I searched through many Victorian style decorated cups to get inspiration and sketch subjects.
Riddle Me Risk
If you'd like to risk a guess, then click on the title and leave it below.
I'm to a risk, I'm to a toll,
I'm to the best or worst turn, roll
In comfort for in knowing it,
You me a knee, or else just sit
As after they're all up upon their feet,
You left with seat.
'Don't to a risk!'
'Why not?'
'Risks will find you well enough. Seeking them out is simply preposterous.'
Riddle Answer A Take
Riddle Explanation
I'm to a risk, I'm to a toll - to take a risk, and to take a toll on someone.
I'm to the best or worst turn, roll - to take a turn for the worse, worst, better or best.
in comfort for in knowing it - to take comfort in knowing something.
you me a knee, or else just sit - to take a knee.
just sit as after they're all up upon their feet, you left with seat - to take a seat.
Cup Two
The second in the series. More care was given to the design and matching the curves.
Riddle Me Shining
If the answer is a bright idea in your head, click on the title and let us know in the comments.
Ironically I sound of armour shining,
You've me on, the town is dining,
Dancing shepherds will rejoice
If I'm in colour you've no choice
For it is time my dear friends all
To it me call.
'If you're in colour? You're always in colour!'
'Not when the lights are off - then everything is black.'
'Isn't black a colour?
Riddle Answer A Night
Riddle Explanation
ironically I sound of armour shining - night and knight, as in a knight in shining armour, are homophones.
you've me on, the town is dining, dancing - to have a night on the town.
dancing shepherds will rejoice if I'm in colour - red sky at night, shepherd's delight, red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning, is an old expression implying the sunset sky colouring indicates the next days weather.
sing before breakfast, you'll cry before night, a proverb speaking of the changeability of moods.
you've no choice for it is time my dear friends all to it me call - to be time to call it a night.
Cup One
Another series of timed sketches. This time, fifteen minutes per sketch, four in total to make up the hour. Let me know your thoughts.
Riddle Me Slowly
If you've slowly come to the answer then quickly press the title and let us know it below.
You watch my watch that watch the sea,
And wait till they all run slowly
And rocking, all to sick me come,
Don't drive but the drive me more systems scrum
To buy you went nowhere but came
To where find 'e's before my name.
'If I watch your watch then I'll always have my eye on the time.'
'If you're always on time then you'll never be late.'
'But if I'm never late how can I see you later?'
'Well, what would it be later than?'
Riddle Answer A Bay
Riddle Explanation
you watch my watch that watch the sea, and wait till they all run slowly - Baywatch, an old American drama series on a team of lifeguards.
and rocking, all to sick me come - the sick bay, a nautical term for the medical area.
don't drive but the drive me more systems scrum - the drive bay, in computing the area of adding hardware in a computer.
to buy you went nowhere but came to where find 'e's before my name - eBay, an American e-commerce company.
All Together now
So the culmination of the ten minute challenge. Each bird was drawn in ten minutes over an hour. The end result was always in mind but each bird was drawn separately. First I searched for source study images and created a collage, then cut it up and used them to sketch from. Let me know you thoughts!
Riddle Me Blessings
If you've been blessed with the answer, then click on the title and leave it below.
You have some blessings, so you me,
The ideas good so in I'll be,
Or if it's bad then I'll be out
And I'll be down so kiss and shout
And hug when I am done, a duke or baron of the courts
An earl of sorts.
'If only my blessings were so full of bount.'
'Of bount?'
'Yes, yours are clearly bountiful but what about mine?'
Riddle Answer A Count
Riddle Explanation
you have some blessings, so you me - to count one's blessings.
the ideas good so in I'll be, or if it's bad then I'll be out - count me in, or out.
and I'll be down so kiss and shout and hug when I am done - a count down, such as at New Years.
a duke or baron of the courts an earl of sorts - a count is a European title, the English equivalent of the French comte. In the English-speaking world a count became referred to as an earl.
Bird Vl
The final ten minute sketch. As you can see this may be leading to something.
Riddle Me Shrewdly
If you've shrewdly derived the answer, click on the title and leave it below.
Through all the money quickly me,
And soon you've got none left, shrewdly
You put some in your pocket, now a hole
Or just the smell of rubber, roll
Away fast spin the disc; migration
Onto it of information.
'You can't through money.'
'You can me through.'
'Is it like throughing money away?'
'In a way.'
