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!

Screen-printed wedding table plan and table decorations

My lovely friends Sophie and Dave got married at the rather amazing venue of Kew Gardens last weekend. Having spent many an hour together on the sofa watching the birds in their garden (yes they are old before their time), they asked me to create a bird themed table plan and table markers for their big day. I gladly accepted.

The finished product featured seven bespoke bird illustrations which I screenprinted onto their table plan and individual table cards. 

Each of the cards had a little info about the bird on the back. Something to keep grandma entertained during the speeches!

And for those of you who are nosy - this is her beautiful dress and a few snippets of the day. Hot-house fun and hazy drinks on Kew lawns. Perfect. 

Drawing tips & tricks.

In the final weeks of the course our fab teacher Claudia encouraged us to draw with our left ('wrong') hand, draw without looking at the paper and draw without taking the pencil off the paper. The outcomes may look like a old right mess to you, but their wobbliness, mistakes and simplicity give them so much energy. I love em!

Working in this way inhibits you from drawing what you think you see and rather creates a direct connection between looking and the mark you make on the paper. I will keep my these tricks up my sleeve for when drawings get stagnant or appear too challenging. 

 2 min pose not taking the pencil off the paper

Quick poses, using my left (wrong)hand

Two longer poses done entirely with my left (wrong) hand

Applying my learnings in longer poses with the 'right' hand 

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.