take me up to the top of the city

So, it's nearly time to say goodbye to August, and summer, and Hello September. I like September. It feels like a month when changes can and will happen and I always welcome that. Plus, autumn is most definitely my favourite season. Even the word 'autumn' is lovely.

September, before it has begun, has a theme to it. I am paying three visits to our capital - which feels exciting and sounds expensive. At the end of the month I am going to see, and I can't quite believe I'm saying this, Kate Bush in concert. I know, how crazy is that? I hope she hasn't had a big strop by then and called the rest of the dates off. You wouldn't put it past her. And, I love her for that.

Mid month I am finally going to see my bookbench. It's been a long time coming, but at last, just days before it retires from the city, I'll get to see it, in situ, on the streets of London. Well, actually, in a churchyard in Greenwich. The photo, below, was taken by, and of, a couple of friends who recently visited.

Then there's next weekend and a rather fabulous opportunity that presented itself to me. You know, sometimes, a little gem of a 'job' pops up in your inbox? Sometimes, you don't even take it seriously because it sounds too good to be true? Yeah, that.

Next weekend, on Saturday 5th of September, I will be drawing for, and representing, MOLESKINE and URBAN SKETCHERS in COVENT GARDEN. It's true! Please come along. We're there all day for a big old sketchathon. Come! Draw! Plus, rumour has it, that there may just be free Moleskines. Oh yes. You'll need to get there early to catch one of those lovely worms.

Oh, oh, and I forgot to mention the rest of the Covent Garden sketching team. I'll only be sketching with, ahem, Urban Sketching correspondents Adebanji Alade, James Hobbs, Olha Pryymak. Eeeeek! I already feel like a fraud.

Full details of the event can be found HERE. Even though our Learning Sessions are sold out still come along. We'll all be hanging out, sketching, all day. Hope to see you there.

me, myself and the Gents

Me, drawing, by Paul Gent

I'm very lucky to have met some really wonderful artists over the last few years. Artists from around the world. I've met them online, then met them in person. In many lovely parts of the world. Plus, as well as that, I regularly meet up with some brilliant artists closer to home.

Me, drawing, by Miriam Gent

These drawings, of me, were made by a couple of extremely talented friends, Miriam and Paul Gent. They were created, just a couple of weeks ago, on a local Sketchcrawl/Pubcrawl that we three planned (in the pub). It was so local it went through the streets we live on.

Me, drawing, by Paul Gent

It's amazing, when you look, what and who you'll find on your doorstep.

I couldn't love them more; the drawings and the Gents.

 

Nora

 Look who's turned up.

i am still right here

For everyone feeling like shit today.
A new range of products, lotions and potions that I may, or may not, be bringing out in the future.

Probably not coming to my Etsy shop very soon.

COMING SOON!

Coming soon, to my Etsy shop, limited edition, book bags. Featuring a series of amazing ladies/muses and starting with Nora, the original tattooed lady.

and it all comes back to you

Drawing by Jeeda Barford

Phew! I've just wrapped up my time teaching at Sketchbook Skool for this semester. Thanks to everyone whose taken part in my classes - and been so kind about them! And, hello to everyone who has found my work via the Skool. Plus, a HUGE thanks for all the orders, of books and zines, from my shop. I am wading through them all. Please bear with me, I sign, wrap, package them all myself. And, wasn't expecting quite as many.

Here, in this drawing you can see a) the generosity shown to me by the students and b) some of the things that I talked about on my course, like, drawing room plans, making an illustrated letter and handwriting exercises. 

Big thanks to Jeeda for this lovely drawing. I feel a little embarrassed, and certainly overwhelmed, by the attention. It's quite surreal.

Thank you for having me Sketchbook Skool. It's been a blast!
And, if you'd like to enrol on my course, next time it comes around, you can do so HERE.

have you ever had it blue?

