Michael Nobbs

Category: Drawings

Posts that feature my drawings and the visual work that forms the heart of my practice

  • Out of a sense of obligation?

    Early-morning drawing setup on a colourful crocheted blanket. A round mirror on a tea tray reflects Michael holding up his phone, with a green teapot and an orange mug beside it. In the foreground is a small black-ink self-portrait lying on the red and white patterned cover of a large Fabriano sketchbook, with a black Kaweco Sport fountain pen lying alongside it.

    I’m very tired this morning — ME tired.

    I dragged myself through my morning drawing out of a sense of obligation. To who, I wonder? Me at the beginning of the month, when I decided to draw myself every day for a month? Me today? Future-me?

    Now that it’s finished, I’m not sure if I’m glad I made it or not. I wonder if future-me will be pleased it’s here, or think I was foolish for pushing through…

    Close-up of today’s black-ink self-portrait: a bald man wearing glasses, drawn with loose, uneven lines and small areas of hatching, wrapped in a high collar or blanket. The drawing is dated 28/9/26 and lies on a red-and-white patterned cover of a Fabriano sketchbook, beside a black Kaweco Sport fountain pen.

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  • Drawing before bed (and then again this morning)

    An open sketchbook showing a loose self-portrait in black ink. The face fills most of the page, with round glasses, closely cropped hair and facial hair drawn in energetic, uneven lines. Areas of red and pale blue crayon surround the portrait, and the date 26-9-26 is written at the top right.

    It’s probably not surprising that, after nearly a month of drawing myself daily, my energy and enthusiasm are waning a little. Yesterday that meant I almost didn’t make my Selfietember drawing.

    But as I got into bed, I reached for my mirror and sketchbook and quite enjoyed the different energy that was around for drawing at the end of the day — not something I’ve ever really done before.

    It was nice to get back to my normal routine again this morning.

    A morning drawing setup on a bed. An open sketchbook holds a self-portrait in red and dark pencil, with a round mirror, green teapot, orange insulated mug, drawing tools and a small light arranged behind it. Michael’s face and yellow phone are reflected in the mirror.
    A close-up of a self-portrait in an open sketchbook, dated 27-9-26. The face is drawn in reddish-orange line with round glasses and small details of facial hair, framed by a broad dark arch of pencil around the head. The drawing rests on a large closed red-and-cream patterned sketchbook.

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  • Not sleeping and drinking tea anyway

    Close-up of an open pocket sketchbook showing a loose black-line drawing of an early-morning tea setup. A mug fills most of the left-hand page and a teapot with a spoon or stirrer stands on the right, surrounded by many small chickens against a turquoise-blue background. Handwritten notes at the top include the date, the time “3:20am”, “real tea”, and “I'm probably not going back to sleep.”

    During recent sleepless nights — or very early mornings — I’ve been giving in and making pots of real tea.

    I’m enjoying drinking it, and accepting that it probably means I’m not going back to sleep.

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  • A nice change of pace

    Black pen-and-ink drawing across an open pocket sketchbook. On the left is a loose self-portrait of a bald man wearing large round glasses, seen close-up from the shoulders. On the right is a large teapot with its lid, handle and spout drawn prominently. Patterned fabric and small surrounding objects fill the background. Across the top is the handwritten text, “5:10 am — I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?” The drawing is dated 24-9-26.

    I’m noticing that since starting Selfietember I’ve increasingly been waking up feeling excited about the day; looking forward with a hint of pleasure at the thought of tea and drawing, and then what the day might hold.

    That’s a nice change of pace.

    Close-up of a self-portrait drawn in dark red Neocolor crayon across an open pocket sketchbook. The bald head and large round glasses are strongly outlined, with small dark eyes, a moustache and short beard indicated with loose marks. Broad, heavily textured red strokes form a dark background around the head, especially along the top and right side. The lower part of the drawing loosely suggests the shoulders and the front of a T-shirt.
    Photograph of a dark red Neocolor self-portrait in an open pocket sketchbook resting on a red-and-white patterned book on a bed. The drawing shows a bald man with large round glasses, moustache and short beard, surrounded by broad textured red marks. Behind the sketchbook is a round mirror reflecting the artist, with an orange insulated mug, a white jug and other morning drawing materials arranged on a blue patterned tea tray.
    Photograph of an open pocket sketchbook resting on a red-and-white patterned book on a bed. The sketchbook contains a black pen-and-ink drawing of a self-portrait beside a large teapot, with the handwritten A. A. Milne quote, “I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?” written across the top. Behind it sits a round mirror reflecting the artist holding a yellow phone, alongside an orange insulated mug, a white jug and drawing pens on a blue patterned tea tray.

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  • Rather unusually, a second entry for today

    Close-up photograph of an open sketchbook spread resting on a bed. A large self-portrait fills most of the left page, showing a bald man with round glasses, moustache and beard, drawn in fine black lines. A broad grey crayon shape surrounds the head, and the shirt is filled with bright orange crayon. The right page contains drawings of the objects beside the bed, including an orange Stanley mug, a teapot, a spoon and a patterned tray. Across the upper right is a block of green with the handwritten words, “Listening to ‘The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances’,” and the date 23-9-26. A round mirror and orange mug are partly visible above the sketchbook.

    Real tea and an audiobook kept me drawing until the sun came up.

    Now I’ve let the chickens out and had some breakfast, I think I’m going to have a nap — possibly quite a long one.

    I wonder why I feel embarrassed posting this drawing here…

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