Muckin’ Abart In My Sketchbook

Posted on by

Here are some sketches I make with different lead and coloured pencils in the evenings, when I just sit and play with ideas and see where they lead – if anywhere.  Just ‘muckin’abart’ really!

At first, when I started painting again, I was just re-familiarising myself with some mediaJournal6

and faces11 8 16

Later, I tried timing myself to see what happened if I didn’t get stuck in detail

10minsketch

This ten minute sketch stretched to twenty minutes……

20min sketch

For some reason I spent an hour playing around with perky birds…

birds1

birds2

I’m not particularly good at birds and animals – but these were good enough to make me have a shot at Siddy last night – he doesn’t stay still long enough for me to get it really right – but I’ll keep going………

Siddy1

Someone else inspired me to play with modern day flower fairies….. the circled bits indicate I like that idea and want to take it further…….

Flower Fairy1

I really like this one, the one that I’ve coloured – but she hasn’t gone any further yet:

Flower Fairy 2

The first one made it onto an art journal pageflowerfairyfull

While the page was a bit of a wash out  – hence the lake and swans appearing – the fairy herself is great fun.  I like a fairy with attitude!

fairy detail

It’s coming along.  I’ve got several art journal pages to show you next time – I feel like I’m getting near ready to start work on canvas again…….

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!

 

74 thoughts on “Muckin’ Abart In My Sketchbook”

  2. Thanks so much for sharing your sketchbook with us! The dancer was going to be my “exclaim out loud” sketch UNTIL I saw Siddy! What wonderful sketching! XO

    Like

    • Do you know the more I look at the Siddy sketch, the more I realise I have captured a little something of him ….. maybe I should scribble sketch more often 🙂 Never too old to learn 😀

      Like

  5. Hello Pauline! I very much enjoyed having a peek through your sketchbook, I particularly like your 20 minute sketch of a dancer and the perky birds, but they are all brilliant. The fairy with attitude is inspired! x

    Like

    • Hi Jem! The fairy with attitude is quite popular and as I like her too I think she might have a couple of incarnations 🙂 What I liked about working wvery evening in my sketchbook was the drawings became looser and looser as time went by, which allows them to have more flow and get better. But then I stopped -lately I’ve been making decorative tape in the evening which is a whole different ball game 😀

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Pauline, I’m not sure how I missed this post earlier in the week, but the bright side is always having all the additional comments along with your words. Your artistic fingers are flying, aren’t they? Look at you go. I’m in awe of your sketching abilities and your ability to build a story, add color and texture, all in the name of practice and journaling. You’re amazing. I love your ten minute sketch. It’s interesting what happens when we get out of our own way. Magic flowed from your pencil. The birds are whimsical and entertaining as well as unexpected. Will you continue with them? Siddy is well captured, too.

    Red-headed fairies in biker boots have rallied the conversation. I’m trying to imagine her on my deck, gathering in one of the fairy gardens as we “speak.” I’m smiling thinking about it.

    Slinky beckons, so off I go. I’m so glad I didn’t miss this one.

    Like

  7. Oh, Pauline just wanted you to know I managed to respond to your last post a few days ago. No need to reply, but didn’t want you to think I missed your simply incredible and extremely powerful world post. Hugs, Robin xo

    Like

  8. Pauline, I love your sharing with us the parts and processes of your fertile, creative mind! ❤
    The pink and lavender girl has pretty eyes and such nice detail. 🙂
    I love the biker fairy with red flowers on her dress and red leather (or vinyl) boots! She has a cute hair style and lovely determination in her appearance! She is a feisty, yet caring fairy.
    I have tried capturing dogs and cats, not so easy! You have Siddy's sweetness and kissable face done nicely! ❤

    Like

    • Oh, I’m sure they are red leather boots, I had a pair when I was younger and loved them – I wore them to pieces and now this feisty lass is wearing them. 🙂 She is quite popular, and as I like her too, I shall keep working with her a while. Thank you Robin for coming by and sharing your thoughts, I love it!

      Like

  11. I’m very drawn towards your second pic – calm and with closed eyes. Very nice. It’s interesting to see the processes that lead up to the finished article. I’m loving the biker boot fairy. Definitely a story collaboration there somewhere.

    Like

  12. Hi Pauline, Thank you for sharing your sketches. I can’t imagine what I could add to what has already been said. Your sketches are beautiful. You capture such wistfulness in the eyes, and a good bit of smirking humour in the fairy’s faces. Funky fairy. Redhead and wearing boots – I like that. As do many others, I love the ballerina. As I scrolled from ballerina, past birds and onto Siddy, I saw a story forming. I think they would all go well together in a lovely picture book. Working with Geoff on a graphic novel would be awesome, but don’t let him near these fairies of yours! I’m amazed at how easily the images flow from your imagination through your fingers and onto the page. That flow becomes a part of them. Brilliant!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Norah thank you for taking such a full part in this post – it is lovely to see you have scrolled through the comments and nodded along with the conversation 🙂 Having read the last few of Geoff’s stories and knowing anything can arrive on the page from his imagination I’m secretly hoping it was one of those throw away ideas that one never hears of again – can you imagine what he’d do with my smirking bovver pixie? Yikes! 😀 [We are currently having a debate here over whether she is elf, pixie or something else. Consensus says she isn’t a fairy…. I’ve been out voted] Whatever she is, she’s got attitude and I like that! Thanks so much for your support Norah – it is much appreciated!!