Riddle Answer A Burn
Riddle Explanation
through all the money quickly me, and soon you've got none left - to burn through money.
shrewdly you put some in your pocket, now a hole - money burns a hole in one's pocket.
or just the smell of rubber, roll away fast - to burn rubber.
spin the disc; migration onto it of information - to burn a disc, to record information onto an optical disc.
Bird V
The fifth illustration in this ten minute challenge. What's going on 'ere then?
Riddle Me Dough
Doh! The answer was right in front of you, just click on the title to comment.
Fork me, not the bread but dough,
The thugs were sent by my lord go
That step too far and so me kill,
The line is far below and still
You won't hold grudges, time will heal;
Get me but don't buy, receive, or steal.
'I never fork bread, I only butter it.'
'Good thing, it would hardly taste well with forks.'
'I also jam it.'
Riddle Answer Over
Riddle Explanation
fork me, not the bread but dough - fork over the dough, give me the money.
the thugs were sent by my lord - an overlord.
go that step too far and so me kill - to be overkill.
the line is far below and still - to be over the line.
you won't hold grudges, time will heal; get me but don't buy, receive, or steal - to get over something.
Bird lV
The forth Christmas installment. Looking out hopeful.
Riddle Me Scum
If you have waded through the scum and come out with the answer, click on the title.
Everything that goes to me will come
For good get good and scum get scum,
For everything is crashing, I
Will find a work me if one's sly
And if there is a group of boys upon a beach that sing;
They get this thing.
'I hope everything does come to me.'
'What about a cold?'
'I'll give that to you as always.'
Riddle Answer Around
Riddle Explanation
everything that goes to me will come for good get good and scum get scum - what goes around, comes around.
for everything is crashing, I - for everything to be crashing around you.
will find a work me if one's sly - a workaround.
and if there is a group of boys upon a beach that sing; they get this thing - I Get Around, the Beach Boys' first number-one charting song in the United States.
Bird lll
The third illustration in this ten minute challenge series. Standing proud.
Riddle Me Might
If you might have the answer then you might click on the post title and leave it below.
Not pistol, shotgun; rifle me
To find what it is you might see
What Alice found, the looking-glass
Or hear what you might throw in past
Or passed a patch not flat but rough,
Describing what is tough.
'Oh, I abhor weaponry.'
'Luckily I'm none.'
Riddle Answer Through
Riddle Explanation
not pistol, shotgun; rifle me to find what it is you might see - to rifle through.
what Alice found, the looking-glass - Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There is the full title of Lewis Carrol's sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
or hear what you might throw in past - through and threw are homophones.
or passed a patch not flat but rough, describing what is tough - to go through a rough patch.
Bird ll
The second installment. All images where studies made from a collage of source images taken from the internet.
Riddle Me Fight
If you've a fighting chance at answer, then do so by clicking on the title.
Don't want me all, but take you might
A part, so now we start a fight,
You're nasty just as I work, barmy
How we take turns moving armies
Sacrificing articles for loans, for I'm of art,
Of chairs and tables not apart.
'Why would you take what you don't want?'
'Why would you ask a question that is fundamental to another question?'
'Huh?'
Riddle Answer A Piece
Riddle Explanation
don't want me all, but take you might a part, so now we start a fight - you want a piece of me?
you're nasty just as I work - to be a nasty piece of work.
barmy how we take turns moving armies sacrificing articles for loans - a chess piece. In a game of chess one sacrifices pawns.
for I'm of art - a piece of art.
of chairs and tables not apart - a piece of furniture.
Birds l
So I set myself a challenge, to draw one bird study every ten minutes for an hour. So each illustration took ten minutes, and I'll post one each week while I'm away over the holidays. Let me know your thoughts!
Riddle Me Loose
If you've loose lips then press the title sentence and release them in the box underneath.
You hold the purse by me, no use
You really have to make me loose
For if you want to have me green
You'll first remove this spine of bean,
Remove these strips for as you please
You eat this playful kind of cheese.
'I hold my purse very tightly.'
'That doesn't surprise me in the slightest.'
'That way more people are likely to give me a friendly kiss.'
Riddle Answer String
Riddle Explanation
you hold the purse by me, no use - to hold the purse strings.
you really have to make me loose - to loosen the purse strings.
for if you want to have me green - string beans, also known as green beans.
you'll first remove this spine of bean - the string of the bean refers to the fibrous spine of the pod.
remove these strips for as you please you eat this playful kind of cheese - string cheese, a common name for cheese that can be pulled into stringy lines.