DrawWithMike.net

Well Mike, you said you would like to see more! So here is one of my favourite from the series 'Rat Race'. It too quite some time to work out the mechanics of this one... rats were easy to draw as I have had them as pets in the past and own many photos. But getting them into that flying bicycle was tricky. I quite like rats of the pet variety (not too keen on the one raiding my compost bin). Again, this was created withm Staedler Mars clutch and woodies on Fabriano 300gsm Bright White Hot press (which I find a bit more forgiving than Mellotex). 38 x 33 cm in the horizontal format.

I do not have a time frame a such. Almost as much time is spent planning these works as there is in drawing them. Suffice to say that I completed 15 of these works over a 9 month period - as well as other commitments!

This is absolutely delightful! Right up my street. Perfectly Heath Robinson, or Rowland Emett-esque.

I like rats. I like lots of rats. I do not, however, like plagues of rats - which we experienced last year. Thanks to Will the Rat Catcher that was quickly solved. However, none that I am aware of escaped by bicycle-driven helicopter... but who knows. Maybe...

One thing I do know... I can't get enough of these works of yours!

I love this one too Linda! So creative! I love the way you're using contour lines to suggest clouds and especially to suggest movement of the helicopter blades. I can only imagine how much work went into planning this.

Hey Laurene, I cannot lie, these skies I have been doing - well, channelling a bit of Franklin Booth - heavily influenced by him. One of my favourite illustrators from last century. The guy grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere and wanted to be an artist. But all he saw were illustrations in the papers, so he taught himself to emulate the lines and cross hatching he saw there - never realising that they were etchings! check him out here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Booth

I needed to start including backgrounds, but am not comfortable with doing a lot of tonal sky stuff... but I DO like linework. I have been developing and refining the techinque in graphite making it my own particular stylistic trait. (I hope) I particularly like how you can create images and forms in the sky and clouds by stopping and starting the lines in deliberate places.

Currently working this technique into water.

Thanks for the link Linda. I'm a pen and ink fan from way back and his work is superb! I can picture this technique being very effective to depict water and I'm looking forward to seeing more!