Direct Watercolour

Amberley War Memorial
Warercolour on Paper
18cm x 12.5cm (7" x 4.75")

30x30DirectWatercolor is an annual event organised by Marc Taro Holmes (Citizen Sketcher). The challenge involves painting 30 watercolour paintings on the 30 days of June.

Direct watercolour implies minimal (or no) under drawing, and working wet-in-wet in a single pass without waiting for layers to dry before continuing.

Brewery Lane
Warercolour on Paper
18cm x 12.5cm (7" x 4.75")

The challenge inspired me to try a few paintings without my usual safety net of a detailed initial drawing. In the spirit of lock-down, I added the constraint of painting local scenes from Google Maps Street View. The results are a bit wonkier than I normally strive for, but better than I anticipated.

All Saints
Warercolour on Paper
18cm x 12.5cm (7" x 4.75")

The painting of the Amberley war memorial was a particular surprise. I expected it to be a disaster because I sweated for ages drawing the perspective of the memorial in St Peter's for Bob and still didn't quite get it right - there might be a lesson for me here.

The Bell
Warercolour on Paper
18cm x 12.5cm (7" x 4.75")

We have just got back from having our Sunday lunch at the Bell. They had all their doors open today, to allow for a one way system as part of their Covid 19 social distancing measures - strange times.

Drawing and Painting the Landscape – Measured Drawing

View Towards Gatcombe Farm
Measured Drawing - Drawing and Painting the Landscape
April 2019
Ink
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
21.5cm x 18.5cm (8.5" x 7.25")

In Lesson 5 of Drawing and Painting the Landscape, Philip Tyler introduces some techniques to accurately draw a picture to scale based on sight measuring and angle checking. This involves adopting the stereotypical pose of the artist using a pencil in an outstretched arm to estimate the relative size of objects, measure angles and to check alignments.

The approach is similar to those explained in other sources including The Urban Sketcher by Marc Taro Holmes (Citizen Sketcher) and Liz Steel's SketchingNow Foundations course. This isn't surprising because there are a limited number of ways to address the challenge of translating a three-dimensional landscape into an accurate two-dimensional drawing.

Philip includes an interesting discussion about how much of the landscape we can see without turning our head. This knowledge can help us to tackle our tendency to include too wide a field of view in our drawings and to simultaneously draw everything too big.

Edge of the Common
Measured Drawing - Drawing and Painting the Landscape
April 2019
Ink
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
16.5cm x 12.5.5cm (6.5" x 5")

The exercise also includes the seemingly unrelated concept of decorative line drawings in which the confidence and fluidity of the line work is as important as the subject:

... the objects in the landscape become a series of shapes that are defined largely by an unwavering line. There is a real confidence to the line, finding the rhythms and repetitions of motif within the landscape.

Otter Estuary - Decorative Line
Measured Drawing - Drawing and Painting the Landscape
April 2019
Ink on Paper
19.5cm x 15cm (7.5" x 6")

The picture of the Otter Estuary is a decorative line drawing using a photograph as a reference. The other pictures were drawn from life, first focusing on accurate measurement and then trying to create decorative lines.

From the Bench on Fewster Road
Measured Drawing - Drawing and Painting the Landscape
April 2019
Ink
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
12.5cm x 16.5cm (5" x 6.5")

I had the usual apprehensions about drawing in public, but there really doesn’t seem much to worry about. I take care to position myself as out of the way as possible. If anyone notices what I am up to, they are usually too timid to disturb my fierce concentration. If they miss (or ignore) the signs that I don’t want to be interrupted, they only want to look at the drawing and to pass the time of day. In common with most sketchers, I haven’t encountered anything except pleasantness and compliments.

January 2018 Sketches

Plants From Dr. Sarah
31 January 2018
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

I'm refining a sketching approach to use outdoors when the weather gets better. It is basically Mark Taro Holmes' (Citizen Sketcher) Three-Pass Sketch from The Urban Sketcher with some tweaks based on Liz Steele's SketchingNow courses.

