Postcard doodles

I bought a paper cutter and some incredibly thick card stock from Michaels. My initial intention was to print my own cards but, alas, the card was just too thick to go through my printer. In the end, I cut them up into 4s and made postcards.

Seeing as it's winter, I am taking stock of people that I miss and want to see more of, so these cards with their 'I miss you' vibes seemed perfect. A few of them derived from this sketch project and others came from reminiscing about how fabulous the folks in my life are.

Sometimes your friends just need to know that you think of their friendship as a 'cup of tea and chinwag' variety. The best kind, if you ask me!

What Depression Looks Like In The Mind

*** Content warning: This post discuss mental illness and contains links to articles that discuss suicide and essays on depression. ***

I did a whole degree in Psychology. I did lots of postgraduate hours discussing the ins and outs of mental illness, specifically anxiety and depression. I clocked up some clinical hours and then moved abroad and spent more time working with people who had a whole host of more intense illnesses and more varied manifestations of them.

Since I can remember, I have always wanted to know more about the brain, how it works and why it can help or hinder entire lives and livelihoods.

As most people are aware, mental illness has been in the news a lot recently. I didn't want to talk about Robin Williams at all. It's not that I have nothing to say or that I am not saddened by the news of his passing and the distressing experiences that led to him ending his life. My reluctance came from the fact that I had nothing that I wanted to share publicly.

There have been many people who have written excellent posts on depression and their experiences with the dementors of their minds.

I didn't want to write much. After hearing so many peoples' experiences though, I did want to illustrate how isolating and dark depression (and anxiety) can be (if you click on it you can view a close up image).

If you want to read more about depression, anxiety and stress, I recommend this website. I also recommend these leaflets and talking to your family doctor. There is nothing as good as medical guidance from a trusted professional. Fact!

What do you think of the illustration? Does it sum it up well for you? Does it explain it well?

Sketchbook Coffee Dates Peek Preview

Over winter I was unwell and feeling very sorry for myself. I spent an embarrassing amount of time over that weekend watching Pretty Little Liars (don't judge me!). I spent time thinking about how I've moved around so often and I've made friends and then lost touch because of distance.

I was thinking of developing a few greetings card/postcards to send to friends reminding them that even if we aren't physically close, I miss them, I wish we could do coffee (or tea) and that I'd love a catch up/skype date. Skype dates are where it's at don't cha know?



I then realised that there are never any 'tea' dates. Coffee dates are rubbish because I really dislike coffee. I also incorporated some fun Yorkshire-/British-ism because I'm amazing like that.



I know that I previously spoke about Micron pens and how amazing they are but these were done with a ballpoint Bic and I love the fluidity of it. Scribble, scribble, scribble.

Tea or coffee? What's your poison?

Thanks a Bunch and other detailed drawings

Recently I've been really into line drawing, flowers and patterns. Seriously, I'm loving these pens. If anyone is looking for a Christmas present to send my way, Micron pens are the way forward ;)

It's nice to be able to draw rough large images with sharpies but I enjoy the small details I can get with my skinniest pen.

Acrylic and Pen: Creating drawings from photographs

In 2012, I drove around Lake Superior, which really was one of the most fantastic journeys I've ever been on. Talk about breathtaking.

A year later, when I was just starting to take an interest in drawing again, I decided to sketch an image of a -meh- photo I had taken.

The ink sketch was ok, but it was lacking something, so a few months later, I started incorporating ink and acrylic into the drawing.

It's not completed yet (because I am scared) and not really sure how to finish the top part. Any suggestions, should I just wash it with ink, should I build more into the boat? The biggest barrier is that I am not particularly confident when it comes to detailing vehicles, people etc. If it's a rock or a landscape then I can use my imagination and interpret it in whatever way I'd like, but that doesn't work the same with, ya know, boats. Thoughts?

Another Sketchbook

I have lots of sketchbooks and notebooks all over my house. I use them to practice new techniques, inks, pens, pencils and charcoals and to jot down some of my thoughts and feelings. I guess in some ways they are art journals but in other ways they are just a place for me to practice, practice, practice.

Here is the art book I bought in the UK when I was there in the Spring. It hasn't seen as much action as the other art books but here are a few sample pages.

 

The three images above were practice productions. (1) I was trying out a new pen, (2 and 3) I was using up left over paint. There's something very, very wrong about wasting paint.

 

A two hour train jouney from Leeds to Manchester and then somewhere else (Bradbury, I believe) for my close friend's 25th birthday. My fingers were freezing. I forgot how cold England can be and there's something about train stations that make the weather feel worse...is it just me that experiences that?

The last two are a result of exploring patterns and potential wedding care covers. They were quick and fun. 

Do you have an art book? Do you use it for a specific thing, or do you just put down whatever pops into your head?

Practicing with Coloured Pencils

 When I first purchased my sketchbook I practiced with pattern. Using inspiration I found on Pinterest, I combined, copied* and developed my own style.

Pattern inspiration: Top Left, Top Middle, Top Right. Pasta drawing was just practice.

I started studying other people's work, and then, I moved on to drawing what I could see. Namely, pasta and fruit. It was really rewarding to see my drawing style develop and to practice different techniques.

Fruit Inspiration: Pineapples, Cherries

Personally, I love ink. Any ink. Ball point pen, biros, expensive flowy ink pens, felt tip pens. I love being able to build texture and detail. Pen has always been my thang.

Then I decided to get brave and start using coloured pencil. Something that I had never really done before. Colour scares me, but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed using colour so much that I kept going, I started adding colour to everything and using colour to further develop textures, depth and detail.

 

I am really enjoying the development that I'm seeing and it makes me really proud. It's so tricky to start practicing a skill that has been dormant for so long, but it has been worth it.

If you're liking my style and want to see how you too can buy a little bit of it, head over to my shop and check out the cards I have for sale. My special offer is still going strong, so don't forget to enter the code at the checkout.

* Personally, I believe copying is a good thing, especially when you're starting out. It allows you to practice rather than be creative, which are two daunting things when you're starting to draw again. I am not suggesting that you copy and sell your work or even claim it to be your own, I am saying that you should look to other people's work, try out their moves on paper and develop it into your own. Never take credit for work and ideas that are not your own. It's just not cool!

Why Should I Use A Sketchbook? A Sneak Peek Into Sketching

I wanted to start keeping sketchbooks. It was a way to keep track of my development artistically.

I bought a battered sketchbook from Michaels during it's sale for $5 (originally $16!) and painted the front and spine. This was my first real sketchbook since age 16, so I thought I'd make it count. For me, this book represented so much. I didn't really have a theme at first, but as it's developed, I've seen one come out. It's really just a place for me to practice skills and explore my ability to create. There are a lot of handwriting samples, sketches of pill bottles and journal entries about my daily experiences. I come across things that I've forgotten about or discover things by looking at them from a different perspective. The far right painting was originally just me cleaning my paint brush and using up paint. I looked over it a few weeks later when I was listening to music and felt that the lyrics fit. This started my passion for Emeli Sande's song and it developed into something more somwhere else (more on that later).

The paper in this sketchbook is far from perfect for paint, but that's what I've enjoyed the most; painting even when it hasn't been 'right'. Breaking rules is a big deal for me, so breaking little art rules means more than what it sounds. It has been liberating and I would suggest that everyone have a sketchbook to write/draw and practice anything and everything. There doesn't have to be an order, there just has to be 'stuff'.