My sketchbook so far...

Here are a few images showing the progress of my sketchbook thus far. I am still in the early stages of the project, having been put a little behind schedule with a change of idea and a couple of nasty colds. At the moment I am just doing a little research into the history of bees and bee-keeping, as well as beginning to do some preliminary sketches of bees using a variety of materials.

This is one of the earliest pages in my sketchbook, including portraits, and a little information on two of the owners, and main figureheads of Quarry Bank mill (who would have been in charge during the Industrial Revolution)

Simple black ink studies of a few of the medicine bottles that caught my eye whilst at Quarry Bank, you can probably tell that I was drawn by the interesting text and patterns.

Once my idea had changed. To get me started I produced a double page spread including lots of initial ideas about Bee's, their places within the city of Manchester, and the direction I could take Unit X. On the second hand of the page is a few initial sketches of a bees life cycle and anatomy. An aspect that I want to explore in more depth at a later date.

 On the same day that I visited the City Library, I also made a brief trip to Manchester's Town Hall, a beautiful building with some amazing Gothic architecture. I particularly loved the tiled floor of bees, and the inner courtyard.

Still unfinished, here I have just prepared the page so that it is ready to work on tomorrow. I will explore the history of bees, looking into the impact they have had on the world.

Again, still unfinished, however on the second page I have a small sketch displaying a visual aid of beehives through the ages.

My first sketches of bees! On the right of the page I have produced more detailed studies of a couple of honey bee specimens using graphite pencil, and on the left, simpler, more graphic studies of native bumblebees using pen, watercolour, and oil pastel.

The final page of my sketchbook thus far, continuing my theme of illustrating bees, I decided to try something a little looser using watercolours.