Stratford Portrait Group Ticklish Turtle Cafe June, 2026

                                                                              The sketchers

                                                                    Frank, the model

This is my favorite and it was a five minute sketch between posing sessions. Rod was bending over his work making a few last minute additions.

'Show Us Your Sketch Book!'

                     People are always asking to see my actual sketch books so here they are.

I am currently filling Number 9 but have made a cover for Number 10 ready. I have gone from filling one book a year to two. I am using the books more as I like to flick through them and have even taken to making indexes and contents pages. I also have added a scrap book and journal element so I have added stickers to my own covers and art  pages. The Charlie Chaplain figure with guitar is a drawing I made based on a joke I made when about 14 when referring to a band called Super Tramp. The joke did not go down well with my fellow students who let loose a collective groan. (Showing  a knowledge of the current super cool pop or rock group was considered somehow vital but referencing a timeless movie tramp was not but I actually had never heard of Super Tramp, the group).

  I like the A4 hard cover sketch books for the size and also the support when sketching. The spine gets a battering though, as the book gets carried around in backpacks. I have been reinforcing it with tape.

Here is a new style cover based on that shown in 'Bill Making Stuff'. It is 3D with stuff actually glued to the cover.

Below are some of the contents of my first 2026 sketchbook. Most of these I have already posted with better resolution.

  I even include book reviews now. That right hand drawing is copied from the cover of Barry Dickins illustrated book about his grandmother.

Fezians Versus Dinosaur

 This is another illustration based o my fantasy wargame campaign. The models for the illustration are toy soldiers and dinosaur.

Camping by the Creek

 

Mick and Hoppa 'Reading material'

 

                           Can you get the subtle 'in joke' referencing a supposed author?

Dracos' Last Stand, Drawing From Wargames

 Something I am increasingly doing is drawing from my wargames and the toy soldiers I use. The figures I use mostly stand 54mm.

 The picture is made with fine-liners, gel pens, water color and acrylic.

'V' TV S.F. Series

 

I did something different by starting with a magazine cutout of a mouth. Anyway, I like old SF series and the ladies in this one made an impression.