my breakfast in timelapse. In real-time it took 36 minutes.

I have previously filmed sketching coffee, sketching toast, and sketching fruit. You can see a pattern here – food and drink. Today is another food-based sketch. I will go further afield object-wise and physically in the next video post.

This time it is my breakfast – Weetbix, banana and milk. On this page, I will write commentary which I would speak out loud if I was describing it as I went, or what is going through my head.

In advance I chose the watercolour pencils I will use, put them aside and sharpened them. I know my pencils and what colours they produce on the page and also what happens when I add water to them, as this can change the colour. It’s great to know your tools! Most pencils I have used are from my everyday sketch kit of FaberCastell Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils. It is sketched on the first page of my 116th Moleskine watercolour sketchbook (13cm x 19cm) since December 2008. I sketch everyday. They are:

• Ivory
• Cream
• Burnt Umbre
• Brown Ochre
• Black
• Cool Grey III
• Paynes Grey

In my mind, I decide what I want to include on the page and how big I want it to be. Do I include the bowl and any background? How close up? and what do I feature?

I decide what to include and exclude, It is my page. I have decided, like many of my pages, is going to have the unfinished look. This means I don’t have to sketch all of the bowl outline. As a viewer, your mind fills in what you don’t see. It also means I do not have to worry about having a perfect line for the ellipsis of the bowl outline.

I start with the main content and block out the basic shapes – weetbix, banana slices, spoon and bowl. I did not “sketch” the milk, but left the page blank. I sketch the objects in the colour that they are. I do not sketch with a graphite (HB or 2B) pencil first. This approach comes from my travel sketching experiences, where you have to get lines and colour down quickly as you may not have much time. It also stops using an eraser to make the” perfect” sketch.

and a slower version

You will see that I move all over the place and often swap pencils. This allows one area to dry while I work on another. I can “step back” every now and again to look at the page and decide where to add more colour or detail. I use watercolour pencils to build up area, colour and detail. It is not just “colouring in “the page. Once an area has dried I can add more of the same colour to intensify the colour.

Note: individual Weetbix are all different. I enjoy adding the the finer details. Also there is no “right or wrong” Weetbix or banana.

I added a bit to the bowl after the filming as I noticed it was slightly lopsided. I did this by turning the page upside down to “see” how to makes both sides of the page the same curve. Does that make sense?

I hope you have enjoyed this page. Let me know if you have any watercolour pencil questions. Next time it will be a different sort of object. To film outside will require a higher level of technical ability.

Have a happy, safe and creative week.

I write a blog post at this time each year looking back at what I have done during the previous year with my art.  I have found this is a very useful way of realising how much I have accomplished in a year, as I usually forget about some events or do not realise how productive I have been. It is a good reality check for me.

This past year of course was different, as with everyone. 2022 did not quite roll out as we all thought. The return to normal was not quite normal. This new way of life did not stop me from sketching and achieving other art-related goals. I have listed them below and put links to separate blog posts if there is one about the event.

• Daily sketching. This year again I filled ten Moleskine watercolour sketchbooks (13 x19 cm) of everyday sketching. I sketch everyday and carry my sketchkit which includes watercolour pencils and sketchbook with me everywhere. I scan every page of my sketchbook and put them all on Flickr (an image-sharing website) Some go onto Facebook at Alissa Duke Art . I post daily on Instagram alissaduke1

• I have maintained this, my weekly art blog. Thank you to the 192 followers of this weekly art blog. I hope that you find it enjoyable and interesting to read and full of information. Sometimes I write about hints and tips when using watercolour pencils, other times the blog will be about art events I am involved in and the rest are usually my sketches from the previous week. I hope that I am able to share a bit of my passion for drawing and watercolour pencils. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like me to explain anything I do. If you would like to receive a weekly email you can Subscribe here.

• purchase of Uniqu lighting set I produced three videos captured on my in time-lapse on my camera with this new set-up. I have been wanting to do this for a few years and am very proud to have mastered the technology. If you would like to see me “in action” you can view these three. sketching toast sketching a coffee cup, sketching Christmas food.

• Etsy – Etsy Sales – I have an Etsy online store selling my Greeting cards and ‘drawn in books’. This year was very quiet for card and book sales.
• Newsletter Newsletter. I sent two newsletters this year to the 136 people who subscribe to my newsletter, in April and October. The newsletter is for people who are interested in my art and would like to know when major events happen – new card designs, markets, exhibitions, and classes. They may not necessarily be interested in my Weekly Art Blog, but still want to be updated. Obviously a little quiet this year. This will be one of the places I announce any classes when they begin

• Instagram. I now have 1713 followers on Instagram alissaduke1. I post a sketch daily on Instagram. They are examples of my art and often are my “everyday” sketching hopefully this inspire some sketchers that anything is sketchable and you don’t have to ‘finish’ a sketch. Every now and and then i feature some of my ETSY art.

