Michael Nobbs

Tag: DailyPractice

  • Up and down

    Yesterday, I surprised myself by making a video for Patreon.

    Today, drawing myself from the video feels like enough.

    An open homemade pocket sketchbook rests on the keyboard of a laptop, on a bed covered with a red and cream checked duvet. The sketchbook contains a black ink self-portrait of Michael wearing round glasses and a striped hat, surrounded by handwritten reflections about unexpectedly having enough energy to film a video the previous day. On the laptop screen, Michael appears in a paused Patreon vlog titled “Vlog: Checking in and a tiny unboxing”, wearing the same hat and glasses, with drawings covering the wall behind him. A black pen lies beside the sketchbook on the laptop. The scene is warmly lit in the early morning.
    A black ink drawing across two pages of a homemade pocket sketchbook, resting on the illuminated keyboard of a laptop. The drawing is a loose self-portrait of Michael wearing round glasses and a striped hat, with sleepy, half-closed eyes and a beard. Handwritten notes surround the portrait, including “5:50am”, “Watching the video that I surprised myself by making yesterday” and, in a speech bubble, “I wasn't expecting to be awake or up to filming.” The date, 20-10-26, is written in the bottom left corner. The sketchbook's central fold runs through the middle of the face.

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  • Friday 17th October, 5.25 am

    A photograph of an early morning drawing setup on a bed covered with a checked duvet. A tea tray lined with a blue cloth patterned with white hens holds an orange Stanley mug with its lid resting on top, a bright green teapot, two cartons of barista oat milk (Alpro and Oatly), and a collection of pens and coloured drawing materials. In the foreground, an open homemade pocket sketchbook rests on a larger red-and-white patterned sketchbook. Its pages contain a colourful ink drawing of the mug, teapot and oat milk cartons, alongside handwritten reflections on living through an ME crash. The scene is illuminated by warm artificial light in the early morning.

    I think it’s been a week since I realised that I was in an ME crash and stopped trying to do much of anything. I’m not sure that I’m feeling any better. Am I worse? Or maybe noticing better how things really are?

    A close-up photograph of an open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a larger sketchbook with a red-and-white patterned cover. Pens and coloured drawing materials are visible on the blue hen-patterned tea tray above it. The two-page drawing, made in black ink with soft peach, blue and grey colouring, shows a Stanley mug, a teapot and two cartons of oat milk, with little hens wandering across the blue tray cloth beneath them. Handwritten across the top of the pages is the date and time, “Friday 17th October, 5.25 am”, followed by the words: “I think it's been a week since I realised that I was in an ME crash and stopped trying to do much of anything. I'm not sure that I'm feeling any better. Am I worse? Or maybe noticing better how things really are?”

    Edit: My ME-foggy brain got the date wrong. It was actually *Saturday* 17th October, not Friday 17th.

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  • Watching while I’m waiting to feel better

    An open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a larger A4 sketchbook with a red-and-white patterned cover, with a box of Caran d’Ache Neocolor II crayons visible beneath it. A black ink and coloured crayon drawing stretches across both pages, showing a close-up of a young boy's face, wearing a yellow Boston sweatshirt. To the left, large green lettering against a pale pink background reads “Starting to watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind”. On the right, handwritten notes recall seeing the film in 1977 at the Odeon cinema in Camberley, accompanied by a friend and his mother, who brought along a flask of tea. The date, 15 October 2026, and time, 7.50 am, are written in a narrow brown panel along the right-hand edge.

    Yesterday, I started watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind. A film I seem to remember more about the watching of — in the back row of the Odeon cinema in Camberley, aged ten — than the contents of the film itself.

    Remembering a 50 year old treat that didn’t felt like a treat

    I was taken to see it as a treat by a friend’s mother, who I think was more excited about watching it than her son or I were. She brought along a flask of tea and a picnic, together with packs of sweets for us to eat while we watched. We arrived early to ensure we got the aforementioned back seats. We were in those seats for what felt like a very long time.

    I remember flashing lights, tinkling music and a mountain made out of mashed potato — oh, and a man whose face was half sunburnt — but little else.

    Somehow, I’ve not managed to see it again in the intervening nearly fifty years. In fact, whenever I’ve thought about it, I’ve remembered the boredom of sitting in that back row, wishing and waiting for it to be over, along with the discomfort of not wanting to reveal these feelings to someone who thought she was giving me a treat. (The sandwiches and sweets were appreciated, though!)

    A list of films to get lost in

    Interesting, then, that when I recently came across Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 150 Greatest Sci-Fi Films of All Time and decided to see if I could collect and watch them all, it was Close Encounters that I decided to begin with.

