The brush · Aroub Soubh

The same hand. On the page.

A courtyard, a shoreline, a little colour, a table full of hands. Follow the hand from the world to the page.

“I drew everything, but I loved nature and flowers. I still do.”
From Aroub’s recollection · translated from Arabic

The line keeps wandering.

Faces, flowers and familiar places. More original work from Aroub’s sketchbooks.

Original ink drawing of intertwined faces — Faces, connected in ink.

Original line drawing of a woman and dogs — A woman and her dogs.

Original bouquet watercolour in a sketchbook — A bouquet in watercolour.

Watercolour sketchbook held beside a lake — The lakeside, on paper.

Pink and yellow flower watercolour in a sketchbook beside coffee — A page full of flowers.

A hand painting red poppies in a sketchbook — Poppies, in progress.

A courtyard. A world on paper.

An ivy-covered courtyard. A pencil line. Water and colour. Follow one afternoon from the world to the sketchbook.

The placeThe courtyard that caught her eye.
The first linesFinding the shapes with pencil.
A little colourThe first washes of green and pink.
The finished pageThe place becomes a page to keep.
The artistAroub, at the table where the drawing began.

The lake. The line.

The horizon stays in view as the page takes shape. A pencil drawing, a little colour, and the same shoreline seen twice.

The drawingBeginning with the shoreline.
The watercolourColour finds its place.
Back in the landscapeThe sketchbook meets the view.

A little garden. On a page.

Pink, yellow and green move from a cluster of flowers into the sketchbook. Small washes gather into a whole.

The flowersThe colours outside.
The washesLoose washes on the page.
The finished studyA garden of small marks.

More pages from the sketchbook.

Watercolour maple leaves with a real leaf

Line drawing of woman and hedgehogs, carved frame

Ink shell-wings drawing filled with Arabic script and swirls

Stay for a few strokes.

Short glimpses of drawing and painting, filmed as they happened.

Drawing beside the lake.

Adding colour to the poppies.

Original footage · silent web edition

A place at the table.

Pencils within reach. Paper waiting. Different hands finding their own lines, then sharing what they made.

Long table set with paper and coloured pens — A table ready for drawing.

Scenes from drawing sessions. The work shown includes participants’ drawings.

Many hands. Many small worlds.

A map becomes a collage. A cardboard tube becomes a character. Colour, paper and thread give everyone a different place to begin.

Photographs and clips from shared art-making sessions. The work shown includes participants’ creations. Open a chapter to explore the photographs.

Maps, made personalPaint, cut-outs and familiar details build new stories over printed streets.

Brushes, cut-outs and a work in progress.

Characters from cardboardPaper, yarn and small details turn simple tubes into characters.

A thread to followHands turn yarn into shapes to hold, wear and share.

From the table to the windowCut paper and drawn lines become a small display of shared work.

A long-eared character in a drawn frame.

Lines finding facesFollow two drawings from colour being added to the completed page.

Ink, colour, a frameTwo works move from the table towards their finished form.

Green washes and fine ink marks at the table.

Small worlds from boxesCardboard, cut paper and a few drawn details become characters and scenes.

More from the tables.

