AOI Illustration awards - Thoka Maer, a rather beautiful discovery

Loved flicking through the AOI's illustration award winning categories today. I took a particular fancy to Thoka Maer's work. 'It's no Biggie', her little, cheeky pencil drawn and digitally­ animated GIFs are quite charming. 

The interview on the AOI website, gives a great insight into the way she works. I also love the way she describes what intrigues her about her practice... 

"My illustrations have been on screens in places I will never see, they've glanced into faces I'll never meet, they were talked about in languages I cannot speak. This modern day ability to communicate over such distances­ it will probably never stop fascinating me." 

What a nice way to think of it? I reckon I could have a good conversation with this lady!

Pencil and crayon drawings

I spent this afternoon drawing...

More pastel portraits

Here are some more of my super speedy pastel illustrations. Do let me know what you think.

A quick sketch at Borough Market

The weather has finally turned in London so I made my way to Borough Market last week for an obligatory chilly wander around. I managed to make one sketch of the market entrance before the heavens opened. I must make it back to do more.

Quick pastel portraits

I've become obsessed with drawing quickly in pastels and the results are pretty charming. I hope you agree? 

The wobblier and more energetic the line, the better so I've even been timing myself. Here are some pics of my sketch book, these are mainly 1-3 minute portraits... 3, 2, 1, GO!

Princes School Drawing course

I was recently lucky enough to be given some time off work to do one of the amazing drawing courses at The Princes Drawing School.  I’m only two weeks in and I’m feeling incredibly inspired by the high standard of teaching and professional (very still) models. 'Traditional' life drawings they may be but it’s teaching me so much about looking, how to register what I’m seeing and how to translate and communicate that on the page... I want everyday to be a drawing day!

Here’s a snippet of the fruits of my, thoroughly enjoyable, labour.

A quick 2 minute pose to get the brain and pencil in gear.

Drawing with lines only.

Really trying to capture the sturdiness and strength of the
model here. 

Exploring how to build the form with abstract elements. So not looking at the leg, hand or shoulder in isolation.(It was reeeeally hard!)

Charming pastel portraits

These may look like the scribbles of a child, but Damien Florébert Cuypers is a master in my eyes. His deliberate heavy handedness brings so much character to his portraits and I love how he can say so much with so little. 

And I'm not dissapointed when he puts a little more on the paper. The results are just as charming.   

Check out more of his drawings on his tumbler site.