In late 2018, after some time not doing any artwork, I really wanted to get back into it. I fancied doing something different and invested in some soft pastels. This was my first go with them and it was a hell of a learning curve about how they adhere to the paper, and how they blend. I'm not really sure the pastels I was using were soft enough for the look I wanted, but I like how loose this one turned out.
I did this artwork for a public art exhibition called "Home is where the Art is". Initially the drawing was supposed to just be a open mouth with a snake coming out of it but I felt that it lacked a story and a strong enough message so I drew the other snakes on and added the 2 other faces. The story behind this image is entirely up to the viewer but my take on it was that different people react differently to certain information, my main focus was the distribution of secrets and since many teenager refer to people that let their secrets loose as snakes I thought why not depict it in that form. The drawing displays three reactions to learning another's secret, one passes the secret on to another, the other defends it ferociously in your face but lets it slip loose when nobodies looking and the other receives the information and holds onto it
There is a purpose in the rope being tied loosely. The individual has the liberty to free themselves but remains enslaved by their own choice. Many times we know exactly what to do, but refuse to do just that. Sometimes we want freedom, but we use our liberty to remained chained to what we hate.
For the doodle-a-day prompt 'kiss' I went for a thimble to keep with my loose 'lost boys' theme! If you don't remember: Wendy offers Peter Pan a kiss and he holds his hands out, he doesn't know what a kiss is. She then hands him a thimble. Pretty cute - stick a cute face on it then it's SUPER CUTE
A solitary rowboat drifts across a muted, restless surface, unanchored and unattended. Rendered in charcoal, ink, and subtle white highlights, the vessel exists in a quiet state of motion—moving, yet going nowhere. The surrounding water is suggested through loose, rhythmic lines, emphasizing atmosphere and isolation over realism.
The boat is sharply defined against the hazy background, its dark contours and interior shadows contrasting with the soft, unsettled environment. Oars rest unevenly, implying recent human presence while reinforcing absence. The name Perditas—Latin for “lost”—is affixed to the hull, anchoring the emotional weight of the piece without explanation.
This work explores themes of solitude, uncertainty, and endurance. With no shoreline or destination in sight, Perditas becomes a reflection on drifting—physically, mentally, and emotionally—inviting the viewer to confront their own sense of direction within an undefined space.
This is a fun piece of art inked paintstakingly with a fountain pen. I enjoyed drawing it, loosely based on a fall pallet. As a fun side note, she has four ears.
I got a pack of loose watercolour paper from eBay in 2018. The side this was painted on had a really strange pitted texture on it. I thought it might be interesting but I didn't like the way the paint gathered in the pits. I just use it for sketching and testing colours these days.
My favourite Lappish activity - moving with these traditional skis through the snow. Sometimes you might be crashing into trees or into each other and sometimes you might loose a binding and sink into the deep snow, but it’s always fun and exciting.
My first foray into acrylics from 2017. At the time, I wasn't that happy with it, but it sold within a day of posting it on social media. Looking at it now, I like how loose it was.
Some more stylized withered versions of the Altitone band members, Elizabeth (on the left) and Altor (on the right). Elizabeth has ears but no cameras (which are usually located somewhere on the head (look at stylized withered Preistor for context)), so she is blind. Altor has no ears but a camera (which has been broken off and now sits loose in Altor's disembodied head), so he's deaf. Before version 2 of these guys, Preistor was maroon (once again, look at stylized withered Preistor for context), Elizabeth was teal, and Altor was yellow-green (mostly yellow). They roam the halls in Jester's workshop. Drawn with FireAlpaca.
I started with watercolor and watercolor, but then realised I needed a more opaque black and switched to gouache, acrylic and brush pens for the final touches. Most of the original looseness was lost after that, however he looks more accurate now I think.
Chari is one of my favorite folks to draw! I have been drawing a lot more while out and about. Using the cheap graph composition notebook, non-expensive art supplies and going to a coffee shop to draw people. Sometimes I can get a likeness with my mind, eyes, hands and draftsmanship and other times it is the "many moods of my subject." :-) This is a place (in my book) where I can learn from my perceived fails. ****The images are sideways! I know this. I do not know how to make them portrait orientation. They started out as portrait-scaped orientation and now they are landscape. Well..... Okay then. The figurative landscape. Hahaahhha! Cry. I even tried the visa versa. Nope. They want to be on their sides.
A vibrant, hand-drawn urban sketch capturing the quiet magic of a black cat wandering through a Mediterranean-style alley. Featuring warm orange and yellow hues, loose marker strokes, and a whimsical atmosphere, this piece brings the warmth of a European summer right into your home.
This is a loose sketch I did to play around with expressions and planning out the appearance of one of my comic characters, Celestyne Vasile. He's a bit of an unpleasant vampire noble.
Finally had a day to sit and scribble, first day in a long time. It's fast and loose, but I like how it turned out, and I had fun! My reference was a toy squirrel; but, I think love and death are a bit more interesting. Done in Photoshop. Another color version & reference- https://leglessmermaid.blogspot.com/2024/05/love-death-are-gumball-machine-toys.html
An illustration of a Thailand coastal scene is depicted with loose, expressive strokes, showcasing a rocky outcrop and the meeting of land and sea under a blue sky. Sparse vegetation sits atop the rocks, adding touches of green to the predominantly blue, green and beige tones.
