Portmeirion Secret Garden Porcelain

I'd been gazing at this porcelain in John Lewis for months,
so my parents very kindly gave me a set for Christmas!


Eight photos under the cut...

Advent Calendar: Behind the Scenes Special!

I thought it would be fun to show you how one of these drawings comes together. Remember that if you click on the images, you can see them at 700x510.

I start by sketching out the scene lightly in pencil (darkened here to make it show up).

Then I draw over the pencil with a fineliner -- this is about half-done.
Here I've finished drawing the ink lines and rubbed out the pencil marks.

Next I fill in the first layer of coloured pencil, the main blocks of colour.

The shading and details are done with more pressure, so the colours start to darken.

Finally, I edit the image in Photoshop, cropping the image, making the colours richer and tweaking some fiddly details.

Spot the Difference! In this picture, a mistake with the Tyrannosaurus' leg needed erasing; the Torosaurus' markings were cut and pasted from the 18/12/09 drawing of him so they'd be identical; a bit of brown leg that encroached on the yellow glow was snipped out; and I added some shading to the haybale.

The development would probably be much easier to see if I posted an animated .gif, but I don't know how to make those, so I hope this post explains it well enough.

Christmas 2009

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 24th December

Merry Christmas from all the dinosaurs!

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 23rd December

Who better to bring the presents than Tyrannosaurus Rex and his fleet-footed Utahraptors?

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 22nd December

Here is your Iguanodon Christmas angel!

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 21st December

These Leaellynasaura have come bearing gifts.

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 20th December

Amargasaurus is bringing you a wreath!

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 19th December

Yangchuanosaurus is marking up the Radio Times. Will there be any good films on?

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 18th December

Torosaurus is festooned with jolly jingle bells.

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 17th December

Ammonite baubles!

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 16th December

Muttaburrasaurus is assembling a snowsaur.

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 15th December

These Coelophyses are out carol-singing.

Cat Pictures

Where's Bella?

Fossil cat.
Fishing.

Goodnight.

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 14th December

These Tapejaras are getting the paperchains ready.

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 13th December

Styxosaurus and Eustreptospondylus are after your mince pies!

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 12th December

Leptoceratops is baking you some festive biscuits.

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 11th December

Meanwhile, Little Diplodocus is spinning a dreidel. 

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 10th December

Little Stegosaurus is visiting his granddad.

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 9th December

These two Deinonychus are having a cracking time.

Winter Sky

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 8th December

You've caught Corythosaurus nibbling the Christmas tree!

Captcha

I just wanted to post a video of a kitten...

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 7th December

Ornitholestes is enjoying some mulled wine.

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 6th December

Ankylosaurus has spotted some mistletoe.

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 5th December

Allosaurus is getting your stocking ready...

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 4th December

Ornithocheirus is all lit up and twinkly.

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 3rd December

Brachiosaurus likes this Christmas candle.

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 2nd December

Triceratops will help you to eat the pudding...

Prehistoric Advent Calendar: 1st December

Plateosaurus has brought you a gift!