on one place for drawing; that way I can really develop one area and hopefully improve. Just up the road is the cemetry - a great place to draw; loads of benches. I spent most the weekend there, and got snowed on. Dedication!

I'm going to explore this area more next time I go; there is such a lovely contrast between the greys and the bright colours

Drawing block

Have had quite slow progress since I last posted. Was plodding along and most of what I had done was in life drawing as I didn't manage to get out due to work/ life :( Comments from Jane and Alexis were expected and a real mixture of uplifting and deflating. However after chatting to them it has really helped me to refocus after a blah drawing block. I now need to focus my theme idea and find something that is doable in and around the demands of working full time and attempting to not become a recluse ;)

Botanical gardens = lovely. Drawing in the Botanical Gardens = horrid.

I had done very little so in a mad panic dragged poor Elivis inside and drew him. He moves. A lot.

An unsuspecting Patrick (movember tash).

just keep going...

life drawing this week - I enjoyed the challenge of this one

Profiles of a baby that was sitting near me - they don't sit very still so I didn't get much information down each time but it was good practice

I'm a bit rubbish at feet and hands and so practice is needed! This profile is Burt from the life drawing class he has the most amazing moustache - if he's there next week I'm going to spend more time drawing him

After feedback from last week I have been trying to draw more profiles and not 'hit them in the face with a spade'

Found this such a difficult pose to draw

Life drawing this week - not a very good photo but unfortunately I don't have a scanner big enough

I was a little bit fed up of staring into my sketchbook on Friday evening and so decided to do something else creative after being inspired by some origami butterflies on Etsy - finally I have something to do with my stamps :)

a few more

Old lady pottering past me yesterday - she was so hunched over she nearly bent in half

Tried to work with the inks to get the light coming in and bouncing off her face - didn't overly work but at least she doesn't have a flat 'I've been hit in the face with a spade' profile'- result

Again using my lovely inks a mixture of people and the room I had lunch in

Yesterday's comments feel really helpful at this stage... I now need to go away and put them into practice! Inbetween tutorials and the film and lecture yesterday I managed to do a bit of drawing - here are the latest sketchbook entries.

Updates to the sketchbook

There was a baby a sleep next to me and as he was dressed as a bear I couldn't resist



Life drawing today I made the decision to be much more free and loose with my line



I used my dip pen and ink last weekend on watercolourpaper whilst we were 'oop north' I haven't managed to get them all scanned yet but I really liked the patterns I was seeing and the use of the light







I really enjoyed this - I doodled and let me line feel the shapes