Sketchbook Update 102 (Patreon)

This post has been a long time in the making, I scanned these pages ages ago but I've been too busy to put everything together!

I decided to include everything that's physically in the sketchbook- including some things that you've already seen in separate posts. I thought it might be cool to see it on the full page. But not including the steddie marker pieces, or the easter pic, because those are on loose sheets of paper ;).

It's spring properly, at last! I'm ashamed to say I've been so busy that I feel as though I've missed it, but I've been making an effort this last week to get out, it's easy to forget that there's no point to working harder at the expense of actually enjoying life.

So... so. Last month a friend sent me some of their old copic markers, and I loved them a Lot. I had been thinking about worthwhile things to buy and get a tax exception on as the tax year was winding up, I wasn't brave enough to get a set of copics tbh but I did get a very big ohuhu set on sale. I can't speak for the longevity, but I'm in love with them, very much comparable to copics, if a little juicier, which is good for me. I've heard about some yellow pigment issues with older sets, but I've not seen any so far, so fingers crossed, that would be a deal breakers for sure.

I found the ohuhu set somehow(!!?) lacking in oranges and medium and muted browns, but in a stroke of luck the hobby shop near us had a half price sale on some markers (£1.50!), and I think brown is the least popular colour so those were almost the only colours left! Lucky me :p.

Also pictured is an online shop order- again mostly me being like 'um what will I buy more of next year that I can buy now and claim on taxes, eek' so I got more leadcast letters ink cause my sample's nearly gone, a little brown ink and some diary notebooks! But also, a couple of copics >:)! As many of you are aware... when I get into something I'm all in, so I got very picky about trying to get Cliff and Eugene's marker colours the same as how I colour them digitally! It was Cliffs hair and Eugene's cassock that I was trying to match, and luckily the online copic swatches I found were perfect and I'm very happy with the two colours I chose.

[edit ... he's a little too tanned in the scans huh. It's good irl LOL]

A couple of process pics, I get scared that I'll mess up when I'm drawing traditionally, and I think at least if I take photos or scans i can probably try again, or at least share it before it went bad ;p.

I found that my fountain pens don't smudge at all with alcohol markers, which is incredible. My waterproof inks and pens do smudge, which is the opposite of most media!

One of the farmers posted in the village chat that her lambs had arrived and she kindly let me into her fields to draw them. Unfortunately they were extremely wary! I was drawing them from so far away, I couldn't actually see the lambs well enough to draw.
I had begun to think I had a way with animals so this was humbling haha, no matter how still I sat or how slowly I moved they were like. Nah. Nope. We're off.
I actually ended up peering over the wall to another farmers, slightly closer, lambs!!!

Another humbling experience haha, I need to get back into the plein air groove, I was not happy with this! Also the cutest flower seedhead after the rain.

A night-time excursion to the church, striking the fear of God into Josie :P.

A trip to the deep in Hull, I desperately want to go back and draw and take more photos, we visited with a friend so I walked around at a more reasonable pace lol. The regular ticket is a year pass though so expect more fish soon :p.

Also, check out my octopus toys, these were actually from the wildlife park!! I was heartbroken to see so few fish in the aquarium gift shop, I think I need to get myself another one of palaeoplushies fish to put on this bag, i have one on my other, and they're so soft and beautiful.

I've still been greatly enjoying pokopia, to be honest I've overworked this month and it's been good to have something restful and easy to do. But I do often fall asleep mid task and find myself running into walls or off edges.

The ground is dry again which means my hobby of finding stuff on and in the ground is renewed >:). I saw a sliver of something glass, couldn't get it out, and so of course then sat there for twenty minutes gouging the dirt around it with a stick. It's a broken spirits bottle from 1910-1930, pretty cool! I found this on a day where I was forcing myself to go for a walk even though I felt like I didn't have the time, and tbh it was nice to just sit and do something childlike, almost in protest of the deadlines I push on myself.

Village benefits!
Not gonna lie I made the worlds worst rhubarb crumble, I have a lot of trouble with puddings, I think they can sense that I don't like sweet food much ;P. I demolished that leek, though, I often have makeshift lunches- pastas or omelettes with whatever leftover veg we have, I made scrambled egg with leek, and also pasta and peas with leek- honestly it's my favourite comfort meal at the moment, I add garlic and some extra veg, but it's so simple and plain in a good way. Almost a macaroni cheese, but much lighter!

Spring is crazy with how fast things grow and change, I hope you're all enjoying it while it lasts! Thank you for reading, and thank you always for the support <3