Map collage with anatomy cutout, flowers and planets

Map collage with bird, house and garden cutouts

Textile collage with beads and stitching

Paper collage of fish and seaweed with googly eyes

Painted map collage with stars and snowflakes

Adult hands holding two pink paper collages

Printed-paper collage in progress on a paint-stained table

Older adult hands drawing with a black marker

Pastel chalk jellyfish drawn on pavement

Adult hands colouring a doodle with pencil crayons

Adult hand colouring a purple tulip doodle

Adult hand inking a tree inside a patterned border

Pen-and-wash lavender field drawing titled Oakville Fields

Adult hand inking a tree over a watercolour wash

Eggshell mosaic in red, blue, gold and white

Eggshell mosaic in yellow, red and blue pieces

Eggshell mosaic sprinkled with silver glitter

Small eggshell mosaic in orange and blue

Eggshell mosaic of blue and yellow flowers

Eggshell mosaic of red, gold and blue pieces

Eggshell mosaic radiating rainbow colours

Ink drawing of a winged figure beside a castle

Adult hands with bracelets colouring a doodle tribute

Black-and-white doodle with coloured patches in a striped frame

Coloured memory doodle with lake, sunrise and pumpkin

Neon doodle with handwritten words about friendship

Memory doodle with maple leaf, hearts and patterns

Pen doodle of a tree with dotted foliage

Map collage with painted river and cut-outs

Adult hands adding yarn to a painted map

Adult hands gluing sequins on a painted map

Map painted in red, yellow and blue with clouds

Map collage with a black river and small cut-outs

Map collage with bird, house, flowers and castle

Map painted in pink, yellow and blue bands

Map collage dotted with small paper flowers

Map collage with drawn animals and a brown river

Map washed in blue, purple and yellow paint

Map painted with a red river through green land

Map collage with a mosque photo and painted river

Tube animal characters with pipe-cleaner legs

Adult hand holding a tube doll with yarn hair

Two tube dolls with yarn hair and pompoms

Tube characters: blue figure, black cat and striped bug

Tube doll with yarn fringe and ’Dreamer’ written shirt

Crowned tube figure beside a small brown one

Tube figure with black yarn hair and orange mouth

Tube on its side with stars and pink yarn

Cardboard tubes with googly eyes, just started

Tube figure with glitter crown and pompoms

Two tube figures with yarn hair and pompom noses

Elf, crowned doll and Santa tube figures together

Tube figure with yarn hair and moustache

Wish book marked Aroub’s at the Family Studio sign

Rows of cards with coloured yarn line designs

Adult hands beside a doodle, dates and snacks

Black ink doodle with orange and purple accents

Underwater collage with paper fish on navy card

Cardboard hare portraits lined up on a windowsill

Drawing and colouring a doodle at the table

Finished works displayed in the studio window

Building a character from a cardboard box

Hand-lettered team art books beside pencil tubs

Small hands drawing on paper tags with markers

Hands building a painted cardboard house

Hand holding a paper rainbow over a cardboard box

Hands printing and cutting at a crowded art table

Paper box characters being built on a messy table

Yellow box character with fringed paper hair

Handmade paper sheets drying along a long table

Hands beside a handmade paper sheet with yellow border

Hands gluing green paper strips onto cardboard

Green paper seaweed glued onto a framed cardboard sheet

Children’s hands drawing waves and a star in chalk

Chalk fish drawn on pavement beside crossed legs

Blue chalk shape drawn along a pavement edge

Hand drawing a big chalk circle on pavement

Chalk sea creatures drawn across a courtyard floor

Chalk sun, jellyfish and purple blob on concrete

Chalk ocean mural across a sunny courtyard

Hands painting clay pots beside a paint palette

Hand sketching tulips in pencil on a clipboard

Crumpled tissue paper heart on cardboard

Camp portfolio: painted portrait, plates and prints

Camp portfolio with painted portrait and clay plate

Camp portfolio with painted portrait and colouring book cover

Camp portfolio with painted portrait and rainbow print

Camp portfolio with abstract painting and weaving plate

Camp portfolio with bright painted portrait and weaving

Camp portfolio with smiling painted portrait

Camp portfolio with blue painted portrait and sketchbook

Camp portfolio with painted portrait and yarn plate

Camp portfolio with painted portrait and name card

Camp portfolio with bold painted portrait and booklet

Chalk names and hearts written on pavement

Chalk drawings and names on a sunny courtyard

Hand colouring blue insect drawings beside mussel shells

Coloured-pencil bird drawings on a pink sheet

Hands writing name tags for a paper pennant

Markers and hand-lettered name tags on a table

Hands punching holes in name tags and pennants

Marker-drawn pennant with a hole punch and markers

Pennant with fruit cut-outs and hand-drawn tags

Pennant with stick-figure tags and fruit collage

Hand-drawn family tags beside a shiny gift bow

Child colouring a tag beside a Korea pennant

Hands cutting orange paper over a map drawing

Hands adding beads to a painted map collage

Glue gun over a striped painted map collage

Map collage with painted water, photos and flags

Hands wrapping paper around a cardboard tube

Hands holding a tube doll with pom-pom buns

Tube doll with pom-pom buns and pipe-cleaner hair

Tube doll with pom-pom arms on red glitter

Tube doll with yarn hair and written words

Hands decorating a purple tube character

Tube character, glue and paper strips on a table

Three tube characters with yarn hair and googly eyes

Two tube characters with black yarn hair

Paper heart wish card beside coloured pencils

Hands cutting paper hearts at a craft table

Heart wish card with scissors and pencils

Hands cutting blue glitter beside a heart wish card

Hand holding a New Year wish book with star

Wish cards with paper hearts and felt-tip lettering

Hands drawing inside a handmade wish book

Hand-lettered wish book cover tied with yarn

Three handmade wish books with tree and hearts

Hands holding a pink pop-up heart wish page

Hands holding a hand-lettered wish book cover

Hands turning pages of a handmade wish book

Wish book cover with glitter letters and hearts

Multilingual New Year wish book with paper circles

Hands holding up a finished colourful doodle drawing

Hands holding a colourful doodle with Arabic writing

Cardboard hare collage with a painted border

Paper butterfly collages taped on a window

Child holding up a cardboard hare collage

Hand colouring a large self-portrait drawing

Child drawing a portrait in a sketchbook

Hands shaping a cardboard hare on a collage board

Child colouring a doodle drawing in orange

Pipe-cleaner necklace with felt hearts and rainbow

Wrist wearing a green felt spiral bracelet

Children sketching among plants in a greenhouse

Two children sketching on a greenhouse path

Child with a red bow sketching among plants

Two children sketching driftwood and plants on clipboards

Children sketching on clipboards along a garden path

Hand filling a drawing with pebble patterns

Paper crown with red, orange and black feathers

Feathered paper crown on a paint-splattered table

Feathered paper crown worn on a child’s head

Hands holding two coloured paper lizards

Children seen from behind looking at sculptures

Hand holding a paper bag with drawn eyes

Hands cutting out coloured eye shapes on pink paper

Moments from the sessions.

Drawing into the map.

Prints, from the table to the wall.

Drawing and cutting together.

Original clips. Press play to watch; the first two include sound.

Original footage of Aroub painting.

The hand behind the work.

Original footage of Aroub painting.

A drawer. A key. A treasure.

As a child, Aroub kept her coloured pencils in a locked drawer, safely away from her younger siblings. Her mother’s gifts were colours and sketchbooks. She was the first person to keep looking, encouraging, and making room for the work.

The artist before the broadcast.

Before television, Aroub chose interior design. She completed a two-year diploma, worked with architects Mahmoud Qadadeh and Omar Hamdan, and went on to study fine arts and interior design at Yarmouk University. Even in television, her visual work continued in sets and on-screen graphics.

A quieter hand. Not a different eye.

As broadcasting took more of her time, drawing became secondary. In her own recollection, the artist inside entered a temporary sleep. It was a pause, not the beginning of an entirely different person.