Author: Ryan

Chair

We needed a chair for the kids’ homework desk, so I found this – the varnish was flaky and old, and the cushions were worn out, and on top of that the joints were all pretty loose, so I fixed it all up. First I scraped the old varnish off, then I glued the old joints back together, and to finish the wood I went over the whole thing with a couple coats of boiled linseed oil – it feels a lot better now. For the seat, I picked up a nice blue plush material from a remnant shop and a foam pad. I cut a plywood scrap to shape, and stapled it all together. Original on the left, finished on the right.

Workshop apron

So I’ve been away from here for a while – this week I’m going to post some of the things I’ve made over the past two years. I got myself a sewing machine, and the first thing I made was a woodwork apron, complete with pencil pockets and somewhere for a tape measure and hammer. There’s an old belt to close it with, and it still does the job well.

I’ve generally moved away from actively seeking out illustration work for now (although if you’d like a piece made, get in touch!) as while there was a big surge in demand at the start of lockdown, nobody seems to have money for private commissions any more, and chat gpt came along and just knocked all those nails into the coffin. So instead, I’ve been working on mending and making, and I’ll show you what else I’ve made soon.

Table leg

chairleg

I started a new woodwork project last month – an oak sidetable, straight from the tree. Here’s the first leg, right before I took the bark off and planed it to shape. Once they’re finished, I need to cut some flat boards for the top and cut some dovetails – I’m aiming to get that done in the next month or so.*

*This is a massive lie

Drawing unit

So I work from home, and one of the big problems there is that I have to keep my work from just spreading all over the house like a terrifying art-based lifeform, so like an idiot I decided to make a custom unit where I can stash all my paper and ink and paint and rollers and lino and brushes and cutters and scalpels and tape and card blanks and string and wrapping material and blank canvasses and shut the door on it all.

Continue reading Drawing unit

New project

So far this year I’ve managed a whole rack of woodwork projects, including a chessboard and pieces, a bike shed, a hefty big workbench, and some storage for all my paper, so I decided to take it easy for a bit.

No I didn’t! I realised the paper storage needed a friend. My drawing board is just too big for the room it’s in, and my art supplies are taking over the place, so I reckon a storage box with a smaller tilting desk on top will do the trick. So, I’ve got the plans, and I’ve got a big stack of timber. Step one: cut everything to size. Step two: realise the standard timber measurement is 2.4 metres. This includes my 2.4 metre shed, giving me immediate storage issues:

You might have noticed the footprints there – I have exactly enough space for myself there, which means the plywood there is going to have to bunk up in the bike shed while I build the frame because Scottish October says everything needs to stay under cover at all times. More updates soon!