Sketchbook update 88

[none of the photos below are showing on my phone...but they are on desktop. I am not sure if this is just a Me issue?]
Oh boy i have quite a lot, as always! Halfway through I got some neocolour ii pastels for christmas and i looove them. I already liked the kids crayola wax pastels, but these are so buttery and amazing. I also got some tombow markers...and I... do not like them. You win some you lose some :').

There are quite a few movie studies this time, I watched dragonheart, Peter pan and Conclave, and I love love doing studies of character expressions. Every person is so unique I always learn something, and idk, it's so nice to turn on my ...art eyes? I feel like I see people with a different lens when I draw them, it feels like looking at someone you love? You pay attention to what makes them stand out, what makes them Them.
I also got quite mushy looking back at last new years sketchbook pages, and I decided to make some journal type pages to remember events by!

I've enjoyed adding a little photo section with some life updates etc, let me know if they're something you like to see more of in future!


 This month I got to start a new sketchbook, which is always exciting! I love laying out some intentions on the first page, (which I forgot to do last time!) this time it's mostly about being self indulgent, and following my interests. (see the photos in the main section for more on that)

Some plein airs, it's getting colder and wetter, so I've been doing less :').

These ones are from a night where I went to a pub for a meal on my own, got scared because I was very close to the time they stopped serving lunch and I was too shy to ask, and ended up wandering about for two hours in the fields painting as the sun set and the moon rose, waiting for them to open for food again... it was so dark I couldn't see what colours I was using. I did get to have a nice cosy meal next to a fire afterwards, though.


My mum asked for a crow picture, and I'm an overachiever. This was my first time using acrylics in eons, and a canvas! It was lovely though, I really enjoyed it.

Some more gifts! Nieces and nephews got drawings- most I forgot to scan, oops...

 I helped put together an insane amount of Lemax christmas decorations, I had a great time finding dried plants that would scale down, and needle felting the stuffing into snow piles etc. I also made barriers for the Carousel, and all the rocks, and fences! At one point our bathroom became a moss sorting station - I wanted to dry it out on the heaters but I had to get the bugs and mud off first. [The first picture is actually a wip, but I forgot to get a photo of the entire thing when it was all done :').]


 I got myself a cheap table and ring light and I am over the moon tbh, the only reason I have so much art to share this month is because I've had this setup! It means I can hang out downstairs with my partner and draw at the same time. Previously I'd be upstairs, drawing and being antisocial, but as it's gotten colder its been really nice to have the fire lit and stay in the same room. Now I have the best of both worlds >:). Last month I was complaining about colour temperature being off when I was painting- this has a natural light setting, so I'm all sorted >:).


The last week or so has had the most beautiful sunsets! I love winter. I love every season tbh, but winter sunsets are so dramatic.


 These cows made my day, they're belted galloway, and theyre SO cute and soft. I've seen them the fields before but never this close >:).


 Here are my new year bingos! This year I'm putting more numbers in my goals, since last year it was kind of hard to decide if I had done enough to warrant checking them off. I did really well this year, though! Notably, doing a plein air led to so so many more. And drawing people from a cafe, too! Both things I do all the time now, and I'm way more comfortable with! Also slammed past the living like mice goal- if you look above you can see our lovely sofa, replacing our inherited ikea futon which was not comfy at all. I also got a tumble dryer, which in british wintertime is SO NICE, clothes do not dry without intervention and that usually meant in a room with a heater and dehumidifier -_-. We're not used to having money, so spending it is quite stressful, which is why it was a goal!
This year there's a lot of craft goals and health goals. I struggle to balance my time between art and other hobbies, but I really don't want to lose them- and I also know I'll hurt myself if I don't do better at taking breaks from drawing! The running goal is deceptive, it's not hardcore or anything- I run a little on my walks to help with anxiety. I've had a lot of heartburn and breathing problems from anxiety this year, and running helps get my adrenaline out, and also resets my breathing, and it's been really cool to be past the point of like..."I hate running with a passion' which is how I've been my whole life. I tricked myself by running a tiny bit while on my walks, just to the next tree etc- and now i feel like i can jog for quite a while without dying.

Anyway I've rambled forever, and I hope everyone is having a good start to the year! I'll be back to regular spice tier posting this coming week, thanks for your patience while I did the sfw comic, and this sketchbook post, it took longer than I expected! xxx

[edit... as always, forgot the pdf]