Loved the way the deep purple-y-ness of this plump aubergine contrasts with the cool green of the plate it’s sitting on so much I just had to paint it!
Aubergine Sketch
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Tag Archives: pen and wash
Recent Sketches
I’ve yet to find my New Year’s sketch rhythm but here are two pen and watercolour sketches I made during pre-Christmas outings.
Hiking through San Ambrosio (left) from Vejer it felt more like spring than midwinter….
…and the oranges shone like festive baubles in Cádiz (right)
Beach Walk Sketches
I don’t usually remember to pack my sketch book and paints when I head out for a stroll along the beach in El Palmar but there was something in the gentle sunshine this Monday afternoon that reminded me…
I didn’t quite manage to capture the beauty of these Retinto cows in my pen and wash sketch above…
…but there’s a softness that I like in this deserted beach scene painted with sea water
Rainy Day Sketches
With the onset of showery weather it’s tempting to skip the weekly sketch meetings but these last two Saturdays I’ve been determined to persevere. For sure the white walls of Vejer don’t glow without sunshine but the brooding clouds lend a different atmosphere.
Above, the old town of Vejer from a roof terrace in the new town.
Left, the church bell tower from my roof terrace in the old town.
Both pen and watercolour.
Hooray for roofs and brollies!
Autumn Sketches
The pen and watercolour sketch to the left was my first of the autumn season, having been invited to see the sherry grape harvest in the the Faustino González vineyard just outside Jerez.
The grape pickers moved too fast for me to capture with my painting hands!
The sketch on the right is of one of the old town gates in Vejer de la Frontera, you can see one of my fellow sketchers on the left.
The last sketch in this trio is of the Roman aquaduct in the beautiful village of Santa Lucia.
Sketching Vejer
my first outing with the Vejer Sketchers
Late last year (2014) I was delighted to be invited to join Arte Vejer, a community organisation which aims to promote visual arts and creativity in and around the Andalusian town of Vejer de la Frontera.
Vejer Sketchers is a subsidiary group of Arte Vejer and part of the worldwide Urban Sketchers movement.
Calle Sagasta, Vejer, pen
Vejer, pen and coloured pencil
sketching on a roof terrace, Vejer
The sketching enthusiasts, from various walks of life, of different nationalities and ages, meet once a week; usually to draw in the streets of Vejer, sometimes joined by sketchers from other towns,
Vejer Sketchers with sketch groups from other towns at Concentrarte, Vejer’s annual art street fair
Calles Reyes Cátolicos and Rosario, Vejer, pen and watercolour
some of the entrants in Vejer’s annual patio competition, pen and watercolour
Ayuntamiento Vejer, Baelo Claudia Bolonia, 47th Sketchcrawl Cadiz, pen and watercolour
sometimes traveling to join sketch groups in other locations,
sketching in the rain in Bolonia
life drawing with a model,
charcoal and crayon
charcoal
charcoal and crayon
or even drawing each other.
watercolour sketches
In this Arte Vejer video, which features stills of some of my pre-Sketchers artwork, I talk (in Spanish) about my New Year’s Resolution to join the Vejer Sketchers, saying that street sketching in a group is brave and interesting and a great contrast to my usual controlled method of drawing and developing images in my studio with photos for reference.
chorizo, pen and watercolour
Actually, the Vejer Sketchers experience has surpassed all my expectations; the group dynamic is incredibly friendly and supportive and diffuses the potential self-consciousness associated with drawing in public places (safety in numbers!).
Vejer, pen and watercolour
I’ve enjoyed painting with watercolours since I was a child and the Vejer Sketchers have inspired me to try new techniques and different formats – my confidence, speed, motivation and skill have all improved.
hibiscus, pen and watercolour
Come and join us if you can!
Sam
I made this portrait of my parents’ dog Sam as a surprise Christmas present and luckily they were delighted.
I worked from a photograph I took while we were out for a walk a few months ago, first I made a pencil drawing which I worked over in water resistant pen, then I applied several washes of watercolour paint.