Category: Urbansketch

Spectrum Noir Giveaway

19/8/2017

Over the last month, I have been testing Spectrum Noir Art Liners. Although I normally use black pens, it was interesting to have a range of colours, brown and grey pens.

I have never really got on with brushpens, as each of these sets contained 1 or more along with a set of coloured brush pens, I started with them. I took a purple and green to the Wimbledon finals. Having tried to sketch at tennis tournaments before, I knew I spend all the time watching and not sketching. I was fortunate to get a front row seat at court 12 for the invitation men's double final. I sketched Dutch pair Eltingh and Haarhuis between games, then used the brush pens to add the pop of colour. I was impressed with the brush pens, unlike others that I have used the brush wasn't too long, so they were easy to control and gave a smooth line of colour.

Eltingh & Haarhuis in the invitation men's double final, which they won.

Next, I arranged to meet some friends to Drink and Draw at a local pub. It was a lovely evening and I took the whole set of coloured fineliners in anticipation of lots to sketch. As we sat outside, I tried to capture the shadows cutting across a cornfield. The sketch is not the most successful, but full marks to the smooth flow and consistancy of the pens.

I sketched and drew with the pens over the next few days, but the next major challenge was the IAAF World Athletics in London. There was so much going on that it was really difficult to sketch, but I managed this one between events. The photo left shows me sketching in my seat and I found the pens, both artliners and brushes, great for quick sketching.

High jump in the Olympic Stadium, London.

Finally, I used the black pens, including the brush pen, whilst doing some studies for a commission.

Did you know you could commission me to draw or paint your garden? Message me for more details if you are interested.

I have continued to use the various pens past the month's test period. Spectrum Noir have won me over to using brush pens and the artliners are now part of my regular sketching kit.

Now to the exciting part...
Would you like to win all the pens in the photo at the top of this post?
You could own:

SN Artliner - Bright (8pc)
SN Artliner - Bright - Brush (8pc)
SN Artliner - Black (6pc)
SN Artliner - Neutral (6pc)
SN artliner - Hand Lettering DVD

This bundle is worth £74.95!

Just comment on this post stating the drawing you like the most on this site
(not one in this post please).

The lucky winner will be randomly drawn on Sunday 3rd September.

*****
If you want to know more about Spectrum Noir, they are a Crafter's Companion brand and the two website addresses are as follows:

www.spectrumnoir.com and www.craftercompanion.co.uk

Tiptree Sings at Christmas

13/12/2015

I love going to see choirs sing at Christmas, so last night I went back to Tiptree to see a friend sing in the choir she belongs to. The setting was St Lukes church, which I have only drawn from the outside, so made sure I had coloured pencils alongside my sketchbook.

My first sketch was of some of the female choristers chatting before the concert. They were very animated and seemed quite excited which I hope I captured in the sketch. What do you think?

Listening to the lovely singing, I sketched the top drawing showing a section of the choir and the church.

I forgot to take the proof of on-location sketching shot until the choir was about to start singing in the second half of the concert, but hopefully gives a little idea of my view.

Other news: I was very flattered when Simone Ridyard asked me to contribute to her architectural sketching book, Archisketcher. Yesterday, I received my copy and the whole book is fabulous! I would thoroughly recommend buying it for your shelves because of the fabulous content, not because of my contribution :)

Finally, due to logistics the Essex&Suffolk Sketchers have renamed themselves Colchester Sketchers. The FB group is here: Colchester Sketchers

Have a good week everyone.

Quick trip to Italy

6/12/2015

Last week, I had to pop over to Italy to do some banking and negotiate with builders. As always, my sketchbook was in my handbag and here are a few of the sketches I did.

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A Perfect Day?!

13/9/2015

Spindle Drilling Machine in The 'Simpson' Belt Driven Workshop.

In-situ sketching.

This weekend is Heritage Weekend in UK with many interesting places open for free. Yesterday, taking advantage of the lack of entrance fee, I went to the Museum of Power, Langford.

The sound and sight of The 'Simpson' Belt Driven Workshop attracted my attention, so I decided to sketch there. With so many machines, belts, and interesting things I chose a small section to focus on and the above sketch is the result. Here is the in-situ photo. This sketch was done with a sepia Derwent pencil in A4 Monologue sketchbook. Whilst the afternoon sketch was Winsor & newton watercolours, Staedtlar Pigment liner in Daler A5 sketchbook.

After lunch, Degas and I went to Goldhanger for their Gala Weekend. With a karate demo going on in the churchyard, I took Degas down the road and walked her around the sea wall before heading into the village. As musicians were setting up in the Salty Dogs Tea Room, we headed there. It was the perfect afternoon: What's better than drinking tea (and eating carrot cake), in a beautiful garden, listening to live music, with your dog lying at your feet as you sketch?

Music, tea & cakes in a beautiful garden.

It was a lovely day. What would make your perfect day?

Titleless

16/8/2015

Whilst my sketching mojo has made a small comeback this week, I seem to have lost my words, hence the non-title of this post.

On Monday, I had 20 minutes to have a cuppa before a meeting in Somerset House. I sat on the terrace and had to sketch my view of the London Eye.

On Wednesday, I had to go to Maldon and with a spare half hour started to sketch an amazing garden-covered barge.

I didn't have time to add colour, so I did it at home later.

Thursday I was stuck in the hairdresser's for ages, so grabbed my A6 Laloran sketchbook.

I'm a bit concerned as I don't recognise that old lady in the mirror.

Hair colour 2015. Pencil

I sketched myself in the same position in 2010. I remember that I didn't wear my glasses and had to squint at the book.

Hair colour 2010. Ink in A6 moleskin.

