Yesterday evening was spent in a packed hall in the company of some very friendly and welcoming ladies. Langley WI had invited me to teach them cartooning – a tall order for the hour-or-so that we had, but we gave it a good go and created some fantastic results.

What was interesting was just how many of the ladies who said up front that they couldn't draw, or who knew they'd be hopeless – and then produced some excellent cartoons. One of the things I love demonstrating is how cartooning, with its simple lines and shapes, can help build drawing confidence, and I saw plenty of very happy faces by the end of the evening. We did a few different cartoon exercises to achieve this, and all of it went down extremely well.

I was able to persuade some of the braver ladies to pose for the photo – it was a great giggle. And incredibly nice to be made to feel so welcome.

If you'd be interested in me coming along to your group, society, club, or school and doing the same, then please do get in touch.