Friday 29 April 2016

Sketchbook pages

I've taken out my sketchbook again I've been busy filling the pages. Sometimes I feel more like painting with acrylics, in my art journal or on canvas, other times it's ink and watercolour sketches or drawings. But I want to make using my sketchbook a regular practice. It's something I've neglected too often but it's such good practice. And I do love watercolours, and one of my goals for this year is to master this medium. Or at least get a bit more comfortable and skilled working with it.



I treated myself to a new watercolour box and bruhes. And of course I had to make a colour chart. I like Schmincke paints. I also have a few Daniel Smith paints, but since I haven't used them often enough, I find that they do tend to get quite hard after a while. Schmincke are a German brand, and widely available here in Switzerland and also affordable. I'm now working on "perfecting" my palette. I also found a Winsor & Newton box that I bought in London a few years ago. One of those £34.95 instead of £127 speciall offers that one just can't resist.


I'm reading Margery Allingham's Campion books at the moment, I have a whole pile of them and I'm working my way through it. I've never seen the tv series, but Lugg does quite look like his description in the book. The page isn't quite finished yet, and I can't decide whether to add colour or not. But I think I'll just leave it an ink drawing.


I've started taking my sketchbook with me when I go out, and I'm trying to squeeze in half an hour of drawing time every morning before work. It's a peaceful and meditative way to start the day. I also try and draw in my lunchbreak, and next week, I want to start taking my watercolours with me too, rather than just add colour in the evening. And of course I try to draw at home too. Drawing every day



It's taken me well over a year to fill the sketchbook above and I couldn't wait for it to start a new one. Funny, now that I actually have finished it, I almost miss it. The sketchbook was a Stillman & Birn Beta, landscape format and the one I started is a Seawhite. Below are the first two pages. The new Sketchbook course has just started, and as you can see, I've been inspired by the teachers of the classes for these two.


I really want to love this sketchbook. Because Seawhite sketchbooks are available at one of the art shops in town, and it would just be so much easier and cheaper to get them there instead of having to order them from England. What I noticed, though, is that the paper seems to be slightly thinner and the shadow of the ink drawing on the back of the page is very visible. Also, I noticed that erasing pencil lines does not work very well. They remain visible. Both these things are a bit annoying. On the other hand, I added some colour to the page above last night, and the paper seems to take the paint quite well. So that's a plus. And coloured pencil works well too. I'm determined to finish this sketchbook before moving on to the next one, trying out different mediums. One drawing every day. The more I sketch, the quicker I finish the sketchbook.




16 comments:

  1. Beautiful work. My water colours are from Schmmincke, which I have had since I was a kid, and W & N, too. Happy PPF, hugs, Valerie

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  2. Sketching is something I don't do nearly enough of, in fact I don't do any! I did go through a phase of sketching instagram animals on a lined jotter using Derwent Graphik Liner pens - you might like those as they are a sort of acrylic ink and they have lovely colours. I found though that I was spending too much time on each one so that it was no longer just a sketch and felt I'd rather be painting on an actual canvas if each sketch was going to take so long! I love the varied subject matter that you tackle. The monkey is a favourite!

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  3. Oh WOW!

    EAGHL
    http://trigra.blogspot.com

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  4. Such delightful work!!! Love the lightness of your creations!
    Hugs,
    Michelle ♥ #25 this week at PPF

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  5. wow these are all such marvelous sketches!!! I have heard of the schmincke paints but never tried them. I really should do as you are doing and take my book out each day and sketch for practice as I do need it. And now with so many beautiful spring things to sketch... happy PPF!

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  6. What exquisite work. These all fill my eyes. How amazing you are! You are obviously one of the great artists...

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  7. Wow, what a feast for the eyes!! A delightful post! My, you have been busy!! :0)

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  8. Fabulous sketches, I so adore them. Great watercolour art too. Happy PP Friday!

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  9. Fabulous work with much love for that amazing portrait!! All this eye candy is very inspiring! Thanks for sharing!

    Hugs Giggles

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  10. Oh my! What beautiful sketches--and the color only enhances them. You have certainly been busy. Won't be long and you'll have this new book finished, too. :)

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  11. such amazing work you do!! Beautiful!

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  12. Wow, you have a beautiful style and have made a wonderful commitment to your art! Thanks for sharing!

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  13. I love your sketchbook. You draw very well and yours looks so much better than mine does. But I do think when you sketch every day it improves, so must have been sketching for quite some time. Have a great weekend and enjoy those Campion books. I read a lot of them many years ago and enjoyed them.

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  14. Oh my gosh..... awesome drawings!!! The flowers are just amazing and the sweetest!

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  15. really nice pieces, i too am considering trying the water colour sketching and moving away a bit from the digital art for a while

    much love...

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