by Leonie Andrews

Starting to draw in January

As Yoda once said “do or do not”. So some days I do and some days I do not!

One thing I do want to do this year is work on reducing the ridiculous amount of art materials sitting unused in my back room, in cupboards and all sorts of other places around the house. Now I have materials I prefer to use, the rest just sit there.

Drawing with colour pencils, trying to change the direction of my marks each time I put the pencil on the page. Also, trying not to be too ‘precious’ with my drawings.

I’m trying some tactics to use things like markers, in particular. I have seen several artists use them to make this ‘window pane’ background to sketch over.

Marker pen window pane background, ready to use

I did a similar preparation using other hot pink markers (forgot to take a reference photo) and this is what it looks like as a base with a finished drawing over the top.

Marker background colour pencil over the top. Still life from our table top.

The fact that I’m using this lovely sketchbook from Leuchtturm 1917 helps. It was part of the ‘goody bag’ I received when I taught at the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Poznan last year. This isn’t the type of paper I would usually work with, but it’s very good for all these dry media.

One of my favourite  ‘goody bag’ items from Symposium 2025.
by Leonie Andrews

Last sketch of 2025

This is my last sketch of 2025 made on New Year’s eve while going for our ‘long’ walk around a nearby mountain.

I was using my regular tiny book I carry when walking and trying out an exercise from an artist I recently discovered called Orla Stevens *. The idea is to sketch for no more than 10 minutes changing the direction of your marks for each item you draw.

Tree with rocks

Now I know I haven’t nailed this yet, but I was really excited by her very loose approach to sketching. As this is one of our ‘regular’ walks I have drawn from this spot quite a few times already this year.

A broader view from the same location from July 2025, watercolour

I felt quite free to just go for it with this sketch. I certainly plan to do more in the future.

Super loose mark making
Sketching the tree

* You can find Orla on YouTube at https://youtube.com/@orlastevens?si=L2oCkPtSiFWU_1Ly

by Leonie Andrews

Random collage

Last night we had another session with our friends online and I made one of my random collages. There’s no rhyme or reason to how I put these things together.

A magazine collaging itself! A composite image from a series of pages where I have already cut things out.

I’m working from scraps of magazines that have already been cutting up and that are literally lying around on my desk. So nothing particularly planned.  Just trying to work with what I have, and trying to make it succeed.

My one hour collage.

Whether that’s happened on not I don’t know. I think just even doing this on a regular basis is the sort of thing that’s exercising those artistic muscles,  playing, which is what we all need to do to make our art better.

by Leonie Andrews

Non-dominant hand

I was about to start a drawing session with friends when I accidently got in the way of some steam from the kettle – burning my hand in the process (thankfully not a major burn). It was enough to drive me to use my other hand to draw with while my dominant hand stayed wrapped in a cool damp cloth

I just picked from a variety of markers and pencils already on my table and one of my fountain pens. 

Markers, coloured pencil and fountain pen with collage

I really like the result! Nothing too fussy. My inspiration was this replica of a Roman Owl brooch that was found in the city of Bath in the UK. I didn’t resist adding a touch of collage when I found this tiny scrap on my table as well.

A copy of a sacrifice to the goddess Sulis-Minerva