On Sunday I had an impromptu meetup with some Melbourne Urban Sketchers. It was being held on Sunday morning, just one block from me. The weather was glorious. Blue sky and sunshine after a week of chilly weather in Melbourne (and more to come)

There were only a few of us. Three I had sketched with over the years and one visitor from interstate. We set up next to each other and within talking distance. I was really there to catch up, as well as sketch. I have been missing these Urban Sketching catch-ups so much.

We first set up and I really wanted to sketch this tree. I did a double page spread in my 13 x 19 cm Moleskine watercolour sketchbook. It turned out a little bigger than I thought, as I originally planned to put the old government buildings in the background.

Annie J and Anait started sketching there, then Leianne sat there, so I added her. The only person missing is Evelyn, who was standing next to me chatting.

I love these Moreton Bay Fig trees. There are a lot in the next gardens (Treasury gardens), but none have the hanging roots of the branches like the ones in New Farm Park, Brisbane. I was not a sketcher when I lived there, but can’t wait to sketch them on a future visit.

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We then stopped for lunch and moved to sketch from near Cook’s Cottage but we all set up looking in different directions.

And I got distracted by sketching the sketchers.

It was a lovely way to spend a Sunday.

Last week I sketched at Melbourne Rare Book Fair.

I often sketch at events. below is a recent exmple.

Usually, it is a talk or presentation that goes for about one hour I will sit at the back of the room, often choosing my seat for its view of potential sketching. I am capturing the event on location at the time it happened. I usually have a known time to sketch. In general, no one in the audience is going to move. although the presenters may change. But sometimes people take off their jackets, and others arrive late, changing or blocking my view.

I am not good at faces, but I do try to include the presenter/s at the lectern or podium.

I can listen to a talk and sketch at the same time, In fact, sometimes it helps me focus on the talk, as the sketching relaxes me.

This week’s blog is about the choices I make when sketching. what to sketch and when and where to add colour.

It all depends on the place and space, When I walk into the room where the talk is being held, I immediately scan it for where to sit for the best sketching potential.

Sometimes it is in a beautiful, historic, or interesting space and I know that I will want to try and include or feature that in my sketch.

I am always sketching the ‘backs of heads’ in the audience. They are almost always seated for these events but sometimes standing.

I am using a sketch from Melbourne Rare Book Fair to show the different decisions I could make. I did not have long on location to sketch this. 10 i=or 15 minutes, I was standing up nearby, leaning against a wall. I was out of the way of people walking by, but it was not a space to stand for a long time.

Firstly I do a quick sketch of the people and their stances. On this occasion, they moved away quickly, so I had to get stances down quickly. Then some dot points and lines to show where the bookshelves are in relation to the people. This gives context and proportion.

I add extra detail to the people and what they are wearing.

In this case, I took a photo ( I never usually do this). I added the books at home and their colour, This was important to make the sketch specific to one specific booth and their shelves.

So when I finished I had this version;

I could choose to feature the people

or I could choose to feature the books. This is what I did in the version on my sketchbook

or I could choose both books and people

I also coulfd have chosen a bit of both -people and books.

Each different decision has a different impact on the viewer. As I am usually sketching and colouring on location, I tend to do a bit of both. Which version do you prefer?

Last week saw the return of the Melbourne Rare Book Fair after a two-year absence. It is a three-day event and usually includes a Melbourne Rare Book Week talk. This year it was a relief and joy to have the Fair go ahead, after the past few years.

I usually sketch at as many talks as possible, documenting the events, This year I was very happy to arrange to sketch at the event. It was lovely to see many familiar faces among the buyers and sellers. It felt like a return to some sort of normality.

I was there for two hours and completed the following sketches. There were stalls set up through Wilson Hall and you could walk up and down the corridors. I found a few places where I would sit on a chair or stand against a wall to observe people browsing, chatting, and looking through displays, and shelves.

All of the sketches were done on location, capturing the stances and people. I added lines for bookshelves and outlines of where some books were. I use a Lamy Safari Joy ink pen in a Moleskine 13cm x 19cm watercolour sketchbook. I added colour at home with my FaberCastell watercolour pencils.

I don’t think that I will add any more colour or detail, as I have added them all to Instagram (alissaduke1). I have shared them with the organisers. I had spoken to them before the event to let them know I was back (they know me) and I would be documenting their event. I will now move on to the next page in my sketchbook.

Next week I will write about the different decisions I can make on when and where to add colour to one of these pages.

This is just a short blog this week.

I often sketch food. It is there, I am used to drawing it and enjoy it.

Most of the time it is the meal I am eating. or perhaps not eating, as it goes cold in front of me. Sometimes these are more studied, depending on the time I have and how hungry I am.

Other food sketches are when I am out with friends. They are often a quick sketch and are all about capturing the moment and occasion on the page. It doesn’t matter how detailed, it is more about being there. I can look back at the page in years to come and it will bring back memories of the occasion.

This is a drawing after an event. I brought home a few of the leftover quiche slices I took to a lunch on Sunday. I could write a very long philosophical and contemplative page about how important these lunches are. But not today.

