He’s resigning

Cartoon I drew of Boris Johnson last year as a naughty schoolboy, hearing, seeing and speaking no art. It was about the cuts in art teaching and the creative industries. But I think it sort of works for what has been happening recently. Has he ignored or forgotten reports of one of his senior government members caught in a serious case of misconduct. In fact he has apparently also been caught out in several untruths, and today, finally resigned (sort of) as leader of the Conservative party but he hasn’t stood down as Prime minister. He seems to be staying on as a caretaker for the next three months while his party decide who will replace him.

Whether you love him or hate him he certainly is a character. When he was a child he said he was going to be king of the world. At Eton he apparently was displeased by his tutors displeasure with him. He was a leader of a club of students at University who were antagonistic towards poorer students. If you look up his biography you can find all sorts of things that he was involved in that caused problems but there are too many to list. These seem to have carried on into his prime ministership. Anyway things are changing, but no one knows if it’s for better or worse?

Looking and strolling hand in hand.

Aren’t the backs of people interesting, watching a woman looking at a steamroller, or a couple walking along the canal towpath, hand in hand.

When you try and sketch figures quickly you have to remember their positions because they are sometimes moving. It’s easier when they stand still for a while, but that doesn’t mean they are motionless. Heads move from side to side, or the weight moves depending on which leg they are standing on. Then the arms move, hold, wave about. A few quick lines are not always enough, but I try.. Two or three minutes tops for these, then colour added later.

Three counties open

I’m very pleased to say I have had my painting ‘coast’ accepted in the three counties open exhibition in Burslem School of art later this year.

Burslem School of Art is famous for teaching artists their skills in the early twentieth century. I think Clarice Cliff was one of their students. I know the artist Arthur Berry studied there before becoming famous as the potteries ‘Lowry’.

It’s great that a physical exhibition will actually be held this year. I hope many people will be able to come and see it.

Almost full

My lovely soft covered sketchbook is almost full. The paper in it is thick enough to stop most ink getting through and slightly shiny. I really prefer it to ring bound sketchbooks because you can draw across two pages without the rings and perforated paper getting in the way.

It only has a couple of pages left fir me to draw on. I think this sketchbook won’t just be put away in a drawer but will be treasured (until I start a new one)! ❤️

Sweet

Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was sweet.

I tried to draw smarties (the British version of m&m’s?) but my shaking arm made for wobbling lines, so they are more like jelly beans perhaps? Then I had the idea of adding reflected colours on opposite sweets, but the colours are too dark. I also wanted to add shadows from various directions, like there was different coloured light illuminating the sweets, so blue grey shadow on one side and turquoise blue on the other. This could have worked better but I used felt pens again. And the sweets are egg shaped! Oh well I tried!

Sea

Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was Sea. I tried to draw waves on a sea with felt pens but I didn’t like it so I’ve played with it digitally to add texture in some places and blur other areas. I’m not sure about it, but not all drawings are successful. I think it looks like a photo from a camera with smudges on its lens.

Sunday entertainment

Today only

Animal Apocalypse, a musical look at the plight of our planet. It should be very moving and thought provoking.

Bethesda Chapel, Albion Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. A methodist Chapel that is being restored to its former glory.

Today at 3pm. 3.7.2022 Tickets through Eventbrite or by donation at the door.

Featuring words, music and poems. With Sean O’Callaghan and the Clay Chorus. Devised by Robert of Etruria and Gred Stephens. Choir leader Kate Barfield.

We have been rehearsing for this for several weeks now. It’s come together really well, with the choir learning harmonies to some new and old songs, and the readings touching on the statistics of environmental issues together with classic poems and words. Should be a good event.

Quick sketches (life drawings)

Warning contains nudity.

A ten minute and fifteen minute sketch I recently completed at a life drawing group a few weeks ago. Looking at them now I can see that the details are not correct, but not too bad. The leg lengths on the second sketch are definitely too short. You can see how I tried to extend them a bit. When you draw a figure it’s a good idea to work out where to place the head. If you are too low on the page you run the risk of losing the lower half of the figure as in the first, ten minute sketch. But these were swift sketches, drawn on pale brown Ingres paper which is suitable for the mid tones then drawn in black ink fine line pen and shaded with pencil crayons.

One thing I hate with life studies is when artists leave the head off. Especially when it’s a female study. To me, they may not be able to draw facial features, but by leaving the head off it makes the figure look more like a slab of meat, disturbing and disrespectful of the female model.