Lino madness

Hi
this is the latest print, and first lino done since school. Its 12" and an intentionally rough print, as the subject is a rather bohemian bar in York called Evil Eye Lounge. If you know this blog you'll notice that I like the place enough to do lots of drawings or prints of the place. I hasten to add that I don't get there as much as desired...
The first is a more experimental version, the second being a more traditional straight version. Guess which one was more fun to make. ;-)  The black ink was pushed around with a cotton bud and scratched with a sharp edge. I did the same with the colour layers underneath. It was made purely as a labour of love, just to explore things and maybe develop skills. If there was anything learned from this its that experimentation is the way I'd like to work for a while.

iPad art

This is a new direction since buying an iPad (after drooling and deliberation). The app used is Brushes. Its such a great way to lay colour down quickly and the emphasis is on colour as its so brilliant at all the subtle choices and changes in tone and hue. I've chosen not to try and be super realistic, but rather work with the colour side of it and try to be simple in style, working instinctively.
Here's the Brushes site:

Brushes app

Coloured versions of earlier post

Hi, as promised, here are the coloured versions of the drawings in the previous post. I coloured them with watercolour, then Neocolor I wax crayon.

Getting back into drawing- domestic bliss

These are two 40x20cm sized pen drawings of my backroom, where I do my artwork. I'm hoping to colour them, with either crayon or watercolour, then they'll be posted again so you can see how they came out. 

The first picture of the chairs is to show how things are set out, and I've just realised that the two chairs are pointing in opposite directions, creating a kind of connection and symmetry. Could I have maybe finally trained my subconscious to lead my eye and hand in composition?

The second drawing is a squewed view of looking down at the sketchbook and sofa. I was having really bad creative block after new year (hence the empty page), so forced myself to start drawing again. This picture will be developed with colour, which should help with figuring out the lay of the land, as its quite confusing at the moment. The carpet is light green, the same as the stripes on the blanket on the sofa, so things will start linking together.

Long time no blogging

Hi, happy new year everyon. I'm back now, after illustration projects and the festivities. Let the drawings and prints commence.