My intention is to model most of the forms with ink, so I can add colour with a single pass of watercolour – which removes the need to wait for multiple layers of paint to dry. I’m also making more use of watercolour pencil to add texture.

Joan's Shell Box
10 January 2018
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

The little shell covered box belonged to Elaine's mother. Julie bought it for her from Mevagissey.

Elephant and Mahout
13 January 2018
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

The little wooden carving is about 12 cm/4.5" high.

Lauhala Sea Turtle
15 January 2018
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

Over the summer, a lady from Hawaii sat by me on a flight from Phoenix to Boston. She spent the 5 hours weaving a variety of ornaments from leaves and pan scouring pads from coloured plastic. We chatted and when we arrived in Boston she gave me this little turtle. Its about 6cm/ 2.5” long.

Alessi Parrot
17 January 2018
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
14.0cm x 20.3cm (5.5" x 8.0")

Corkscrews are tricky things. The winged ones are probably the easiest to use, but you usually end up with bits of cork in your wine. This is my tool of choice. It’s called a parrot, but hasn’t got wings.

January 2017 Sketches

Dog Crockery
28 January 2017
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

Hamish came to stay for a few days in January. He is very polite. He brought his own crockery and some flowers for Elaine.

Dog's Rose
30 January 2017
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
14.0cm x 20.3cm (5.5" x 8.0")

He’s an old man now, so I managed to grab a sketch of him while he was having a snooze.

Hambo!
24 January 2017
Ink and Watercolour
Daler Rowney A6 Ebony Sketchbook
10.5cm x 14.9cm (4.1" x 5.9")

Mark Taro Holmes (Citizen Sketcher) wrote a recent post about drawing quick sketches while out walking (Personal Trainers Hate this Sketcher – How to lose weight by drawing!). This has inspired me to do the same. I try to take a 30-minute walk most lunchtimes and I’ve added a 7-minute sketch into the routine. It’s been too cold to comfortably hang around for much longer.

Stokes’ Mill from the Foot Path
20 January 2017
Ink
Daler Rowney A6 Ebony Sketchbook
14.9cm x 10.5cm (5.9 x 4.1")

So far most of the sketches have been of bare trees, but I’m moving on to buildings and other objects.

Very Cold Finger Post
23 January 2017
Ink
Daler Rowney A6 Ebony Sketchbook
10.5cm x 14.9cm (4.1" x 5.9")

The exercises for my latest project (Expressive Drawing by Steven Aimone) require some new materials.

Materials for Expressive Drawing
16 January 2017
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

I will share some of the results in the next few weeks.

February 2016 Sketches

Honeybuns
25 February 2016
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

Elaine gave me a selection of cakes from Honeybuns as a Valentine’s Day gift. Amazingly, eleven days later there were still a few left to draw, but we (mainly me) finished them the next day.

Red Tulip

7 February 2016

Ink and Watercolour

Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook

14.0cm x 20.3cm (5.5" x 8.0")

February has not been my most prolific month for sketching, but I still managed a few.

The sketches on this post all employ the same basic approach - adapted from The Urban Sketcher by Marc Taro Holmes (Citizen Sketcher). It starts with a scribbled drawing in pencil, followed by an ink drawing on top and then a few passes of watercolour - starting with a fairly watery mix becoming progressively thicker in each pass
.

White Rose
26 February 2016
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
14.0cm x 20.3cm (5.5" x 8.0")

The picture of Ducky was slightly more hurried than the other three - this was a pencil sketch, with an ink drawing on top, then more ink applied with a brush pen and then a single pass of watercolour.

Ducky's Perch
11 February 2016
Ink and Watercolour
Daler Rowney A6 Ebony Sketchbook
10.5cm x 14.9cm (4.1" x 5.9")

I'm trying to include watercolour in most sketches because it is good practice, but I plan to do some pencil sketches in March and to brave the great outdoors.

