[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 2 April 2021].
(not a) good friday
[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 2 April 2021].
068 crocus
Day sixty-eight of The 100 Day Project for 2021.
Yesterday, in the final quarter-hour of the day, I snuck in a more simplified sketch of an illustration I'd saved as a potential element of a collage for last year's project.
I'm still undecided on whether it's easier to draw from someone else's illustration than to draw from my own photographs.
This year, after all the work we did in the front garden last summer (not at all coincidentally), just after a snowfall, we had our first orange snow crocus bloom. It was the first time I'd seen one in the almost five years I've lived here.
It was lovely, but it did fade very quickly. I captured an, unfortunately, out of focus photo of it one afternoon. But by the time I had another chance, it was withered and sad, like a deflated balloon nestled on the bark.
Instead of drawing that (though I may sketch it another day), I present to you a more positive, blooming crocus.
Original outline drawn with a 4H pencil, then drawn over with an HB pencil. Keeping it simple.
067 doorknob
Day sixty-seven of The 100 Day Project for 2021.
I squeezed my sketch into the last half hour of the day yesterday. So I chose a photo of an object I'd taken to draw in February and did a very minimalist sketch of it.
Despite how the photo appears, the doorknob is symmetrical in terms of angles on its face. It has slight angling to both sides of the top and bottom of the surface. But I drew it how it came up in the photo, so there's only one line along the top and bottom third, and the ridge down the centre is not so centred.
We found this in the front garden when we were cutting back the grass, laying the weed guard and planting new plants last summer.
I've no idea if it originally belonged in one of the flats in my building (before or after it was converted to flats from a terrace house). Or whether it was tossed in the yard by a neighbour or someone else.
Speaking of opening doors, the next phase of London's lockdown lifting will happen on Monday. Pubs, non-essential shops, and more will reopen.
At the moment, I'm not sure how I feel about that.
I was looking forward to Simon and I celebrating our birthdays together sometime this coming week. But that's on hold for a bit longer still, so I'm somewhat reluctant to step into the fray.
My birthday is on the following Saturday: the first Saturday pubs will be open since 20 December last year.
And while I'd thought about potentially meeting some friends to celebrate, I don't think I have the stomach for the stress of it all at the moment. It's likely to be far too busy for my liking that day. And I'm feeling more and more like I can just wait until Simon and I can go together, and I've hopefully had my first dose of the vaccine.
I know the social distancing requirements will mean nowhere will be as rammed as in "normal" times. But the effort of dealing with it all feels a bit mentally exhausting to contemplate right now.
If you're in an area that's in lockdown now and opening up (or potentially opening up) soon, how are you feeling?
066 tuppence
Day sixty-six of The 100 Day Project for 2021.
Clearly, I won't be manufacturing counterfeit coin any time soon ;)
On the plus side, 'pence' isn't terribly rendered.
The overall outline of the coin looks like one that's seen better days. We all know those coins we've received that look as though a steamroller rolled over them. (Though, clearly, that wasn't the case with the almost immaculate coin pictured as my source image).
The 'two' wording is unbelievably off. Sorry.
But once again, I learned more from my photography/sketching: 'Ich dien' and the associated three feathers that denote the Prince of Wales. I've only had a cursory glance at the information, but I will read more when I have time.
As we've discussed many times before, my initial sketch was completed with a 4H pencil. Today I went over the darker lines with a 3B pencil and then everything else with an HB pencil.
065 instamatic camera
Day sixty-five of The 100 Day Project for 2021.
I thought I'd left myself short of space for the camera width, so I shortened the top elements accordingly.
As it turns out, I think my sketchy Instamatic is actually too wide, proportionally.
The text on the front of the camera certainly is. I made the executive decision to leave off the word 'camera' due to space.
I think I struggle with fonts when they are white on black and slimline because I'm drawing the outline. If I'm not careful and it's too close, the lines merge together. So shading then makes it disappear. It's something I need to work on.
The perspective of the front of the camera feels okay. But the lens ended up drawn deeper than it should be. (Again, because of not wanting lines to merge together). And the lines of the side of the camera are off.
