Derry Sketcher

@derrysketcher

Near-Derry based artist-illustrator. Mainly work with pet and animal portraits. Email: derrysketcher@gmail.com

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Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· 23d

Buncrana, never change. #BuncranaCinema #Inishowen

A cinema sign says “Next week, Spiderfella. No Parking”.
And of course, inches away from the sign there is a black BMW car parked…

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Jul 16

Mr Bumblebee hard at work on the hydrangea earlier today. Remember to put water out for insects too! A shallow dish with pebbles and filled with water is good as it allows them to land and drink without becoming water logged or falling in.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Jul 13

#PondLife

A small garden pond in the summer sunshine. A little water fountain sprays water into the air and sits atop duckweed and waterlilies. Blossoms can be seen in the water.

A close up of three waterlily blossoms in a small garden pond. Lily pads and duck weed can be seen in the background. The blossoms are pink with yellow stamens.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Jul 5

A more recent memorial portrait of Penny, a gorgeous King Charles Spaniel

A coloured pencil portrait of a Black and Tan King Charles Spaniel called Penny

A coloured pencil portrait of a Black and Tan King Charles Spaniel called Penny. It is framed in a light wood frame, with cream mount and green banding.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· May 10

Some more photos from yesterday’s #Donegal #Inishowen jaunts

Kinnagoe Bay in Donegal on a sunny day. Grassy verges in the foreground are followed by sandy beaches behind and all underneath a blue sky. In the front of the photo, the #WildAtlanticWay sign spells out the location.

Kinnagoe Bay in Donegal on a sunny day. Stacks of stones are balanced on rocks in the foreground while sandy beaches and the Atlantic sea lies behind. The skies are blue and cloudless

Kinnagoe Bay in Donegal on a sunny day. A wide shot of the beach with grass, sand and the sea all resting beneath a sunny blue sky.

Magellan Point View in Donegal on a sunny day. In the background, Magilligan Point can be seen with the water between two points.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· May 10

Some #Inishowen nature for anyone who needs to hear the sea. Yesterday, at Kinnagoe Bay

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Apr 16

As always, here’s some progress photos as well

Progress photos of the coloured pencil portrait of a black and tan King Charles Spaniel called Penny. As the images progress, more of her features appear, starting with her eyes, then nose, tongue, muzzle, forehead, chest and ears. Finally, we can see the portrait framed.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Apr 16

I did this memorial portrait of the gorgeous Penny a few weeks ago and now that the recipient has received it, I can share her with the world. Everyone, meet the very much loved and missed Penny!

A coloured pencil portrait of a Black and Tan King Charles Spaniel with her mouth open. She looks out at the viewer and looks happy.

A coloured pencil portrait of a Black and Tan King Charles Spaniel dog called Penny. It sits in a wooden frame with cream and green mounts, on top of a sloped writing desk.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Feb 19

I love research. Love everything about hunting down information & formulating an argument. Absolutely hate the admin *surrounding* research though. It’s so stressful. Haven’t wanted to cry this badly since I was in my 20s. Taking inspiration from @jconnollybooks.bsky.social & David Lynch

This photo shows a print out of a John Connolly quote about history and a printout of a David Lynch quote.
John Connolly states: ‘I was curious about that idea of history layering itself imperfectly, and leaves these kinds of bubbles, and that you can breach that crust, and that all of this stuff seeps out. These kinds of historical bombs, these little ticking devices that are filled with pain and loss and hurt that has never been recognised and never been dealt with, and how that then might seep into the present day world.’
David Lynch states: ‘You’ve gotta get your butt in gear and do it. And don’t take no for an answer. Translate those ideas to cinema, or to a painting or to whatever. And figure out a way to get it done.’

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Feb 1

Not a huge thing but it actually is to me. After living for decades in my home, I have never seen bullfinches in the garden and this morning I wake up to find two in my cherry tree. Two!!

Two bullfinches sit in a barren cherry tree. This is the first time I’ve seen these birds in my garden after living here for over twenty years.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Jan 18

Discovered a lovely little forest yesterday for a walk. Steep in places but it has a waterfall & lots of wildlife. No facilities but there is a parking area & dog bins. It’s called Muff Glen & is located just outside Eglinton should you be in the area. Don’t forget the Green Cat cafe for a coffee

A wooden bridge in the foreground crosses a small stream that lies below a nearby waterfall. To the left and right are trees and steep bankings. There are blue skies and warm sunshine shines through the trees.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Jan 4

More morning snow. It’s now falling as if in slow motion

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Jan 3

#LetItSnowLetItSnowLetItSnow

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Dec 14

Don’t suppose I ever posted my twin memorial robins. In this past year, a family member lost two close relatives within a few months of each other. This is a little memorial piece I did in February but I never thought to post. The spade is for the husband while the red flowers are for the wife.