    I bought a secondhand copy of the DVD, along with one of Arrival — the second film on my rather ambitious watch-list, and one that feels thematically linked to Close Encounters. They both arrived a couple of days ago, and my current ME-crash-induced long days on my bed felt like a good opportunity to start watching.

    Unexpectedly drawing

    I hadn’t especially planned to draw as I watched, but once I started, I found it difficult to stop. So far, I’ve watched the first 41 minutes and made seven drawings.

    If I continue at this rate, watching is going to feel just as long as it did back in the back row of the Odeon in 1977, but I don’t think I’m going to feel as bored as I did then.

    An ongoing project?

    If I keep drawing through the complete watch-through of the Rolling Stone list, I might have set myself a lifelong project — or at least one that will see me through this interminable ME crash!

    An open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a larger A4 sketchbook with a red-and-white patterned cover, with a box of Caran d’Ache Neocolor II crayons visible beneath it. Across both pages is a black ink and coloured crayon drawing of Richard Dreyfuss as Roy Neary in an early scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, sitting behind the steering wheel of a car and wearing a red jacket. Broad strokes of dark brown fill the background, contrasting with the white of his face and the textured red of his clothing. On the right, green handwritten lettering against a pale pink background reads, “We sat in the back row. I think we had sandwiches and probably sweets.” The drawing is dated 15 October 2026, at 8.30 am.
    An open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a larger A4 sketchbook with a red-and-white patterned cover, with a box of Caran d’Ache Neocolor II crayons visible beneath it. A black ink and coloured crayon drawing stretches across both pages, showing Richard Dreyfuss as Roy Neary during his first close encounter, wearing a red jacket, his eyes wide and one arm raised towards the right. Large areas of dark brown fill the background, with a pale pink wash behind the handwritten text. Across the top, green lettering asks, “Was I scared?” On the right, black handwritten notes read, “I don't remember being scared. Mostly I think I was bored and wondering how long it was going to last.” The drawing is dated 15 October 2026, at 8.50 am.
    A photograph of a drawing and film-watching setup on a bed covered with a colourful crocheted blanket in blue, pink, grey and cream. A MacBook Pro is playing Close Encounters of the Third Kind, paused on a close-up of Roy Neary, played by Richard Dreyfuss, showing the distinctive sunburn across his forehead caused by his encounter with a UFO. In front of the laptop, an open homemade pocket sketchbook rests on a larger red-and-white patterned A4 sketchbook, showing a colourful ink and crayon portrait inspired by the scene. To the right are the film's DVD case, a white container of coloured pens, a stainless steel flask, a mug, and an open packet of sugar-free chocolate chip cookies. The photograph shows the film, drawing materials and refreshments gathered together for watching and drawing from bed.
    An open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a larger A4 sketchbook with a red-and-white patterned cover. A bold black ink and coloured crayon drawing stretches across both pages, showing a close-up of Richard Dreyfuss as Roy Neary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. A vivid red patch across his forehead and down one side of his face depicts the sunburn caused by his encounter with a UFO. Bright turquoise blue and yellow fill the background, with dark red clothing at the bottom of the drawing. Handwritten notes against a pale pink background read, “I remember the sunburn” and “I remember thinking that I needed to pretend this was a treat.” The drawing is dated 15 October 2026, at 9.10 am.
    A photograph of a film-watching and drawing setup on a bed covered with a colourful crocheted blanket in blue, pink, grey and cream. A MacBook Pro is playing Close Encounters of the Third Kind, paused on a scene showing Teri Garr as Ronnie Neary, with long blonde hair and a yellow top, looking over her shoulder in front of floral wallpaper. In the foreground, an open homemade pocket sketchbook rests on a larger red-and-white patterned A4 sketchbook, showing a colourful ink and crayon portrait inspired by the scene on the screen. A black fountain pen lies above the drawing. To the right is the film's DVD case and a white container of brightly coloured brush pens, while an open tin of Neocolor II crayons is visible to the left of the laptop.
    An open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a larger A4 sketchbook with a red-and-white patterned cover. A black ink and coloured crayon drawing stretches across both pages, showing a close-up of Teri Garr as Ronnie Neary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Her long blonde hair falls around her face, with a loose bun on one side of her head. She looks towards the left with wide, expressive eyes and a slightly open mouth. Her yellow-orange clothing contrasts with the dark brown background, while patches of turquoise, pink and green suggest the floral wallpaper behind her. A black fountain pen rests above the drawing.
    A photograph of a film-watching and drawing setup on a bed covered with a colourful crocheted blanket in blue, pink, grey and cream. A MacBook Pro is playing Close Encounters of the Third Kind, paused on a close-up of Richard Dreyfuss as Roy Neary looking intently at a rough, mountain-shaped mound. In front of the laptop, an open homemade pocket sketchbook rests on a larger A4 sketchbook with a red-and-white patterned cover, showing a black ink and coloured crayon and brush pen drawing of the same scene. Handwritten notes recall memories of people making models of the mountain. A dark blue fountain pen lies above the drawing, with a box of drawing materials visible beside the laptop.
    An open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a larger A4 sketchbook with a red-and-white patterned cover. A black ink and coloured crayon drawing stretches across both pages, showing a close-up of Richard Dreyfuss as Roy Neary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. His brown hair, wide eyes and slightly open mouth are outlined in loose black lines, with brown crayon adding colour to his hair and grey to his jacket. A glimpse of checked fabric shows at his collar. Dark brown fills much of the background, while on the right is a large, roughly outlined mountain-shaped mound. Above it, green handwritten lettering against a pale pink background reads, “I don't remember much of the film, but I do remember people making models of the mountain.” A dark blue fountain pen rests above the sketchbook.
    A photograph of a film-watching and drawing setup on a bed covered with a colourful crocheted blanket in blue, pink, grey and cream. A MacBook Pro is playing Close Encounters of the Third Kind, paused on a close-up of Richard Dreyfuss as Roy Neary, looking upwards with a concerned expression. In front of the laptop, an open homemade pocket sketchbook rests on a larger A4 sketchbook with a red-and-white patterned cover. The drawing shows Roy's face in black ink and coloured crayon, with bright blue eyes, grey hair, vivid red sunburn across one side of his face and a deep blue background. Several pens, crayons and a water brush lie above the drawing, with the film's DVD case and a white container of coloured brush pens visible to the right.
    An open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a larger A4 sketchbook with a red-and-white patterned cover. A bold black ink and coloured crayon drawing stretches across both pages, showing a close-up of Richard Dreyfuss as Roy Neary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. His wide blue eyes look upwards, with grey colouring in his hair and a vivid red patch of sunburn running from his forehead down one side of his face, caused by his earlier encounter with a UFO. His grey jacket and checked shirt collar appear at the bottom of the portrait. Large areas of deep ultramarine blue fill the background, with a diagonal white space on the right containing the handwritten words, “Time to stop for today?” The drawing is dated 15 October 2026, at 11.50 am. A dark blue Kaweco Sport fountain pen and several drawing materials rest above the sketchbook.

