Virtual Drawing Workshop
One of my latest projects during April & May was planning an online workshop for the students at MSoA. The preparation was particularly long as everything, of course, had to be done online. The idea for the workshop was inspired by a drawing tour, and using Zoom as a means to escape for an hour to a lovely old city (we chose Edinburgh for our first destination!). We planned our route and points of interest, then collected still and moving images to piece together a virtual tour that would last around 30 minutes. We ended the session with a zine-making tutorial, which allowed the students to create a little book that encapsulated their sketches. All they needed was a sheet of A4 paper, something to draw with and a pair of scissors! Everything else was down to imagination.
Hello friends and happy June! I hope May treated you kindly and that you are all staying safe and well. The rainy days seemed to blur into one this month so it seems as though we will have to wait a little longer for Spring to arrive! Since my last post I’ve been keeping my head down with many different projects that have all been wrestling for my attention. I’m grateful though to be doing what I love and I finally feel that - for the first time this year! - I’m creating work that I really enjoy. There’s a lot to say about this, so I promise to share more in the future.
One of my latest projects during April & May was planning an online workshop for the students at MSoA. The preparation was particularly long as everything, of course, had to be done online. The idea for the workshop was inspired by a drawing tour, and using Zoom as a means to escape for an hour to a lovely old city (we chose Edinburgh for our first destination!). We planned our route and points of interest, then collected still and moving images to piece together a virtual tour that would last around 30 minutes. We ended the session with a zine-making tutorial, which allowed the students to create a little book that encapsulated their sketches. All they needed was a sheet of A4 paper, something to draw with and a pair of scissors! Everything else was down to imagination.
We sketched from photographs and moving images, exploring scenes from Edinburgh Castle to the Royal Mile to Princes Street Gardens. The students were encouraged to use this time to fill as much of their page as possible, with illustrations, text, colour, and whatever else they wanted to include! The idea was to create a sense of the city with quick, unfiltered drawings. Once we’d folded the zines, these images were cropped into eight small pages, which resulted in some really interesting compositions!
Although this was our first workshop, we wanted to make sure the students felt welcomed and relaxed, and provide a sense of escapism that many of them have missed since being away from home during the pandemic. The whole class exceeded my expectations and I'm so grateful for the eagerness and kindness of all the students that took part!
I have to say a big thank you to Martha who I co-organised this event with, and also to Elle and Molly for helping us prepare!
Besides dreaming of other cities we could visit, I'd love to do more workshops like this in the future, and hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to teach them in person one day!
Other than illustration…
*I discovered the playful art of Christian Robinson last month. His work is full of warmth, colour and the celebration of human voices.
*The soft music of Nujabes has been keeping me company recently. This one always helps me get my head down and focus.
*I’ve been reading A Very Intrepid Explorer in the mornings before I start my day. The illustrations are so beautifully coloured and I am forever amazed at the achievements of Marianne North.
Thanks for reading, as always,
Catherine
Paper & Paint: My current favourite Art materials
I've used several different brands of cold and hot press paper over the years (the terms cold and hot press refer to the tooth of the paper). Hot press is better for a high level of detail although it’s less absorbent than cold press, so it really depends on what you want to use it for. Recently I've taken to using bristol board with pencil crayon. It's the smoothest surface and great for scanning work (especially book spreads) where the texture of the paper needs to be kept to a minimum. I’ve used both Starthmore and Windsor and Newton pads and both work equally well, although Strathmore has more of a cream tone than the crisp white of W&N. For toned paper I like Strathmore mixed media pad.
Today I thought I’d take you through some of the materials I’ve been using recently.
In no particular order…
Paper
I've used several different brands of cold and hot press paper over the years (the terms cold and hot press refer to the tooth of the paper). Hot press is better for a high level of detail although it’s less absorbent than cold press, so it really depends on what you want to use it for. Recently I've taken to using bristol board with pencil crayon. It's the smoothest surface and great for scanning work (especially book spreads) where the texture of the paper needs to be kept to a minimum. I’ve used both Starthmore and Windsor and Newton pads and both work equally well, although Strathmore has more of a cream tone than the crisp white of W&N. For toned paper I like Strathmore mixed media pad.