And if you are interested, here are the colours:

FaberCastell Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils

• Ivory – I use this all the time
• Creme – a newish discovery that I am using more
• Light yellow glaze – I could have used one of a few yellows from the range here
• Orange glaze – in my kit!
• Burnt ochre – I use this a lot
• Brown ochre – useful colour, not too yellow
• Walnut brown – in my kit
• Pine green – I used this for the bit of green in the quiche
• Payne’s grey – shadows
• Caput mortuum – a red-y brown – very useful for all sorts of things. This was for the pepper in the quiche

This weekend I was so happy to meet with two of my urban sketching friends, Angela and Helen. It has been such a long time since we sketched together in person.

The weather was blue sky and sunny – very unusual for a Melbourne winter.

We met at Mr Tulk, the Cafe at State Library of Victoria. Of course, I sketched my food. Eggs benedict and bacon. I then turned to the scene in front to add a bit of context. It is a busy cafe with delicious meals. We stayed for about two hours chatting and sketching in our own individual styles.

I started to sketch the scene in front of me with black watercolour pencil and just kept sketching. Most people were wearing black, so I did not get to add pops of colour. I decided just to sketch, and not add colour or detail. It was great when the waitress stood taking an order for a few minutes !

We had finished eating and the sun was still shining and we were fortunate to fnd a bench seat facing the magnificent Library. I started to sketch one of the statues in front of the building, but after four attempts I gave up. Not meant to be ! I then started to sketch the profile of the building tops the got distracted by the detail on the State Library. It was a very special feeling to be outside in the sun , with friends, doing what I love. I stayed until I started to tire and then some protestors moved into the space. It was time for me to go.

We were entertained by a great busker who set up right next to us.

It was so good to be back in one of my happy places – urban sketching.

Life returned to some sort of normal by the end of the week and I returned to sketching my usual themes.

One of these is travel sketching. In daily life, this could be on a tram. Below are two airport sketches. This is going from Toowoomba to Melbourne. The first is very minimal in black ink. The second is with watercolour pencils. Over the years I have sketched at airports a lot, and so I know what I like to focus on, and how to measure airplanes to fit what I want on the page.

and an on location sketch

food. of course

dinner. I have included a link to a previous blogpost about drawing food- very similar to this. The post has step by step photos.

I hope this inspires you. Happy sketching.

After the death of our mother last week, my brother and I have been sorting through and clearing out her retirement village home. Thankfully, Mum had moved there three years ago, and the BIG cleanout occurred back then. It was her house of 50 years and it took a long time to go through all of those memories. I kept some things and drew others.

I like to draw objects, I like their history and narrative.

This time I have drawn some objects that Mum had kept and I did not wish to take home, However, they held hugely sentimental value.

When I draw I do not think of anything else. Which is a lovely thing.

I also drew some of the lovely flowers that were sent to us.

I am looking forward to getting back to urban sketching soon .

This week was the saddest week as my mother passed away.

The Iast two weeks have been a whirlwind.

I did some sketching during this time. When I sketch I do not think about anything else and it is a wonderful way to relax. I did some sketches in the hospital, which I cannot look at at the moment.

However, there was a lot to share. There is the hospital equipment-

Flowers and food delivered.

And for something different. We are cleaning out Mum’s house and I sketching these plates. They are part of my childhood, and as much as I love them, I did not need or want to take them home. So I drew them instead! They will always be there for me. All in watercolour pencil of course.

If you have been following my blog for a while you will know how much my mum meant to me as we travelled and had adventures together.

Saturday was voting day in Australia for the Federal election. We got to choose a new government – and we did !

I had planned to arrive early at my local polling booth, which opened at 8am. I was there at 7.45am and there were a few people already there, so I lined up behind them, while the various candidate party volunteers were putting up their signs.

I took the opportunity to start a quick sketch of the signs and finished it at home.

I then sketched the people in front of me in the queue. When I looked behind there was another 30 in the line. By the time I left the queue was down the block. I heard that it was like that all day. At this stage the line was moving quickly.

And the Democracy Sausage? It is the colloquial name for a sausage wrapped in a slice of bread, with onion, add you add your own sauce. It is bought from a sausage sizzle (mine was $4) operated as a fundraiser at Australian polling places on election day, often in aid of the institutions that house the polling place or a local group. My local East Melbourne Group had the sausages sizzling by the time I voted. I bought one to eat and one to sketch (and maybe eat). The term seems to have starter in 2013.

Now there is even a democracy sausage website, where people can add their stalls. The big question – if you vote at a polling booth that does NOT have a democracy sausage stall, can you go to another, just to buy a sausage????

This week I sketched a few times on location. Some were planned visits ans sketches and others were just making the most of an opportunity to sketch. I always carry my sketchkit with me and it is so lovely to return to normal.

The planned visit was sketching In the audience at a friends Masters graduation ceremony, which was delayed since December 2020. We had front-row seats and a clear view of the stage. However, it did mean that I could not sketch “the backs of heads of people as I usually do at large events. I am still getting back into the rhythm of sketching on location and felt as though my colours were heavy handed. There was so much black!

I also filled in a bit of time beforehand sketching the magnificent Royal Exhibition Building where the ceremony was held.

Once or twice during the week I caught a few trams and sketched .

And then there was an unexpected wait at the bank. I was lucky to have a seat. I put some quick lines down starting with the person on the left. My wait got longer and so I started on the next couple. I was beginning to add detail when they left and it was my turn. I am always happy when I start a sketch and get to the stage when if they leave, I am ok with it, but if I get the opportunity to add more details, or continue across the page I will. The sketch can grow organically. At any moment it is a capture of the event.

I wonder what next week will bring ?