Author Archives: alissa

the watercolour pencils I use

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Last week I drew (in watercolour pencil) the watercolour pencils that I have in the sketchkit that I carry with me everyday. I carry 26  colours that I like and which suit what I draw and my style. There are over 120 colours in the FaberCastell Albrecht Durer watercolour pencil range. I do not own them all and have built up my collection over time.

I knew that I had drawn my pencils previously and was curious to see which colours had changed over time. I know that the vast majority have stayed that same and was aware that a few had been changed along the way . My drawings were from 2013. 2016 and 2018. They were drawn as part of my pre holiday packing. 

 

 

 

Looking back, I see that I have not swapped too many colours over the past 5 years. I have put an asterisk next to those few that I am not as pedantic about. There are often a few variations on colour in the range and for some of these I am happy to use whatever spare I have in my pencil box at home or can buy at the art shop. 

Here is a long list of the Faber Castell Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils I carry with me. There are two Derwent watercolour pencils and I use them as I cannot get the same colour in FaberCastell. Sometimes the names of colours are changed, which makes life a little confusing. I think Light Orange used to be Orange Glaze.

I have put some quick notes about how or why I use these particular colours. These are a personal choice.

Ivory – I use this all the time – buildings, food, often useful when something is not white
Light chrome yellow * there are a few yellows I could use
Light Orange – not used often, but a lovely real orange 
Scarlet red * it is an orangey-red. There are a few different colours I could use 
Magenta – useful for iron lace of buildings
Venetian Red – great for buildings. I used this a lot in my 2016 visit to Manchester . I also used Indian Red there 
Madder Carmine (Derwent) – a real red
Pink madder lake – don’t use often, but it is a real pink
Blue violet * handy to have but I could easily use another colour
Indanthrene blue – I use for shadows, skies, darkening area of a page. I just really like this colour
Ultramarine – so handy for everything
Skyblue – a lovely sky colour on the page, but turns grey when water is added. Good for skies of Melbourne 
Grass green – that hint of bright green in grass, trees
Chrome oxide green  – trees, iron lace of buildings. very useful
Mineral Green (Derwent) – a real green
Earth green – a wonderful colour for Australian – trees, 
Light flesh –for a hint of flesh tone on a face or limbs. often combined with a hint of one of the brown colours below
Cold grey IV – often used for many reasons
Warm Grey II – good for buildings – I bought this when I moved to Melbourne, as the Sydney sandstone was a very yellow colour 
Payne’s grey – I use this a lot 
Black – not often, but very useful
Dark sepia – I have recently discovered and love this colour 
Light yellow ochre This colour and the rest of the list I often use together. I draw a lot of nature objects and food, coffee. I can build up a lot of depth in an object using a combination of these colours. 
Burnt ochre
Brown ochre
Raw umber
Burnt umber
Burnt siena
Walnut brown

I will probably change a few when I visit the UK in September to suit the buildings and greens of the UK, 

 

What are your favourites in your sketchkit ?

motorbike and egg on toast

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Two sketches from this week, showing two ways of using watercolour pencils. 

This sketch of a motorbike was done in five minutes, well actually six.

I arrived at the Post Office five minutes before it opened, so I knew that I had five minutes to sketch, There were places to sit and I very quickly decided to draw the motorbike, instead of the small queue of people waiting, or the crane across the road.  I took out the two pencils I would need  – black and  red. I put down some very quick marks down with the black to get all the shapes in place, the started with the left-wing mirror. (I think) I worked left to right and down the page, I stayed just one minute after the Post Office opened to add some final hard lines – the tyres, the front lights and windshield. I decided not to add any water.

Faber Castell colours used: 

  • Schwarz Black
  • Scarlet Red


My dinner was an egg on toast. It looked do delicious and I obviously wasn’t that hungry as I drew it before starting to eat. About two third was done from real life and the final details from my head. These included the detail on the toast and adding extra depth of colour to some parts of the egg yolk. You can get a lot of depth and colour from watercolour pencils by building up layers. It requires a little patience to allow the paper to dry before adding the next colour. 

