CelticDragonStudios

I’m a big Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman fan, so it shouldn’t be surprising I loved the Good Omens series.

Summer sketchbook 2018 Part 2 (well both posts are the highlight reel really) Between practicing with drawing directly in ink I also started looking at Background Illustration Taking some inspiration from my much beloved copy of The Bone Comics.

Part 1 of Summer Sketchbook 2018. I have been attempting to reinstalling my drawing practice and have been experimenting with drawing directly in ink.

The 2nd half of the Staycation workshop. The weeks worth of classes were interesting and challenged me to try things i normally avoid like collage. It was centred around creating a habit and ideas generation. Well done to Heather who ran the event!

The 1st Half of my Staycation workshop sketchbook run through Boom Studios in Bangor by Heather =) 2nd half to follow.

I recently bought a lovely micro watercolour palette from http://www.expeditionaryart.com called a Pocket Palette. It arrived empty as expected and I filled it with the smallest ‘pans’ available in order to have the widest range of colours with me when out and about. The whole thing is about the size of a business card holder and the small metal pans are held in with a magnetic strip in the base. So far its been brilliant, Ive been out and about several times with it and a waterbrush. It did have to sit on a radiator for a couple of days to dry out the paint to transport, however this means you can load it with your choice of colours and brands. If you enjoy painting in cafe’s or just outside in general its a great wee set up. And well worth a quick look. I ordered it from the US with delivery to Northern Ireland, I honestly thought it would take a few months to arrive from past experience and was delighted when it was less than a week. The designer/illustrator who invented it is Maria Cordell-Martin who has a beautiful range of work available to browse on the same site as the pocket palette via expeditionaryart.com I’ll post again soon with more examples of its use!

Book haul this Xmas :)

Between mythical bottles and dragon baths my sketchbook is headed for the surreal at the moment.

Studio doodles, I got new paints! Looking forward to trying them out. (Paint purchased at Art at Home in Holywood) I foresee a whole series of dragon teacups and bottled myths.

Recently my news feed has been full of people's showing off their studios. So I thought there's a good reason to make an effort to clean mine up! I share a studio space with John in Boom Studios, Main st Bangor, it's working out great so far :D

John and I recently (23/7/17) nipped down to Dublin in the Enterprise to attend DECAF and restock on comics. It was a brilliant event and we were pleased with all purchases. I also bought some lovely artwork (will post later) and got some serious doodling done on the train.

I'm a bit of a watercolours butt, as some may have already worked out. The larger tin with the brushes is my current main set and travels about with me along with the tan sketching kit and water bottle. In Bangor here there have been some sketch walks organised and I'm setting g up a workshop to make a micro travel kit (the smaller silver kit) through Boom Studios in Bangor. I'll post to say how it go's

Just back from a few days away on holiday in Ireland, We wend and looked about in Newgrange, Trim Castle, Navan, Droghada, Kelly's and Monaghan. Sort of camping (slept in a B&B cooked our meals on a camping stove from the car) Met some Cool Crows and a Rockin Robin on our way around. Walked my feet to the point of Owie too. Had a great time =)

Third attempt in rebuilding website in progress...

Lucy sketch drawn today on the train to Lisburn and back again. iPad Pro and Adobe Sketch rock, seriously lovely to sketch in. Only drawback - No layers. But it's so nice to sketch with I forgive it this. Inspired by Lucy who this morning saw me off to the train with a plaintive 'Arf?'