This weeks sketches have been a combination of very quick sketches when out and about and slower drawings at home. All in watercolour pencil of course.

Me in my facemask. I took a screenshot of myself on Skype and drew from that. So much easier to sketch from that, than in the mirror for this self portrait. Facemasks have to be worn when outside the home.

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Very quick sketches in the park. We are allowed to go out for exercise, so I do not linger longer. These were all sketched in just a few minutes. Sometimes more colour is added at home. I could take a photo and draw from that at home, but that is not within the concept or spirit that I enjoy, of capturing the moment and sketching on location. These sparse sketches reflect the time we are in and the fact that I not taking 20 or 30 minutes to sketch out on location as I usually would.

When I am out walking, I am often looking up at the sky, trees, and Melbourne city skyline. I take in deep breathes and appreciate what I have, I am also looking down on the ground for treasures to take home and draw, This week I picked up a lovely stick, with peeling bark. Is it sitting on my dining table and I am slowly adding to it. As it is already deadwood, it is not going to change colour, or shape while I sketch it. Leaves often change in a few days.

Another quick sketch, capturing the moment, Waiting in line at the pharmacy. It looked like I was in for a bit of a wait, so I took out my sketchbook and the first pencil I picked out of my sketchkit.

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I also enjoy taking longer to draw objects on the table in front of me, but still finishing within one session, (as the dinner was eaten). The cork and wine glass were completed the next day.

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And the challenge of sketching from a Zoom talk. It was difficult to capture a likeness, even when the author being interviewed is on screen most of the time and didn’t move position lot.

I wonder what this week will bring …

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I have drawn my hands (and feet) before, but it is more interesting when I wear bright nail polish. I don’t wear it to work, so it is only long weekends and holidays. Of course, at the moment I can wear it all the time, as I am working from home. A positive of working from home (you have got to look for them ) is that I actually have long nails, all the same length. I work in a library and am constantly handling books all day. I do miss my physical books, but my nails have stopped chipping and tearing!

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Just before the first shutdown in March, I bought some bright nail polishes and have been alternating them, depending on my mood. As Melbourne is now back in shutdown until at least 16 August, I have just gone online and ordered another six colours. So you can expect more nail polish drawings on my Instagram account.

I draw daily and post on my Instagram account. alissaduke1. Follow me there, Some of them are quick sketches, others are glimpses into projects I am working on. I am always sketching and I hope that by showing daily sketches, I show that anything is sketchable and that you just need a few minutes spare to put pencil to paper.

I post this weekly blogpost. It is always about my art, Some of the blog posts are instructional, about how to use watercolour pencils. I love to share my experiences and encourage people to put a pencil to paper. Sometimes my blogposts are about projects, big or small that I am involved in. This, of course, has changed in the last six months. I previously held Watercolour pencil sketching classes in Melbourne. I have not transferred these to online classes. Technically and timewise this is way beyond me. I am working from home fulltime, and my art is my relaxation. When I sketch I don’t think about anything else in life. I can lose my self for hours. But if I do figure something out about presenting online I will let you know.

I have a facebook page for my art at Alissa Duke Art and post there regularly, as well as to relevant private and public groups – Urban Sketchers, Nature Artists, Artists Journal Workshop, Food Sketchers, Commute Sketchers…

I put ALL of my art on Flickr. which is a photosharing website. I joined in 2008 and have over 6000 postings there. It has Albums for grouping key projects or themes, these include food and family history and Melbourne Rare Book Week. It is my database and I have key tag words. Unfortunately, I have not been consistent over time but can generally find all drawings on one subject by using the search function eg wombats, or nail polish or shoes.

Enjoy, explore and let me know if you have any questions.

Last week I joined in SBS Life Drawing Live online. This week the UK version of Life Drawing Live was on SBS. It had the same format, great instruction, and challenging poses. All poses are challenging, some more than others. The poses were based on classical works of art. The presenter showed an example and explained its place in art history.

After last week’s online session, I realised how much I enjoy life drawing and signed up at a local art studio for upcoming sessions. And then the next day Stage Three Restrictions were brought back to Melbourne for the next six weeks, so no going out for a while. I will sign up for their online sessions.

I do miss using the large A1 sheets of paper, standing up at the easel, with messy charcoal in my hand. It is so outside of my usual art practice of drawing in my sketchbook. I will not be able to do that at home.

Once again, they are on A4 paper, sketched with a black coloured pencil (except for the sanguine)

This cello pose was my favourite. And they played cello music in the background during the pose. I knew straight away that I had the stance and proportions correct. It is such a good feeling. Once you get the basics right you can build on it. I could have spent another half hour on this, adding shadow, and colour.

Happy sketching everyone !

Last week I wrote about attempting to sketch a live event of a panel. One of the things I mentioned was the unknown time a camera would focus on a panelist.

Last night I joined in with people from around Australia (and the world) for a more controlled event, SBS ( an Australian tv channel) Life Drawing Live. It went for two hours. I was not sure what to expect, but it was really very good. It was interesting enough for those who have never picked up a pencil, or have some or a lot of life drawing experience.

Life drawing is drawing a nude model, who poses for a set amount of time. In this session the poses started at two minutes and the last one was fourteen minutes, Usually a life drawing class will also start with short poses, building up to a one hour (or more) pose.

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How did it work? I had the tv on SBS and was watching the show. It was hosted by Rove, with five actors/comedians/chefs standing in the room as participants. Each stood in front of an easel, with a large sheet of paper and charcoal. Some had a bit of experience years ago, some with none. There were two well renowned Australian artists instructors who gave short guidance on a specific concept (negative space, foreshortening), before each session, and after the session, the instructors commented on each participants work.

I also had my laptop on and had followed the link on the website to the model posing in the one position for the stated amount of time. Rove and the instructors would talk through the session, so it was listening and sketching at the same time, When the time ended, the pose image would close down, and I would watch the commentary on tv.

In between poses, we were invited to take a photo of our sketch and upload it to social media. Some got shown on the show.

It was wonderful that the show also included short presentations about the history of life drawing, who did it, why, etc. It gave a lot of insight into culture and history. There were also interviews with the models. I highly recommend watching the on SBS on Demand repeat just to hear all of this.

I sketched in a A4 sketchbook with a black pencil. I have done life drawing for many years, although only once since my move to Melbourne. In Sydney, I participated in monthly life drawing classes that went all day. I was a volunteer at the NSW Art Gallery and assisted the classes by setting up the easels, equipment, and room for the model and instructor. The skills I learned in those lessons were the building blocks of my sketching.

I was a bit rusty last night but I could feel that I knew what I wanted to do, although I could not get it down on paper. See some of them on my Flickr site here It reminded me how much I really enjoy life drawing. I ended the night exhausted, but really awake.I look forward to getting back to life drawing in the future. I have signed up for a real-life in person life drawing class in two weeks’ time. At the moment I am only leaving my apartment if I need to. I usually go into areas that are controlled. This will be ok at the class, but I will need to travel there by public transport and I am not comfortable with that. And Melbourne changes day by day and who knows what it will be like in two weeks.

SBS Lifedrawing live from their website

What a show!

• Thank you to everyone who participated during the live broadcast on 4 July
• Pose Cam is no longer available 
• Life Drawing Live is now available for catch-up streaming at SBS On Demand 
• Watch Life Drawing Live (UK), presented by artist Josie d’Arby, on Saturday 11 and 18 July at 8.30pm on SBS