Urban sketch

I finally got out and did an urban sketch! Hanley Park bandstand yesterday afternoon in the mist. I drew it from the cafe terrace. I coloured it in at home because I’d been out singing carols with the Mystery Singers choir and only took a sketchbook on the off-chance I might draw.

Looking at this and the photos I took I can see I’ve exaggerated the perspective on the bandstand, but I think that helps as I was looking down on it from the cafe terrace.

Wide eyed

I was trying to draw a face that had a child like quality as an example for the children’s book project I’m doing for college. I used black ink fine liner pen to draw and shade it and add some freckles. I was worriedcthe shading was a bit to strong so I decided to use a charcoal pencil to add a bit of softness. Then I coloured the eyes and the lips (I’m planning to use black and white drawings with small coloured highlights). Each drawing is different but it’s helping me decide what I’m doing.

Card from a friend

I wasn’t expecting this lovely card from my friend Martha. (Women’s Wilderness Legend – living the Metaphor, marthakennedyblog.com) in Monte Vista near Denver (I hope I’ve got that right). I met her through WordPress and I really enjoy her blog. She is a writer and artist who lives with her two dogs. Reading her blog cheers me up. So interesting to see someone else’s point of view. It gives you a perspective on the world seeing another person’s point of view. Seeing those mountains in the background of the painting makes me realise how small (but very ancient) the hills and mountains of Britain are. We don’t get snow regularly like her mountains. I love this depiction of them.

Eye eye!

I do like playing with images, as you can see! (literally and metaphorically). By playing with them I learn new techniques, skills, and expand my ideas. Just getting the reflection on this to seem to float above the ‘iris’, by having the background slightly darker it makes the reflection stand forward. It should probably be shaded to get an apparent curvature onto the front of the eye. I used simple tools in my sketcher app on my phone to achieve this.

1950’s style?

A pattern I drew (top) and the same digitally textured with photodirector (bottom). I’m not sure what pattern I would call it, but it looks a bit like boats with sails and a setting sun. I could try and colour the lower curves blue, the ‘sails’ red and the sun (blob) yellow, or try different colourways. Maybe swap the red and yellow over? Whatever the colour I just like the play with pattern.

Little paintings for sale.

Almost the end of my couple of weeks at the The Waiting Room Gallery at Longport.

I’ve had my paintings up for sale there and sold a few already. But as they are tiny I can’t say I’ve made a massive amount of money (less than £40 so far). But I don’t care, I’m just pleased people liked them enough to buy them.

What next? I might add ribbons to them and turn more of them into Christmas decorations for next year, after all I’m not sure when things will get back to normal (if ever) and at this rate it might be a long time before I can mount an exhibition.