The shading is totally haphazard and rubbish.
This puppy was a gift from Simon my birthday last year from a charity shop or similar. It came complete with an unused roll of 126 film, which we've almost used up.
It would have been used up more quickly except for us having been in lockdown a lot of the time since he gifted it to me. We should finish off the roll in the next month or so. And then hopefully get it processed and printed soon after. Much-delayed gratification; not at all 'Instamatic.
Here's hoping it's not faulty and that the film comes out okay!
Today's initial sketch was done with a 4H pencil. Some lines were drawn over heavier with the 4H pencil. Darker lines and shading were done with a 2B and a 4B pencil.
064 lightbulb
Day sixty-four of The 100 Day Project for 2021.
I took this photo of a blown lightbulb back in February but only felt confident giving it a shot (and knowing I had the time) last night.
I, foolishly, thought I'd made a mess of the bottom-left section of the base. So I corrected it. But, thinking back to what it initially looked like, I should have left it as it was.
I felt I drew the original base too wide. So I thinned it slightly. Though it was probably acceptable at either width.
The bulb is leaning a little to the right, but not offensively so. It doesn't feel like it would fall over.
The filament and supply wires possibly look even more like the \0/ emoji than the photograph did. Though I think my sketch makes the overall look more robotic than the original, oddly. Silly anthropomorphism!
This was quite a satisfying draw.
The original sketch was drawn with a 4H pencil. I traced over the base and shaded it with a 6B pencil. I used a 3B pencil to draw over and/or add shading to other darker elements, including the shadow on the table. The shadowed parts of the glass I went over with an HB pencil. And then, the lighter outlines and the filament were drawn over more heavily with my 4H pencil.
rent asunder
[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 28 March 2021].
063 screw
Day sixty-three of The 100 Day Project for 2021.
I managed to sneak yesterday's sketch into my day between photo editing, life admin and a virtual hen party for my friend, Jane.
I didn't manage to get it posted before I opened the bubbles, though.
I know I could have executed this better if not for time constraints. I think I'll try to get a more accurate rendering another day.
The thread is too close together and unevenly separated. The width of the screw is too variable, being thinner higher up at the shank than it is further down within the thread. The head reminds me of a golf tee more than a screw head.
But, for a ten-minute sketch on the run, it's not too bad.
062 hands
Day sixty-two of The 100 Day Project for 2021.
Okay, so I'll say this upfront: I'm sure this is my worst sketch of the project.
I mean, even worse than tuxedo cat, which was pretty bad but amusing. This is just bad.
I can't exactly say what happened.
Maybe it's because I spent a chunk of the day editing and sharing photos from my stained glass series with my Patreon patrons, and I was totally in that zone.
Maybe it was that my heart wasn't really in it today.
I mean, there are some days where my sketch feels like just another thing I have to do on an already busy day. So it's not always something I'm excited by.
I wasn't dreading the thought of doing it today, but it was kind of feeling a little like an inconvenience.
Or maybe it's just that I had my journal angled differently to usual in relation to the photograph on my monitor. Maybe sketching in landscape format caused everything to be a little off.
Whatever the cause, let's just forget this ever happened.
Focus on the source photo, which is much better.
061 lily
Day sixty-one of The 100 Day Project for 2021.
Yesterday, in the final hour of the day, I decided to attempt one of the more abstract, close-up photographs I took of one of the lilies a neighbour gave me late last year.
At some stage, I'll tackle one of the photographs of them closed. And then one of them open. But they feel like they will be more complicated, and I don't want to try to do it in a rush.
In retrospect, I probably should have shaded the dark green stems rather than just outlining them with a heavier pencil. Especially given I had done some shading for the shadows on the petals. But I won't beat myself up about it too much now.
I quite like that - without the source photo - this sketch is a little confounding. And, perhaps, a little confronting. I mean, it's at least vaguely anatomical-looking. But just what piece of anatomy it might be, not even I can decide.
I'd love to hear your interpretation of what it looks like. The more outrageous, the better, really.