Faber Castell Colours used

  • Light Orange
  • Light Chrome Yellow
  • Light Yellow Ochre
  • Cool Grey IV
  • Payne’s Grey
  • Walnut Brown
  • Burnt Umber
  • Brown Ochre
  • Burnt Ochre

Happy sketching !

sketching coffee cups and ducks

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I was not sure what to write about this week, and realised there are things I take for granted in the way I sketch, that may be of interest to someonr.

The two coffee cups I sketched this week. My style is the ‘unfinished’ look. I sketch the object with the watercolour pencil that is the colour of the object. See a step by step blog. 

Note:

  • the cup is not fully coloured in, but you know what colour it is. 
  • You don’t need to draw the entire object – just the hint of the saucer is enough . The viewers’ mind will fill in the blanks. 
  • I have drawn the muffin . I decided not to draw the plate the muffin was on, as it would have taken up too much of the page. And the muffin was more important than the plate. And I was hungry.
  • I draw cups often and am comfortable with the circles and ellipses of the cups. Practice, practice, practice.

  • I also sketch these Pacific Black Ducks regularly as I walk through the gardens and their everyday. I have sketched them so often and know what they look like and my pencil flows across the page.
  • Like my teacups, I also use the same watercolour pencil on the spot as the colour of the duck . No lead pencil first and then going over it in colour. There is often not the time. No eraser – and I keep the watercolour pencil marks on the page of where I was finding the line.
  • There were about 20 of these birds at the pond. If the one that I was sketching moved away, there would soon be another one in is position. This can also work with drawing people. There are some positions that are a constant. 

I hope this provides an insight into the way I sketch , Let me know if and how it has been of use. It is lovely to know when I have made even the smallest impact on someone’s sketching and understanding of watercolour pencils. 

Travel Sketching Workshop in Heidelberg

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I could not have asked for better weather for my full day Travel Sketching Workshop on Saturday (especially after the last two heavily overcast classes and a week of cold weather).

An enthusiastic group  of six  – Lily  Beryl, Don, Bernadette. Denise and Trishia joined me at Arts on Burgundy in Heidelberg, Melbourne. 

See the end of this blog for links to my blog pages on practical sketching and watercolour pencil hints and list of sketching books I had today in class.

Today I followed the same format as my previous Workshop in January, but spent more time before we went out  explaining and using watercolour pencils. 

“Scribble hard on the page, HARD , HARDER.” This is because the more colour (pigment) you have on the paper, the more intense the colours will be and the more you can use them on the page. If you add water to a faint line it can disappear. I wanted everyone to understand this concept before we started out. 

I used the example (above) which I sketched on the bus on the way to the Workshop, to show how I use the ink, then the watercolour pencil and then the waterbrush on the page to achieve different effects,  

We then walked out of the studio to put theory into practice. We walked up a block , stopping for 15 minutes at Heidelberg Primary School to sketch, then walked a few blocks to the beautiful Heidelberg Park, doing two 15 minutes sketches.

 

Back to Arts on Burgundy for lunch in the studio and talk of travel and drawing. After lunch I gave a short talk on things to think about when composing a page, before a 30 minute sketch at St Johns Church. There was a wedding on, with people gathering before the service. They went into the church and the bride arrived and she didn’t stay long at all outside.

Then back to the studio for final talk and coffees and sweets provided by Sarah !

Links to other blog posts

In a  previous blog posts I talked about the practical part of my art .

I have written them under four headings

  •  Watercolour pencils, pen and sketchbook
  • Thoughts and processes 
  • travel sketching
  • Step by Step examples

Travel sketching classes

I have vacancies in my upcoming two hour Travel Sketching classes with two levels of charge – purchase a sketchkit or bring your own watercolour sketchkit. See more details here.

Contact Sarah at Arts on Burgundy to ask about more full day Workshops.

Books

Below are some books that I had on display (as well as my own travel sketchbooks). 

They are not’ how to draw’ books, but rather show different people’s sketches and styles. I’ve put links if you are interested, I will often borrow a book from my local library before deciding to purchase it.

