Drawings & Illustrations

I got into the sketchbook habit when I was training as an illustrator, and we had to sketch for several hours each day. ‘Drawing is a skill that you have to throw time at,’ said my tutor, and he was right. 

It was disconcerting at first, sitting in a park or a café with my new sketchbook and pencil. I felt as if the whole world was looking at me, and a goodly proportion of them were too, asking what I was doing, as if it wasn’t immediately apparent. The fact that it is perfectly legal to sketch someone (but against the law to photograph them without consent) didn’t make me feel any less self-conscious or embarrassed. It probably accounts for why there are so many drawings of the backs of people’s heads. I got quite good at ponytails.

The advent of smartphones was a godsend. People became so engrossed in their phones that they didn’t notice me looking at them. Phone preoccupation provided some welcome challenges too – a set of scrolling fingers hold their position for only a few seconds before shifting into an entirely different shape. The challenge of quickly sketching a configuration of fingers before they moved was fantastic practice.  I couldn’t be precious about it. I had to go bang, bang, bang with the lines or it was gone. 

It was good for my spontaneity too. I added watercolour pencils to my arsenal and found I could quickly sketch a block of colour, then dip my finger in water (or sometimes even in my coffee) and smear a telling streak of colour. It didn’t always work but it was fun. Sketching forced me to focus on the salient lines, too. If I only had 5 minutes I needed to draw the key marks in a pose to convey the mood and the character of the (unwitting) sitter. I couldn't mess about. 

A lot of my sketching is done in supermarket cafes, especially on a Sunday when the papers are free and whole families descend to do their shopping and get a cheap lunch. A sketch might only take a few minutes and often features a gentle caricature, but while I am drawing I feel great warmth towards my subject. People can get very engrossed in what they are eating – myself included - and recently I spent a pleasurable 10 minutes drawing an elderly man who was winkling the last piece of meat out of a lobster claw. Deep joy, for both of us I suspect.

My sketchbooks provide a much livelier record of the narrative of my life than photos ever could. Senses are heightened while I’m drawing so flipping through an old sketchbook brings to life what I was feeling (and my impression of what others were feeling too). Getting a new set of tyres in Kwik Fit is a whole different ball game if you have your sketchbook to hand (those sweet machines are fiendish to draw…). Plus time passes quickly. You might want to get your oil filter changed at the same time. The sketchbook I kept while on holiday with my (then) seven year old son in Brittany is one of my treasures. Sand still adheres to the pages, and the memory of the equally gritty olive and mozzarella paninis we shared are still lively on my tongue and comes to life as I look at the sketches.

Purchasing My Drawings and Prints 

Perhaps it’s because my sketchbooks are so precious that I don’t want to break them up and sell the pages. I love sharing prints of my drawings, though. Most of them are small and look nice framed in sets of three or four.  

I also enjoy drawing other subjects, too, on a bigger scale and can do a range of styles. If you would prefer a drawing rather than a painting of something or someone precious to you, please look at my Commissions Page for ways to get in touch. It will be a pleasure to produce something for you.

All my sketchbook work and oil paintings are available as high quality Giclee prints which are printed on Hahnemuhle Archival quality paper. The standard size for prints of oil paintings is 42 X 29.5cm although different sizes are available on request. You can purchase standard size prints by clicking on any image. For non-standard sizes, please contact me by phone or email and I shall be happy to help.