Paint & Palettes
I haven't spent a huge amount on paint. My watercolour set is an affordable one from Windsor and Newton. I know the pigment isn't the highest quality but I find it a decent price for the amount I use. I also keep W&N inks and they do the job just fine. For gouache I mix all of my colours from three primary tubes plus black and white. I’d recommend doing this if you’re just starting out, or if you’re wanting to test new materials before splashing out on the more expensive sets. I use Holbein Acryla gouache but I’ve heard positive reviews for both W&N and Caran d’Ache brands, so I’d say do some research and really figure out what type of paint you’re after before you buy. This video helped a lot when I was researching Holbein. The acryla goucahe definitely works more like standard acrylic, but stays liquid enough if you use it on a stay-wet palette. To make mine I lay several sheets of wet kitchen towels in a plastic container, followed by a sheet of tracing paper. This technique allows the paint to stay wet enough to use for several weeks. This video explains the basics of this type of palette.
Brushes
I love Pro ArteProlene Plus for detail as they have a decent point to them. I use Woodpecker for washes as the flat bristles are inexpensive and robust enough to stand the test of time. I also have a dozen of Daler Rowney brushes in various sizes. They’re nothing special but they do the job just fine.
Pencil Crayons
I love building my pencil crayon collection up, so I have quite the mix of brands. I love love Faber-Castell Polychromos and I use these for the bulk of my work. They aren’t too waxy and I’m able to get fine details with them, although I will say that it takes a lot of sharpening to get a thin point. For detail I use Stabilo originals which are a lot more affordable but less pigmented and the lead is not as soft. I also use Caran d'Ache Supracolor II Soft which as the name suggests, have a lovely soft lead, and recently I added some of their Museum Aquarelle pencils to my collection. Both are great for blending with water as well as being highly pigmented on their own. For graphite I stick to Stedtler.
Sketchbooks
I've used a variety of sketchbook brands over the years but I find certain papers haven’t stood the test of time as my style has evolved. I have dozens of Seawhite of Brighton sketchbooks and have used them for many years, but recently I’ve found the paper allows too much bleed for my liking. The paper is a nice cream colour, and I think they’re better suited to sketching than using anything too liquidy. I've also used Pink Pig in the past; their books are spiral bound and pretty easy to get hold of. Moleskine on the other hand is lovely for travel sketchbooks but I sometimes think the price makes me act too precious. (If anyone has any brand recommendations specifically for using pencil crayon let me know!)
Remember that making art doesn’t have to be expensive, there’s a lot of student-friendly brands out there that work well if you’re just starting out. Don’t be afraid to invest in a few tools to help you along the way but remember, art isn’t just about the quality of your materials. It’s about creating the work you want to make and over time, you’ll grow a sense of which materials you like and which ones you don’t.
Happy making!
Meet the Maker
For the month of March I decided to join Meet the Maker over on Instagram. The challenge, organised by Joanne Hawker, happens every year throughout March, and allows creatives from all over the world to connect and share their practice, promote their business, and give insights into their creative journey.
I’ll admit I didn’t complete all 31 days. I decided to pick out the ones that seemed to fit my own practice the best and stuck to those. Today I thought I’d share…
For the month of March I decided to join Meet the Maker over on Instagram. The challenge, organised by Joanne Hawker, happens every year throughout March, and allows creatives from all over the world to connect and share their practice, promote their business, and give insights into their creative journey.
I’ll admit I didn’t complete all 31 days. I decided to pick out the ones that seemed to fit my own practice the best and stuck to those. Today I thought I’d share some of them with you!
First things first, IG is a funny thing when it comes to sharing insights into a creative practice. As I’d already planned what I was going to post throughout the month, I could easily make it seem as though I was staying busy and churning out a load of work, but in truth, my personal work didn’t really get off the ground this month. There were a lot of delays and obstacles I had to work through, most of them probably self-inflicted, and I started to feel disconnected from my creative flow. There were days where I wasn’t drawing anything, because I was focusing all my energy on more urgent, but less fulfilling tasks.