An Illustrated LIfe by Danny Gregory

Reportage and Documentary Drawing by Veronica Lawlor

London You’re Beautiful by David Gentleman 

Taking a Line for a Walk by Christopher Lambert

Drawing Paris by David George Holm

Manchester Sketchbook by Manchester Sketchers

An Eye on the Hebrides by Marie Hedderwick 

A great book to start drawing is Danny Gregory’s book  Creative License .   It will open your eyes to creativity and drawing. I return to it regularly to refocus and relearn.

 

Urban Sketchers

Anyone interested in sketching on location with  Melbourne Urban sketchers, (facebook page) see their next events and see what other people are sketching in Melbourne. 

Happy sketching everyone. Contact me if you have any questions about my watercolour pencil sketching  or anything I mention on my blog.

Weekend sketching extremes

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This weekend was full of variety, in both experiences and sketching subjects.

Saturday

Yesterday I held my second 2018 Travel Sketching class with Melbourne Library Service. 

Last Saturday I took my own group out on a Travel Sketching walk through East Melbourne in perfect weather and we sat on nature strips in in the centre of the road to sketch. This weekend I woke early to the following rain radar (below) over Melbourne and the heavy clouds in the sky.

Thankfully, by 1pm the steady rain cleared, although the class of nine started the walk from under the East Melbourne Library entrance, sheltered from a bit of rain.

After 20 minutes we walked up the block to the next shelter of East Melbourne Cellars for another 20 minute stop to sketch whatever attracted each person.

I spend the first 20 minutes of the class introducing everyone to watercolour pencils, the waterbrush and paper. From then we walk three blocks and back again, arriving back for coffee, biscuits and discussion. Once again everyone grasped and enjoyed the concept of travel sketching and capturing the essence of what they see in just a short amount of time.

I can say that I had my youngest class attendee, at nine days old ! He was there with his dad carrying this little bundle and his mum sketching, as well as visiting sketching grandparents from Canada. Everyone who comes along is keen on learning.

Sunday 

On Sunday I had extremes of subject matter in my drawings. I worked on two fun commissions – a gothic theme – this is inspired by the raven from Edgar Allan Poe. This page is a draft version. 

I alternated between the black page of the raven on A3 paper to the prettiness of a lacy pink parasol drawn in a paperback book. 

Happy sketching everyone!

Travel Sketchwalk in East Melbourne

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Today I ran my own Travel Sketching session for East Melbourne residents. For the first time, I organised the room, bought the sketch kits and emailed potential interested locals. 

The day was the same format as the sessions I have with my Melbourne Library Service Travel Sketching classes. But this time people purchased the sketch kits to keep.

  • Faber Castell “Red Range” Watercolour pencils 12 pack 
  • Pentel Aquash Medium Waterbrush 
  • Draw and Wash Pad 210 gsm A5 sketchbook
  • Micron waterproof ink pen 04
  • Travel Sketching Hints and Tips sheet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The weather was beautiful as we walked a few blocks, stopping for 20 minutes at three places to sketch whatever attracted each person. Sometime it was the feature of a building such as a lamp or window, or the whole building or the phone lines.

Everyone ‘got’ the concept of Travel Sketching and captured some amazing lines and colour on the page in just two hours. I was so inspired by their enthusiasm.

 

We hope to meet up again to sketch.  I also plan to continue to grow the Travel Sketching sessions in East Melbourne and broader Melbourne. Today was a great positive experience and the comments from everyone who was there were so positive, They all had fun and were so happy to be introduced to the potential of travel sketching and using watercolour pencils. !!

Email me through the website if you would like to be on the mailing list for future Travel Sketching sessions. 

Lost Trades Fair 2018

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It is the weekend of the Lost Trades Fair at Kyneton, an hour or so from Melbourne.

Lost Trades “celebrates the art of skilled manual work,ancient crafts and rare trades,..These trades and the incredible artisans and real makers who continue to pursue these trades as a career deserve a platform to showcase their skills, incredible craftsmanship and share their knowledge.”   

Lost Trades was founded in 2011 and has over 15000 visitors through the gates over two days . There are over 120 stall of fascinating trades and amazing artisan, all passionate about their skill and happy to share it.

I stopped and sketched at a few stalls and listened to the demonstrations and the audience questions.

