Bruna

This was a very different and challenging portrait for me but it was so worth the risk. When I decided to tackle Bruna’s Sktchy inspiration photo I really wasn’t sure I’d be able to produce a half decent portrait but I’m so happy with how it turned out. The more I draw and paint the more I realise that every now and then I need to try to draw a portrait that I think might be beyond my skills because that’s how I improve.

I drew this portrait in my Moleskine watercolour sketchbook with a grey Unipin fineliner, painted with Zecchi Toscana watercolours and finished it with Prismacolor coloured pencils.

Charlene

This is Sktchy muse Charlene and the portrait is my entry for this week’s Old School Sktchy weekly challenge with the prompt “trees”.

I drew the portrait in my Moleskine watercolour sketchbook with a grey Unipin fineliner, painted it with Zecchi Toscana watercolours and finished off with Prismacolor coloured pencils.

Melody’s Owl

This May I’m going to be part of an artists open house in the Brighton Fringe Festival. The open house is at the National Trust’s Saddlescombe Farm, and will raise funds for the Grow Project, a project which helps support people experiencing mental health problems by connecting them with nature.

The theme for the open house is “Spirit of Place” and I’ll be putting some prints of my more nature-themed portraits up for sale. I already have some portraits that I know I’ll be using but I also want to create some new work to make into cards and possibly postcards, so I’ll be making more nature-themed portraits over the next few weeks. This portrait of Melody’s owl is the first of these.

I drew the owl in my Midori Cotton sketchbook with Copic markers, coloured pencils and a Uniball Signo gel pen.

Inna

This is Inna, drawn in a Midori Cotton sketchbook with Copic markers and Prismacolor coloured pencils.

Teri

I feel like I’m beginning to develop a distinctive style in my ballpoint pen drawing. It’s not quite the same as my drawing style with other media, I don’t find it as easy to keep the likeness because I’m still concentrating more on my pen work, but I do like where it’s going. This portrait of Sktchy muse Teri is definitely my favourite so far.

I drew this portrait with Bic Cristal pens in an A5 Moleskine sketchbook.

Tiffanie

Sktchy muse Tiffanie has the kind of face I love to draw. Perfect pale skin that reflects light beautifully. Straight hair – for so long hair was my nightmare to draw and I still find straight dark hair so soothing to draw because it’s so much more straightforward than any other kind. And well defined bone structure that’s easy for me to capture. I could happily draw her every day for the rest of my life.

I drew this portrait in my Midori Cotton sketchbook with a Unipin fineliner, Copic markers and Prismacolor coloured pencils.

John

This is Sktchy muse John. I drew the portrait in a Moleskine watercolour sketchbook with a grey Unipin fineliner, painted with Zecchi Toscana watercolours and finished it with Prismacolor coloured pencils.

Maria

I drew Sktchy muse Maria with ballpoint pens a little while ago. I was so unhappy with the portrait I produced that I promised to draw her again soon and today I’m keeping that promise. I’m much happier with this portrait so I’m glad I had another go at drawing her.

I drew this portrait of Maria on my iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil using the Procreate app.

Olivia

I drew Olivia in a Hannehmühle Nostalgie sketchbook with Polychromos coloured pencils. I’ve got a migraine today which might explain why my drawing is so crooked!

208 portraits

Every time I finish a portrait I add it to a 13 image grid and once I’ve filled that grid I add it to a 16 image grid. Many months later I have a completed grid containing my last 208 Sktchy portraits. Today I filled my latest 208 portrait grid. I love the snapshot view these give me of my portraits from the past 7 months.