"Dylan". a well trained dog keeping his owners company in a Hebden Bridge pub. Mitsubishi 'uniball' rollerball pen. A5 cartridge paper sketchbook. February 2016

Asked by someone about obtaining one of my Urban Sketches yesterday, I tried posting some sketched images from last year on my Facebook page, but I'm not sure if that has worked in the way I expected, so I'll show you some here!

 Again in West Yorkshire, and using just a fine rollerball pen, but this time in my topbound Moleskine Reporters Plain Notebook, which I find really useful, as it can be popped in a pocket, and yet opens out to allow an extensive sketch - great!  Here I'm at Sowerby Bridge Canal Basin, sitting in comfort in a pub and drawing the view through the railings!



Still in Hebden Bridge in February, our camper van stuck in someone's driveway for a prolonged sojourn while we waited for a replacement ignition barrel!
This one shows the view from 'Coffee Sauce" in George Square.  A good winter sketching spot!  Again fineliner black rollerball, and I think my moleskine (A6) sketchbook also.  Gradually extending and developing my sketchkit, here I've used aquarelle crayons and a Pentel Brushpen.

Not all Urban Sketches need to be elaborate, 

or of an extensive view, but must be drawn on location

"Coffee Sauce" again, Hebden Bridge, and a stab at drawing someone else sitting in the cafe. February 2016

 I'm really proud of this spread, having managed to set up in a little pop-up shelter by the side of the road.  I had been invited to draw this cow with her two calves , brought down off the hill for safety to graze outside the croft on Berneray, North Uist.

 This was my first response to July's Watercolour Challenge - starting drawing in the morning with a grey fountain pen (fitted with converter) on an A4 tinted pad, and then having to dash off to Jacksons to stock up with tubes of paint, using literally my last penny on an extended sketching trip to London via Yorkshire, beginning  the last lap of my preparations for the wonderful 2016 USK International Symposium in Manchester!

 This watercolour sketch no longer exists as such, as I ruined it when I continued to experiment with my new fountain pen and grey ink, proceeding to ruin my picture - a good lesson learnt thoroughly!

Continuing to refine my materials and sketchkit while

preparing for the Symposium.  Tinted paper, aquarelle crayons, white poster paint.

 Here is the view from our window in the volunteers hostel, Minffordd, Porthmadog.  Regular trains on the Ffestiniog railway passed our window!

 Here is a sketch done from Harbour Station, Porthmadog, before recent extensive works were carried out to add another platform, enabling huge Garrett engines from the Welsh Highland end of the railway to terminate in Porthmadog, and enable travellers to change trains and continue their trip to Blaenau!







My first decent breakfast sketch - using my watercolours on the first morning of the Symposium in Manchester!

I'm very proud of this sketch, carried out at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Bretton Hall, on a sketchcrawl with the Yorkshire Group.

 Maude, the Tigon, Manchester museum. Frustrated with crowds of onlookers, I moved in closer, and enjoyed myself!

Thoroughly enjoyed doing this sketch from the wonderful bus terminus shelter, Berneray, North Uist.  This is also one of the best mobile reception spots on the island, too!

 Done the other day on black sugar paper using a 'Signo' white gel pen. Fellow life class sketchers - the stillness is palpable as everyone concentrates like crazy!

Sketch done after breakfast before getting dressed!  Tinted pad, grey fountain pen, Platinum Carbon fountain pen and ink, Posca fibre tip white pen. Kuretake watercolour brushpen

A September Trip

Staffin Post Office, Skye

Phew….that was another whirlwind week in the midst of a whirlwind trip in the midst of an impossibly whirlwind year!

….Where to start...what to put in and what to leave out?

My emphasis this time was to get to know Skye a little better in my artistic exploration of the Western Isles….
So I booked myself in at Dun Flodigarry hostel , not really knowing what I would find…!

Thank you Gavin and Bryan….you’ve a great place!  and what a marvellous view!   Didn’t see the mountains across the Sound for a week, but THEN……!!!!!
The weather turned a bit, but often that brings wonderful skies , so that was good! I don’t think I’ll ever forget the interesting experience of my attempt to paint Staffin Post Office!

A new place to explore involves working out bus timetables , finding somewhere to hole up while dodging the weather and hopefully do some sketching , oh and try to do as much work as possible while enjoying a stunning location, in an effort to share all that beauty with a few onlookers , perhaps?

Then it was on to my regular pitch at Berneray Hostel but even this part of my expedition came up with some exciting variations…!

Moving on, I stayed a couple of nights at the excellent Cowshed Boutique Hostel in Uig...a chance to catch up on some more work and attend to my growing website maybe? I didn’t manage much sketching there...just one or two doodles. But this is another place where I find I can feel very happily ensconced, so must bookmark it for hopefully a longer sojourn another time!

Hmmm...maybe I’m veering towards the tedious...highlights...and more highlights!  Well, there was Tir Nan Og B&B for a special treat - delicious food...stunning views.

Then I found the excellent Eilidh at Coralbox ...what a discovery, and later was treated to a bit of a  party around a convivial table at the hostel on my last night...grrrrreat!

Watercolour Challenges

King William IV pub, Pimlico

 

 

 

 

Determined to celebrate World Watercolour Month in a practical way, and finding myself visiting London for the first time in many , many moons, I dug out an old folding palette  and once there, dashed out to spend my last penny on some tube paints in my usual range of colours.  Really enjoyed the session, sitting outside the pub on a sunny day!

Beginning as part of a constant personal challenge to develop my work further, I was now beginning to enjoy the added discipline of drawing with a fountain pen, encouraged by Suhita Shirodkar  and Marc Taro Holmes  in their Craftsy classes!
I had hit on the idea of using a light grey ink in one of my fountain pens, particularly as this results in pencil-like lines, less insistent than black, and which I can add to or modify later with a different colour ink or paint.
I am now finding that I almost NEVER start drawing with a pencil when sketching, enjoying the added discipline of the pen and the ‘feel’ of the steel nib contacting the crisp surface of the paper!