The Night’s Template

I’ve been messing about with my blog again, as regular visitors (Hi, Mum!) might have noticed. I have never really been happy with its appearance, so I thought I’d try and make it look like my actual desk. With a sketchbook on it. Do you see? So... what do you think? Stylish? Rubbish? All pretty pebbles and no trousers? You can be honest – It’ll no doubt look entirely different tomorrow.

In the meantime, here’s Peter Falk making drawing look cool (thanks, Julian).

Editted to add: Nah, don't like it. Cold light of day, and all that. So now it's back as it was. 

Stubby Pencil Drawings of a Stubby Subject

This post about a dachshund has been moved to my new blog. Please click this link of you want to see sketches of the daft animal.

Banksy's been to see us...

The Beautiful Word

I've been drawing musicians again, this time The Beautiful Word, who gave a short free performance on the roof of the De La Warr Pavillion in Bexhill. It was windy, and with the sea views the lead singer (above with the toy piano) said it was like playing on an ocean liner. A great building and a very cute band. Somehow I, er, didn't quite manage to draw the male members. however, while we waited for them to start, I did grab a quick sketch of some of the very Bexhillian audience. Click if you want a better view.

Twang!

I’ve just been away on a sketching/mooching/laughing holiday with some very dear chums, something I’ve been doing from time to time for years. These trips, organised by the very-moose-like Julian Sedgwick, are moments of heightened drawing activity for me – intervals of proper sketching between prolonged bouts of quotidian daily grind moleskine wipe-out. I always come back determined to keep up the pace, but I never manage it for long.

Here’s a sketch of Adrian Reynolds playing his banjo, which he does with great flare (despite my cheesy sound effects). Click for a closer look. I didn’t draw his face because I was more interested in his fingers. In fact, I’m especially interested in his fingers right now because Adrian is, as I write this, illustrating my next picture book in rhyme, due out next year with Andersen Press. I hope he doesn’t break a nail.

Topaz

I've been away for three weeks. There was lots of drawing. Normal intermittent blog service will be resumed soonish...