Checkout this lovely sketch I created as a christmas gift for a friends parents featuring their two gorgeous girls. I was provided some reference photos and guidance on their past times,  her dad being a golfer and her mum a handbag fanatic. The results are shared below. Hope you like.

I started with a series of note sketches (shown in the upper left hand corner) whilst I was on the phone one afternoon and liked the style, so re-created as a larger sketch with some details capturing the likeness of her parents and girls.

I refined the sketch to bring them closer together so that they were all holding hands.

I love it when I get to do something personal. A lovely lady called Mel contacted me to request a sketch for her daughters graduation. Watching your child graduate with first class honours from university is a life achievement and something to be immensely proud of. Mel's request: a cute girl dressed in her daughters graduation robe complete with her daughters two pet birds.  - Lovely job and a real pleasure to work on.

Theres some cool animated gifs that are perfect for sharing on social media check out some of my favs below

To start 2015 with a bang and to thank all those that have followed my facebook page and supported my work I'm offering a free sketch. How can you enter.

Post a picture of you on the post that matches this competition on facebook.  Ideally a good face pic. It can be a full face, selfie, eyes, mouth etc.. as long as it's good quality and easy to sketch from. 

The picture with the most likes on Friday 2nd of January will automatically win. Likes can be from your friends, family and people that visit the page, so make sure you tell everyone.

Simple, post your pic, most likes wins.

Anything rude or offensive will be removed. I will not choose the winner. Fans of this page and your friends and family can help you win by liking and commenting on your picture. 

Ends 9pm Friday 2nd Jan
Winner will be notified via facebook or email if I have it. 
Sketch will be no larger than A4 and delivered via recorded delivery.
Competition is in no way affiliated to Facebook and its partners. 

Do it!!

This is a great trick and simple art experiment you do to create a cool looking 3d hand with just a pencil and a few colours. Posted on Youtube by http://www.handimania.com/ this goes to show you don't need years of training and fancy techniques to produce cool looking art. Wonder if this would work with other objects. If I get time I'll post a few below or send me your samples and I'll post them.

Love love love white on black artwork and illustration. The simpler the better capturing subtle lines and shapes that give an indication of texture and a hint of size. My mum bought me a Daler & Rowney Ebony Square Textured sketchbook for my birthday and set a set of Charcoal Pencils including a white stick. I found some cool movie posters online and gave it a go. Love the effects and hope to add more to this section. 

Some instagram posts whilst working on them.

I was workin on some good reference images so they only took about an hour each. Want to create some more and possibly sell a few originals. Check my store soon to see what comes up. 

Leave a comment below let me know what you think.

One of my earliest sketch memories is drawing Jack Nicholson from the Shining ("here's Johnny!") and although looking back it was a bit rubbish I thought I'd give him another try but without the psychotic menace and broken door! Having only just started learning portrait sketching this was a bit of a challenge. I've started realising that good planning makes all the difference in ensuring a true likeness is achieved.  Although pleased, I feel it lacks his true character and charm. 

I'm using the grid method at present for drawing faces and using my ipad as the reference image. This allows me to zoom in and out of detail without having to print off anything and draw grids over it. 

I'm finding hair a real chore but feel I need to learn more techniques and gain some patience. Although predominantly created using graphite pencils I did use a tiny bit of charcoal on the eyes as it gives a bit more depth. 

Well a start to my journey in portrait sketching and welcome any comments or critique. Thanks

Read this great post the other day on foxes. http://www.earthporm.com/22-photos-will-make-fall-love-foxes and thought it would make a great sketch.  Never really attempted animals but quite liked this.