Historic Motor Sport

An ERA at Donington Park. Fast. Both the sketch and the car. A sense of urgency that's important within a study I think. Perhaps it's just me. Not enough patience.

a pause in conversation

best not to put too many words in here...doh!

Differing Points of View

Crowded and confused these pages. Just like our minds trying to make sense of all the information we get chucked at us. Past and future, hopes and concerns all overlaid. Wrong end of sticks.

Speaking of Departures...

I see Fresh and Wild has gone. Well I savoured the fats and carbohydrates whilst it lasted...even long enough to produce a little sketch based on...erm..time...again. As the old adage goes, Don't just do something!  ...sit there!

Is this chair taken?

Life's Departure Lounge

It is all about journeys this one really, very much like life itself. A group of professional types in the Tobacco Factory in Bedminster chatting after work, jotting things in full diaries. Just made me think about a personal recurrent theme, which I think is very important; trying to remain in the here and now and slow things down. Savour, that's the word. I don't like being rushed. Less experiences, higher quality. So bear this in mind. Please.

reader studies

It's remarkable how many positions we take on just reading a paperback...

that last minute revision thing...

Another sketch in my pocket book done when it seemed like summer had arrived. It went away again shortly afterwards. Still wet is the new dry apparently. It was heart warming to see the young fellow featured patiently explaining the same theory time and again to his friend. Perhaps a career in teaching awaits him?

What a lovely thought.

Red Study No.2

Another in the series...especially for Felix who enjoyed the first study. Hope you're feeling better soon.

Red Study No.1

Time for a splash of colour I think! 

More textured scribbling. You'll be getting the general idea by now. 

Students and Model

A fast pencil study from a Grammar School session. I like the way this forces you to let go of any perceived end product and react to a scene. Single sinuous lines are dropped in as outlines, figures become cartoon-like. Great fun. If you like that kind of thing. 

Good to observe people drawing too - see how they like it. 

Dockside cafe

Another one for my students here. A demo drawing of two point perspective done down on the docks in Bristol....ok now check out the eye level...pop in the vanishing points and hey presto..its time for another cup of tea. Now that was a very cold february day. As soon as the weather picked up we stayed indoors. I'm funny like that.

Bristol Grammar school sessions

Another life drawing though more recent, from one of Will Steven's Grammar School sessions. Will is the most welcoming of individuals. Any of my Drawing Techniques students out there? Get yourselves along. Its smashing. There's people with no clothes on. Check out: www.bristollifedrawing.wordpress.com ; an excellent Blog.

life drawing

Thought it was time to upload a sample....of life drawing that is. These are some raw fast sketches made during sessions in the mid 90s at the Jamaica Street art studios. Oh heady days...I used to practice there with a band one night of the week then draw on another. So bohemian darling. They were very amusing sessions. The chap running them used to play a lot of loud PJ Harvey whilst we drew, despite the fact there were a number of retired ladies who obviously came over all unnecessary at the rather aggressive lyrical content. I bet they loved it really...got them through a hard shopping session at Iceland the next day.

diversions

on the triangle in clifton. A couple of ladies trying to decide if this was indeed the cafe they visited the previous week...I took my own advice and looked out of the window at the diversion.

shyness is nice

I am apt to agree with Mr Morrissey here. These days when we are positively encouraged to assert ourselves Alan Sugar style its always a pleasure to observe someone who does not want to be the centre of attention. Chap in the red was struggling with any sort of eye contact, but despite this his chum clearly thought he was the best thing since sliced bread.  Good man - keep shtum. Look out the window instead.

grey morning, Park street

By the Wills memorial tower. Early morning, overcast, few cars. Students chatting about the night before.

Scribbles and music

Going hand in hand with the last entry re: layers of different stimuli
building up into an image, I found this sketch of a rather forlorn looking
chap. He was in the Boston Tea Party, reading a magazine/looking right
through it. I was listening to the Dandy Warhols 'Godless' on my ipod and it
sort of became the soundtrack to his movie.

scribbles and random conversations

I do intend this blog to eventually be an ongoing document. Chronological.
That's the word. But to set the scene a little quicker here's another from
the archive. 27th Dec. found everyone looking slightly jaded and Christmas
was rather more 'plink, plink', than fizz.

And over in the blue chair...

Another from my A6 Moleskine pocketbook, sticking my nose into other
peoples business, with a frothy top lip and a slice of sponge. Watching the
world go by, slowing everything down to sketching speed.

A quick follow up...

Sipping from the cup of doom, gloom and general woe with the daily
newspaper. This chap did seem to be gradually performing a forward roll into
his broadsheet. On reflection he had probably smuggled a portion of Haddock

and Chips into café Nero between the pages. Stout work. Snaffle on.