Painting in ink on newsprint is one of my favourite pastimes.
The paper is a little unforgiving, and the ink doesn’t dry fast enough for my liking, but it’s not bad all the same. I use Artist Spectrum ink and also a big bottle of Indian ink of unknown origin. Well, I know it’s India, but I don’t think it was made there. The label came off the bottle which suggests the ink isn’t the best quality, but I like it and it’s plentiful. I’ve had the bottle since 2015 because I dilute it with tap water.
The new Pencillustration two colour A1 Limited Edition screen print is now available in the Little Shop.
This print is a limited run of 50 and will make a fine gift for a loved one who misses the days of the wooden pencil and the need to sharpen a pencil with a knife or scalpel.
I made a drawing of Edwin Lutyens’ building at 85 Fleet Street for a commission.
Built in 1935, it was the London headquarters for Reuters until 2005 but now it looks as though it’s a restaurant (on the ground floor at least). It sure looks like a Lutyens building: austere (with flourishes), classical, monumental and built to last. It has fine art deco touches too, especially the entrance on Fleet Street.
But compared to the giants he created in India and elsewhere, this building is quite neat and tidy. Like the Cenotaph here in London.
The half finished drawing of 85 Fleet Street.
My diary entry for the coronation last Saturday was as showy as the event itself.
And it didn’t cost anyone a penny.
This new book is about two boys, one named Joe. It’s a friendship story and a story about similarities and differences. And it’s all drawn in ink and some pencil.
Joe and the other character. Illustrations © David Mackintosh. 2023.
There’s a short film about how I made the illustrations for the picture books published by the Natural History Museum, London. The Titanosaur exhibition is on at the NHM even as I write.
I happened to make a limited run of two-colour screen prints of Sharpened Pencils, suitable to frame.
Printed in uncompromising coal black, and dazzling school-pencil yellow, this lavish A1 print is impressed upon a sumptuous cream-ish 120gsm Munken paper, stamped and signed in graphite (what else?).
Limited to an edition of 50, this screen print will be available via the Little Shop in June.
The parts of a book don’t need to be known for reading, but it may help make you interesting. World Book Day, 2023.
Tom the cat from next door has been given a collar with his name and phone number because he has been going missing. A day later there were calls from people who have been feeding him for years, pleased to have a name to call him.
Tom got used to the collar very quickly, but I haven’t. He appears to be wearing some fancy jewellery, all dressed up for an occasion.
Jewellery: Tiffany & Co. Faux fur coat: model’s own.
