On Saturday, I held a Watercolour Pencil sketching class at The Johnston Collection, a Melbourne Georgian house museum. A lovely group of eight joined me to learn all about watercolour pencils and then put them to use.

We explored the ground floor rooms of The Johnston Collection’s historic exhibition house, Fairhall (1860), a double-fronted Georgian-style townhouse. Everyone selected objects and interior features to record in their sketchbook, and record their impressions with guidance from me.
The class is all about capturing the moment and we spend 15 minutes in three rooms.

We were fortunate to be inside this lovely space while the temperature dropped and rain fell down on this Spring day.

The example below shows exploring one Faber Castell Watercolour Pencil. Indanthrene Blue. I showed the quick marks and shapes that could be made on the page and how the colour is enhanced when water is added to the page with a waterbrush. The long patch of blue on the right shows the range of colour you can get from the one pencil.

The house is currently presented with the theme Home Comforts. Each room of Fairhall has been re-imagined, revealing new stories about the meaning of ‘home’ in the 1700s and 1800s.

The exhibition focusses on how families lived in the long eighteenth century: a merchant’s dining room; a nursery with dolls house and cradle; a breakfast room to enjoy exotic luxuries such as tea, coffee, chocolate and spices; the commercial world of a gentlemen’s study; an elegant drawing room for a musical soiree; and the work of staff in the kitchen.

Home Comforts features historical quilts, which are integrated into the Collection objects on display. The beautifully preserved quilts have been generously loaned from the private collection of Melbourne-based textile researcher and historian, Janet O’Dell.

If you are interested in joining a class in the future, keep an eye on The Johnston Collection Events page. We are planning our 2026 dates.

The ticket includes a welcome tea or coffee, watercolour pencil class, an on-location sketching experience in Fairhall, and a sketch kit to take home (comprising: sketchbook, 12 Faber-Castell watercolour pencils, and a waterbrush).

No equipment or previous experience is required – just bring your enthusiasm.

A five-day holiday in Brisbane, Queensland, spending time with friends, visiting libraries and sketching all the time. I completed about 20 pages in my Moleskine watercolour sketchbook. I also went to a Monster Life Drawing session. That will be another blog post!

I have a regular set of sketches that I start with when I go on a holiday. I feel like I am on holidays when I sketch these AND I get into the sketching mode. Because I sketch these regularly, I don’t have to think as hard about shapes and sizes and lines.

The first sketch is usually on the Skybus, the bus to Melbourne Airport from the city. I usually sit on the upper level and sketch the backs of heads of people in front of me. This time, I was downstairs opposite the luggage rack. It was colourful.

on the way there

There is always time for a plane sketch at the airport. It is usually not the plane I am going on, as it will not have arrived yet.

Planes are unusual shapes. I still cut the long wings off the side of the page, as they are so long. There is lots of relative measuring ie what is the size of plane tail compared to the length of the plane.

And then we had a delay and waited… for an hour, so I sketched… People moved around a bit, but in general, I could get down on the page the impression of a group of people standing around, I just added a hint of context with the Gate Number.

on the way home

Brisbane airport. A different plane view…

On the plane home…

These sketches are mainly in ink pen. Sometimes I sketch with watercolour pencil. It can depend how I feel on the day and whether the situation suits bringing out pencils.

Happy sketching!

What happens to the books no-one wants?

Join a talk by artist and librarian Alissa Duke who draws in books that are about to be discarded. Alissa draws an image with watercolour pencils, inspired by words on the page, and the books are given a new life, to be appreciated by a new audience.

This talk questions preconceptions about writing and drawing in books, and discusses giving value to otherwise valueless books. Alissa will talk about her creative process and the event will include a display of some of her books.

There were a few familiar faces of friends and Library members in the audience of about 25 yesterday at the Melbourne Athenaeum Library. They were curious, with questions after the event. I had some books on display and available for purchase (and they were some), and I had lots of lovely conversations.

