Richard Bell
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wildyorkshire.bsky.social
Richard Bell
@wildyorkshire.bsky.social
12 followers 1 following 54 posts
Illustrator based in West Yorkshire. I write a Wild Yorkshire nature diary for the Dalesman magazine.
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wildyorkshire.bsky.social
Yorkshire colour swatches for a Dalesman article that I’m working on. Unfortunately it hasn’t been so colourful today.

#yorkshirecolour #naturalcolour #colourswatches

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/york...
November 29, 2025 at 5:27 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
A bit of drama for a forthcoming 'Dalesman' article.

#dalesman #procreatedrawing

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/the-...
November 23, 2025 at 9:46 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
Novelist Stan Barstow at Lumb Bank, leading an Arvon Foundation creative writing course, 1975. Drawn from a photograph, photographer not credited, in his 2001 autobiography, In My Own Good Time.

#stanbarstow #procreatedrawing #bellerivebrush
#bellerivepen

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/stan...
November 20, 2025 at 5:18 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
My thanks to Deborah Lough Costumes for information on the lobster-red uniform that my ancestor Billy Swift wore at the Battle of Trafalgar: rose madder dyed cloth for privates, scarlet for officers.

#trafalgar #deborahloughcostumes #rosemadder

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/mari...
November 19, 2025 at 4:52 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
3 shades of rhubarb. Natural dyes by #kirstiewilliams

#rhubarb #NaturalDyes

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/madd...
November 18, 2025 at 5:25 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
I find that a quiet walk in the woods in the perfect way to clear my mind a bit and focus on design. In nature you're surrounded simple but stunning copyright-free design.

#walkinthewoods #naturaldesign #woodlandwalk

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/will...
November 14, 2025 at 5:20 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
My new Osprey Daylite Plus drawn in bamboo pen in Noodler's black ink.

#bamboopen #penandink #OspreyDayLite

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/ospr...
November 10, 2025 at 5:42 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
Enjoying trying out the new Affinity but can't find a way around a problem when trying to print text that's solid and crisp and has sharp edges.
I don't think anyone else would notice, but if you're a bit obsessive about typography

#affinity #InDesign #Typography

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/affi...
November 10, 2025 at 2:35 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
Sloe and hawthorn berries; Xanthoria, Hypogymnia and Vildpersilja (the first two are lichens, the latter a cushion), at Ikea, Birstall Retail Park this morning.

#ikea #sloe #hawthorn

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/ikea...
November 5, 2025 at 5:10 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
Trying out printing a booklet in the new version of Affinity (which is now free). It's a novelty having photo editing and layout in the same app, but it saves switching around between them.

#affinity #printingabooklet #bookletprinting

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/book...
November 4, 2025 at 4:32 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
A bit of a breakthrough tracing my ancestor 'Billy' Swift, a Marine on the HMS Africa at the Battle of Trafalgar.

#battleoftrafalgar #royalmarines #billyswift

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/mari...
November 2, 2025 at 2:36 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
Where was my Great, Great, Great Grandfather ‘Billy’ Swift 220 years ago today? Thanks to a Battle of Trafalgar records update on Find My Past, I now believe that he was on board the HMS Ajax, picking up survivors.

#battleoftrafalgar #billyswift #findmypast

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/10/hms-...
October 25, 2025 at 5:07 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
Celebrations for Isabel and Declan's wedding last month, drawn by Florence and I.

#weddingparty

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/10/the-...
October 25, 2025 at 2:22 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
Photographs of Heath Old Hall, near Wakefield, June 1982 (not open to the public).

#heatholdhall #wakefield #localhistory

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/10/heat...
October 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
Starting a new 12 x 6 inch format Pink Pig sketchbook.

#watercoloursketches #watercolourlandscapes #pinkpig

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/10/wide...
October 22, 2025 at 4:03 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
A watercolour workshop led by Neil Pittaway at the Rich & Fancy Cafe in Horbury on Sunday was an opportunity for me to try some alternative techniques to my regular tried-and-tested approach.

#watercolours #watercolourworkshop #neilpittaway

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/10/wate...
October 21, 2025 at 3:40 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
The Book on the Shelf

Please pick me up next, urged the book on the shelf,
You must know that reading is good for your health:
To be lost in a book is like getting a hug
And isn't dependent on battery or plug.

You might think me pushy but I've waited ages . . .

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/10/the-...
October 18, 2025 at 9:48 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
My recycled materials made-to-measure for A5 sketchbooks drawing board is proving useful as a lightweight outdoor studio/nature table.

#fungi #drawingboard #naturejournal

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/10/hone...
October 16, 2025 at 4:32 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
Time for the autumn cut-back in the garden, starting at the top end trimming back bay and oregano, hawthorn hedge and the long grass around the pond.

#gardensketchbook #gardeninggloves #drawinggloves

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/10/cutt...
October 1, 2025 at 4:15 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
For me black Tuscany kale, Cavolo Nero, is about as drawing-friendly as I could wish for. Every line has a built-in wobble to match my default rather shaky pen.

#gardensketchbook #cavolonero #penandwatercolour

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/09/blac...
September 30, 2025 at 5:31 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
My new pocket-sized sketchbook.

#sketchbook #everydaysketches

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/09/the-...
September 16, 2025 at 2:30 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
The man of the moment: I was delighted to get the chance to interview him for an article in this month’s 'Dalesman'.
No, not Elon Musk, but comic artist and New York Times bestselling author Darryl Cunningham, who's just launched his book on the American Oligarch.

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/09/elon...
September 14, 2025 at 9:29 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
I like to rest my hand on my sketchbook as I’m drawing, so I’ve made myself a board to snugly fit my A5 Pink Pig sketchbook, with a 4 inch hand-rest surround, that I can use in either landscape or portrait format.

#sketchboard #drawingboard #pinkpigsketchbook

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/09/sket...
September 8, 2025 at 3:48 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
As part of my go-down-one-waist-size challenge I’ve been setting out on 7-mile circular walks.

#walking #footpaths #localwalks #rambling

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/09/the-...
September 7, 2025 at 9:46 PM
wildyorkshire.bsky.social
Kalanchoe, a popular houseplant which is a member of the stonecrop family.

#houseplant #penandink #drawinghouseplants

wildyorkshire.blog/2025/07/kala...
July 24, 2025 at 9:30 PM