Close-up

Posted on April 14, 2020April 14, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged #uskstoke, Apple, Art, Cartridge paper, Charcoal, Colours, Crayon, Design, Drawing, Illustration, Ink pen, Permanent markers, Sketch, Sketch book, Urban sketchers Stoke on trent2 Comments

I just thought I would show you a close-up of the apple I drew today, so you can see the effect of layering up pencil crayon and permanent marker, black ink pen, and charcoal pencil. I enjoyed using fine lines to define the shadows. I was going to leave a patch if white paper as a highlight on the apple, but when I looked at it, it was to white. So I used orange, red and pink permanent markers to try and make the apple stand out. Using different colours and textures is really exciting, it makes the image less flat. But I’m not trying to make it 3d either.

Day 26 usk challenge

Posted on April 13, 2020April 13, 2020 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #uskstoke, Art, Biro, Daily challenge, Drawing, Ink, Pen, Sketch, Sketching, Urban sketchers Stoke on trent, View through a window12 Comments

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Quick sketch in biro, looking out of our back living room window into the yard. You might be able to see a dream catcher in the window. There’s a lot of brambles out there growing through from next door. But in the summer it’s full of colourful flowers. I usually cut the brambles so only bits with flower buds re left, then I pick the crop when the fruit is ripe sometimes a squirrel comes along and harvests them before I get there!

I had already ordered hanging baskets that generally arrive in June. I hope they still come. Its something to look forward to.

Waiting for it to warm up a bit, then I’ll go outside and do a bit more.

Purple swan

Posted on April 4, 2020 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Artrage oils, Doodle, Fun, Play, Purple, Sketch, Swan1 Comment

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This was a drawing experiment a few years ago. It was an ArtRage oils drawing, using colours then mainly the dry marker to subdue the strength of the original brushes. You can use a sliding scale to alter the brush sizes and strength of the metallic colours, so sometimes the colours look shiny and other times matt. It’s worth playing with different tools in apps, it increases your knowledge. I’ve found some apps really difficult to use, especially if I don’t use them very often. But I will modify what I do, and play around with things to see what results I get. I end up with a series of images, then edit out ones I don’t like. Sometimes I keep all of them so I can show how my work progresses.

Cheers x

Today I’m taking stock

Posted on April 2, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged #uskstoke, Art, Art supplies, Canvas, Drawing, Easles, Paints, Sketch, Sketching, Stock taking, Talking stock, Urban Sketchers4 Comments

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Mid way through our thirty day challenge in Urban Sketchers Stoke-on-Trent. The subject was ‘taking stock’.

In front of me on the floor is a lovely carrier my friend sent me for Christmas. Its covered in decoupage pictures of me and my friend from years ago, and little cartoons drawn on top of the photos. The box contains all by little bottles of metallic acrylic paints, gold, silver, copper and bronze, but also metallic red, blue, green and brown. There is something nice about adding a bit of sparkle. In it too are packets of brushes, cheap but strong. Finally I have four or five tiny canvases on easle. They were going to be the centerpiece of my craft stall this spring. Instead they lie their forlorn, still wrapped in plastic, waiting for me to find inspiration in these bleak times.

I must paint and keep busy. But all my time is taken up by social media!

Today’s sky

Posted on April 1, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Buildings, Drawing, Grey sky, Sketch, Sky, Staffordshire, Urban Sketchers, Usk Stoke-on-Trent, View2 Comments

The day the urban sketchers challenge was to draw the sky, it was grey and cloudy! Instead of swirling or feathery clouds we got a grey duvet closing in the light. At one second while I was drawing the sun shone through, but while I tried to catch the orange colour on the edges of the clouds the gap had closed and all was grey again! I tried to make the best of the view by drawing the outbuilding next door and a bit of vegetation (privet bush).

So hopefully a bit more sun will shine tomorrow.

Humane mouse trap

Posted on March 31, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Bottle, Diagram, Fun, Glass bottle, Humane mouse trap, Humour, Idea, Life, Mouse, Sketch, Teatowel, Wide neck bottle2 Comments

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A friend asked if anyone knew a humane way to trap a mouse. This was a method I was once told about for a humane trap.

Put chocolate in a wide necked bottle. Prop it up and put a tea towel in the neck so the mouse can climb up. The idea is the mouse eats the chocolate but then can’t climb out of the bottle because the glass is too steep and slippery. When you find it in the morning use the teatowel to stop up the neck of the bottle and take it outside to release.

It might work, you never know. At least the mouse won’t be eating your food. The bottle should be put in a quiet place so it feels safe. X

Suggestions for Art group

Posted on March 26, 2020March 26, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Colourful, Design, Digital drawing, Drawing, Etruria Artists, Fish, Fun, Sketch, Weekly draw2 Comments

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I’m in a group called Etruria Artists that was meeting on a Thursday, but we can’t at the moment. I’m hoping we can do something to keep it going.. Maybe we could draw or paint something, weekly or daily. Spend a couple of hours on a Thursday? I was thinking the art could be bright and colourful. Each of the members would suggest something and then make a list. Post on Facebook so the other artists can see it
My first suggestion is fish….which is why there is a picture of one here.
Could be illustration, fantasy, pattern….. X

Latest USK drawing

Posted on March 24, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Challenge, Drawing, Keeping occupied, Sketch, Sketching, Staffordshire, Staying safe, Urban sketchers London, Urban sketchers Stoke on trent, Urban sketchingLeave a comment

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Did a sketch of two new plants in the kitchen, my hubby bought them today. Are they essential? No, but gardening helps his mental health, so to him they are.

Is it DIY? That was the challenge, well I guess it’s the closest thing to DIY that’s happening here.

The green splatter of ink was put on first to give a bit of interest and help filling in the area of greenery.

Not sure if I got the perspective right. The plants are about the right scale.

What are they? A Kumquat and a Plum tree. I’m not sure if the Kumquat is edible. Does anyone know? I think it’s just decorative.

Urban Sketchers Stoke-on-Trent is a group of local people interested in drawing and sketching. The drawings should be a general view, so if you draw something you need to include it’s surroundings. Sketches are from life, not photos, and we try and be accurate as much as we can.

The challenge is based on the one urban sketchers in London is running. It runs for thirty days, and lots of people are getting involved.

Memory of Stephen Hawking

Posted on March 16, 2020March 16, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bad rhyme, Digital art, Digital drawing, In memory, Life, Poem, Poetry, Portrait, Remembering, Sketch, TimeLeave a comment

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Is it two years since he died?

The world has turned,

and moved on in space,

his time line has ended,

gone away from this place.

Professor of physics,

thinker of time,

despite limitations,

he was free in his mind.

Living with illness,

he did more with his thoughts,

gave us new insights

into the Universe.

Looked at Blackholes,

from inside and out,

and Big Bang theory,

he knew such a lot.

Famous for explaining,

in book and in words,

the working of the universe,

in ‘A brief History of Time’.

Apologies for this poem, it is not well written or rhymed, but the image popped up on my memories page, and I was surprised at how much time had passed. I wonder what he would make of the world now?

So then I drew a dragonet

Posted on February 27, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Artrage oils, Digital drawing, Dragnet, Dragon, egg, Fun, Ideas, Illustration, Picture, SketchLeave a comment

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Another four year old picture from my memories. Another one done in ArtRage. Just a bit silly and fun. I think it started out as an attempt to draw an egg, then I got a bit creative. I’ve illustrated a book before, and this could be used for that sort of thing.

Drawing from your imagination is more difficult because you have to have an idea of what you are drawing in your head. I often describe what I’m drawing to myself so that I have an idea of how to depict it. I want to get my mojo back!

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Sketch