Charcoal, pastel and pencil drawings from life
These drawings are all drawn from life, sometimes the dogs are fidgety and I might have only a few moments, sometimes I might have the luxury of a whole ten minutes! They are part of my sketchbook practice; its fun to explore different ways of drawing and materials, and also the discipline of looking and observing feels like a very necessary part of trying to develop as an artist. Sketchbooks are such a lovely place to try new things and just enjoy the moment, I love the skribbly scruffy nature of drawing just for the sheer love of it.
These drawings all come from my sketchbooks, I usually have a couple on the go, one for charcoal and pastel, one for pencil and pen. I see drawing from life as an integral part of my practice; it not only encourages and promotes observation but perhaps more importantly it focuses the mind in the present - the poses last as long as the dogs are still, so it’s hard to be precious about the drawings or come to them with an idea for an outcome.