      Liked by 1 person

  13. I love your creations. The fairies are indeed lovely, and the birds are so cute and comical! I can’t believe Siddy doesn’t like sitting still and posing, ha ha. My pets always seem to know when I want to take their photo and will look away every time. Looking forward to your canvas work 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • I know! It’s that ‘What are you doing?’ look and bustle, bustle, over he comes to have a look…….. I do find I’m sneaking peeks at him when he’s busy doing something and really noting shape and size rather than just being a gooey puddle of ‘Oh, he’s so cute!’ admiration 🙂 Thanks for your supportive words!

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Oh I do like the ballet dancer. There is so much movement there. And the little birds!!! Some of them look happy and mischievous. The drawing of Siddy is of course charming, but how could it be anything else?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks Lisa – some of those bird ideas could go places I think. But the ballet dancer – I have no idea why I sketched her out – maybe I was trying to remember how to draw movement because so often my figures look stiff and doll like 🙂 Siddy looks surprisingly like Siddy for a quick scribble – maybe I should stick to 30 second drawings 🙂 I appreciate your enthusiastic support m’dear – hope all is well in your part of the world – have you been and gone and come back already?

      Liked by 2 people

  15. Love seeing your artist self at work. The fairy with the biker boots blew me away! Love how imaginative your art is.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. I really like seeing these quick sketches and getting the sense of play and fun–art doesn’t need to be serious! it looks like you were having fun with all this and pushing yourself in some different directions. I think the ballerina is my favorite–she looks strong yet so graceful, and there’s a sense of real movement there. And I like the spiky, funny elf-girl, too!

    Liked by 1 person

    • There we go Kerry – you got it in one! So much of the double page paint work in my art journal has become quite intense for me – and the evenings doodles are all about finding my free style and having fun. The looser I work, the better they get …. funny that huh? 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  22. My sister teaches art and she sometimes gets students back to basics with the ‘ten minute sketch’ concept. Apparently it forces you to look at the important parts of your subject, the bits that tell you what the picture is supposed to be at a glance. Love your sketch of Siddy:)

    Liked by 1 person

  23. I think your rocker fairy is awesome, Pauline. I love looking at her and her boots. Thank you for sharing her and giving us permission to see a glimpse of these wonderful journal pages. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  25. This post was a happy one. I love your drawings. I like a fairy with attitude too. The more you draw, the better you get. Loved the pond and the swans and butterflies. It’s good to see you stretching yourself and coming up with such fun creations.

    Liked by 1 person

      • That’s what art is, exploration! Isn’t it fun? :))) I envy anyone with the ability to draw. Not in my repertoire so I have to do my in different ways but the exploration and even the missteps are fun. I love what I see you doing so far.

        Liked by 1 person

  27. I recall the many times I tried to draw my cats and my dog…after al,l they are the only handy models, most of the time. It was like trying to draw the stills for a film, because—you are right–they tend to move, just when you think they’re in a pose. I absolutely love your little red-headed fairy with attitude! She’s sweet, but not too sweet….she has a spicy character about her, so you can never be sure just what she is thinking….I find the character you have given her complex, and interesting.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Complex and interesting hey? Like a good wine – and, yes, I had indulged in a glass when she had her genesis 🙂 I had to go take another look at her! Actually she reminds me of someone I know – I just can’t figure out who at the minute….. It’s the spiky hair and the off-tilt nose……..

      Liked by 1 person

      • Your own inner spunky fairy maybe….she does remind me of you, the energy I think. Hello Pauline, nice to have you back in blogland….unlike me, I can’t seem to get my blogging act together at the moment 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

        • Hi Netty You moved house didn’t you? That’s a busy time! Therefore taking a break isn’t such a bad thing to do – as I discovered with my own extended version of ‘not getting my act together’ 🙂 All my lovely friends just came right on back to cheer me on. It’s a bit like real life really 🙂 I’m quite tickled at the thought of having my own inner spunky fairy – but does this mean she has to be opinionated – and just the tiniest bit intolerant of stupidity and utterly intolerant of rudeness? Sigh!!

          Liked by 1 person

          • I don’t see anything wrong with being opinionated or intolerant of rudeness and stupidity, I think these can be guiding lights to show us the way to how we live our lives. thanks for letting me off the hook for my bloggy tardiness, you’ve set an example now for me to get back to it.

            Like

  28. Pauline, you are so wonderfully talented! Each sketch just made me smile, especially the one of Siddy 🙂 But I think my favorite is the 10-minute sketch (probably has a lot to do with my penchant for B&W!) I’m simply in awe – I can’t draw or sketch or paint to save my life. I get such great pleasure in seeing your lovely creations!

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.