Little Red Riding Hood

My first Little Red Riding Hood print. I had great fun with this one, getting loads of detail into her cloak. There's lots of details including the big bad wolf! This will be the first of many prints which will all be available to buy on Etsy pretty soon.

Sketches from Sorrento

Just got back from an amazing trip to Sorrento in Italy with Mum, Kim and my sketchbook. Drawing quickly from life was a new thing really and it took a bit of time to really get into it so there are some pictures from the start of the holiday that won't be being shared with anyone! Once I got the hang of it though I really enjoyed it - it certainly teaches you to see what is characteristic about your subject and get that down fast!

From top to bottom: tourists at Marina Grande in Capri, Kim sleeping after day at Pompeii, Piazza Tasso in Sorrento, Versuvius and a groovy scooter!

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Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

In my last post I mentioned Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and how the style of the illustrations in that book have been seared into my conscience.

I've dug out my copy, sadly not loveingly kept from childhood, but found again at a book sale! I love the crosshatching and the subtle and often limited colour pallett. The illustrator, Ron Barrett (husband of the books author Judi Barrett) has a huge catalogue of work all with a very distinctive style.

Think I can feel a collection coming on!

Scone or scone?

Yesterday we went to the Thame Food Festival where there was loads of lovely local tastiness.
We had a delicious lunch, a tour of Thame Brewery and bought some lovely fruit scones.
We had them for Sunday tea with locally made jam and cream from, well, ASDA but we whipped it ourselves!
They looked so lovely that I had to draw them. The cross hatching style reminds me of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Flipping loved that book as a kid, thoroughly ruined by the new film, but that rant is for another day!

Sketchbook

In honour of next weeks launch of DrawThis, today's post is a favourite from my current sketchbook.

I've been trying to make picking up my pens and drawing a firm habit and, although I haven't done as much drawing as I would have liked, looking back through the book you can see genuine improvements and some drawings that I am really proud of. DrawThis will hopefully take this to the next level and I hope some of you will join me in the fun, it will be much better with some people to play along with!

Keep your eyes peeled for more news next week.

Museum of brands

Fantastic examples of brands and packaging from a trip to The Museum of Brands earlier in the year. They have a fantastic collection from every decade from the Victorian era to the modern day.

Not only is it a trip down memory lane it's a masterclass in design, especially the long standing brands who've carried their design through the past 100 years.

They are only a little museum who need your support, well worth the trip to Notting Hill to see them.

More than just a table

Bought this little beauty from eBay the other day. It's a G Plan Astro coffee table which was probably built sometime in the late sixties.

G Plan have now become designer classics, but most people can probably remember their parents or grandparents owning some. They all started life, much like I did, in High Wycombe where, in response to the end of rationing and an increased demand for modern furniture, E Gomme Ltd began producing a new range of streamlined, matching furniture that could be bought piece by piece.

Interestingly the idea for the new range of furniture and the name came from Doris Grundy from JWT as part of an advertising campaign. Thank you Doris!

Picture from my childhood

I loved this picture when I was a kid, it hung on various bedroom walls throughout my childhood, so when I saw this at a local car boot sale I had to have it!

It's by Heath Robinson, more famous for his pictures of crazy machines. It's a bit twee, a bit religious but these is something about I just like.

I guess life's a bit like that.

Brighty coloured advert

This advert from Renault caught my eye. Interesting graphics and copywriting but it's not quite there. The humour feels a little bit forced, but it is certainly striking.

Lost in the woods

Cover love!

Spotted this lovely book cover when I was getting lost in the local book shop the other day. Love the colours and cheeky typography!

I keep spotting new things, only just noticed the little squirel in the tree. Fantastic.

It's life drawing, but not as we know it

<< Results of a recent figure drawing class

It was a fantasic morning with Lisa Jayne who has her own studio just outside Woodstock. Set miles off the beaten track in rolling countryside you can't help but be inspired, and a bit jealous!

I was quite worried that I would have lost my touch but was quite happy with the results, although feet and hands are still pretty tricky!