December 2015 Sketches

Sailor Jack the Mansfield Matelot
9 December 2015
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
14.0cm x 20.3cm (5.5" x 8.0")

It's hard to believe, but I completed the challenge to draw on every day in 2015. These sketches are the highlights from December.

The character at the top of the post is Sailor Jack the Mansfield Matelot.  Elaine's dad (Pete) made plaster casts from Elaine's sailor toy and the Mansfield Royal Naval Association presented them to visiting dignitaries. Jack has appeared on previous posts (see Modelled Drawing and Modelled Drawing in Water Color).

Angel Cat
10 December 2015
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
14.0cm x 20.3cm (5.5" x 8.0")

Angel Cat is a Marie Prett sculpture and another regular visitor to the blog. There is a photo of her/him/it on Farewell Modelled Drawing in Water Color and drawings on May 2015 Sketches and Outlines and Blind Contour Drawings.

End of Year Plug
31 December 2015
Ink and Watercolour
Winsor & Newton A6 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
14.8cm x 10.5cm (5.9" x 4.1" )

On 31 December I was unsure what to draw, so I bookended the challenge by drawing a similar subject (possibly the same) to the one I drew on 1 January (see January 2015 Sketches).

Sailor Jack, Angel Cat and End of Year Plug were all painted using Marc Taro Holmes' (Citizen Sketcher) three pass watercolour technique from The Urban Sketcher (see September 2015 Sketches). When I started the challenge I didn't imagine it would evolve to include so much painting.

Mill on Kneeton Road
27 December 2015
Ink
Daler Rowney A6 Ebony Sketchbook
14.9cm x 10.5cm (5.9 x 4.1")

The two small landscapes were drawn from practically the same spot in the Trent Hills, but facing in opposite directions.  The ink sketch is a back view of the mill on Kneeton road and the pencil sketch is No Joke plantation. I've not idea why it is called this, but a different view of it it has appeared on a previous post (see Summer Landscape).

Windy Day Drawing
27 December 2015
Graphite Pencil
Daler Rowney A6 Ebony Sketchbook
14.9cm x 10.5cm (5.9 x 4.1")

I drew the pencil sketch on an incredibly windy day. At some points I was struggling to stay upright and keep hold of the sketchbook and pencil.

Waiting for the Santa Satellite
24 December 2015
Ink and Watercolour
Daler Rowney A6 Ebony Sketchbook
14.9cm x 10.5cm (5.9 x 4.1")

This last sketch was started outside in the dark on Christmas Eve, but I came inside to finish the painting.

I've had a couple of days off since completing the challenge, but I intend to keep up the habit of drawing on most days. I'm convinced regular practice is the key to learning to draw and paint.

September 2015 Sketches

Gunthorpe Toll House
5 September 2015
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

This is another view of the Toll House at Gunthorpe. It is one of my favourite subjects and has already appeared in a couple of posts (see  Reflections and Shelford Group of Artists Easter Exhibition 2012).

It is the most ambitious subject I've painted outside and it provided an introduction to some of the pleasures of painting in the great outdoors. Usually I sit on a bench or the ground, but this time I stood and used the top of a fence post as a shelf. It was a bright autumn day, but after 45 minutes I was cold. The wind spotted my situation and gave me some exercise by blowing my palette off the fence post into a grasping patch of brambles and nettles. A bit later a bulldog clip flew off the sketchbook and cleared two fences to land in some more nettles, growing in a cow pat next to some angry geese.

Conker in Colour
10 September 2015
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
14.0cm x 20.3cm (5.5" x 8.0")

Conkers (horse chestnuts) and their shells are another of my favourite subjects. They have so many contrasts: soft/hard, reflective/matt, dark/light, smooth/ spiky, bright greens/muted browns. What more can you ask for?

