Ok I have to be honest, this is going to be a fluff post.  Not much to say except that I’ve been really busy lately during the working week and then completely procrastinate during the weekend.  Last weekend was a perfect example, the weather was terrible: perfect for pumping out a sketch, however ….

That said I have been stewing over a project idea.  I’ve been thinking of drawing a graphic novel of the Gospels (Biblical New Testament).   I have already started to break all the books up into subsections and to try and marry up the different accounts from each book (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John).  Not as easy as I first thought but it has given me a better understanding of the difference between each book.

At this stage I am giving the project the title “An Illustrative Account of the Gospels”.  It’s still very early days but looking forward to coming up with some early concept drawings and story boards.  Time will tell if I keep on target.

Whilst sketching #06 Billy mentioned some more ideas for drawings he would like me to draw.  One of his ideas was a Ford Mustang.  So here it is.

The original source photo for this drawing was taken from the 2012 Ford Mustang Facebook page and is shown below:

Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150215878839569&set=a.10150215878629569.371534.20901384568&theater

I think the most challenging aspect of this sketch was getting the positioning of geometric angles and shapes that make up the car correct.  Not perfect but for a freehand sketch (like all my sketches) I’m ok with it.

Well its been a lot longer than I had hoped since my last sketch.  When it came to finding inspiration for this latest sketch, the idea of time flying came easy.  Time really is flying for me at the moment, I blink and it whooshes by!

Late last year spent some time giving our Customer Handbook a bit of a face lift.  Actually this version is specific to our New Zealand operations and is still in draft at the moment.

The images below show some of the Visio diagrams and images contained with the handbook.

Above shows a conceptual diagram of the Talent2 e.HR support diagram and the various teams that make up support.

High level diagram showing approximate locations of key Talent2 e.HR services.

After completing the Baby Tom portrait (#02) I thought it would be interesting to go to the other end of the spectrum and sketch an elderly face.  This picture, adapted from an internet image, is of a leather skinned old “Sea Salt” on his way to his next fishing trip.

As promised to Billy (our 6 yr old son) here is a sketch of a Jet.  (A Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor to be correct).

The final colouring was a bit rushed so not entirely happy with the main wings and body but as rule 3 stipulates I must “ship”

Surfs up, man!  Not really sure where the inspiration for this one came.  I was originally going to sketch a Great White but thought better of it (given how much my daughter is scared of them ).  I also have to confess that I probably spent longer than an hours on this one.

Today’s one hour sketch is inspired by a photo I took of our son some time before he turned 1 (can’t remember the exact age).  Faces are challenging to exactly reproduce.  I think I’ll probably spend the rest of my life getting expressions right, but that’s not really the aim is it.  I also found the 24 colour pencils a little limited for range for skin tone so the final sketch is missing some of the warmth the photo shows.  Enjoy!

It’s been quite some time since I have exercised my creative artistic “juices”.  Now is the time to start again.  Yesterday I went out to buy myself a set of 24 artist Derwent pencils and some art paper with the hope that I could sit down and revisit my drawing and artistic side, much like I used to do during my early childhood.  Time is now precious and I don’t have the luxury to sit down for a couple of hours and draw (at least thats what I have been telling myself).

To solve this I propose a challenge to myself: “The One Hour Sketch”.  The rules are as follows:

I have one hour to:

1. Plan – come up with subject material or topic to draw
2. Create – once a topic is selected start drawing / sketching
3. Ship – once the hour is up down pencils and “ship”.  When I say ship I mean publish online (to this blog)

The beauty of this challenge is:

• I can’t give myself any excuses that I don’t have enough time to start, all I need is an hour.
• It helps to rapidly see what I want to draw and get it down on paper but it also forces me to produce sometime (anything!)  (I’m procrastinator at heart so if the conditions aren’t right or if it can’t be perfect I don’t start – with this challenge these worries must be ignored – have no fear!)
• It forces me to ship something and get it out there.

The debut sketch is of the Schwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany.  (My Wife has always wanted to visit so this helped with the inspiration selection)

I hope to upload more “One Hour Sketches” in the months to come!