Here is a snippet from Day 15 which sums up how I was feeling:
Day 15 // Priorities
It’s hard to say what my priorities are atm because honestly, my main goal is just to be happy. I know IG can make it seem like we’re always working and always positive but are any of us really like that? I enjoy working on my illustrations but I also procrastinate a lot and spend days unravelling the MANY negative beliefs I tell myself.
This illustration was a favourite of mine but goodness me it was a struggle to get it out. And it’s not even complicated. I was just so uninspired by the limited colour palette, and I think I’d let the whole project drag on a little too long that I started to loose sight of why I started it in the first place. I just wanted to get it done and move on.
I also had several portrait commissions this month which was amazing, but it meant that my personal projects had to take the back seat for a while. The turn around was so quick for these that I unintentionally burnt myself out and had no energy left to put into my own practice.
By the end of March I started to see where I was going wrong. On one hand I managed to stay consistent with Meet the Maker, but behind the scenes I was feeling uninspired and unfulfilled with my work because I hadn’t left any space for myself. I made an effort to pick up my daily sketchbook (something that I’ve sadly neglected since January) and planned to fill it with really bad drawings - the wonkier the better. I started knitting again, and took myself on walks to try and reconnect to that inner creative voice. It’s still a working progress, but slowly I’m beginning to feel inspired by what I’m making again. I’ll be continuing to share my illustrations on IG this month, but I’ll also be holding some of my energy back for work that I purposefully don’t share. And with that comes a new feeling of relief.
If you’ve followed me on Instagram, I hope you enjoyed my little Meet the Maker series, and I hope this post shines a light on the fact that not everything you see on IG tells the whole story.
Shop Update!
New pet portraits have arrived on my Etsy store this month and I’m super excited to share them with you! They’re postcard sized and completely personalised; this one was for a lovely puss named Crumpet and her owner Emily!
I love making these little prints for you, and I’m excited to add more fury friends to the collection! For more info please check the item description on Etsy!
This and that…
*I’m rewatching this adaptation of Howards End at the moment. It’s such a cosy watch and the book is a firm favourite of mine, especially now it’s Spring!
*I listened to Deep Work by Cal Newport this month and he brings up so many interesting points about technology and distractions that made me revaluate how I balance deep and shallow work.
*Any day with yoga in it is an immediately better day. Recently I enjoyed this one.
*Just for fun, this game has been great for passing the time with friends on zoom.
Okay okay that’s all for now! See you next month.
Catherine
Snow Days and Sprinkles
Hello hello friends. How are you?
February seemed to whiz by as fast as ever and I've tried to take things a little slower this month. I baked a lot, sketched and watched the snow, played animal crossing, and last week celebrated my 23rd birthday!
Hello hello friends. How are you?
February seemed to whiz by as fast as ever and I've tried to take things a little slower this month. I baked a lot, sketched and watched the snow, played animal crossing, and last week celebrated my 23rd birthday!
It was a lovely day that began with warm crumpets and strawberries. I went for a much-needed walk with my family in the countryside, and spent the afternoon watching the Sound of Music and drinking hot chocolate. Honestly despite all of the restrictions, it was a wonderful day.
Aside from birthday festivities, I’ve been working on several smaller illustrations after I finished reading Ballet Shoes last month. I wanted to challenge myself with a limited colour palette, and working with single illustrations rather than large picture book spreads has been a new experience! But I love the direction my work is heading in at the moment, and it’s nice to try something a little different!
ALSO! This month I’m offering a 10% discount on all personalised portraits until 19th March, just in time for Mother's day! For more details check the item description on my Etsy shop!
February in a nutshell...
*After several low points this month, this gem of a song got me through the tougher days.
*Of course another project means another pinterest board. This one was inspired by Ballet Shoes and there are so many gloriously old photos on there!
*This month I’m taking part in March Meet the Maker! I've thought about following the challenge for a few years but never found the time to commit, especially with uni work being a priority. But now I have all the time in the world I thought I'd give it a shot! I'll be posting over the coming weeks here, sharing insights into my drawing process and daily snippets of my illustration journey!
And that’s all for now!
Catherine