Conker - Black and White
15 September 2015
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A6 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
14.8cm x 10.5cm (5.9" x 4.1" )

The sloe berries are my first experiment with Marc Taro Holmes’ (Citizen Sketcher) three pass watercolour technique from The Urban Sketcher. The three passes work from light to dark colours and from larger to smaller shapes. Marc calls the steps Tea, Milk and Honey to reflect the thickness of the washes. The three passes correlate to the three steps of his three pass sketching approach (see May 2015 Sketches).

Sloes Foragin
12 September 2015
Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Beta Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

The sloes looked pretty ropey after the first pass and didn't really come together until I added the final touches.

Flowers From Sally
21 September 2015
Watercolour and Gouache
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
14.0cm x 20.3cm (5.5" x 8.0")

The flowers and pepper are also based on the three pass approach. The flowers were a gift from Elaine’s cousin Sally, but we bought the pepper for ourselves.

Red Pepper
5 September 2015
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

It is hard to believe I'm three quarters of the way through the challenge to draw on every day in 2015. The year is passing so quickly and drawing every day is turning out to be more of a luxury than a challenge.

August 2015 Sketches

Garlic
29 August 2015
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A5 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 14.8cm (8.25" x 5.78")

I've enjoyed introducing colour into my sketches. I'm adding paint to most ink sketches. It is a good way to fit regular practice with watercolour into my schedule.

It's added some extra interest into the second half of the challenge to draw on every day in 2015.

Burrow Fields
9 August 2015
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

The sketch of Burrow Fields is my first experiment with Exercise 17 (Large Washes: The Three Big Shapes) from The Urban Sketcher by Mark Taro Holmes (Citizen Sketcher).

Burrow Fields was an enjoyable subject on a warm day. Elaine came and sat with me. She read while I sketched and painted.

Exercise 17 is a stepping stone towards full blown watercolour sketches.

Its Raining Let's Have Ice Cream
31 August 2015
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

This month I have focused on accuracy. I am trying to get into the habit of finding errors early and correcting them - even if this means reworking the whole drawing.

Scruffy Red Onions
11 August 2015
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

I've also tried a single line sketching exercise from Marc’s  handout Making Expressive Pen And Ink Drawings On Location (https://citizensketcher.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/making-expressive-pen-and-ink-drawings-on-location.pdf).

The task in the exercise is to complete a sketch in four minutes using a single continuous line.

The objective is to develop fluidity and confidence. I've tried it a few times and it seems to make a difference. I've noticed an improvement that carries over into my pencil sketching.

Royal Oak - Car Colston
28 August 2015
Ink and Watercolour
Winsor & Newton A6 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
14.8cm x 10.5cm (5.9" x 4.1" )

The drawing of the Royal Oak in Car Colston is an example of a single line sketch.  I drew it when Elaine and I walked there for dinner one Friday evening. I added the paint when we got home.

Agapanthus
8 August 2015
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
14.0cm x 20.3cm (5.5" x 8.0")

The agapanthus is for for Elaine - it is one of her favourite flowers.

July 2015 Sketches

Fruit Bowl
26 July 2015
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

This month I've been experimenting with Exercise 15 (Line and Wash) from Chapter 3 of The Urban Sketcher by Mark Taro Holmes (Citizen Sketcher).

In Exercise 15, you add colour as a fourth pass to a three pass ink sketch (see May 2015 Sketches for a brief description of a three pass sketch). The objective of the exercise is to add colour - not necessarily to paint the whole picture.

In The Kitchen
9 July 2015
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
14.0cm x 20.3cm (5.5" x 8.0")

In Chapter 3, Marc explains a number of watercolour techniques (grow a wash, charging-in, edge pulling, splatter and dry-brush). These techniques are not new to me, but Marc’s explanations are clear and I am using this as an opportunity to approach watercolour painting with fresh eyes.

For a while I've been looking for a way to integrate painting into my drawing practice. Exercise 15 is a useful starting point for building a bridge from drawing into painting.

