Sand

Maldivian Beach Scene
Watercolour and Ink on Paper
26cm x 18cm (10" x 7")

Sand is the second topic in the Earth Textures chapter of Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor by Claudia Nice.

Claudia suggests sand can be represented with damp washes textured with spatter and stippling. The important thing is to keep everything light. 

British Beach Scene
Mixed Media on Paper
34cm x 44.5cm (13.5" x 17.5")

The British beach scene was inspired by a tile in our recently refurbished bathroom. I was lying in the bath and all the tiles containing horizontal lines conjured up imaginary landscapes - which was the first lesson in Drawing and Painting the Landscape by Philip Tyler (see Drawing and Painting the Landscape - The Evocation of Memory).

This painting had a difficult beginning. After the initial washes, I could see potential in the sky, but the sea and beach seemed beyond redemption. I painted over them with white acrylic gesso and started afresh. The second attempt looked better, but then I made the mistake of drawing around some rocks in the foreground with dark acrylic ink. The result was dreadful. I diluted the poison slightly by incorporating the lines into deep shadows, but in the end the only solution was to crop them out. Every painting is a lesson.

Drawing and Painting the Landscape – Wash Media

 

The Severn Estuary from Selsley Common
Wash Media - Drawing and Painting the Landscape
Indian Ink on Paper
16.5cm x 13.5cm (6.5" x 5.25")

Lesson 18 ("Wash Media") is the last lesson in the chapter about “Tonal Drawing” in Drawing and Painting the Landscape by Philip Tyler. In this lesson, Philip discusses a variety of inks and alternative media that can be used for drawing lines and applied as washes.

Coastguard Cottages - Worth Matravars
Wash Media - Drawing and Painting the Landscape
Indian Ink on Paper
18.5cm x 13.5cm (7.25" x 5.5")

The sketches on this post are all drawn with Indian ink which is waterproof when dry – this allows layers of tone to be applied over a line drawing without disturbing it.

Knowlton Church
Wash Media - Drawing and Painting the Landscape
Indian Ink on Paper
18.5cm x 14.5cm (7.25" x 5.75")

The scenes are from atmospheric places. The Coastguard Cottages are on St. Aldhelm's Head in Dorset. Knowlton Church is the ruin of a Norman church built in the centre of a Neolithic earthwork. The view from Selsley Common across the Severn Estuary to Wales took me by surprise when I first encountered it. Elaine, Doris and I were on the common earlier today. It was swathed in mist and we didn't see this view - we couldn't even see the landmarks on the common until we stood next to them.

Soil

Oak Trees in February
Watercolour & ink
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
16cm x 21cm (6.25" x 8.25")

Soil is the first topic in Earth Textures - Chapter 5 of Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor by Claudia Nice.

The soil isn’t the star of this picture, but is an important supporting player. The trees are one of the subjects I've drawn the most (apart from Elaine) and they’ve appeared in a number of previous posts:

• Drawing and Painting the Landscape – Partial Peek
• January 2016 Sketches
• Sketching Challenge – Week 2
• Studio Rousar Memory Drawing Group - Weeks 24 to 27

I struggled to think of an inspiring image of soil. In retrospect, I should have drawn a close up of a piece of garden – something like Albrecht Dürer’s Great Piece of Turf (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Piece_of_Turf). 

Rust

Heavy Duty
Watercolour and Ink on Paper
240mm x 135mm (9.5" x 5.25")

"Rust" is the last topic in the "Metallic Impressions" chapter of Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor by Claudia Nice. This is the largest section in the chapter. Claudia provides advice about depicting rust on household objects and rusty objects in the landscape - like abandoned tractors and corrugated iron roofs. 

I couldn’t find many interesting rusty objects in or around the house and I didn’t want to work from a photograph. I settled for this adjustable spanner that is showing signs of age. The treatment is based on still life examples from John Lovett's books, videos and online content.

Drawing and Painting the Landscape – Pencil Drawing (Part 2)

 

In the Dunes
Pencil Drawing - Drawing and Painting the Landscape
Pencil on Paper
15cm x 20cm (6" x 7.75")

This is a second drawing in response to the Pencil Drawing section in Drawing and Painting the Landscape by Philip Tyler (see Drawing and Painting the Landscape - Pencil Drawing)

This is based on a photo of the beach at Walberswick - which appeared on the earlier post (Drawing and Painting the Landscape - Duotone).

I am moving on to the Mixed Media lesson, but will incorporate more pencil drawings into my sketching. I want to find a way of making them appear looser and more spontaneous. I am planning to buy some fatter lead holders (5.6mm) to allow me to quickly cover more paper – that might help. 

Drawing and Painting the Landscape – Pencil Drawing

 

Ladram Trees
Pencil Drawing - Drawing and Painting the Landscape
Pencil on Paper
22cm x 16cm (8.75" x 6.25")

Between the lessons on Erased Drawing and Wash Media in Drawing and Painting the Landscape by Philip Tyler there is a sub-section on Pencil Drawing - in which Phillip recommends making a series of pencil studies,  revisiting imagery you have used in previous exercises.

This is the first of my drawings. I’m not waiting until I have a series because I haven’t posted recently and this felt like a pivotal moment. When I started drawing and painting, this is the sort of picture I wanted to create. I quickly realised (and as Philip points out) this sort of pencil drawing takes a lot of time and I prefer drawings that appear less painstaking.

This is the same scene that appeared as "Near the Otter Estuary" on the earlier post (Drawing and Painting the Landscape - Duotone). I think it is the same stand of trees Ian Sidaway recently included on his blog - June 2020. He has painted them from Ladram bay and I have drawn them from the other side – approaching them along the coastal path from the Otter estuary. Ian says Ladrum, I say Ladram, but I'm pretty sure they are the same trees.

I haven’t done much drawing recently. I suspect the uncertainty caused by coronavirus has been sapping my enthusiasm and affecting my mood more than I’ve realised or acknowledged. I’ve been using pressure of work as a reason not to draw, but this may be an excuse more than a reality. I also think I am getting bored with drawing from photos. Drawing and painting outdoors is still a challenge, but I might be missing it. 

Enamelware

Daily Rituals
Ink Gouache and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

This is the lid from our battered old enamel teapot – painted in response to the Enamelware topic in Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor by Claudia Nice.

Each working day, either Elaine or I get up slightly earlier than the other, checks on Doris and makes the tea. I have the enamel pot in my office, so I can refill my mug through the morning.