Then yesterday, I joined the Essex & Suffolk Sketchers at Henny fete, where I visited a local garden, which happened to be serving cream teas. Using a Daler A5 sketchbook, I sketched it to justify eating it despite my ever expanding waistline.

Cream tea in watercolours.

Finally, I did a very quick sketch trying to capture a feeling of the quintessential English fete, whilst my assistant dug herself a hole.

As it was so colourful, I used a rainbow pencil by Lyra in my A5 Daler sketchbook.

My assistant checks my perspective.

Henny fete.

So that was my sketching week. Now if I could only think of a title...

Drinking and drawing...

2/8/2015

... talking and playing.

3rd Essex & Suffolk Sketchers DrinkDraw event.

Here I am sketching.

On Friday night, I had arranged for the Essex and Suffolk sketchers to have a 3rd DrinkDraw evening. These evenings are proving to be very successful and we had a good turn out again.

We went to the Rose and Crown in Wivenhoe, which has this great quayside beer garden. The above photo shows us hard at work sketching the estuary, boats, pub and more.

I spent most of my time chatting and/or playing with my assistant, who likes the drinkdraw evenings out, than painting. oh well there's always next month.

Lowtide on the River Colne.

More talking than sketching occurred last Saturday too. It was the #48th Worldwide Sketchcrawl day, so I arranged to join the Drawing London on Location group at the Geffrye Museum in Hoxton. Unfortunately, my sketching mojo didn't come too. I was ready to sketch on the train but... it was packed as the Norwich train had been offloaded onto the train I caught. I found a seat, got sketchbook and glasses out and... the man next to me proceeded to tell me all about his life as a cruise ship pianist. Arriving at the museum, it was one of those days that the scale of the building was intimidating and the gardens stunning but... nothing grabbed my attention. I decided a cup of tea was the solution, which it was as I loved the organic lamps and was lucky enough to have the people I was drawing stay as long as I sketched.

The Geffrye cafe.

After another wander around looking at the exhibits, I chatted to a few other sketchers, then decided to head off to look for my sketching mojo elsewhere. As my lack of results on Friday show, it hadn't come back by then. Fingers crossed I relocate it this week.

Devon doodles

19/7/2015

Trying to capture the Devon evening sun.

Having an invitation to a new fringe event in Devon, Tavistock Edge, I decided my assistant and I would have a holiday beforehand and found a cottage for us just on the edge of Dartmoor. I did lots of sketches throughout the week. I was especially fascinated with the cattle in the next field, as was Degas, so I drew them as she barked at them.

Here are the landscapes:

Here is a selection of the animal sketches:

I'll post the Tavistock Edge sketches next Sunday.

What do you think of my sketches? I'd love it if you left me a comment below.

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Urban sketching in Halesworth, Suffolk

21/6/2015

My day's sketching kit.

Yesterday, was the 2nd meeting of the Essex and Suffolk sketchers out at the picturesque village of Halesworth. The venue was chosen as a member had an exhibition there.

We were very lucky with the weather as the rain didn't start until we were on our way home. We started at the church and then I found a seat outside the White Swan, where I sat and drew the old alms houses. I think the wonky perspective is partially due to wonky building and a lot due to the cider. Next up was a quick sketch over a bowl of organic asparagus soup, then it was time to meet and share our sketches over a cuppa.

Lunchtime sketch at Focus Organic.

There are lot more sketching events coming up. You can see the Essex & Suffolk ones here: Essex&SuffolkSketchers
or you could send me a message.

Paris

31/5/2015

Love this sign at the entrance to Rolland Garros.

This year, I was fortunate to get a ticket for Roland Garros and last Wednesday saw me dropping my assistant at her sitter and me catching a plane to Paris. Friends live near the stadium, overlooking the Stade Jean Bouin, the home of Paris rugby. It was the subject of my pre-breakfast sketch before going to Roland Garros.

I had a ticket for the centre court and Goerges & Wozniacki were playing as I took my seat. I'm not so keen on ladies tennis, so took the opportunity to try and capture the movement of their serves using my multi-coloured pencil. Unfortunately, I pressed very lightly and cannot get a copy to share. Next, having realised you could see the Eiffel Tower from my seat, I then sketched the stand and view. I drew directly in ink and then added the watercolour.

After that, I didn't do any more sketching as the tennis was too exciting: Rafa Nadal V Almagro, Murray V Sousa, and on court 7 Ferrer V Gimeno-Traver.

However, the next day I arrived at the metro about 15 minutes early, so did a quick last sketch before heading to the airport.

Now the question is: Where to next?

Commuters at Port d'Auteuil: metro & bus.

A Jumbo Start

24/5/2015

Recently, Sarah from The Connection Magazine and I started a new urban sketching group the Essex & Suffolk Sketchers, with the aim to become an official chapter of the UrbanSketchers.

We decided to start big, drawing at Colchester's old water tower, locally called Jumbo, and the first meeting was last Sunday. It was a lovely sunny day, albeit cold in the shade, and we had a great turn out. We spent the first part of the day sketching around Jumbo and the Mercury Theatre, then after a lunch break moved onto the grounds of the Colchester Art Centre. It was a lovely day and everyone seemed enthusiastic about sketching again soon.

Below is a slideshow of my sketches and photos from the day. I'd love to hear what you think in a comment below. Thanks.

Essex & Suffolk sketchers. Find and like us on facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/EssexAndSuffolkSketchers/

Next meeting is June 20th, 12noon St Mary's Church, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8LL

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Spectrum Noir Giveaway

Tiptree Sings at Christmas

Quick trip to Italy

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A Perfect Day?!

Titleless

Drinking and drawing...

... talking and playing.

Devon doodles

Urban sketching in Halesworth, Suffolk

Paris

A Jumbo Start

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... talking and playing.

About me

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