Chillies
28 July 2015
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

My aim was to leave these sketches with a rough and ready energy. I set out with the intention of splashing paint on at the end, so I wouldn't try to keep the ink work and painting too neat - sometimes I forgot to splash the paint, but the intention helped me to keep the rest of the sketch loose.

I've been using an alpha series sketch book from Stillman and Birn. The pages are 6” x 8” (15.2 cm x 20.3cm), but the useful space is more like 5.5” x 8” (14cm x 20.3cm) – when you allow for the ring binding,

The alpha series has heavyweight paper (150 gsm) with a medium grain. It is intended for dry media, light washes and ink. Some sketchers use the alpha series for watercolour, but I've also bought a beta series sketch book.  The beta series has extra heavyweight paper (270 gsm) with a cold pressed surface - it is intended for watercolour.

Little Vase
29 July 2015
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
14.0cm x 20.3cm (5.5" x 8.0")

The ink and wash sketches have been my main focus for the month, but I've still done a couple of pencil sketches each week.

Coriander
5 July 2015
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A5 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 14.8cm (8.25" x 5.78")

July is the seventh month of my challenge to draw on every day in 2015. I've come closer to skipping a day in July than in any previous month – largely because I've been travelling and working hard. The main things that have stopped me from lapsing are:

• I know I will enjoy the drawing once I get started
• I've seem improvement in my drawing that is the result of daily practice
• I've passed the half way mark – it seems crazy to give up once you've done the hard part
• Elaine’s encouragement - in the first few months she may have been a bit sceptical, but she doesn't see the point of giving up now

June 2015 Sketches

Sweet Williams
13 June 2015
Ink
Winsor & Newton A5 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 14.8cm (8.25" x 5.78")

I am halfway through the challenge to draw on every day in 2015. So far I haven’t missed a day.

Clock Tower Cupola - Rufford Abbey
29 June 2015
Ink
Winsor & Newton A5 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
14.8cm x 21.0cm (5.78" x 8.25")

This month I've been concentrating on the three pass sketching approach described by Marc Taro Holmes (Citizen Sketcher) in The Urban Sketcher (see May 2015 Sketches).

The three pass approach is primarily a technique for ink drawings. I am doing one or two pencil sketches a week to ensure I don’t forget how to use a pencil.

Fish Slice
28 June 2015
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A5 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 14.8cm (8.25" x 5.78")

The pencil sketches are probably my favourite drawings, but the three pass ink sketches are educational and are also having an impact on my approach to pencil drawing.

Breakfast
8 June 2015
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A5 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 14.8cm (8.25" x 5.78")

This month Elaine and I spent a week in the Cotswolds and Devon. I've done more sketching outside than in any previous month. Quite often Elaine comes along and reads while I draw. It's very pleasant in the summer weather.

I think most people who are new to drawing and painting outside expect to become a magnet for would-be art critics and hooligans. So far no one has bothered me - I've attracted no interest whatsoever - apart from seagulls.

Bullied By a Seagull in a Sidmouth Churchyard
25 June 2015
Ink
Winsor & Newton A5 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 14.8cm (8.25" x 5.78")

I've learnt some important lessons this month. One of the most important is the point of view check. Marc describes the technique in the first chapter of The Urban Sketcher,  You hold your drawing between you and the subject. You position the sketch so it appears to be the same size as the subject and then move it in and out of view to create the illusion of the drawing superimposed over reality.

I haven’t had any great success with this approach, but I find just positioning the image so it appears to be adjacent to and the same size as the subject is sufficient for spotting mistakes. I realised this after reading Marc’s advice in January, but I keep forgetting to do it. I've lost track of the number of times I've finished a drawing and thought why didn't I do a point of view check? Six months later I am remembering to do it more regularly and it’s becoming more of a habit.

Aubergine

12 June 2015

Ink

Winsor & Newton A5 Heavy Weight Sketch Book

14.8cm x 21.0cm (5.78" x 8.25")

Another important lesson I've learnt this month is don't try and draw detailed flower studies on a windy day.