Some of the questions were about my watercolour pencils. I promised that I would share my hints and tips from my previous blog posts. Welcome if you are new to my blogpost . I have been writing this weekly (almost) blogpost for many years now.

• The 26  watercolour pencils I carry everyday http://alissaduke.com/2022/03/the-watercolour-pencils-i-use-2.html
• My top 12 http://alissaduke.com/2022/03/top-12-watercolour-pencil-colours.html
• Hints and tips  http://alissaduke.com/2014/03/five-watercolour-pencils-tips.html
• Practical hints and Tips http://alissaduke.com/2017/05/practical-blog-posts.html
• Video – sketching Autumn leaves https://alissaduke.com/2024/04/sketching-autumn-leaves-video.html
• … and even more https://alissaduke.com/2017/05/practical-blog-posts.html

Purchase my drawn in books on ETSY.

The heritage-listed Melbourne Athenaeum Library has operated from its Collins Street headquarters since 1839, making it Victoria’s oldest subscription-based library. The library holds a 30,000-strong collection, including new releases and classics, and hosts regular music performances, talks, and book and screen clubs. Members enjoy the historic atmosphere and quiet haven in a bustling city.

I have drawn in a Melbourne Athenaeum Library book!!! It was on their For Sale $2 trolley, It has windeful library stamps all over it !

I have been a member since I moved to Melbourne in 2014. The Librarians are friends and I am a regular at their events and have recently been their Artist in Residence and of course I borrow from their library.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

I have a few classes coming up in Melbourne. See the tab on my website.

Happy Sketching!

Photos by James Baker of Melbourne Athenaeum Library

A very quick blog post with lots of sketches. Some of these are not complete and I will add more details at home, especially the nature objects. I will also find out what they are.

It is so very different to browse through a scketchbook turning the pages compareed to seeing a lot of images on the pagel They tell more of a story in book form.

I could spend an extra day of two add words to this blog, but am eager to share these sketches with you. Please let me know if you have questions about any of them.

Arriving

On the beach

On the river

It rained

On the beach

Post Fairy Sketch Club

Lunch sketches

and that is all for the moment, giving you a glimpse of a lovely holiday in a special place.

A busy week with all sorts of sketching – at events, everyday sketching. and then back to life drawing after a very long break.

Those who follow me on Instagram or Facebook will have seen these. However, there are a few who receive updates in this weekly art blog. Enjoy.

Yesterday I sketched in the time it took to cook an omelette!

I was chatting in the kitchen while brunch was being prepared. My friends don’t mind me sketching and almost expect me to. The kitchen was full of objects to sketch. I asked for suggestions, and this saucepan was suggested as it was a special gift.

I thought about the everyday objects in the kitchen and looked back through my sketches for some examples to explore today.

The utensils below are from my family home. They were always on the wall inside of the kitchen cupboard. I would describe these as a drawing and not a sketch, as they are more studies and detailed and were completed over a few sessions. This is an example where an everyday object has a special nostalgic meaning attached to it.

The four sketches below are quick sketches of everyday objects that I have no emotional attachment to. They are practical and useful. They are a reminder that there is never ‘nothing to sketch’ and ‘anything is sketchable’.

The final three were part of a commission to illustrate a family recipe book.

Look around you and see what you can sketch.

Enjoy !

This week’s blog post is the sketches from this week.

Some very sketchy ones, done quickly, the commuters. Slightly longer sketch during a lunch break. The watercolour pencil sketch of my boots did not take long as I have sketched my shoes many times before and know angles to look for.

An experimental video of sketching on location in a local park.

I usually stand up and sketch, but sat on the ground this time to use my MOFT iphone holder to leave my hands free to sketch. It was precariously balanced on my backpack on the grass. There was a picnic table nearby that I could have sat at, however it was too far away to see the detail of the tree.

