Happy Christmas 2023

Happy Christmas 2023
Watercolour on Paper
11.5cm x 17cm (4.5" x 6.75")

Wishing You Peace and Happiness for Christmas and the New Year

Sorry for the lack of posts this year. Starting a YouTube channel (MarkBatemanArt)  has taken a lot of time. Normal service will be resumed in 2024 - hopefully.

More Recent Sketches

Aloe Vera
Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14cm (8.0" x 5.5")

Sorry for the lack of posts. Starting a YouTube channel (MarkBatemanArt) has distracted me from drawing, painting and blogging.

Prawn and Couscous Salad
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
14.0cm x 20.3cm (5.5" x 8.0")

Once a week, I’ve been sketching from life. A lot of these have been based on exercises from Liz Steel’s SketchingNow Edges.

Gift Box
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
14.0cm x 20.3cm (5.5" x 8.0")

This lovely little decorated box was made by Wendy.

Tea, Biscuits and a Seaview
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
14.0cm x 20.3cm (5.5" x 8.0")

At the beginning of the summer, Elaine, Doris and I had a pleasant few days at the Talland Bay Hotel in Cornwall. These are the tea making facilities (and biscuits) from our room. I painted them as Doris recovered from a blistering hot day on the coastal path.

Father's Day Fern
Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14cm (8.0" x 5.5")

The aloe vera at the top of the post and this fern were Father’s Day presents from Doris. I've no idea where she got the money from - best not to ask.

Recent (And Not So Recent) Sketches

 

No Flat Roads
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
14.0 x 20.3cm cm (5.5" x 8.0")

Before Christmas, I realised I wasn’t drawing and painting from life very much, so I started doing an exercise a week from Liz Steel's SketchingNow Foundations. 

Quick Sketches Still Count
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
14.0cm x 8.9cm (5.5" x 3.5")

These are a few of the sketches I’ve created since then. 

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

This is at least the third time I've taken the course. Not all the sketches have been successes because I am a bit out of practice and I am challenging myself to tackle difficult subjects from taxing angles.

What's in my Pocket?
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3 x 14cm cm (8.0" x 5.5")

My new YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@MarkBatemanArt ) is taking up a lot of time, but I am still managing at least one sketch a week.

Over the Fence
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3 x 14cm cm (8.0" x 5.5")

Roots

Roots
Watercolour on Paper
24.5cm x 15.5cm (9.75" x 6")

Roots is the third topic in the Tree Techniques chapter of Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor by Claudia Nice.

The topics in this chapter are challenging and educational. They are providing the perfect opportunity to experiment with and to develop a feel for drybrush technique. The key skill seems to be patience. I made quite a few mistakes with this picture, but I managed to correct some of them and making mistakes is a good way to learn.

James Gurney recently published an interesting post about Andrew Wyeth's use of drybrush (see What did Andrew Wyeth mean by "drybrush?").

Hardwood Tree Bark

Beech Tree Bark?
Watercolour on Paper
24.5cm x 15.5cm (9.75" x 6")

Hardwood Tree Bark is the second topic in the Tree Techniques chapter of Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor by Claudia Nice. 

Pretty sure this is some kind of Beech tree, but I have to put more effort into identifying trees. I should start by making notes about what I photograph as Elaine, Doris, and I wander around Westonbirt Arboretum (Will I ever learn - I took some photos today and still forgot to take notes).

All the texture on this tree was created using dry brush. This was a break through because until now I’ve struggled with the technique. I also used a masking fluid applicator to reserve some highlights. This is the most delicate use of masking fluid I’ve achieved, so I am pleased with the purchase (see Drawing and Painting the Landscape - Masking). 

You may have noticed I’ve not been posting as regularly as usual, this is because I am distracted by a side project. I’ve started a YouTube channel - Mark Bateman Art.If you are interested, please take a look.

Conifer Tree Bark

Conifer Tree Bark
Watercolour on Paper
24.5cm x 15.5cm (9.75" x 6")

Conifer Tree Bark is the first topic in the Tree Techniques chapter of Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor by Claudia Nice. 

Claudia uses Indian Ink to draw the heavily textured bark in her examples and then tints them with watercolour. I tried this approach, but it didn’t turn out satisfactorily because my tree is less textured and a much lighter in tone than her subjects. 

The picture on this post is my second attempt. This time, I painted the tree with light watercolour washes and added the bark pattern with dry brush work and sponged texture. This version is better, but now the bark is not conspicuous enough. This chapter is looking like hard work and I am expecting to learn a lot.

Driftwood

 

Driftwood Sculpture
Watercolour on Paper
16.5cm x 24cm (6.5" x 9.5")

Driftwood is the last topic in the Wood Grain Patterns chapter of  Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor by Claudia Nice. 

We don’t live near the sea and the only piece of driftwood knocking around is in this sculpture by Mike Lythgoe. I’ve drawn it once before – back in 2015 (see January 2015 Sketches). 

Studying the piece intensely has helped me to appreciate it even more. I don’t think I had really noticed the shadows until I sat down to paint it.