After the first warm up sketch, I decided to sketch with my Lamy Safari ink pen and then add colour to the tools or craft or sometimes the maker. All done on location. I also decided not to continue the sketch when I got home. I am interested in capturing what I did on the spot.

 

I will however, look up the details of the person and their trade and add that information to the page. I am interested in knowing what I sketched. 

 

This is my third (or fourth) visit and I will be back !. 

Next year I will stay overnight in Kyneton and go to the Lost Trades Fair on the two days.  

2016 part 2 

2016 Part 1

My burger at Lost Trades Fair

Lost Trades Fair 2015 Part 1

Lost Trades Fair 2015 Part 2

 

Local house sketch – commission

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I am very happy to be able to reveal a recent drawing commission that I have just completed. It was given as a birthday gift and now that the birthday has passed I am excited to share the final drawing and my ‘work in progress’ photographs.

It is a local East Melbourne house built in 1890. East Melbourne has a long history and a wide variety of architectural styles, all with great character.  

It was completed over three weeks in the evenings and on weekends. I took about 50 photos and visited three times to take those photos. The last visit was to photograph some details and get colours right. Although it was on portrait size paper, I drew in a square as the house fitted in that shape , I decided early on not to include a sky .

The watercolour pencil drawing was done on A3 watercolour paper (about 210 gsm weight).

This blog post shows it as a work in progress. I remembered to take photographs on my ipad and phone along the way. I wish that I had decided to purchase an A3 (instead of A4) photocopier/scanner when I purchased a new one only a few months ago. 

The first few sketches were on A3 photocopy paper. I was trying to figure out how big to draw the house on the page and what to include.

 

          I started with the outline and then built up the easiest blocks of colour. 

   

 

 

 

 

The owner suggested to add the crab apple tree in flower and nastursiums peaking through the white fence. These additions really give it a lot of a balance and interest, They are also a true reflection of the house in its many seasons.

It was wonderful challenge. I have only done a few drawing commissions and this was slightly larger than my usual drawing in my sketchbook. The larger drawing allowed me to focus in on some interesting detail and character of the house. 

Travel Sketching – Melbourne Library Service

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On Saturday I held the first of three Travel Sketching walks in conjunction with Melbourne Library Service at my local library. My previous  Travel Sketching with Melbourne Library Service  was in June last year. The three walks are all booked out. 

After a short introduction inside to watercolour pencils and the idea of travel sketching, we headed out – drawing trees, cars, houses, fences, signs and whatever else attracted each person. They only had 15 minutes at each of the three locations, so it was all about getting marks and an impression down on paper.

Rain was predicted all day on the Bureau of Meteorology website and threatened in the skies throughout the day. There was only one short downpour, which occurred the moment we walked out of the Library door ! So we sketched under the shelter of the building for 15 minutes before moving on .

This short time of rain was a great time to talk about travel sketching and about being flexible, and going with the moment. Great plans go astray but create other opportunities. The fact that we have to sketch under cover and that people got big splotches of rain on their page is part of the story of the page and of their day.  

 

We headed back to  East Melbourne Library for biscuits, coffee and to chat, share and look through some other examples of sketchbooks (my own and published books) that I had brought in.  The sketchers had lots of questions and it was exciting for me to be able to share my experience with them. Some questions were about the techniques of using watercolour  pencils, and other were about the practicalities of travel sketching. 

Below are some books that I had on display (as well as my own travel sketchbooks). 

They are not’ how to draw’ books, but rather show different people’s sketches and styles. I’ve put links if you are interested, I will often borrow a book from my local library before deciding to purchase it.

An Illustrated LIfe by Danny Gregory

Reportage and Documentary Drawing by Veronica Lawlor

London You’re Beautiful by David Gentleman 

Taking a Line for a Walk by Christopher Lambert

Drawing Paris by David George Holm

Manchester Sketchbook by Manchester Sketchers

An Eye on the Hebrides by Marie Hedderwick 

A great book to start drawing is Danny Gregory’s book  Creative License .   It will open your eyes to creativity and drawing. I return to it regularly to refocus and relearn.

 

Any questions about travel sketching or watercolour pencils ? Just ask !