Two robins sit amidst red roses and greenery, arranged in a circle. One robin sits on top of a garden spade and looks down towards a lower robin who is also looking up. The robins are looking at each other and are intended on being a memorial piece for a husband and wife who passed away within a few months of each other. The piece has been painted with watercolours.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Nov 9

Had a lovely day at Ards Forest Park in Donegal. This is Sheep Haven Bay in case you want a look

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Oct 12

The artificial light coming through my oak tree just now. Camera doesn’t really do justice to how dim the tree is and how orange the leaves.

A close up of an oak three in the darkness. The branches are in dark silhouette while a street lamp illuminates the orange and golden leaves against the night sky.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Oct 11

I changed my phone wallpaper and I gotta say, it makes me happy when I close an app and see him pop up ☺️

A screenshot of the bottom of my phone wallpaper that shows Tom the cat from the Tom and Jerry cartoons looking worried

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Oct 4

Gorgeous!

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Sep 26

Also, here’s some progress photos. I always start with the eyes

A process photo of the digital drawing of drag queen Latrice Royale. You can see how the drawing comes together and in what order everything is drawn, starting with the eyes, then nose, lips, skin, hairline, jewellery and chest, hair and finally, the graphic background/frame.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Sep 26

It’s that time of year again everyone. I get to draw Drag Queens. Here’s Latrice Royale for my brutha-from-anutha-mutha @rhubardlemons.bsky.social

A digital drawing of drag queen Latrice Royale complete with pink graphic design

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Sep 3

I feel like more people in the UK need to absorb this message…

Phoebe and Joey from Friends discuss what’s really wrong with the UK.
Who gave us austerity? The Tories
Who gutted NHS funding? The Tories
Who sacked 20,000 police officers? The Tories
Why is everything in the UK broken? Immigrants!

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Aug 19

So, after planting pollinator plants around our pond, we’ve noticed a huge upsurge in butterflies in the garden. We’ve had Cabbage Whites, Peacocks & Red Admirals. And so many of them too! Making small changes to your outdoor space can really help wildlife & brighten up your gardens & windowsills

A peacock butterfly rests on a side panel in our back garden.

A red admiral butterfly sits on the house wall in our back garden.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Aug 13

The second lotus flower in my pond this year. There are another two buds in the water as well so after this one dies off, the next bud should be opening and the same for the third. I’m hoping I’ll see about four weeks of pond flowers if the timing is right.

A solitary pink lotus flower sits in pond water surrounded by lily pads and duckweed.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Jul 21

Great to see Dennis’s wee brother from Derry Girls on University Challenge for the UCL team. This fella is much more polite though #GetOut

Dennis, the shop owner from the tv show Derry Girls looks perplexed and wears a yellow top underneath a black leather jacket.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Jul 17

For anyone looking for a nice day out in Donegal amongst nature, I can heartily recommend The Oakfield Park in Raphoe. Brilliant facilities, a really good restaurant and 100 acres of beautiful grounds, walkways and features. Lots to do for the kids and grown ups alike and well worth a visit

Inside a wooden carriage of the little train that takes you around the park. It’s a great way to see the park before you head off to explore on foot. Red leather seats rest against warm wooden panels and an old fashioned sign for the Donegal Railway hangs above the seat. Through the window, a gorgeous wildflower field can be seen. The sunlight also streams in through the windows

A beautiful lake, with lily pads, reeds and an embankment in the background is viewed through a stone archway. The skies are blue and the waters still but plenty of wildlife is nearby

Nestled in heavy woodland stands a sculpture that is overgrown with moss and grass. It resembles a head protruding through the soil from the nose upwards and the long grasses resemble wild hair. Eats, a nose and eyes are also present.

A female mallard duck wanders along the waters edge, a little wary of being photographed.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Jun 22

A few weeks ago I noticed we had a water lily bud coming up in our pond. Even though it was closed this morning, look at what the day has brought! Much excitement was had at the discovery of this! 😍

A photo showing pond water with lily pads, duck weed and a beautiful pink water lily blossom

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Jun 11

The bud in question

A pond filled with duckweed and lily pads. In the foreground there appears to be a flower bud protruding from the water

A close up of a water lily bud coming through the pond water amongst the duckweed and lily pads.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· May 14

Not only is @jconnollybooks.bsky.social a brilliant writer, he’s also a brilliant chap! It’s so lovely to think there’s a piece of my art out there, being enjoyed and appreciated. Very best wishes to you and your family John. Can’t wait to get stuck into this #TheChildrenOfEve

The signed page of The Children of Eve by John Connolly. The dedication says “To Laura, ‘The Messenger’ is still on our wall, so thank you! Best, John Connolly.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Apr 30

If you see this, post a witch

The drag queen Bianca Del Rio wears a ginger wig, has dramatic makeup on and is laughing with her mouth open and wide. She wears what looks like a jesters bib and while she’d be displeased at being called a witch, she’d likely say it was a fair roast. I love her absolutely devastating take downs of people around her and think she’s a fabulous drag queen.

Derry Sketcher@derrysketcher· Apr 16

I know what you mean…