Buns for Easter

Hi all, I have just completed another realism challenge, but its is going to be my last for a while. I have been missing out on doing some proper painting, so I'm going back to that for a while. I'm not sure what I'm going to paint yet, but I'll think of something soon.

Anyway, here's a picture of my last effort in the realism challenge. The focus was to be on glass, so I set up the little scene with a letter opener, a ball point pen and a pair of glasses.

I'm reasonable pleased with it, although I did make a mistake with the legs of the glasses because they don't look symmetrical. It is great fun doing theses drawings because it really make you look at what you are doing.

By the way, the second book in my Fishing Detectives series is free to download today and tomorrow (24th and 25th March 2016) from Amazon.

To get your free download, just click on the books tab at the top of the page and then click on the books cover. I hope you enjoy it.

Free book and a botttle

Hi all,
I'm still working through my realism challenge to try and improve my drawing skills, so that I can can produce some cracking pieces of art before I shuffle off this mortal coil. Anyway, the next exercise in the book was to draw a glass bottle lying on its side.

Here is my effort.

Given that range of greys in coloured pencils only goes to 2, I don't think it is too bad.

By the way, "A Staffordshire Boy" is free to download from Amazon today and tomorrow (17th and 18th of March) please

grab a copy while you can. To get your free copy just click on the books tab at the top of the page and then the book's cover. Please enjoy.

Book and Glass

Hi all,
I'm still trying to improve my drawing skills in an attempt to make my next painting a really good one. I've done enough mediocre stuff in my life, so it's time for a leap forward. Having said that I might just well end up with something as crap as it ever was but there's no harm in trying.

In my bid for realism, I have been drawing all sorts of mundane stuff around the house and most of it has been fun. My latest effort was a cut glass tumbler and I'm quite pleased with the result considering it was my first effort regarding cut glass.

Okay, the top isn't straight enough and the shadow isn't too convincing either, but not a bad rendition of a difficult subject.

Just a quick note to tell you that "Carp Rustlers" the first book in "The Fishing Detectives" series is free for the next couple of days (10th and 11th of March) on Amazon kindle.

 Please grab a free download while you can. Just go to the books tab at the top of the page and click on the link for the book.

Toast

Hi all,
Just thought I'd give you a quick update regarding my rendering skills. I have been following a book by a great realism artist called, Mark Crilley because I want my painting to be grounded in realism. I've tried the slap dash, anything will go and hope for some happy accidents approach, but it doesn't give me any sense of satisfaction.

I'm following the exercises in the book and I'm pretty happy with my efforts. One of the exercises was to take a photo of a piece of toast with a dollop of jam on it. Now some people may think it silly to be painting everyday things like pieces of toast, but it doesn't half get the creative juices flowing.

Anyway, we don't have rasberry jam in our house, so I took a picture of my toast with a dollop of marmalade on it. I printed it out and over the next couple of days I painted it using the techniques in Mark's book. Here is the result.

I don't mind telling you that I'm pretty proud of my efforts and I'm looking forward to the next challenge.

By the way, I'm pleased to let my followers know that I have a free book offer on today and tomorrow (25th and 26th Feb 2016)

It is called, "No Fishing In Here" and is a collection of 12 short stories to stir up the emotions. Some of the stories are sad while some are very funny. If you look at the list of books I have written you will noticed that many of them have a fishing theme, this one doesn't but can still be enjoyed by anglers.

To get your free download, click on the books tab at the top of the page then click on the book cover.
I hope you enjoy it.

Damsel

Hi all,
It's been a  while since I did a post, but at last I have managed a painting that I am very pleased with. The painting is a watercolour of two yellow flag irises and a blue damsel fly. I have watched may of these wonderful creatures flitting between the reeds while I have been fishing, and I have always wanted to capture the essence in a painting.

I am really pleased with the way it came out and I'm giving it a score of 50 out of 100.

The bad bits.
I'm trying hard, but unlike the previous paintings I've display, I can't find anything bad to say about it. Of course, it isn't top gallery material, but given my experience I think it's a damn good effort.

The good bits.
Firstly, I think the composition is very good. I suppose experts looking at this painting could ramble on for days, and perhaps even weeks, about the rule of thirds. Well I don't know much about that, if a painting is pleasing to the eye, then mathematical equations don't matter a tinker's cuss. I also like the colours, which are set off by the dark background. I think it s also clear, when looking at this painting, that I have used artist quality paints. If I'd done it in using El Cheapo watercolours it would have the the appearance of a old washed out dish rag.

Anyway, it has given me a lift regarding my paintings. The only downside is that I have now set myself a new level, one that I think may be hard to retain. I guess we will see in my next painting.

By the way, regarding my books. I am retiring in April so I am going to simplify life for myself. At the moment, my books a available through Amazon, Smashwords and Draft to Digital, but I'm going to knock the last two on the head and stick exclusively with Amazon.

Besides making life simpler, it will also give me chance to really see what difference enrolling all my books into Amazon's select program makes to sales. Currently 90% of my sales come via Amazon, so although I may be giving up 10% of my sales by giving up on Smashwords and Draft to Digital, I am hoping my overall sales levels will increase. I' a bit of an old wart really and keep a lot of detailed graphs about my sales, so in a few months I should have a good idea if my ploy works.

The upshot of all this is that I will be offering more free books on Amazon, which is good news for those of you who follow my post, because you will get to find out straight away when a free book is on offer.

To make a start, you will find that "Bossyboots" is free on Amazon on the 18th and 19th of February 2016.

If you want a free download of a book that will make you laugh out loud, click on the book's tab at the top of the page and follow the "Bossyboots Link.

Hares

Hi all,
I know that I should have knocked another painting out by now, but I've been having fun with the pen and ink. For a while now I've had this vision in my head that showed two hares relaxing in some long grass, so I decided to get it down on paper before it drove me mad.

Of course, the actual drawing didn't come out anything like the image that was floating around my brain because they never do, well not for me at any rate. Having said that, I'm quite pleased with the results and I'm now contemplating whether or not to give it a bit of a wash with some watercolour. My wife thinks this would be a good idea but I'm not so sure.

Anyway, here is the drawing.

I would love to know what you think of it.

By the way, I'm still working my way through Mark Crilley's realism challenge. The books is well worth getting if you want to improve your drawing skills. If you would like to see one of Mark's videos, please click here. I'm sure that watching him will get your creative juices going.

Pen and Ink

Hi all,
I haven't been doing a lot of painting recently, mostly because I'm finding it difficult to find any decent blocks of free time. Sure I could get the brushes out and knock something up quickly but that would be a waste of time seeing as I'm trying to improve my results.

However, I have been dabbling with the pen and ink when I've had a spare moment. Pen and ink is an easier discipline than watercolour painting because it is mostly repetitive marks. This means that you can pick it up and put it down at any time, which suits me at the moment.

Alfred Wainwright was good with the pen and ink, so I have been using some of the marks he made to depict boulders and stones.

Anyway, here is a drawing that I've just finished of Conniston Water. I drew it from a photograph that I took whilst on holiday there about 15 years ago.

I'm quite pleased with the results, but it does lack a bit of colour.

Part of the purpose of this post was to tell you that one on my books is free today and tomorrow on Amazon. It is called, "The Reluctant Pom" and follows 2 years of my life after my dad dragged me and my big sulk to the other side of the world.

 If you want a laugh, grab a free download by clicking on the books tab at the top of the page. The book link will than take you straight to Amazon for your freeebie.