John Prescott Caricature

A quick entry in my sketchbook after watching a recent Have I Got News For You hosted by John Prescott I had to stop and draw him …he has such an excellent face to draw! Capital jowls!

Drawing Sculpture-White Pen on Black!

I spent some time in the National Portrait Gallery drawing in the sculpture hall -I love to draw from marble as there is something so dramatic about the shadows. For a challenge I thought I would try one in reverse and draw only the highlighted areas to build up the face. Thank you Sir Walter Joseph Sendall for being important enough to be sculpted, and for having such an amazing moustache and eyebrow combination.

Sculpture Drawing at the National Portrait

A couple of sculpture drawings from Friday’s late night opening of the always wonderful National Portrait Gallery in London. In blue is Ambrose McEvoy who had such a melancholy, long face that blue Karisma had to be the pencil of choice! Next in the pink is William Ernest Henley, looking incredibly ernest and sporting the most excellent Victorian beard and mustachios combo. Finally in the red corner is Mr Robert Louis Stevenson -not normally a face I would pick out to draw for some reason, but I had to go back after reading his caption ‘The original bust was modeled by Allen Hutchinson when by chance he came across Stevenson staying in Waikiki Beach, Honolulu. Stevenson recorded sitting for the bust in a letter to Sidney Colvin of 23 October 1893: “I am being busted by a party named Hutchinson. Seems good.”‘ -First rate use of language! (…also included on this page, a snake head with also apparent good language use.)

Friends, Romans, Countrymen…

A page from my sketchbook from my trip to the excellent British Museum at the weekend. Drawing in the Roman Sculpture halls I had to stop and sketch these fine fellows with their excellent noses!

V&A Sculpture Drawings

A page taken from my sketchbook from the weekend, spending some time in the V&A armed with my sketchbook, pencil sharpener (small tin to collect the pencil shavings) and a nice assortment of Karisma pencils and for afters a quick stop in the V&A cafe!

Tonal Study Drawing

Just a update with a quick tonal study from a life drawing class I attended -great practice and I enjoyed working with light and shade instead of my normal focus of line work.

James Jean and Tara McPherson Drawings!

I was in London for Comica last week and headed over to the ICA to see James Jean and Tara McPherson take about their work. It was a great presentation by two of my favourite artists working today, and good to hear a little background to some of their pieces. After the show they both drew in my book -ahh the awesomeness!

Sketchbook Illustrations and Drawings

Quick sketchbook post from a recent drawing visit to the wonderful Natural History Museum in London. Charles Dawin (drawn from the sculpture of him in the main hall) and a human skull with blue pencil and graphite.