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| Buy a Siren? 7 October 2017 Watercolour Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook 14.0cm x 20.3cm (5.5" x 8.0") |
I’ve completed Liz Steel's SketchingNow Foundation course for the second time. This post contains my favourite sketches from lessons 6 to 12.
You can find sketches from lessons 1 to 5 in the post:
And some sketches from the first time I took the course in these posts:
The course contains 12 self-paced lessons - each of which explains a different concept and is made up of video demonstrations, downloadable content and exercises. An additional bonus of the course is you can learn a lot by watching how Liz uses her tools and materials.
I’ve enjoyed and benefited from the course. It has helped me to get back into the habit of drawing and painting. When I am short of inspiration, it is easy to just get on and do the exercises from a course or book. It removes the need to think about subjects or objectives.
The early lessons might be daunting for the complete beginner, but they cover a lot of the fundamentals. I would recommend a complete beginner follow the course twice in quick succession, but you may be better to start with a book like Keys to Drawing by Bert Dodson before taking Liz’s course.
The sketch at the top of the post was drawn as an exercise in balancing line and colour (Lesson 8). The phone rang at a critical point in the painting, so I let it go to voicemail. The call was from Elaine and I could hear her leaving a message. I was focused on the painting, but in the back of my mind I am sure she said something about going to buy a siren. It was only when I played the message back I realised she was coming home via Cirencester.
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| Mum's Bag 17 September 2017 Ink and Watercolour Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook 20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5") |
I drew Mum's Bag as an exercise in minimal setup (Lesson 6). Dad was keen to watch a sketch from beginning to end. It was strange to try and explain my thoughts as I went along.
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| Gloriously Sunny 8 October 2017 Ink and Watercolour Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook 14.0cm x 20.3cm (5.5" x 8.0") |
This climbing plant was another exercise in balancing line and colour (Lesson 8).
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| Not a Bonsai 18 October 2017 Ink and Watercolour Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook 20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5") |
Elaine and I spent a few days at Ragdale Hall spa at the end of October. I found a relatively quiet place to sketch in one of the public rooms - looking out into the gardens. This little evergreen tree looked like a bonsai tree surrounded by the fallen leaves of its neighbours. I drew it as an exercise in creating a focus (Lesson 10). Not sure I achieved that, but I gave more thought to composition than I normally do when sketching.
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| Ragdale Hall - Thermal Spa Pavilion 18 October 2017 Ink and Watercolour Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook 20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5") |
I drew the spa pavilion from the same vantage point immediately after the previous sketch.
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| Painting Paraphernalia 6 November 2017 Ink and Watercolour Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook 20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5") |
This last sketch is a small selection from my extensive brush and water pot collection. This was drawn as an exercise in working from a focus (Lesson 11).
I’ve continued straight into Liz’s course about Edges, but the weather isn’t conducive to painting outdoors and isn't providing many strong shadows, so I may postpone it until the spring.