Damn, I'm going to miss this place this year. These are drawings of Clermont Ferrand. They're a kind of mixture of realism and imagination, fact and fiction. I like that place in between both. I have an idea for a small series of these drawings. So, if I will not get to physically visit this year, I will travel there through drawing.

now it's closing time, the music's fading out

Photography by Rod Walton

Now, if you visit this blog regularly, you'll be aware that I do bang on about Dr Sketchy every now and again. Well, not only am I hooked on the whole concept of these alternative life-drawing events, but, I also co-run the Dr Sketchy Sheffield branch, with my partner in crime, Lara Gothique, so, you know, a little banging on is allowed, right? And, to be honest, when we create these kind of amazing events I think we have every right to bang on. They're great!

Drawing by me

The photo, at the top of this post, is of me in action - or, more to the point, is of Tallulah in action. The drawing, above, is the end result. We are so lucky to have a couple of great venues to hold our shows. This one, the Old Clubhouse, Buxton, is a former Victorian genlteman's club. To say that it worked beautifully, as the saloon bar, in our Wild West themed evening last Wednesday, would be an understatement.

Photography by Eric Murphy

I have to say that seeing these images makes me hugely proud of what we achieve; the whole Dr Sketchy Sheffield team, that is. The models, the guys who volunteer their services - in the way of music and photography - just everyone. So, we don't make a penny out of it. But who cares? Success can't always be measured by money, right again??

Drawing by me

Which brings me on to our sketchers. Not only are the photos stunning, but the artwork produced on our evenings is insanely good and so varied too. You can see what I mean in our Facebook Group HERE. Plus, when all the sketchers leave saying they had a great time then that's how you measure success, I reckon.

Photography by Rod Walton

Oh, and making scenes like this, above, happen to.

well my time went so quickly, i went lickety-splickly

 I've just made these really quick sketches whilst watching a series of interviews with Bette Davies. They took a couple of minutes each. It's by doing these fast and furious portraits, from the tv, that I've become comfortable with drawing faces and people. I've made hundreds and hundreds of them over the past few years. They're not amazing. They're not going to set the world alight. But that's not the point. I've learnt so much from doing them, and more than that I really enjoy creating them.

There's another blog post HERE, from two-ish years ago. Back then, it seems, I was still not confident drawing 'real life people'. Which just goes to show how quickly you can build your confidence through practice. Jeez, I'll draw anyone and everyone now - from the big screen to the real life.

cabbages! two for a pound!!

 Books for sale! Books for sale! Andrea's book for sale!!

Excuse me for peddling my wares, but you know, being a freelancer in the creative industry really is as reliable, financially, as it sounds and sometimes you just got to shout about what you do. Usually, when you've just got a couple of big bills in.

Anyway, you can get my book HERE. It is full of drawings, thoughts, sketchbook pages and what have you, from the last eight years of my obsessional drawing.

I'll shut up now. Fangyou very much.

days that used to be

Back to the bookbench. So, after spending all that time doing all the work on the front (a lot more work than I'd anticipated as it just seemed to grow and grow and grow) I had to do it all again on the back.

Now, because I'm terrible at updating (or not updating?) projects, I just leaving them hanging midway like some cliff-hanger and annoyingly you never get to see the final episode, I thought I'd post the end result of my bookbench. Well, this isn't quite the end result, this the penultimate stage. So there's still scope for me to leave him hanging off that cliff.

These two photos, above and below, are a couple of moments that I like. Apologies for the quality of the photos. I took them all on my iPhone and have still not got to grips with the camera.

The drawing on the back of my bookbench was the tidier version of the one at the top of this post. Our girl has interrupted her reading to tidy up - by shoving everything under or behind the sofa.

And so, my bench also came with instructions (below). All the objects that you could see on the front of the bench can been found on the back, tucked under cushions, etc. You've got to search for them. Yes, I really did draw it ALL again. I like to bring that interactive element to drawings. It was what rocked my world, about books and illustrations, when I was a kid.

