Something different this week!

Instead of sketches with watercolour pencils, I am featuring my watercolour pencils. Over all of the years (many) that I have been using watercolour pencils, I have not thrown out the pencil stubs when they get too small to fit in my sketchkit.

I have turned a few into brooches and wear them when I am the official sketcher at an event or when I have classes, or when I attend urban sketching events. Not many people use watercolour pencils, whereas they are my medium and I love them. I do not use paints.

I often receive comments when I wear them especially when I explain that they are pencils I have used. They are noticed!

I decided to make a few more into brooches to maybe sell at some Christmas markets or on my ETSY site.

I had to figure out a way to seal the pencil tips as they are watercolour pencils and the pigment dissolves with water. If it is not sealed you will get the pigment on your shirt! After a bit of trial and error, I use Jo Sonja’s Decoupage Varnish.

I also realised that not all of the colours are colourful and I may not use browns or greys. I have seen photos of earrings or necklaces etc. but do not intend to go any further.

I am happy with my bright coloured pencil brooches. I will wear my red and green ones at Christmas events.

This week’s art blog has my sketches from the week. Some of my blogs are practical hints and tips pf using watercolour pencils, or explanations as to how or why I approach my art. Please let me k now if you have any questions.

In the meantime here is my week. I hope that it motivates and inspires you to put pencil to paper.

As promised, today my blog has a timelapse video of sketching my shoes.

I often sketch my shoes while waiting at doctors etc. I am familiar with drawing them and the strange angles of shoes, legs and knees. These are new shoes and I have coloured ribbons that I change. I decided on red ribbons for this.

I have not figured out how to slow down the video. You can do this when you view by Clicking on the three dots at the bottom of the video and change PLAYBACK SPEED to 0.5

Press PLAY and enjoy!

FaberCastell watercolour pencils

• Black
• Payne’s Grey
• Pale Geranium Lake
• Madder
  • OTHER
• Black (Polychromos- not watercolour)
• Kuratake WaterBrush
• Moleskine watercolour sketchbook 13cm x 19cm
• Staedler pencil sharpener

let me know if you have any questions.

happy sketching

I had great plans to have a time-lapse video of drawing my shoes this week. However, technology got the better of me, so I hope to have it on my blog next week! In the meantime here are my sketches from this week.

After a week of sketching on location for Melbourne Rare Book Week events, I returned to my usual life of work and everyday sketching.

These few are quick sketches. A kookaburra on the ground in the Fitzroy Gardens. He let me get a little close, but I know that They fly off without notice and I knew I needed to get lines down on paper quickly. I used a Faber Castell watercolour pencil. I did not add water to activate the pigment. I have sketched these before and so did not have to think as hard about the basics of body shape. Practicing the same object over again is good for this.

Shoes of commuters on the tram. This is an option for when you can’t sketch faces as you sitting/standing too close.

I had some time to spare before a concert and sketched my shoes. I was planning how I would do this with a camera/phone in place. Next Week !

and at the concert at the Melbourne Athenaeum Library for Infiniti Ensemble. Sketching in the shelves while listening to music and having a glass of wine is a wonderful way to spend a Friday night.

In Melbourne city on the way to work. I started on the telegraph pole. I decided to add the background to give it some context This makes it acceptable to post on the “Urban Sketchers” group page. It is context and telling a story, not just an object on its own. I decided not to add colour. Mainly because I had to get to work!

And finally at Kere Kere Cafe in Fitzroy Gardens. I stayed in the cafe and chatted while others went out in the lovely Melbourne Winter’s Day. Firstly the view out the window.

And then some food.

A lovely week with a variety of sketches and opportunities.

Happy Sketching!