A hen with a propensity for sideways glances, created by @burntbroccoli.

More sketches from last year.

I'm still pondering a name change for these two characters but decided to introduce them to each other over a few drinks.

This was an enjoyable set of sketches to do as it had somewhere to go with a story of sorts behind it and also helped me practice sequential drawings --- you can probably tell that I got into the rhythm of it after the second sketch.

I'll probably try and do some more of these sort of vignettes in future as it seems to help enormously to have a backstory to drive the sketch.

I said a few posts ago that I'd post some more sketches from the batch I did this summer and that I'd try and push the boat out to start working out another character.

So, here's some of the sketches that I started in order to develop someone a bit more since he was last seen here, enjoying noodles and soup.

I've decided to do away with naming for now until I've given it some more thought --- the old character names I chose a long time ago don't seem to be working out as well in hindsight and well, choosing a name always seems to come after a good few drawings.

"Just picking up some 'bits'..."

Happy Hallowe'en!

A few sketches from the end of summer --- I thought I'd try and sketch a few sleep poses; something I haven't really tackled before and would give me a chance to tackle a bit of foreshortening and form. I went a bit overboard with the cloth folds on these, but I think the second sketch was the most successful.

It's been festival season in the UK over the last month or so and I've been vicariously watching and listening to a good deal of coverage on TV and radio - these sketchbook pages are the more successful ones from that period.

It's still really hard work - for every one good page there's about five that just don't work at all and these two pages are representative of about a week or so of sketching in the evening, but the feeling of progress is great --- it feels like I'm starting to get my drawing style back too; something that's been lacking of late.

I do need to try and work on some other characters though --- there's an odd feeling of solipsism with just the one character at the moment.

Well then.

One summer evening, after a hiatus of 6 months, I thought it was about time I started drawing again - something, anything. I dug out one of the sketchbooks I bought a good while ago and never got round to using (yep, fear of blank canvas, again!) and drew.

The first few sketches were awful - having not scribbled for so long, I was considerably out of practice. I kept going - after all, I could write them off as warm-ups. A drawing an evening, when I could find the time.

I started doing expressions for an old character (Ishaan again), and thought I'd post a few of the more successful ones as I went. I didn't - a drawing a day was managable, but a post a month is even more managable.

So, here's the first of what I hope to be a decent run of updates, the start of drawing again, and who knows what else.

Things I am learning and remembering again about watercolour...

1. Don't rush, be patient
2. Try not to overwork the layering. Less is (as always) more
3. There is nothing more frustrating than dunking a brush in the cup of tea you put too close to the water beaker

The simple joy of making electronic noises.