The initial sketch, including shading on the petals, was drawn with a 4H pencil. The outline of the petals was traced over with the same, just heavier. The stems, toward the bottom, were drawn over with a 4B. The stamen were drawn over with a B pencil. (Alert: new pencil in circulation!)
I hope you have a lovely bank holiday weekend planned. I'm planning more paid work. More photo editing and hopefully getting my next Love Letter to London online. A virtual hen party for a friend. And long-distance birthday wishes for someone close to me.
060 sunflower
Day sixty of The 100 Day Project for 2021.
I've been meaning to draw this photograph for a while. But I knew it would take time and a reasonably large amount of concentration, so I had left it for a day like today. When I had daylight while I was sketching and when I wasn't rushing to finish in the final half-hour of the day.
I quite like how it came out, even though it's not photorealistic by any stretch.
I was worried that, when I got into it, I would find it too difficult. But I decided not to go for a super detailed version.
I sketched it all with a 4H pencil then used a mixture of 2B, HB and 2H to go over the leaves, disc florets and ray florets, respectively.
I should get some more planted again this year.
059 glasses
Day fifty-nine of The 100 Day Project for 2021.
There are still issues with what is now yesterday's sketch:
The frame at the front should become smaller on the left side, and the lens and frame should be elongated.
If that were so, the rear frame would be correctly proportioned. Though the angle of the frame near the centre is a bit too "twisted". Angled back too far.
But, if you ignore the source image, I think this is probably one of my more satisfying ones from the project.
And while my shading still needs work in terms of execution, I think I did relatively okay with the variations, the outline, etc.
Again, it could be improved on pretty much every count. But it feels better executed than many of my sketches so far.
I outlined it all with a 4H pencil, then variously used a 2B, a 4B and an F ( :o new pencil alert! I suspect I used it for the wrong purpose! :P ), and then signed it off with an HB pencil.
The source photo is from February 2016, when I put my glasses on to speak to my parents on Skype after I'd taken my contacts out for the night.
I discovered they were desperately in need of a clean. I started doing an ad hoc job with the cuff of my jumper. I managed to twist the frame just so, accidentally. I snapped the frames right in the centre of the bridge, as you can see.
They were almost ten years old then. The optometrist had told me I'd need to replace them soon, as the prescription was starting to be too markedly different to what my eyes were at that point.
The replacements I found were very similar. And then, when I had to change my prescription again, I managed to find identical frames. So my current glasses are a very similar frame shape in a very similar colour.
Unfortunately, I think my lenses are overdue to be replaced again because of further changes in my prescription.
I don't like my chances of being lazy and finding the same or similar frames again.
I may actually have to make a decision on something entirely different in a few months when I'm due for my eye tests.
rear window (you can see hollywood from here)
[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 23 March 2021].
058 something something
Day fifty-eight of The 100 Day Project for 2021.
I'm calling this piece "something something". Not because it's not evident the source image is an ornament, specifically a paperweight.
But because my drawing of it captures none of that. And I knew it was unlikely to. Given my drawing skills and the fact I went into this sketch thinking, "let's just do something abstract and not worry about photorealism."
For the record: I would love to be able to draw this paperweight in a photorealistic style. Let's maybe give me a good few years before I can expect to manage that, though.
Instead, my sketch somewhat reminds me of the blobfish John Oliver was, once again, engaging with on the most recent episode of Last Week Tonight. Though not quite. I can't quite work out what my rendering reminds me of, really.
Nevertheless, I sketched what is now yesterday's drawing with a 4H pencil. Then I went over elements with a 6B, a 4B, a 2B and an HB pencil.
(No, I don't know what I have against odd numbers either. I'm quite fond of the number 13 and the number 9, if truth be told, so it's nothing personal).
To be honest, I'm not sure if this was a success or a failure. I'll let you guys decide.
Meanwhile, I have a conflicting relationship with what I refer to as 'dust catchers'.
As a kid, I know I was responsible for the gifting of many dust catchers. Items that served no other purpose but ornamentation and, invariably, they catch dust.
