10 Ways To Have A Good Day

It's midweek and I want it to be the weekend again but I'm going to make the most of it and have made a list of ten ways to have a good day, try them out:

1. Start it with a coffee

2. Take a hot shower

3. Wear something that makes you feel good

4. Smile at everyone you meet

5. Phone [or Skype] a friend

6. Take a walk around the block

7. Tackle one thing from that 'to-do' list

8. Tell someone you love them

9. Paint your nails

10. When all else fails, spend some time on Pinterest

A post shared by 'Living In Iceland' 🇮🇸 Sonia (@layoutlines) on Mar 9, 2014 at 3:06am PDT

INDIA: The Academic Work Trip - Delhi, Mumbai + Bangalore

I've just returned from a two-week tour of India. I was there for work, an educational visit to Schools, Colleges, and Universities, to education agents, and education fairs. We traveled from London to Delhi, Delhi to Mumbai, back to Delhi, and onto Bangalore, where I used to live and work. 

Being back in India after almost two years was amazing. There is a sense of energy, excitement, and opportunity in the air which was still very much there. The sun was shining, it was comfortably warm for December, and I was revisiting India with a new challenge and aim. I was there as the academic representative for my University, helping our international department in marketing and recruitment. I met with and spoke to students who are interested in design education. I gave talks, workshops, drawing classes, interviews, and portfolio reviews. 

It was a tough trip, and we worked pretty damn hard, but I honestly think we did a great job and couldn't have hoped for a better trip. I am very lucky to have the job I do as I simply love it, but getting to travel too is an absolute bonus!! Not only did we meet with hundreds of students who were interested in studying at our University but we had a great time doing it. 

We will be following up on all the applications and inquiries next week, but in the meantime, a massive thank you to everyone we met, interviewed, and worked with...it was bohoot acha to be back in Incredible India!! 

Returning To Incredible India

I can hardly believe it's been almost two years since I said my goodbyes to India, but this week I'm packing the same suitcase and heading off to Heathrow T5 to board a flight right back out there!! Only this time I am going for a much shorter visit. 

My Indian adventure started back in 2009, mid-recession. I flew out to India via Singapore armed with a laptop, a suitcase, and a CD of information. I had been employed to help start up and run a new campus for a Singaporean design college and was semi-prepared for what was to come. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect. Setting up a design school isn't an easy job, and sometimes I can't quite believe I did it, but it was certainly "bohoot acha" {very good}. I gained a wonderful circle of friends, taught and learned from my fantastically talented students, made a load of memories, got to travel this beautiful country, and returned to the UK to take on a new chapter and challenge with lots of experience behind me.  

Of course, I also found time for beautiful architecture, colourful markets, yummy food like delicious dosa, samba on a banana leaf, and even the Indian version of a cola, which is quite the pick-me-up, that or a chai!!

So, almost two years on, and I am now revisiting India as an Academic representative of my current University, and I can't wait. I will be working to connect them with some very prestigious schools, colleges and universities in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Over the two weeks, I will be giving talks and lectures, holding workshops, school visits, interviewing potential new students and meeting lots of very interesting people, and eating and shopping - I'm hoping.  

Interior and Architectural Ink rendered Hand Drawings

Rendering, by hand, with Ink Marker Pens

Over the last few weeks, I have been creating a series of hand-drawn renderings for my Design Communications class. I always believe it is best to show students my work rather than pulling examples from Google, as it is proof that I can actually do what I am teaching, and it builds their trust.

In today’s fast-paced design world, we are often too quick to jump onto a computer to create polished images. While programs like Photoshop are industry standards, there is an undeniable beauty and value in mastering hand-drawn and hand-rendered work first. This tactile skill sharpens your eye for detail, helps you understand light and shadow, and brings a unique warmth to your drawings that software cannot replicate.

I am sharing these examples with you, walking you through my process, the materials I use, and tips so you can start creating your own architectural and interior design renderings by hand.

Ink Marker Pens for Interior Design Rendering

Over the years, I have built up a small collection of marker pens, from ProMarkers and Tria to my current favourites, Copic markers. I am not loyal to a single brand, for me, colour range and ink flow matter most. Whatever I have to hand often does the job perfectly.

