Well. Over 5 years have passed since I last put pen(cil) to paper. 5 years. At least that's my estimate. To the best of my memory my last drawing was "Michael Stipe", and that was some time back in 2007. Why have I waited for this long to start again? I don't know. It seems to be an inherent facet of my personality - I reach a certain standard in anything that I do, and then I just stop. Very frustrating. Obviously having two young children in the house, with nowhere separate or secure to draw, was a factor. But where there's a will, there's always a way. I clearly lacked the will.
So anyway the urge has taken me again. the seed was planted a few weeks back, when I stumbled quite by chance on a number of fabulous wildlife drawings on the internet. In fact, I tell a lie- prior to that, I saw an article about a pencil artist in the Daily Mail of all places.
(I wish to go on record as saying that I DO NOT buy The Daily Mail.....it was at my mother-in-laws...)
Anyhow I then looked on Deviant Art and stumbled across the "Graphite-Gods" page. After an hour or so of browsing at some of the most wonderful pencil craft I have seen in a long time, The flame flickered back on. And not before time.
So I've turned part of my bedroom into a small studio - my wife is hugely tolerant, because she knows what a pain in the arse I am to live with when I want to do something and I can't. So she's happy to have the bedroom seconded into a mini-studio if it keeps me happy. And the kids are under strict instruction to NOT.TOUCH. ANYTHING.  - under pain of...I dunno, I'll think of something.
The problem is, you stay away from anything technical for too long, and you find that whatever technique you had is still there, it's just buried so deep inside that it takes a lot of coaxing out. So it's a bit of a struggle at the moment.
The moral being that a break will always do you good, just don't stay away for too long.
Good to be back.
regards all
Steve J 06th Feb 2013