I got censored!

Join me in some righteous outrage.

Hello!

<rolls up sleeves> RIGHT, let’s dive straight in with some…

Righteous Outrage and Censorship

I drew the little comic below recently and it took about a week before Instagram removed the first image for 'sexual solicitation' and now the whole thing has MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED because it 'contains nudity'.

HAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaa….sigh

I could rant about it but honestly, we'd be here forever. I will probably draw a censored version to repost (currently deciding what I will draw to cover her bits, suggestions welcome) but for now here is the fully uncensored version for your appreciation.

To be absolutely clear, I am NOT trying to solicit ANY SHENANIGANS WHATSOEVER.

‘Spicy Orange’ 2026

Dogs

I got a stolen morning the other week so I tried to draw dogs. Dog people often ask me to draw fewer cats and more (read: any) dogs. Dogs are a lot harder than cats, because there are so many types and also because I don't really know dogs well enough. Dog people can tell if you get a dog wrong, but you can make cats out of anything and cat people are invariably thrilled about it. Also, cats are just better.

I'm not sure doggy drawing is in my future, but I found I did like drawing afghan hounds. Aren’t they glorious?

By the way, does anyone else remember Whatamess?

Aside: last week I saw a dog so small and fluffy being carried by its owner that I was quite certain it was a cat or a handbag or Gizmo. I'm still not convinced it was a dog but my travelling companion, who is much younger and smarter than me, assured me it was a dog, but not before we both stared in confusion at whatever-it-was for longer than is appropriate.

Adulting

I have completely obliterated my website (which was very old and entirely neglected) and published the bare bones of something that is, if not particularly exciting, at least relevant and fit for purpose, and even includes photo of me on it that is recent enough to bare a passing resemblance.

Web designer I am not, but this is HUGE progress in my world. I have been putting this off for years, and it took an afternoon to sort out….when will I learn? (NEVER!)

Anyway, all this proves I am actually an adult, something I should never have to prove again, so please don’t ask.

Life Drawing

Did this drawing in work last week, and I like it. I’m currently thinking a lot about how to root stylisation and exaggeration in observation: that place between the two before it slips into something more design-led.

Jenn (A1, graphite and coloured pencil)

Another aside: that red is a Blackwing Red (not to be confused with the red Blackwing that comes in the Blackwing coloured pencil box, which really aren't as amazing as you'd hope) but the individual Red Blackwing with a rubber on the end, which costs quite a lot of money for a single pencil but is absolutely worth it. It goes on like butter, and it is impossible to do anything wrong with it. I always forget how wonderful it is and then I discover it at the bottom of my pencil case and get to delight it in all over again. There are benefits to getting a bit forgetful in my 40s.

Secret project

I am currently one of those illustrators who can say "I'm doing lots of drawing I can't show you yet". This doesn't happen to me very much, because I don't really solicit commercial work but occasionally it solicits me (which is astounding when you think about how many excellent illustrators there are actively putting themselves out there). Anyway, it might not come to much but either way, I can’t show you yet. Are you on tenterhooks? Please at least consider being on tenterhooks, it’s definitely tenterhook territory.

Watch/Listen/Read

Watch - Doctor Who circa 1987. I am not a big Dr Who watcher but from 1987-1989 I watched Sylvester McCoy as the 7th Doctor, had a small crush on Ace and am now reliving the whole thing on iPlayer. The costumes are much worse/more brilliant than I remember and I am enjoying the random guest appearances. Ken Dodd got shot in one of them and really hammed up his brief death scene, which pleased me no end.

Listen - There's a new series of Uncanny and you already know how much I love a ghost story. And there was an EXCELLENT Good Ship Illustration podcast the other week about plagiarism and personal style with the brilliant Martin Salisbury chatting to Helen Stephens. Enjoyed every minute - if you are in the field, geddonit.

Read - I've just subscribed to Libro.FM, a B Corp alternative to Audible which also directly supports an indie bookshop of your choice when you join. So if you count audio books as reading, AND I DO, then my submission here is Four Thousand Weeks, which felt like a great antidote to productivity culture and a bit of a rally cry for doing life better. Excellent.

Thanks for reading (again) and remember if you are in the UK and need a funny/sweary greetings card you can support me here.

Have a great rest of your weekend, eh.

Beth x