Author Archives: Natalie Eldred

Sketchbook: Café Drawing Again

So today I took some time out (I had to go to the bank) to draw in a cafe again. I tried out a new medium I came across in an art shop in Bologna – a lovely pastel stuff that comes in a flat palette and can be applied very smoothly if you wish. IContinue reading “Sketchbook: Café Drawing Again”

Babies: Spot the difference

Basically this is the same drawing rendered very slightly differently each time. This is the finicky kind of detail that illustrators spend hours obsessing about. I feel line drawing, in the context of book illustration anyway,  is a bit unfashionable at the moment. Unfortunately it’s my strength. Well, not unfortunately; I love line and I am not preparedContinue reading “Babies: Spot the difference”

Sketchbook: Little Chimney Houses

From our apartment in Bologna I could see rooftops. Well, mainly one rooftop. I noticed, not immediately, this delightful way of making the chimneys. Perhaps it is a peculiarly Bolognese thing, I don’t know. Presumably it was done to prevent birds nesting on top of the chimney – except they look rather like inviting little housesContinue reading “Sketchbook: Little Chimney Houses”

Good Hair Day, Bad Hair Day

Just looking through my sketchbooks to find some that might be suitable to leave lying around at the MA Graduation show next week (that, by the way, is the reason I have been posting even more infrequently than usual) and I came across this piece of trivial sketchbook play. Quite good fun… I definitely don’t thinkContinue reading “Good Hair Day, Bad Hair Day”

Over and Over Again

Just to show a little of the amount of work involved with creating a picture book.. here are just two sketchbook pages from many more. This is me drawing the pose over and over, one pose for just one picture in the whole picture book… Luckily I love drawing people. Over and over again. And here isContinue reading “Over and Over Again”

Sketchbook: Campsite Cat

I made this sketch by the light of a fire, outside in the darkness of an October night. I used an ink-brush pen and a water wash and a black fine liner – the fine liner first. It’s a very loose sketch with two cats when there was only one, of course – but IContinue reading “Sketchbook: Campsite Cat”

Reading Gladiators

This is my latest project, for Nikki Gamble’s Just Imagine Year 4 Reading Challenge activity in schools. These illustrations are to help publicise the activity which is an extra-curricular reading group, with competitive team events involving making, performance and quizzes aimed to extend and stretch the most able readers. It’s a programme beginning in September thatContinue reading “Reading Gladiators”

The Warm & Toasty Club

Back in May, I last drew at the Warm & Toasty club, at Colchester Arts Centre. The artists drawn here are Anna Pancaldi, Alex Highton and The Essex Chordsmen. It’s a great afternoon’s entertainment with brilliant new music being performed live. The organiser is Johnno Casson and it really is worth a visit – the next date is AugustContinue reading “The Warm & Toasty Club”