Sketchbook

22.4.19

Birthday painting for husband

This was an ink drawing from a photo I took of Barfusserplatz in Basel towards the end of winter this year. It was a sunny but cold day, which meant there were lots wrapped up people and sharp and long shadows. I had already done a larger (A3) line drawing which I had initially intended adding colour to. However, my husband liked it as a line drawing, so I decided to do a smaller colour version for his birthday. It was a freehand drawing and watercolours.

I had a challenge keeping the tones right and not letting the darker tones become too heavy and dominating the picture.

On reflection, I think I need to be more aware of stepping back and looking at the drawing whilst I am creating it. I drew this in ink with no pre-drawing. I think if I had drawn some key horizontal and vertical lines in first it would certainly have helped ground the painting and made for a more accurate rendition.

I am pleased enough with the application of the watercolour and I am beginning to understand the principle of building it up in layers. However, it is still very ‘conservative’ and this is an aspect I want to address through my OCA course so that the focus is less on accuracy perhaps and more on creating an atmosphere and sensation of the vibrancy of Barfusserplatz.

24.4.19

Birthday card for my eldest daughter

Although I had used a digital device to compile and compose a selection of images that would be very personal to my daughter, I was determined to draw this painting freehand.

With my first attempt I tried to use gouache paints, but quickly realised I do not yet fully understand their capabilities. I believed, incorrectly it seems, that I would be easily able to work lighter tones successfully onto darker ones. I also found that the colour I had mixed on a white palette proved to be very much darker on the page. I was prepared to try and work at it, but also had to balance the time I had available. Consequently, after reflection I decided to redraw the whole picture and use watercolours, which I am a little more familiar with.

I appreciated that the drawing would probably not be the most accurate way to draw my daughter, but it was a conscious decision to help me continue to improve my drawing skills. Drawing someone you really care about is a daunting decision. I did use a mini scaler device, and printed out my photographic composition from my digital device to the same size as my artwork. This allowed me to check relative sizes and distances throughout my drawing. Whilst the painting of her face is slightly slimmer that the photograph I do think I have captured the essence of my daughter, and I am pleased with it.

Using a limited palette, initially of cadmium yellow, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue and burnt umber and burnt sienna, I began. Later I chose to use a particular duck egg type of blue-green for my daughters jumper, For this I had to add cerulean blue and a lemon yellow to my palette.

I began by painting her face, and then her body, conscious that as this is both the most important part of the painting, and in the foreground, the colours had to be stronger and the background needed to recede with paler tones.

I decided to also use staedtler coloured pencils to enhance the painting as I continued. The initial reason for this was that I wanted zentangle patterns in the background and a pencil was a productive time and effect choice of media. This in effect gave me permission to use pencil to enhance other parts of the painting.

Quick sketches

May 2019

A 20 second A4 pen sketch of a chicken as I walked through a farmyard, and some 10 second post-it note sketches…

I was conscious as I drew them that I mostly looked at

the chicken and rarely at the paper. It was a little scary, but liberating and I loved the instant animated results… maybe not at the time, but now, looking at them a few days later!

Some more quick sketches

I just wanted to capture the movement and essence of the models from a magazine photo quickly. For this I used Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils.

Similarly, but less successfully I tried to capture a snippet of Tuscan countryside. the effect here is very niaive.

A face from a magazine, drawn in blue biro, rather than my usual black, and another using a preferred black biro.
I find it is often possible to get a decent range of tones with biro, even with relatively small scale drawings.

A Charming Garden Photo Inspired me

The composition drew my attention first and then the palette of green and purples. I thought it would create a good opportunity to continue experimenting with my Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils.

This is the first layers and the mapping out of the drawing. I was then keen to make it bolder, particularly in the foreground and to recreate that corner of quiet and precious space outside that had so attracted me to the photo initially.

Although the Derwent Inktense pencils can seem sometimes perhaps a little too bold, vibrant and even ‘insensitive’ they capture the essense and vibrancy of this little private place with the colours and light well. Building up the layers helps to overcome the garishness of some of the greens in particular. I was pleased with this drawing, the textures, shade, atmosphere and sense of distance within the A5 artwork.

A phone call doodle

Whilst on a long, chatty phone call I subconsciously, without any real regard for what I was drawing began to draw this from a photo infront of me on a handy post-it note. It was drawn with a cheap propelling pencil.