It has been a while since I posted a step-by-step drawing.
Here is my coffee plunger. I drew this while I chatted to interstate sketching friends on Zoom. We talked for three hours, but this drawing did not take that long.
Faber Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils
Walnut Brown
Burnt Umber
Black
Burnt Ochre
Cool Grey V
Paynes Grey
also Black coloured pencil
I roughly sketched out the shape and size. This time I used a HB pencil, just to make sure the proportions were right. I usually just dive in with watercolour pencil. I started to build up the colour, just to make sure I added it to the right areas. I tend to get sidetracked in areas.
I then build up the colours, as you can see. I try and make the dark areas very dark, with the black coloured pencil. It is harder than the watercolour pencils and can be sharpened to a hard point for fine lines.
I drew this after I had poured myself a coffee. I was very pleased with remembering to scan along the way.
This morning I spent four hours sketching at Melbourne Zoo. I am posting the photos of the sketches. I am taking an old, lined ledger to sketch in at the zoo. It is light and a bigger size than my everyday sketchbook. I used watercolour pencils, without adding water – no time!
There were many animals that were too far away or not around, so I choose those close. Some even stayed still for me !
Here they all are. There is so much I could write about sketching each of these, but this blog is two days late already.
The wombat was asleep and my absolute highlight of the day. Wombats are nocturnal, This one was in a zoo-built underground borrow. Right next to the glass viewing panel. They have never been there when I visited previously. There was low light, but I could sketch and observe up close. He was in the deepest of sleeps.
It was a busy week for art for me, and not all of it was sketching.
art exhibtion entry
My entry was accepted into Blarney Books and Art Biblio prize, This week I got my drawing framed and will post it tomorrow.
Here is my watercolour pencil sketch” The Previously Undiscovered Ern Malley Letters “ for the Exhibition at @blarneybooksandart After entering, participants were allocated a book at random to read and visually respond to – they are all books by Australian authors that have been released in the last year and therefore their launches and sales were all affected by covid restrictions or lockdowns. Fantastic concept by Jo at Blarney! The book I was allocated was Sincerely, Ethel Malley – by Stephen Orr. This watercolour pencil drawing is of the Malley letters from Australia’s most infamous literary hoax. This book blends facts and fiction. I read it three times. The first time to read it, the second time to try and understand it and the third time to try to identify images I could draw or pages I could draw on. This year was different for me as I usually draw in the book I am given. It is just what I do! But I just could not find the right words on the pages for my idea, The Ern Malley affair, is Australia’s most famous literary hoax. Ern Malley, was a fictitious poet whose poems and life were created in 1943 by two writers in order to hoax the Angry Penguins, a modernist art and literary movement centered around a journal of the same name. Angry Penguins declared Malley as a genius. The hoax was revealed soon after, Harris the publisher was put on trial, convicted and fined for publishing the poems on the grounds that they contained obscene content.
The Biblio Art Prize 2021 will open on Saturday 11 December and run until the end of February at Blarney Books & Art in Port Fairy. a few hours from Melbourne. All work will be for sale
Christmas markets
I have been accepted to have a stall at a local Christmas Market in Melbourne. It is part of the slow return to normality for me. I have started promoting locally with posters and have found some wonderful locals who have a trestle table that I can borrow and they can deliver to use on that weekend. The last market I did was in between lockdown last year in November. I sell my Greeting Cards, which are also available to purchase on my ETSY store. In the last month, I ordered a new print run of my Christmas cards, and envelopes to put them in. I bought a new tap and go payment system so that people can pay by card or cash. (it is called Square) and hopefully, they make lots of impulse purchases on the day !
Here is the video link. Press the arrow and see a show of some of the things to buy at the markets
and in case you cant see the video here is the poster
everyday sketching
I took a walk in the local Gardens today.
and it was the final zoom life drawing session as all go back to in-person. Themed Phantom of the Opera, The soundtrack and other opera music played as we sketched.
Life drawing
and ready for a cup of Advent Christmas tea. All ready for Summer – chilled or with a spritz. Hibiscus, cloves, spice, raisins and cinnamon from Gewürzhaus Spice House in Melbourne.Now, if only Melbourne weather would decide it is Spring not winter
This week I have been spending time “drawing in books”. I have two London A-Z Street and Index’s that have fallen apart. They were both published in 1971 and they were about to be discarded. These were books that did not make it to the Charity shop shelves.
HYde Park
Black London cab
They have very unforgiving paper and do not take much water on them. They often do not like too many layers of colour added. So it means I have to choose the right color as there is no chance to blend colours. There are some grounding mediums that can be applied as a base to put a light seal on the page, but I have not had much success with these.
Below are some works in progress. I find a page with iconic landmarks or streets and then find an image to suit the page. In the A-Z there are only a few pages that do have iconic places mentioned. The rest of the pages are just normal suburbs,
Hampton Court Palace
Harrods
Dr Who Tardis in the centre of London
Below are some that are already available for purchase on my ETSY store They are usually two separated pages but would look great framed together. Some are framed in black matt that I had entered in an art show. They have D clips ready for hanging.
