Tag: Sketching

Pastel sea

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I did a pastel workshop a few months ago and I found it quite difficult to get a good likeness of the sea.

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The detail is so hard to reproduce. Especially the soft, spray, and foam areas. The colours are also difficult. As you add pastels to the paper surface it catches in the “tooth” of the paper. The problem is that some of the paper’s are like sand paper, and could take the skin off your fingers! I wonder how to handle the pastels to get a softer effect.

I think I would go back to another workshop to gain more skills. I enjoy trying out new materials and techniques. There will be a charge for it, but it is worth it for the experience.

 

Mow Cop

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Mow Cop…..

If you ever drive on the A34 between Stoke-on-Trent and Congleton, look to your left as you are driving North, just past little Moreton Hall. You might catch a glimpse of Mow Cop on top of the hill…

Mow Cop is a folly, built to look like a castle, and it stands above the village of Mow Cop, giving views of the Cheshire plain and Shropshire and the Welsh hills.

We decided to visit today as a group I am in- Stoke USK, (urban sketchers group) is due to visit on Saturday but I can’t make it.

I did some brief sketches of the castle and the view, clouds were quite low over the plain and rain was threatening. I irritated myself because I started the castle drawing too far over the page so had to start again.

While we were there we saw a carved stone with lettering on it. I could just make out the words. “To the Glory of God
A camp meeting near this spot on May 31st 1807 began the Religious Revival led by Hugh Bourne and William Clowes known as Primitive Methodism (unveiled?) By the president of the Methodist Conference 13th May 1948”

I knew that the Methodists had started in the area; Bethesda chapel in Hanley , the city centre of Stoke on Trent, is currently being restored. I imagined people gathering at Mow Cop, listening to the Victorian preachers, in rain, wind and hail. A romantic view I know. But the place is very atmospheric.

We finally tried to walk up to the castle, but the steep steps defeated me so I only got half way up. Richard managed a bit further.

Want to visit?  The castle is a bit difficult to find. Once you are on the hill you can’t see it as well. However there is a good sized car park when you get there. You will see a National Trust notice board and it gives the opening times. Roads approach from the A34 and a road from Tunstall in Stoke-on-Trent.

The live and dead tree

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The live and dead tree sits hard on the ground.

One twist of bark still attached…

Like Ivy clinging to the trunk,

Twisted knotted rope like round and taut.

 

Green leaves, large and serrated, sprout out,

Twigs and branches caught in the embrace,

Dead wood holds up life to the sun,

Wise, wide trunk so aged.

 

How did you die?

We’re you struck, hit, broken, by wind or storm?

Did you find disease in your skin?

Is the clinging umbilicus of your wooden baby your clone?

 

Your age is ancient, your body skeletal.

Your upper limbs and branches peeled of all skin.

But still you sit hard on the ground,

Immortal, in a way reborn.

Today’s drawings

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Today I had the pleasure of going out with The Orme Art group for our annual trip to a landscape venue at an old house and its grounds in Staffordshire.

The weather was very windy,  so I decided to take a small sketch pad  and coloured pencils,  soft pastels, and fine tipped ink pens. I thought I had my portable chair in the back of the car but it wasn’t there when I opened the boot. Luckily there were chairs in the garden of the large house for us to use.

The other artists there were either painting with watercolours or acrylics, but we were in a reasonably sheltered spot, so they were not affected by the wind. There is something wonderful, sitting in a green space,  looking at the landscape, the shapes of the trees and leaves. Noticing where the shadows fall, which direction the light is coming from. Choosing the medium which is most appropriate for the drawing you are doing. I find using black pens are good for quick sketches, and outlining and shading shadowed areas. The pastels bought out the colours on an old tree, where only one section of bark was still attached and so only a few branches were still in leaf. I used the coloured pencils to try and give an impression of the solidity of the house with feathery leaves superimposed on the walls and windows. Finally I drew a quick sketch of one of the other artists as she painted the tree that I had drawn.

Having a small A5 sketch pad that is ring bound is really useful. You can draw across the whole page without it flipping shut on you. Yes the holes and wire can get in the way a bit, but being able to fold the whole book back allows for easier handling. You can use it in portrait or landscape positions, and it is easier to fold shut if you get caught in a sudden rainshower.

I spent about an hour on the drawing of the house, and 20 to 30 minutes on the landscape/tree. The quick sketch of my friend took about 15 minutes.

The one thing I should have worn is sturdy shoes! There were a lot of insects about and I’m lucky I didn’t get bitten!

Swirled

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I did another doodle today, just because I can I guess. I wanted to do something bright and colourful. Something cheerful during this hot spell of weather.

Primary colours with a touch of green and orange to brighten up my day. A tiny bit of black for contrast….curves like a fountain give a flourish to the doodle.

