Planes, Planes

There was a sketching Meetup at the RAF Museum in Hendon yesterday. Went along, as always happy to have an excuse to go and draw.

Spent morning in 1st WW hanger with so so success.

But did get to watch two guys who are going to be giving guided tours practising the tour they are going to be giving. First one went around explaining the exhibits to the other, then, later, the other came round telling the first guy the same information. I was intrigued and eventually asked them what they were doing, and it all made sense. 

Spent the afternoon in the modern hanger. Liked the geometry of this side of this plane, with the RAF circles and the wing shadows underneath.

Found it very satisfying and has put some ideas in my head for future exploration.

But please don't ask me what either of the planes were. Have no idea.

At the other table.

I guess I should have known. You go to the BFI you gonna trip over media people.

Had a half pleasant catch up / half possible work coffee and chat the other day.

And at the next table this guy was talking to obviously an Agent. And bigging himself and the work he had done up. We all do it, but it still raises a smile when you hear it.

Wonder if he was taken on ?

And Gentlemen in England now-a-bed...

" Cry 'God for Harry, England and St. George'"

Reading

Two people, engrossed in their books.

Seeing as it is World Book Night.

Took part in this several years ago. Was a book giver. Harder than you think to give away 50 books.

Still have a few copies of 'Love in the time of cholera" floating around if anyone is interested. Might take them out and give them away later today.

Beau Chapeau

This girl ( because although she was beyond a certain age the word woman feels like an affront to pin to her ) got on the tube as I was standing by the door.  The first thing I saw was her hat and it made me smile, and seeing me smile she flowered from her personal daydream and offered me a smile of such perfected glory the day was made.

She was a painted doll, with crimson lips and arched brow and jet, jet black hair emphatically lacquered around her. 

And her hat.

Her hat was a painted doll's face with lidded eyes and Clare Bow lips, edged in diamante, with a flourish of ribbon, also sparkling with gems. All in powder blue and turquoise. 

Maybe hat is the wrong word, maybe it was more of a fascinator, that is what they call them isn't it ?

And I was fascinated.

Esoteric

I wanted him to look learned and alternative, as he read his massive book and mused on the world.

But something about his mouth and how I have drawn it makes him look, well.., a miserable old fart.

I apologise Sir. 

Roller blades.

A guy got on the train with his roller blades in his hands and sat with them on his lap.

He didn't stay long enough to get a full sketch done, ( he got off at West Hampstead ) but I like the shapes. They were heavy, clunky things. And well scuffed with use.

Orchestra

So you know how I have been saying, on and off, that I would love to find an Orchestra that would let me sketch them. Well finally managed it.

The London City Orchestra have opened their doors to me. Which is brilliant.

The previous few musical sketches were from my initial meeting with them, but now I have access to their rehearsals and it is an amazing thing.

The relationship between musician and instrument is even more complicated to draw than I had expected.

Violins, ( see previous post ) their curves are so specific, and to draw them right and in perspective as they are played. It does your head in. 

And the French Horn !

Seriously. Who designed that in the first place. I spent all my time just working out where the tubes all went. And not even that yet.

Amused that the glibness of my sketching style goes out the window as I try to decipher what I am actually looking at.

But looking forward to some great sketching.

Thanks to all at LCO for this opportunity. 

Boats, Baseball Caps and Violins.

All things I have learnt are tricky to draw accurately.

Pleased with this one.

I think it is because they have a symmetry that we all understand, and when you draw them, if you get it even slightly off the eye sees it. Like a twist in a spine. You understand it without needing to analyse it. 

Also.

The paper in this sketch book is very thin and my heavy handed shading can wreak havoc through the pages, as you can see.

But it was only £2 so I still love it.

Saatchi Steps

People sunning themselves as they ate their lunches on the steps of the Saatchi gallery last Thursday.

Spring is most definitely here.

I ate an apple.

And the current exhibition on Hermes that is there is brilliant, if anyone is of a mind to go. 

Yellow Barry as Avenging Angel

Just mucking around before I chuck this one in the bin.

More hands. More music.

This time on a cello.

More colour ! More bottoms !

The demand went out.

And was duly met.

The position of the hands

When drawing a violinist, is it possible that you can position the hands and bow in the wrong place in relation to each other ?

Would an expert look at this and ( after laughing ) say, if the fingers are on the strings there, the bow would never be being drawn across at that point there ?

Are there rules I need to understand ?

Ink

Continuing with my bottle of pumpkin ink.

As delicious in use as it is in colour.

And relax....

2 heads

Are better than one.

A B C

Always Be Closing.

This guy was running the whole gamut of sales technique on his phone. And not getting very far.

" I know, I know, we've been like..., I call when you are in a meeting, then you call when I am in a meeting."

" Three license sets, that is what I think you should be taking. To be honest the price difference between three and two is minimal. It's £9,000 for three, £8,000 for two. I am struggling to make this work for us. We only really deal with customers big enough to warrant three licenses. And you are a company so I can't really sell as a private individual. To be honest they have set a minimum spend of £55,000 for a company. I shouldn't even be doing this. I will get pulled up over this but I can talk myself out of it.

'Okay, well let's leave it there, have a think about it and come back to me before the day is out."