To my knowledge, my mother never threw out any of the dust catchers we bought her (at least not for years).
Whether it be a small, purely ornamental harlequin doll or a somewhat practical clear plastic earring ladder, all invariably purchased from our local chemist.
They graced her bedside cabinet with pride because she received them from her children. Paid for with their pocket money and delivered with love.
As I got older, I vowed not to give dust catcher gifts unless they also provided some practical purpose. Thus my oil/vinegar decanter gift to Simon for his birthday in 2019.
Having said that, I do have papers that could do with weighting, but they're not on my desk as my desk space is limited.
So, arguably, I could be a bit confronted by Simon's gifts to me in recent years. But I'm just not. Because they're beautiful.
And at some point, I really need to photograph them properly. Because, especially in close-up, they're truly beautiful.
They remind me of the marbles we had as kids, both in our collections and in the game of solitaire my grandparents had. But infinitely more detailed and intricate.
I don't know the background of the first paperweight he gifted me for Christmas 2018. But the one he found for me for Christmas last year and that I've attempted to render above is a Caithness moon crystal. It is small but exquisite.
At some point, I hope to attempt to draw a photograph I took of the larger one. Stay tuned.
057 view from a bed
Day fifty-seven of The 100 Day Project for 2021.
I thought I'd set myself a more simple subject today.
I sketched it with a 4H pencil, then went over the edge of the blue wall with a 4B pencil, the lampshade and the cornice with an HB pencil, and the wire and light fitting with a 6B pencil.
I've got something of a superstition going with these lampshades. Though I don't generally consider myself to be a superstitious person.
The first place I lived after I moved out of home was a flat owned by my parents. The previous tenants left one of these lampshades in what became my bedroom. I didn't really have much of an opinion on it at the time. I lived there for almost 5 years before moving to the UK.
I lived in four different places in under two and a half years living here that first time.
I lived in four different homes between the Gold Coast and Melbourne over the next two years.
When I finally moved into a place on my own in Brunswick East in 2004, there was one in my bedroom. I think my study had one also, but I can't recall for sure now. I lived there for four years and one month.
When I had to leave there, I managed another four abodes in less than two and a half years.
When I returned to London in 2011 and found a room in a shared flat, there it was. Hanging above my bed. I lived in that flat for almost three years before moving downstairs into my landlady's garden flat with Kyle.
Her flat didn't have one. We had to move out after less than nine months.
Our next flat didn't have one either. Our relationship ended, and we moved on again after about a year and a half.
When I moved in here, there was already a smaller colourful patterned version hanging in what could have been my bedroom.
But I took the lounge room for my bedroom, and there was a bare bulb suspended from the roof above my bed.
So I knew what I had to do to make this my home and not have to move on again before I was ready.
I took the source photo on 4 June 2016, lying in my bed, a little over a month after moving in.
At the end of April, I will have lived here for five years.
untitled #8384
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 21 March 2021].
Another new image from my late bloomers series, this time a diptych.
056 elephant slide
Day fifty-six of The 100 Day Project for 2021.
I didn't allow myself enough space for this guy, and the tusks are a bit off. I managed to correct the left leg length (elephant's left leg; not what the viewer sees as left) in overdrawing the original sketch.
As has become my wont, I sketched the elephant slide with a 4H pencil. Most of the overdrawing I completed with an HB pencil. The shadowing in the elephant's interior was done with a 2B and a 4B pencil.
The source image for today's sketch was taken the day before the referendum on Britain leaving the EU took place. I took it after a morning spent wandering on the shingle beach at Dungeness.
I was slathered in sunscreen, and the cooling sea breeze deceived me into thinking I wasn't burning, though the mirrors in The Pilot Inn told me otherwise when we paused for lunch.
Foolishly, I went back out on the beach to continue taking photos after lunch without reapplying sunscreen.
That sunburn was horrific. It was the worst I had experienced in years. I've posted photos of it previously.
It was probably the worst sunburn I've experienced, even by comparison to one I acquired, wearing the same dress, at Southend-on-Sea in 2018.
