Catch up with urban sketchers

Posted on June 25, 2020 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #uskstoke, Art, Dots, Drawing, Dusk, Fun, Hanging baskets, Life, Night, Silhouette, Sketching, Sky, Spots and stripes, Urban sketchers Stoke on trentLeave a comment

Two for the price of one! The first was tonight’s sketch… Environment. It was going dark so I drew the fence with some hanging baskets, with our weather station above them. It measures wind rain, temperature and pressure. The dusky sky is visible above the silhouette of the buildings opposite.

The second drawing is spots and stripes. It was due on Tuesday 23.6.20, but I forgot. The first time through all these challenges that I missed doing one. The stripey thing is a cover on our settee. There are spotty and stripey cushions on it and a spotty lampshade. Neither drawing is articulately exciting. They are just about how and where I live..

Doodles

Posted on June 25, 2020 Posted in SketchingTagged Adventure?, ArtRage app, Doodles, Drawing, Fun, Learning, SketchingLeave a comment

A few recent adventures in digital art. Trying for something a bit different to what I normally do.

Why? Its easy to say “because I can”. I’d rather say ” because its interesting” or “because I’m learning from my mistakes”.

What is the audience? Well, people viewing my page, also in this case my Facebook Art page. Maybe, one day, a wider audience.

Used ArtRage Pro app to draw these and my tablet and stylus.

My favourite Star Trek character.

Posted on June 24, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged 1960's, Art, Blogging, Drawing, Fun, Life, Sci fi, Sketching, Sock, Star Trek2 Comments

Always was, always will be. Spock. Played by Leonard Nimoy in the original series.

I quite like Zachary Quinto who plays him in the recent Star Trek movies. I haven’t seen the new outing of a new Star Trek series with Spock played by a different actor, and Captain Pike before Captain Kirk took over the part.

Anyway this was drawn at an old website called sketchfu which is sadly missed by a lot of people.

Drawings

Posted on June 19, 2020 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #uskstoke, Art, Calendar, Covid 19, Lock down, Memories, Sketching, Stoke-on-Trent Urban sketchers, Thoughts, Time2 Comments

17.4.20, after I had drawn for thirty days with Stoke Urban Sketchers, and I guess at that stage I thought we wouldn’t be in lockdown for long. Our government, and in particular our prime minister was giving out optimistic press conferences saying that we should be able to get over it pretty lightly. I think he even said it was like some sort of flu? Of course things didn’t go that well for us, and now over 42 thousand people have died from covid 19 in the UK. Its almost like the government thought we would be immune with our “stiff upper lips” and “gung-ho” mentality. Clearly they were wrong.

So here we are. How many more drawings will I do before it’s safe to go out properly and not just dash to the shops to get essentials. Who knows when that will be?

What’s in the bag?

Posted on June 18, 2020 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Black and white, Blogging, Drawing, Ink pen, Plastic bag, Shopping, Sketching, Stoke-on-Trent Urban sketchers, Usk challengeLeave a comment

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Today’s Urban sketchers drawing was to draw what’s in a bag. I have drawn a plastic bag containing different items obscured by the plastic.

Ink pen size 0.5,iI think I possibly should have used a bigger nib? But it did mean I’ve goy some nice fine lines. I think we are about half way through this set of challenges. The are happening three times a week. It’s keeping my mind occupied. I have other things I need to get done that I’m putting off!

Souvenir

Posted on June 16, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged #uskstoke, Art, Black and white, Colour, Drawing, Knitting, Life, Pattern, Pen and ink, Picture, Sketching, Souvenir, Thai doll, Urban sketchers challenge, Urban sketchers Stoke on trentLeave a comment

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Texture and pattern. Today’s Urban sketchers challenge was drawing a souvenir so I drew a Thai woman and baby doll that my friend gave me. As I’m doing textures and symbols on my illustration course I decided to try out different marks to show the knitting on the cushion underneath the doll.

I have been doing a lot of pen and ink drawings lately, not using pencil or charcoal much. Maybe I should try some other techniques?

Today’s challenge, water or washing

Posted on June 14, 2020June 14, 2020 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #uskstoke, Art, Charity, Drawing, Drawing challenge, Drinking water, Ideas, Sketching, Tap, Thinking, WaterLeave a comment

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It was another drawing challenge with Stoke Urban Sketchers, but I think it means more than that…. I am privileged to live in a country where we have sufficient rain, most of the time, to fill our needs. Last year we decided to have an outside tap fitted. It means that if there is drought we can use watering cans and a hose to water the garden. Ideally we need to fit a waterbutt to become more self sufficient. Drawing a tap is significant, a basic I sometimes take for granted.

The need for fresh water is a desperate problem across a lot of the world. There are charities you can donate to including Wateraid which is trying to bring fresh water to some of the poorest countries in the world.

So I’m just suggesting making a small donation. Each tiny drop of water from many people can turn into a torrent if enough of us give. If you can wash your hands it aids the health of people, the ability to grow crops and reduces famine and disease.

Circles, today’s USK prompt.

Posted on June 11, 2020June 11, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged #uskstoke, Art, Circles, Drawing, Dream catcher, Ellipses, Life, Mobile, Mug, Objects, Rings, Sketching, Urban sketchers Stoke on trentLeave a comment

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I just had to find circles to draw for today’s Stoke on Trent urban sketchers challenge. I hope ellipses count as tipped up circles. In that case there are rings, a mug, a dream catcher and a mobile in this sketch… If not I guess the dream catcher and mobile in the window count. Black ink on cartridge paper. Next drawing due Sunday I think….

Dorothy Clive Garden.

Posted on June 10, 2020June 10, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged 2018, Art, Day out, Dorothy Clive garden, Drawing, Fun, Gardening, Pictures, Plants, Sketching, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, VisitLeave a comment

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This was my drawing of the Dorothy Clive Garden on 6.5.18. It’s recently reopened but with a booking system so you have to book morning or afternoon slots to visit. There is a self service system at the cafe. I hope we can go one day next week if the weather improves, after a month or more of sunshine we have been having rain for the last few days. Good for all gardens including the Dorothy Clive.

It will be lovely to see different landscapes, beautiful flowers, and peaceful water features.

When you draw a place you are interpreting the world in a different way to simple photographs. That’s why I enjoy it. Trying to tame nature and describe it.

Local drawing

Posted on June 10, 2020 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #uskstoke, Art, Drawing, Life, Local, Penkhull, Penkhull Church, Pictures, Sketching, Urban sketchers Stoke on trent2 Comments

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As I was busy yesterday I missed doing a drawing of something local that was the prompt from stoke urban sketchers. I wanted to do a picture of somewhere a bit further away as my local pottery is not the most exciting image and I’ve already drawn it.

This is Penkhull Church at the top of our hill. It was built in the Victorian era and it is a lovely piece of architecture and centre of the community. It needs some restoration, which has partly been done but as with everything old work needs to continue on it.

If you ever feel like donating I’m sure there is some sort of fund that donations can go to. I don’t know exactly where.

Lots of activities are held there, from services, music festivals and the yearly mystery plays. The local theatre group has held musical evenings there too.

Anyway I might do the next challenge tomorrow. I’m not sure what it will be. Looking forward to it.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Sketching