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  • Still

    A photograph of an early morning drawing setup on a bed, with a white tea tray resting on a colourful crocheted blanket. The tray is covered with a blue cloth patterned with white hens and holds a carton of Alpro Barista oat milk, an orange Stanley mug, a bright green teapot and a collection of drawing pens and crayons. In the foreground, an open homemade pocket sketchbook rests on the blanket, showing a black ink drawing of the oat milk carton, mug and teapot, surrounded by bold patches of blue, turquoise, pink and grey. The scene is softly illuminated by a warm light in the otherwise dim room.
    A close-up photograph of an open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a colourful crocheted blanket beside a tea tray covered with a blue cloth patterned with white hens. The two-page drawing, made in black ink with bold patches of blue, turquoise, pink and grey, shows a carton of Alpro Barista oat milk on the left and a mug and teapot on the right. The background is filled with loosely coloured shapes inspired by the crocheted blanket. In the top right corner, the time, 5.40, and date, 15 October 2026, are handwritten. Part of the real orange mug and several crayons, two coloured pencils and a brush pen can be seen above the sketchbook.

    Sitting still. Still waiting. Still sitting with the familiar.

    I wonder if my patience is beginning to pay off…

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  • It’s earlier than I thought

    A photograph of an early-morning tea tray resting on a colourful crocheted blanket. On the tray, covered with a blue cloth patterned with little white hens, are a green teapot, a carton of barista oat milk, a yellow mug decorated with a hen, two pens and a small reading light casting a warm golden glow. In the foreground, an open homemade pocket sketchbook shows a black ink drawing of the objects on the tray, surrounded by loosely drawn hens. Across the top of the drawing are the handwritten words “It's earlier than I thought!”
    A close-up photograph of an open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a colourful crocheted blanket beside a tea tray covered with a blue hen-patterned cloth. The black ink drawing fills both pages, showing a carton of oat milk, a mug decorated with a hen and a small reading light, with little hens from the tray cloth filling the spaces between them. Handwritten notes include “It's earlier than I thought!”, “I've given up trying to sleep. Drink tea and draw!” and “Back to drinking oat milk — is that okay?” Two pens, one black and one orange, rest just above the sketchbook, illuminated by the warm light.

    I thought it was a quarter to four, but it was actually a quarter to three. Would I have still not tried to go back to sleep if I’d realised?

    Of course, in a couple of weeks the clocks will change for winter and this will be 3.45 am, so what’s the difference really?

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