Let's call this TAKE 10 - maybe take 10 minutes to do a quick sketch!
This post is the first of a set (this is Volume 1)
I thought I would walk you through one of my sketchbooks. I will put them in sets / themes if I can. And I will share what my thoughts were doing them and what materials I used. I love landscape. I love colour. I like illustrations too.. you will see that I don't stick to one particular style. That is OK.. Sketchbooks are a place to journal and discover.. what you like, what you don't like... I am going to keep each post to about 10 pictures. And the title of this set of walkthroughs is TAKE TEN. Can you take 10 minutes out of your day to sketch something - maybe on the back of an envelope, a napkin, your diary.. and take 10 minutes to observe and enjoy?...
This is a quick pen and watercolour. Quick for me means a few minutes sometimes. I did not deliberate, I looked, I saw, and then recorded. There may have been more trees in the scene, but I particularly liked these ones! Then I added a watercolour wash over the background and foreground.
This was a winter scene. I drove to the location that looks out over the town skyline, in a field... and then I stood and froze for about an hour while I sketched madly to keep warm! Again, this is black roller ball pen and watercolours. I wrote a little word picture to go with this. Birds singing. Blue skies. Wispy clouds. Bright winter sun. White globe. Stack sculpture. Moss green. Man walking. Path winding. Criss cross paths. Quiet noise. Splash blue. Chalky white. Strata skies. Mauve...
This was at the same location. But I turned to the left... I wanted to pick out the most striking lines I was seeing..
This was on location at one of my favourite places to sketch, Acton Burnell Castle. Pen and watercolour.
Above is rapid sketching at Cardingmill Valley, Church Stretton. Left and Right were done with a biro pen!
When I grew plants on my back deck a few years ago - I just loved the juxtaposition of shapes and textures. This was with felt pen and watercolour paint.
Black Rock Sands - A rapid painting time with watercolours and a charcoal pencil, while I was at the beach with the family.
(with most of my sketchbook work - I work really quickly.. partly because in the past I just did not have much time ) However, that isn't so bad.. It may also just be the way I like to work. It focuses me.. and I don't dilly dally over what I am seeing. If you only have a small window of time, you can still get a lot done!
This one I painted while I was working in a local studio space in an old supermarket. I read a story about a young girl who had escaped from North Korea.. It was a very moving story..she had said, as she journeyed through woods and countryside to freedom on her own, "I thought Only the stars were with me"... she now resides in the USA and has a new life.. It has an illustrative feel to it. I used acrylic paint. I wanted to emphasise the dark trees and the stars... to emphasise her words.
This is my first walk through of my sketchbook Volume 1 - 10 little pictures. I hope this encourages you to have a go - write down - sketch down - observe - TAKE 10 minutes to grab a pen and take time out for you!..x
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