My bench is now actually out on display, with the 49 others, in London. There is a trail and map so you can go and see them all. Mine is on the Greenwich part of the trail in this churchyard. I've been told that the church backs onto a couple of schools, and they have already planned school visits to the bench. I hope the kids have fun finding all of the objects and stuff and nonsense.

I'll post the final stage soon; which was adding a little colour, and then the most nerve-racking bit of all adding the varnish. Until that point I had no idea how the marker pens would react to hard core varnish/resin. Would all that work bleed once the varnish hit it? Would the whole drawing be ruined? 

DUN DUN DUNNNNN!!!!

 

PS, if anyone is in London, and visits the bookbench, please take a photo of yourself there. I'd love to see it. Send it to me.

i've been waiting for you

Okay, so these may not be the greatest sketchbook pages. They're not going to set the world alight, but, I just needed to shout about the fact that I went to see Neil Young on Sunday!!! Damn, I love that man. He's the most inspirational artist to me. So, we may work in very different fields but how he continues moving on and changing creatively is so very inspiring. I wish I were that brave.

 Above is the inner cover of the little Moleskine sketchbook that I took with me. I drew it as the arena was filling up. And, I drew it over the page where I created THIS VIDEO (the one that shows you how to write your name!). I cannot leave a blank space alone. I just can't stop fiddling.

 I'm often asked about what I do if a page in a sketchbook 'goes wrong'. My answer is usually 'collage', but it's also where a good quote or lyric comes in handy. The page above didn't so much 'go wrong' but the girl I was drawing moved away, just as I got my pens going, so I was left with just a few squiggles. You can see them behind these Neil Young lyrics; behind the top two lines on the right hand page.

 Anyway, you know what? Not every sketchbook page should set the world alight or be all singing and dancing. In my opinion. To me the unremarkable, quiet little pages act as a comma or a pause in a book. Some time for a brief reflection. A page to get your breathe back before you dive back in.

And, the lyrics and quotes; a great place to practice your handwriting. Or better still, make up a whole new kinda handwriting.

Ask Andrea

I am currently beavering away, creating my fourth zine in the 'How To Draw' series. This one is, again, about drawing with the ballpoint pen and I'll be taking a closer look at the colour ballpoint. For the first time, I'll also be including a 'problem page'!

So, if you have any questions about drawing with ballpoint pens please ask away. I'll choose a few that I'll endeavour to answer in the new zine - available at the beginning of August.

I'd better get my socks on!

Previous zines available HERE.

every dune that we fell into left a mark upon us too

Where did June go? Did anyone see where it went? I'm sure it didn't happen this year. It must have been cancelled.

Guys, I'm currently slap bang in the middle of a couple of amazing projects that are happening NOW. Like, right now. Firstly, that fine figure of a man, above, is none other than Danny Gregory. One of my drawing heroes. The guy who created Everyday Matters - which is where I my drawing journey began way back when, eight or nine years ago. I'm rubbish at dates. But anyway, anyway, I can tell you it was quite a moment for me to be asked by Danny to become a teacher at Sketchbook Skool. It felt like coming home.

The new semester starts TODAY! You can see the fabulous new website, and get your place on the course, HERE. I'll see you in class. Make sure you're on your best behaviour!

Then, as if that isn't enough, as if that isn't crazy enough, a couple of days ago my bookbench hit the streets of London. Yes, she has left home, flown the nest, and gone to the big Smoke to try and make her fortune. I just hope she doesn't end up living on a park bench. Oh.

You can see another spanking new website with the whole story about this Books About London project HERE and read all about my bench HERE.

If anyone should visit my bench (it's in Greenwich from July-September) please take a photo of yourself at the bench and send it to me. I'd love to put a little album of them together.

I will be back with actual drawings soon. I do have new stuff to post. I just need the time.

June? Anyone?

the maker makes

A bit of retro here. This is an oldie. It's actually six years old - where did that go?

Anyway, I'm having a clear out of all my old cassettes, so, this too is up for sale.

You can get your hands on it HERE.