Archive Sketchbooks (part 2)

Here is part 2 of a look back over my sketchbooks from days growing up!

You can see part 1 that I posted here.

In this post I’ve included some stuff I randomly sketched from my university days and beyond. (Most of the stuff I’ve chosen here dates from the late 1990s to 2000 or 2001.)

I was a bad gal, I didn’t always pay attention to the class (well it was Chem ENG!), or do my homework in a professional manner, but sometimes I found it more interesting to draw people than to study pipe flow velocity equations and heat transfer coefficients…… zzzzz….
In short, the course bored me stiff but I am convinced in life we will always gravitate towards what interests us most.

Figures and faces…

Some lecturers I drew. Medium: Biro on lined A4 paper or back of University course notes. (cheap)

ChemEng-lecturer-doodle-web

Another… this time slightly more caricatured in style…

ChemEng-Lecturer-Muir-speaking-doodle-web

 

Negative space line drawings

Negative space drawing of the lecture theatre (M220, perhaps, if memory serves?) – from the back of the class:

ChemEng-Lecture-Room-negative-space-doodle-web

 

Living room sketch from home, vintage tv from the 1990s era:

Living-Room-negative-space-pen-sketch-web

At this time of negative space-y outline drawings I was quite into surf and ski and boarding labels. I wore a lot of hoodies, and trousers with big zips on them. (Hmm!) Supposed to be doing homework, instead I went home and made this Christmas Card to send to my friends:

Snowboarder Xmas

Then I would stare out my bedroom window and draw the Glasgow tenements instead.

Glasgow-Tenements-line-drawing-rough-web
Joy in repetition…
View from my bedroom window. Medium: pen on course notes.

Reverse-of-ChemEng-Notes-Dennistoun-1999web

 

I suppose I had an almost obsessive-compulsive disorder about doing anything other than the Chem Eng homework.

But you can see why, when you turn over to see what was on the reverse of above:

ChemEng-Separation-Processes-Notes-1999-web

 

Some other thing I found in one of my old laboratory books. The view of the skyline was invariably more interesting to study than whatever lab experiment I was supposed to be supervising. Medium: pencil on graph paper.

 

Glasgow-rooftops-buildings-dome-sketch-web
Finally, I got a grip and decided: ‘I must do a proper drawing!’ – so I decided to draw that great big cathedral near my university, St Mungo’s Cathedral. Story: I remember it took me about 2 days of solid drawing, sitting in the field, to get this right and finished. No photos used. I did it all outdoors. I skipped revision class, lectures, etc and disappeared out of contact for these two whole days while I focused on drawing it. It was fairly engrossing. I sat outside in the blazing May sun on a knoll of grass and watched as the shadows passed infuriatingly around all the various right angles, turning my light to dark and my dark to light. Who gave a SH*T about Chem Eng! I know it’s not perfect but I was only 20 and what a beast to draw.

Cathedral

More Faces…

Random women’s faces… ?? – I can’t remember where these quick doodles came from, maybe a magazine that gripped me more than my Chem Eng notes.

Random-women's-faces-2001-web

 

Life drawing

Although this rough little B&W line sketch is titled ‘Girl In Clothing’, I am fairly sure it is a self-portrait. Again probably done in my bedroom-study while supposed to be doing Chem Eng. I don’t remember owning a t-shirt branded ‘LOST GIRL’ but I suppose it is telling that I did.

Sketch-of-Girl-in-Clothing-2000-web

 

Dogs at Christmas, lazing in front of the fire and in bed. I love the way the dogs stretch out fully in front of the heat of the log fire, and snuggle up into a ball when bedding down for the night in a quiet corner.

A-Study-Of-Two-Hounds-2000-web

Lazy dog… I saw him lounging in front of the fire at Christmas. Animals aren’t really my thing, but it’s always good to test oneself!

Hound-At-Christmas-pencil-sketch-2000-web

Figures slumped in front of the tv at Christmas:Christmas-figures-pencil-sketch-man-woman-2001-web

Second sitting, new people… This was fast (and dare I say it, wine-impaired?) work, so not much of the detail captured, just an ‘impression’. Better than watching the EastEnders OMNIBUS or whatever.

Christmas-figures-pencil-sketch-woman-man-No2-2001-web

Third sitting. Sitting on the sofa post-Christmas lunch.

Christmas-figures-pencil-sketch-man-No3-2001-web

So, that ends part 2 of my look back on some of my old sketchbooks, capturing some of the essence of my undergraduate days. Hope you enjoyed it!
*** Stay tuned because there is more to come… I hope you will join me in this trip raking through my old works!

Why not follow me on Twitter and Instagram?

Annie

2 Comments