I missed an evening sketch the night before this, so I started my day with a coffee and a sketch of fruit on the coffee table in front of me – keeping it bright and cheery as I listened to the gloomy news on the BBC world service. I always find sketching a good way to relax and put aside work and worldly worries.
Sat-27-Nov-2025
Here is another evening gel pen sketch – this glass ornament (maybe Murano glass?) used to sit in my parents hallway…I remember it as a fixture in each house we lived in. When my sister packed up their house in the UK, I asked to have this keepsake. Now I am not sure where to keep it as it looks quite fragile and we have two cats!
Thu-27-Nov-2025
I picked up a random gel pen to sketch this shell which we picked up on our trip to Palawan. According to Wikipedia this is a Lambis Lambis (common name spider conch) – a type of large sea snail. My guess is that this was a male (something to do with the direction of the anterior fingers!).
Wed-26-Nov-2025
At the end of November I joined a different life drawing group in Cubao. Each of the first two poses was 30 minutes then we had 45 minutes for each of the last two. I had to leave a bit early to get home for a video call with my mum on her birthday, so the last one was a bit rushed. I think the third drawing was the most successful…even if her head does seem a bit too small!
Sun-23-Nov-2025
After it gradually got hotter and hotter outside I retreated indoors to the nice cool lobby of Gota de Leche for my second sketch with #UskMnl at the end of November. I wanted to try lighter more careful lifework (so I used by TWSBI pen) but I wasn’t really feeling it (as they say) – so I didn’t do any more work on this despite it feeling partly finished.
Sat-22-Nov-2025
Here is the first sketch I did with #UskMnl at Gota de Leche towards the end of November. I found a shady spot away from too many huge red ants…but could barely see the building. Gota de leche means ‘drop of milk’ in Spanish. It’s a charity founded in 1906 that provides milk and other nutritional supplements to indigent Filipino children and their mothers.
Sat-22-Nov-2025
I don’t usually sketch on planes but I was in an aisle seat and had some room. Cebu Pacific have a habit of trying to entertain passengers with games run by the cabin staff (giving prizes of Cebu Pacific merch)…it’s always rather awkward and half-hearted …and I feel sorry for the crew that are forced to do it and fake some enthusiasm. I only did the ink work on the plane and added the colour at home.
Mon-17-Nov-2025
Here is a quick sketch I did at the airport in Puerto Princesa before heading back to Manila. It’s quite a fancy airport but we sat right at the front, so I just sketched one of the waiting planes.
Mon-17-Nov-2025
Our flight back to Manila was supposed to leave early in the morning …and I got up for it. Then of course Cebu Pacific messaged and cancelled the flight – so we had to take one in the early afternoon. Cebu Pacific are cheap (sometimes), but they cheat on departure and arrival times and cannot be relied on. At least I made good use of my morning and drew this from the balcony of the place we stayed.
Mon-17-Nov-2025