Faces

Posted on January 21, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Painting, Design, Michelangelo, School, Renaissance, Pop art, Warhol, Lichtenstein, playful, MarilynLeave a comment

I watched a programme about Andy Warhol last night. Even though its a while since he died it stated his Warholian influence is still widespread. It made me think about when I first found out about him. It was when I was at school. The paintings and screen prints of Campbells soup cans and portraits of Marilyn Monroe were the images I first saw. I was learning about Pop Art at the time. When you have just been learning about renaissance artists such as Michelagelo or Botticelli it’s a bit of a shock to see something different. Like the Roy Lichtenstein paintings such as ‘Whaam!’ using bright colours and screen print effects. I think Warhol and these other artists were what got me interested in being playful with art.

Back to college

Posted on January 20, 2022January 20, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Chinese, College, Colour, Dragons, Fun, George and the dragon, History, Illustration, Life, Literature, Scales3 Comments

I need to start working on my college project. I’ve given myself time to recover from a bad cold, but I can’t ignore it. I need to produce a portfolio of images and a report to go alongside it. I’ve decided to write about the history of dragons in illustrations. Their images in world history, moving forward in time to medieval art and then the present day including their appearances in literature and film. My portfolio will be illustrations and text for a children’s book exploring colour and pattern alongside an adventure. I hoe it works out.

Lamp

Posted on January 20, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Light, Fun, Life, Prompt, Waiting room gallery, Lamp, #bandofsketchers, yukka2 Comments

My standard lamp, the shade was from the Waiting room gallery. It’s not accurate, I don’t have the right colours. But I like the landscape of potbank and houses on it. The leaves are from a Christmas present (yukka?) next to it. #bandofsketchers prompt ‘lamp’

Upside down Moon

Posted on January 20, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Astronomy, Hemisphere, Interest, Life, Magellanic clouds, Moon, Space, Thinking, upside down, ViewLeave a comment

Stand on the North of the Earth and look at the full moon. It seems to be one way up. Stand in the Southern Hemisphere and it will be the other way up. Basically one view is 🙃 upside down compared with the other. In fact if you are near the equator the view will be at right angles to the normal view. I think some people see the moon as a boat crossing the sky when it is waining. ie a young or old moon. When you only live in one Hemisphere you dont realise that other people can have a different perspective. Trying to put yourself in there position can change the way you look at life. I’d love to go south of the equator and see the Southern Cross and the greater and lesser Magellanic clouds (small galaxies near our milky way galaxy) which are not visible in the North.

Using an ink roller

Posted on January 19, 2022 Posted in Uncategorized, SketchingTagged Art, College, Design, Experiment, Fun, Ink roller, Life, Portrait, Sketching, techniqueLeave a comment

When I drew this, and a few other portraits for college I decided to use an ink roller. It’s one of those that you can use to cover over your address when you get rid of letters. It makes the drawing feel a bit like it’s been collaged with newsprint. I like using unusual techniques to draw. Why not?

Fluid

Posted on January 18, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Art, Beach, Drawing, fluid, Life, Sea, Sketching, Texture, Water, Waves3 Comments

Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was fluid. I tried to draw a beach scene from above. I used an image off the Internet to give me an idea. I watched an animated film called ‘love Vincent’ about the life of Vincent Van Gogh last night so I’ve also done this with texture. (see second photo).

Snake/Dragon

Posted on January 17, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Dragon, Drawing, Fun, George and the dragon, illuminated, Illustration, Medieval, Sketching, ThoughtLeave a comment

I tried drawing a sort of Mediaeval image of how I imagined a dragon would look in an old book or manuscript. This was more to try and evoke the style than to copy a real drawing. I tried to think how I would draw a dragon if I was a monk adding illustrations or illuminations to an old bible or bestiary. I should probably have looked at images of George and the Dragon. But I wanted to draw a sinuous curve. I could also have mirrored the image so it would look like the letter S… I might try that. Anyway I’m not well so drawing is occupying my mind and distracting me. X

Almost a year ago

Posted on January 16, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged 2021, Art, Dragons, Fountain, Hanley Park, Life, Sketching, victorian, water featureLeave a comment

I was standing by this fountain in the small part of Hanley Park. The main section is over the road. I decided to draw this in my sketchbook. It’s a felt pen sketch and I could include it as an urban sketch. The fountain had been restored after many years and looks wonderful. I think it’s probably Victorian in origin. The previous year it was frozen almost solid with icicles all over it. I particularly like the dragon fountain heads on it. I will have to try and research its origins.

Clothes

Posted on January 16, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Art, Black paper, Clothes, clothes horse, Ill, metallic pens, not well, Photo, Sketching, tippex1 Comment

Well actually clothes horse with clothes on. At 3am this morning I was feeling rough, sore throat and achy so I decided to get up and draw. This was sketched in tippex and metallic pens on black paper. Photograph was late at night under electric light. I could take another photo but don’t feel well enough.

Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was clothes.

Chinese dragon

Posted on January 15, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Bowl, Chinese dragon, College, Dragon, Drawing, five toes, Fun, pottery class, SketchingLeave a comment

A dragon 🐲 in the Chinese style. Head and tail are large. The body thin and snake or worm like with a sinuous shape. Four legs, clawed feet. Apparently Imperial dragons had five claws and normal dragons had four.

I once made a dragon bowl in pottery class. I’d made the bowl in a mold and I carved a dragon like this inside. I gave it five claws and toes on each foot and it was carved to show the scales. I had it biscuit fired and it survived the heat. No cracks or blemishes. Then I glazed it. I can’t remember what colours, but I looked forward to seeing the result after the Christmas break (about thirty years ago). Unfortunately when we came back it was missing! The consensus was it must have been stolen! Soon after that I left the pottery class because I was so disappointed.

Mallaband-Brown

Category: Sketching