This was originally drawn in ink and watercolour wash, then photocopied. I really like the way the photocopy has darkened all the values, creating a strange mood-effect.
Graphite and colour pencil on brown paper.
Both drawings are studies for a painting.
6B Pencil in sketchbook.
I plan to start catching up with posting some sketchbook work. This was a sketch I did last September, which eventually became the painting ‘Tired Now’.
I’ve been taking a holiday over the festive period, so not much to share. We did, however, visit Leeds City Art Gallery and I spent a very pleasant half hour sat drawing this detail from Paula Rego‘s ‘The Artist in Her Studio’. The good thing about drawing a piece of artwork is that it makes you really look at it. This painting is actually far more painterly and textured than you would ever expect from looking at a reproduction of it.
You can also get a feel for the physicality of the artist’s process – how they actually may have moved to make the marks. For example, this sketch is drawn whilst looking at a charcoal drawing by Frank Auerbach in the Manchester Whitworth Art Gallery. Just by trying to replicate the way the marks were made, I could sense the vigorous movements that he may have made in making the drawing.
I’ve tried some monoprinting at home, simply using oil paints. I really love the quality of monoprint, and I think it fits very well with the theme of memory because of that ‘foggy’ lack of clarity that they suggest.
Monoprint on postcard
Monoprint on hand-made paper
Soft Pastel (bargain pack from Lidl!) on ingres paper
I had a ball in Lidl last week as they had artists’ materials on special offer. I managed to pick up a desk easel (FSC wood) for less than a tenner, and it’s perfectly good quality and a nice simple design. I also bought these pastels, which are a bit gritty to use, but perfectly OK for practising. This is a study for a painting which is currently on the easel, background painted, composition sketched in oil pastel, and ready to paint.
6B pencil sketch. Study for a painting.
Right, I’m calling this finished, as the whole point was to do a number of quick paintings. This is just under 3ft by 4ft, acrylic on card. I also did a quick sketch to try and help me get to grips with the figures. The sketch is even funnier than the painting – dwarves at twilight!
It was a fresh, sunny morning, so we decided to have a day out at Harlow Carr gardens. These sketches were done in ink and watercolour pencil. I have tried to be much looser with them. I usually get all fiddly when drawing outdoors, especially with gardens. These sketches probably took about ten minutes each. That’s good for me!