If you are just starting, I recommend investing in 3 to 4 essentials:

• A light grey and a darker grey for shadows and depth

• A warm brown for wood tones

• A blender pen if the budget allows

You can also layer in details with coloured pencils over your marker work; it adds texture and subtle variation that brings an image to life.

Choosing the Right Paper for Ink Rendering

Working with marker pens can feel intimidating at first, but it gets easier with practice. My biggest tip is to always make multiple copies of your line drawing before you start rendering, that way you can experiment without the fear of ruining your work.

Paper choice can make or break your result. Poor-quality paper causes the ink to bleed, feather, or soak through, while thin sketchbook paper can warp or become semi-transparent. I have had the best results using:

• Thick card stock with a smooth finish

• Watercolour paper with light absorption, great for layering ink

• Marker pads, ideal but often pricey if you are not using them regularly

Look for a smooth surface to avoid streaking, and always test your markers on a scrap before starting.

Try It Yourself

If you have never worked with marker pens, remember, less is more. Build up your tones gradually. Add a wash of your lightest colour first, step back, then layer in mid-tones and shadows. Keep checking your work from a distance so you can see the balance of colour and contrast.

If you do not have your drawing to render, take an image from a design magazine, sketch it out with a fine liner or pencil, and start there. Begin with light tones, then layer darker colours for depth, adding texture and highlights last.

The hardest part is knowing when to stop. It is tempting to keep adding more, but sometimes the most beautiful results come from restraint, allowing the white of the page and the looseness of the lines to shine through.

The Big Apple, New York City

Back at work for a few weeks and I am already reminiscing about my summer travels. So today I share my few days in NYC, madly rushing around to see as much as physically possible, with you. Personally, I think New York is one of my favorite cities. I've been twice and can't wait to go back. I love the energy, you can really feel it in the air, I love the architecture, the food, the 'cwaffee' and the shopping!! I can go on...

Even though it's a huge city, you get the feeling whilst walking around that it's much more of a personal scale with its different districts and villages.  People smile, they say Hi!, they stop and take a minute to ask where you're from...and they are actually interested.  

On this visit, I walked my little feet off. I tried to do an area a day but when you start walking you just can’t stop and you know there is something really interesting on the next block...before you know it you have walked miles, and there’s no point getting the Subway back cos you would miss out on more. This is basically what happened and I didn't miss much out.  

NYC has it all; the parks, the bridges, the shops, the bars and restaurants, the culture, the fashion, the art and design, and of course the Architecture. My favorite building is the Chrysler (by far), then the Guggenheim, and I love the Brooklyn Bridge but I had a new project to discover this time; The Highline. The Highline is a fantastic project which saw the old rail tracks transformed into a new urban parkland in the Chelsea area.  It has access at street level, benches along it with areas of mini amphitheaters highlighting views, paths exposing the old rail tracks, local wild plant life, water features, green living-walls, music, bars, and cafes, lighting at night and is generally a very cool addition to the city.

NYC has an iconic skyline, one which plays hard on our memories, but a very beautiful and impressive one. The Memorial Plaza, located on the site of the former World Trade Centre, is a tribute to the past and a place of hope for the future. It features two large waterfalls and reflecting pools, set within the footprints of the original twin towers, and surrounded by over 400 trees. The project is one of the most eco-friendly Plazas ever constructed and you can really feel that contemplation and reflection are at its heart.  

I will leave you with this picture, I think many people would agree that the Chrysler Building is the most beautiful building, sparkling in the sunlight and standing proud over Grand Central Station.  

An Architectural Tour Of Cuenca, Ecuador

The architecture in Cuenca truly made this city memorable for me. Dating from the 16th Century, much like Quito, its centre is now a Unesco World Heritage Site. Between the traditional colonial homes, the churches, shrines and Plazas, to the 'hanging houses' of the Rio Tomebamba (homes that appear to hang over an old Inca city), there's something to see on every corner. When the Spanish invaded they dismantled the Inca city and incorporated a lot of the elegantly carved stones into their structures meaning there's not a lot to see of Inca ruins. 

However, there is now a mixture of buildings to be found showing inspiration from French Baroque, neoclassicism, majestic colonial and more, some with beautifully painted interiors and/or exteriors, and all constructed in different materials. An iconic city which is truly well, bonita, even with its similarities in iconic structures - Notre Dame anyone?