Despite hurting like hell and my skin peeling for months, it came and went. I had ridiculous tan lines created by the straps on my dress and bags many months later, but now you'd never know.
However, the impact of Brexit on the UK will last far longer than the burns and then tan lines of my foolish decisions in 2016 and 2018.
At least once a week, it's confirmed to those who voted remain that this was the wrong decision.
And it was a decision driven by disinformation campaigns sponsored by the Leave campaign, UKIP and the Murdoch media.
The Murdoch media that's also responsible for so much of the political mayhem currently taking place in the US.
The same media responsible for the anti-vaccination rhetoric permeating almost every country globally.
The fact Rupert Murdoch is an Australian has never made me proud to also be an Australian. It has largely had the opposite effect.
Similarly, if I already had UK citizenship, Nigel Farage would make me ashamed to hold that citizenship.
The damage continuing to be done to the world by entitled white men will never be something I forget.
Whether purely political for the purposes of greed. Or reinforcing inequality by silencing diverse voices, embracing racism, endorsing white supremacism. And/or destroying the environment for the sake of their own personal wealth.
I will never forget.
In that way, my memory is very much like an elephant's.
055 gasometer
Day fifty-five of The 100 Day Project for 2021.
Okay, who had 'gasometer' on their 'A Sketchy Practice' bingo card? 😉
In case you wondered why it took me so long to have a go at one of my favourite subjects, today's sketch is the perfect answer.
They can seem quite simple and straightforward, but they're actually quite detailed, and I failed on this in so many ways I'm not going to bother to count them!
Arguably I started off okay-ish, working from left to right. But then I completely missed all the lines of perspective. I'm going to blame it on lack of sleep and a long week and not be too hard on myself about it, though.
Sketched in 4H, then drawn over somewhat messily with an HB pencil.
Today felt like a complete write-off in some ways but was generally a good day. It involved some paid work, some sleeping, another video call which made me happy, and some chores. Shortly it will include some eating, TV and more much-needed sleep.
Subsequently, the weekend will consist of more paid work than planned. Hopefully, it will also include some flat-cleaning and, even more hopefully, some photo editing around both of those things. As well as a fourth video chat in three days. Eesh, I'm tired again already!
AND I'll lose an hour on Sunday morning! No! I'm already short on hours in the day!
I hope your weekend is shaping up to be a good one x
054 corner house
Day fifty-four of The 100 Day Project for 2021.
Despite this being a 20-minute sketch, it was possibly one of the most hastily executed for the project so far.
After sketching over 50 of my photos - both those specifically shot to sketch and others from my archive - finding the next one often takes as much or more time than drawing it.
There are plenty of my photos I want to attempt to draw. But how much time I have to draw each day generally dictates what I take on. Often more macro/abstract elements can take as much, if not more, time than photos of a wide vista.
Yesterday it took me almost 30 minutes to find a suitable photo. That meant I started sketching about three minutes before I was due to have a Skype call with my friend Erin. Despite allowing myself about 45 minutes after finishing some client work. My sketch delayed us starting our chat until almost 30 minutes after our planned timing.
Obviously, I didn't like being late to the call but, given we can talk a lot when we do have a chance to Skype (we clocked up about three hours last night!), I didn't want the sketch hanging over me while we chatted, putting a time limit on our catch-up.
Thankfully, Erin understood. And it was a good thing I completed my sketch before we spoke, as we didn't finish up until almost 23:45. Allowing for the image search would have meant I missed a day of my project, officially, if I'd sketched post-chat.
And then, as I was closing off this post, my Dad became free for a "short chat", which turned into an almost 1.75-hour chat. So my sharing of yesterday's sketch has come even later. No regrets, though, as it's always good to natter with Dad.
My sketch of a tall thin building on a curved road in Cambridge from my travels with my parents in 2017 (my Mum's final overseas trip) was executed initially with a 4H pencil. I then hastily drew over the darker elements and shaded them with an HB pencil. I then went over the outlines of the lighter areas with the 4H more heavily.