I talk through the video explaining what I am doing. You can also hear the lorikeets, currawongs and magpies in the background.

The first video is 10 minutes in real time Further down the page is a 30 second time lapse video.

Below is a list of the Faber Castell watercolour pencils that I took out of my sketchkit to use. I am not sure if I used each in this sketch. I did not need to and could have used fewer, I could have also sketched it in blue or red!

• Dark Sepia – a lovely colour, between a dark brown and grey
• Burnt Ochre
• Warm Grey II
• Cool Grey IV
• Payne’s Grey
• Grass Green
• Burnt Umber

I am using my Kuratake (Zig) Medium watercolour brush in Moleskine watercolour sketchbook.

and here is the 30 second video.

If I sketched this another time I may have approached it differently. I make it up each time, within my own processes and methods.

I would like to video more outside sketches. Next time I will find a subject that lets me have more control over the angle, shadows, page etc.

Let me know if you have any questions about this.

classes

I have a few in person classes coming up if you are in Melbourne.

Nature Sketching with Watercolour pencil in Royal Botanic Gardens. Sat, 6 Sep 202510:00 AM – 12:00 PM Book HERE

The Johnston Collection, Georgian House Museum Summer Sketching with Alissa Duke Saturday 8 Nov 2025, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Book HERE

Happy sketching.

Pad Thai Noodles – leftovers – noodles and the lemon Sketched in watercolour pencils in 13 minutes.

Below are

• the finished sketch
• photograph of my plate
• the 13 minute video with voiceover, describing my process as I go
• the colours I used

The FaberCastell Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils I used, with a Kuretake (Zig) Medium waterbrush.

• Ivory
• Burnt Umber
• Cool Grey IV
• Payne’s Grey
• Brown Ochre
• Light Cadmium Yellow
• Cream
• Light Yellow Ochre
• Grass Green

Version One and Two. I filmed in time lapse with voiceover. I then found out that time lapse videos do not have an audio option,I ate my dinner and then resketched it from the sketch.

This took 13 minutes to sketch and hours figure out how to move it into my blog.

I have writtem down the step, and next time will be a lot smoother, with less tears.

Let me know if you have any questions, or any other sketching you would like me to try and film.

Happy sketching

55th Australian Antiquarian Book Fair

It was only a week ago that Melbourne Rare Book Week and then Melbourne Rare Book Fair finished.

The Melbourne Rare Book Fair returned once again to Wilson Hall, The University of Melbourne. It is the major annual book fair of ANZAAB and one of only a few rare book fairs held in the Southern hemisphere. Now in its 53rd edition, the Fair again featured rare and wonderful books, manuscripts, ephemera, prints (and much more) from the best rare book and antiquarian dealers across Australia and New Zealand and from overseas.

This is a gathering of buyers, sellers and lovers of books not to be missed. Whatever your tastes may be, you are sure to find a rare and interesting book, print or piece of ephemera to add to your collection.

Thursday 31 July 6:00-9:00pm
Friday 1 August 10:00am-5:00pm
Saturday 2 August 10:00am-4:00pm

Bookings are not required for the Rare Book Fair and Entry is Free.

I attended the Fair over the three days, sketching on location. My sketches are used by Melbourne Rare Book Fair in their promotional and advertising and social media. It is very different from my sketching at MRBW talk, where I sit at the back of the room and sketch for an hour. At the Fair, people are constantly moving as they browse chat and sometimes buy.

Here are some from the 18 pages of my sketchbook I completed. For the first year, I filled my first sketchbook and started into a second.

My sketches from previous years were the branding for the Fair and they were everywhere!

Two bookmarks double sided

Posters – A3 & A5

The stickers that sealed a bag after you made a purchase at the Fair.

and most amazingly on the wall in the entryway of the Fair, next to the cloak room. My sketch was used last year and it came as a total surprise when I arrived. I was sent a photo in advance but was still amazed to see MY art on a wall !