Armchair and Milkshake

The last of my doodles from 2015. An armchair and someone with a chocolate milkshake at a cafe... somewhere...

Blue Shirt

Girl

I have been a little preoccupied with an illustration project for the past couple of months. More about it another time. Now I can get back to doing a little more scribbling and posting. I hope.

Wollen fleece.

A bit of fun...

Cyclamen

A clump of cyclamen found growing in the garden at Croft Castle, Herefordshire, a few weeks ago.

Lipstick and tattoos

A quick sketch made today in a cafe somewhere.

Toadstools

Stripy jumper

Playing with colours.

Croft Castle

I have just spent two wonderful days at the National Trust property of Croft Castle in north Herefordshire. I have set myself an illustration, design and creative writing project based around what I could find there during that time. I did a few iPad illustrations, made copious notes and took loads of photographs based around all sorts of thinsgs: apples, fungi, people, trees, insects, autumn colours and much more. Over the next couple of months I aim to produce a collection of work and present it in an unusual way. In the meantime, the above skectch is of some of the many apple trees in the garden at Croft. The trees were heavily laden with small bright yellow apples and there are poppies in the foreground. I'll let you know when it is completed.

Couple on Bench

Following on from the post of a few days ago entitled 'Sketching Success' here is a worked up illustration.

Poppies

This is a quick sketch of the poppies growing on the east patio by the summerhouse - up beyond the vegetable garden and the top lawn. I built the patio earlier in the year but as it is SO far from the house we haven't used it much. The poppies are obviously relishing the newly disturbed ground and providing a delicate splash of colour near the lavendar bed. The gardener has further plans to landscape and refurbish this area of the estate but seems have to have got sidetracked by other things this summer.

Crows

Whilst on a bike ride a few weeks ago passed some crows perched on top of a high hedge and looking very windswept. So here are some rather ragged looking crows.

Man

Just playing with lines and textures.

After lunch

It isn't often I draw a still life. Today an opportunity interested me whilst sitting in the cafe at Wrest Park when a family sitting on the table next to me had finished their meal. I rather liked the collection of tea things, bottles, kids lunch boxes and other odds and ends. I managed to quickly take a photo on the iPad before it was all cleared away and then I worked over the image very quickly to just try and capture the scene.

Rain

Quick 10 minute sketch. Rained alot today.

Cream Tea

Sometimes drawing on the iPad can very frustrating because of the small screen size and stylus dynamics. It isn't therefore always easy when doing a sketch like this to get things looking quite how I would like, but it can be rewarding when something vaguely fits together. This was drawn in the cafe at Wrest Park today, one of my favourite hunting grounds for models.

Italian Garden, Heligan

The Italian Garden at the Lost Gardens of Heligan. I was quite pleased with this sketch which took about an hour or so to do. I had a good comfy seat away from the bright sunlight which made using the iPad much easier and I could settle down to work at my leisure.

Mevagissey

Sketches from Mevagissey in Cornwall: people eating chips on the quayside; a fishing boat; and the view from our holiday cottage patio.

Gorran Haven

Sketches made in the picturesque seaside village of Gorran Haven in Cornwall. A gorgeous place with very steep roads and tiny paths between the houses.

Wrest Park sketches

Some iPad sketches made today. Visitors to the cafe and the inside of the West Half House in the garden.