Another complex scenario which the accommodating editor has to work his way around. Although these drawings come out of my imagination, encouraged of course by the text, they are still based on real life. I still have to do find a willing participant to get hands and magazines right, adapt furnishings found in Images to suit, and ultimately convince the reader that this is all perfectly normal. Best bit this month, the old school infra red.

This month was all about staircases, random objects, and trying to get DD full face, teetering downstairs. Creating your 'person's' face in different angles, whilst retaining their characteristics, is a dedicated, practical, and conscious task. As I once read, if it isn't instinctive, you have to learn it.

Funny how the drawings one thinks are going to be a piece of cake, end up being anything but. 'South Woodford station maybe?' said the editor. Oo fab, I'd drawn the outside a couple of times before, so I was sure I could adapt one of those. After realising my mistake, I armed myself with some photo evidence and got down to work. The ticket barriers, ironwork, the underside of the roof, and how it all fits together. This is what drawing does, it makes you take notice. Even down to the holes in a Wilko laundry basket.

This little Georgian pile used to be a grocery shop, not originally, mind you, just in the sixties, the 1960's that is. Google images came to the rescue as usual with references for shop fronts of bygone days, which believe it or not, I can still remember, and the fabulous shopping bags, string, woven plastic and wicker. Those large oval baskets where still in use in the 70's, accompanying their smock coated, granny booted, diamante hairgripped owners at Watford Technical High School.

Here we have another adventure from the lady in red, the joy of waking up to a giant scone. As you see, I sometimes have an interesting space to fill, so furniture arranging and scale was a big issue. Filling up with extra tables and chairs was an option, but as these illustrations operate on the gag style, using only just enough elements to set the scene is essential. Eye level and standing point give a credible view; it doesn't matter how wacky the subject is, the actual space has to look feasible. Until the next one!

This months, apart from hunting down references for pedestal side tables and winged armchairs, this illustration was pretty straightforward. As the familiar sight of the roundabout got a mention, I figured it was daft for me to re-invent it, as I already had a suitable drawing I could get some more use out of.