For quite a few years I was lucky enough to live in a place surrounded by nature and lots and lots of trees. Then, thanks to Covid, I had to move back to London. After the novelty of 24/7 off licenses and delivery curry had worn off, I began to really miss the countryside.

In particular, I missed the trees. London is quite leafy in parts, but you can't really hear the trees. The sound of the wind in city leaves has to compete with sirens, jet liners, and cars. It's not the same as standing in the woods and hearing nothing but the sigh of leaves and creaking bows. I think those sounds have a fundamentally calming effect on our brains, and just typing this make me misty eyed.

To cut a long story short, I found myself unconsciously doodling trees whenever a piece of paper was within arm's reach. They were rubbish doodles, but I took this as a sign that my mind wanted to escape into inky woodland scenes, so I decided to learn how to draw. I devoted an hour per day to learning and practice, and after a while, began to share some of my pictures on social media. A few people liked them, and some even asked if they could buy a print.

I now sketch and draw every day, both for my own enjoyment, and sometimes to create commissioned illustrations for authors on Substack.

The unofficial title for each of my drawings is: I'd rather be here.

Tools and Equipment

I sketch with a Rotring 600 mechanical pencil and ink with Uni Pin and Micron fine liners. I dabble with dip pen and India ink from time to time, along with watercolour paints and alcohol markers.

I scan my drawings with an Epson Perfection V600, and prep them for print in Clip Studio Paint, which I also use for digital colour.