I’ve explained I the past what apps I use, I don’t want to bore you again!

Sometimes I can see animals in these patterns, today I think I see cats or dogs…I used to see patterns in old wallpaper and curtain patterns. There is apparently a name for it but I cannot remember what it is.

All the best and have a good weekend!

Portrait session

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We had a lovely sitter tonight called Debbie McAndrew. She is an author and play write and also sometimes acts. She wrote a brilliant play called “dirty laundry” that was on last year . It was set in the past and was about the history of the potteries.

We had an entertaining session drawing her and discussing all sorts of things, including how she got into the theatre and acting and how the group got into drawing and painting.

I really enjoyed the session and think that I got some relatively accurate portraits from it.

I used pencil, charcoal pencil and black ink to do the drawings.  The sketches are in a small sketch book with good thickness cartridge paper.

I like drawing in these books. There is enough room to fit the drawings in, and they are small enough to hold so that it is not a struggle to hold the book. Other people were using A1 or A2 sheets to draw or paint on but I prefer the smaller size. About A5.

Anyway I shall just leave you to decide if you like them…

Lifedrawing

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Tonight’s life drawing model was called Richard.

When I’m feeling out if sorts I like to go to life drawing. I can sit and draw without worrying whether the picture is saleable. I suppose I could frame up some of these but I don’t really want to.

I find nowadays that my eyesight isn’t as good so I look through my glasses at the model,  then over the top of them to see my sketch, half the time my glasses are slipping down my nose, which probably looks comical.

I tend to use a small sketch pad but if I go for a4 or bigger I use the back of a chair to rest it on. I used to use a donkey at college…a long thin stool you sit astride with a rest that pulls up which you can lean your sketch pad or drawing board on. the advantage of these is you can be seated without having to mess about propping things on a second chair.  If you use a large easle its generally easier to stand up, as the legs of the easle can get in your way if you sit. Drawing on a flat peice of paper means that when you lift it to the vertical the image stretches and ends up elongated, this does not look good when you are doing figure studies.

Anyway, going back to the class, I did 7 drawings tonight…they call me prolific!

 

 

Weekend drawings

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Here are a few more of my drawings from the weekend, I didn’t take a camera but did take a sketchbook. I’m doing that more these days because I joined the local urban sketchers group a few months ago.

The drawings are from the Endon well dressing where their were lots of beautiful dogs entered for a dog obedience show. I drew a little scottie dog. There is also a drawing of a fellow exhibitor.

Then on Sunday we want back to Audlem where I had sung on Saturday and had a better look round the village. There was a Chalmers car there built in 1913. I drew it and gave the picture to the owner who kindly emailed me a photo of it. There is also a quick sketch of the Shropshire union canal looking down at barges tied up near the Shroppie Fly pub at the canal wharf.

The other sketches are of the Dorothy Clive garden which we also visited (busy weekend) the rhododendrons were fully in flower in the quarry garden and the view from the terrace outside the tea shop was wonderful (why did I leave my camera behind) anyway I did some drawings of the view and made notes of the colours of the rhododendrons to possibly do a watercolour later. The foliage is always a challenge to draw, but I did my best.

Note to self, maybe take a small box of watercolours with me in future , or pastels if there is no water…..

Pigs and rabbits

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These are digital drawings from 2007 or 2008. I’m not sure what I was thinking of when I did them but the first couple look rather cheeky I think. The last one seems a bit smug….

I like using different coloured backgrounds to contrast with the drawings pen colours.

I didn’t remember them till they popped up on my Facebook feed a few days ago. I posted a lot of my drawings are there because the site was closing and I wanted to keep them safe.

My favourite is the pig with his curly tail. He seems a real character. I would love to illustrate George Orwells “Animal Farm” the drawing seems to go with the phrase two legs bad, four legs good, which may be a misquote …

Anyway I like the squiggled feel to it. I hope you do too….

Horses

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Drawn on sketchfu

I have always drawn and painted animals. Horses are a particular favourite. So when I got onto the internet a few years ago I started drawing them on various sites.

Sketchfu was a website with simple drawing tools, but there was a great society there and you could get interesting results.

One thing I noticed when I look at these is that most of them face one way, head to the left , tail to the right. I seem to do the same if I draw a profile, they usually face left. I had a thought the its because I’m right handed? I wonder if left handed people draw right to left?

Horses are wonderful to draw and paint, sometimes they are so full of free spirit. I loved Shadowfax in thd Lord if the Rings. The thought of flying over the land on Pegasus would also be marvellous. Not forgetting unicorns which are a lovely mythical beast. I love the way they can have do many coat patterns. I think my favourites are grey.

So if you think you would like a horse painting get in touch. I might be able to help.

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