2022– Below are my art projects and commercial activities in 2022. (paying for my pencils) This year once again was a little different. I had no classes. I did have a few very special one-off art events.

• Clunes Booktown Festival was held in May. I had a stall there and it was truly a highlight as my love of books and drawing on old books came together in one place. I felt like it was made for me. I had forgotten that was only in this past year.http://alissaduke.com/2022/05/clunes-booktown-festival-2.html

• Blarney Books & Art Biblio Art Prize. This annual Port Fairy (Victoria, Australia) event was held. When you enter the competition you get given a book title to interpret artistically. This year the books were by recently published Australian Authors. I entered and was given The creativity and skill of the other entries were amazing and it is worth spending time looking through them on the website. Here is my blogpost about my entry. There were over 200 entries (you can view online) and 100 were chosen for display at the exhibition. I later found out that it was shortlisted in the Top eight! (see the presentation video .

• Melbourne Rare Book Week has been postponed for the past few years. I usually sketch on location at the talks and events. However, we were so very fortunate the Melbourne Rare Book Fair went ahead. This is where the rare book traders have stands for the purchase of books. I was invited to sketch there this year, It felt so good to see familiar faces and I could see that everyone else was enjoying the in-person interactions again.

• East Melbourne Community day and Christmas picnic stalls. These were two lovely local events where I was invited to have a stall to sell my greeting cards. It was a wonderful time to catch up with local friends and meet new ones. People know me as ‘you’re the one who sketches’ or ‘I bought your cards last year and will have to get some more”

• one private commission. It was a beautiful old stone building, so I was very happy.

2023 – I wonder what will happen

• Attending the International Urban Sketching Symposium in Auckland, New Zealand in April. Hundreds of people register to attend workshops ( I am excited to have got into three I really wanted to), absorb techniques by viewing demos, and hear about different concepts, from a range of experienced presenters. It is also a great opportunity to connect with Sketchers from around the world. Meet old friends and make new ones. I am excited!

• I have a commission for another old building due in March
• I have just been asked if I would like to put my sketchbooks in the local library. I have done this in the past and have received very positive feedback. I just have to think of a theme.
• a potential BIG event – watch this space
• I would love to return to giving classes on Saturdays. Before Covid, I gave one-off Saturday morning classes on “Travel Sketching with Watercolour pencils” . I really enjoy sharing my knowledge and passion for watercolour pencils and have missed this.
• Of course, I will continue to sketch everyday.

Wishing you a creative 2023. Happy sketching!

I went to the cricket on Wednesday and Thursday mornings this week. It was Australia v South Africa for the Boxing Day Test, an iconic event in the Australian sports calendar.

I confess that I am not a sports follower and have never been to the hallowed MGC (Melbourne Cricket Gounds) even though I live across the road. But, I did grow up watching The Test Cricket with my brother in the days of Dennis Lillee, Rod Marsh and Geoff Lawson and know the basics of the game.

On the spur of the moment, I bought a ticket (in the cheap seats) and had such a great time that I went the next morning as well.

I went in when the Gates opened and settled into my seat and started sketching the grounds. You see from the sketches below, the different views from Day Three Seat X to Day Four Seat D, A lot lower and closer. I was still not near the action. but was a bit closer.

I sketched the crowd in front and around me (below). I wanted to include the expanse of the ground to give the figures context. This ‘sketching the back of heads of people’ is my usual style. I sketch the outline with my Lamy Safari Joy ink pen and then decide where to add colour with watercolour pencils. All the sketches are done on location. i carry my sketchbook and sketchkit with my watercolourpecils and ink pen with me daily. Sometimes I add a bit mot intensity to the colour at home afterwards.

Sketching the cricketers (below) was a challenge! I learnt a lot on Day Three., which I put into place on my Day Four visit. I learnt that players return to the same positions on the field with each ball. They change ends over (6 balls), so that means I get to see two different options – one from each end. BUT they only stay for seconds in the one position, so it takeds a lot of time to get one stance down on aper. It would help if I know more about cricket.

You can see the difference between my first day (the three blocks below…

the second day… (below)

I had a fabulous time and maybe will go again next year. And I can say that i have been to the MCG !

Merry Christmas to everyone. I wish you all a festive, peaceful, and safe holiday season,

I have made a little time-lapse video for you. I am still getting used to using this technology. I hope to do more in the new year. This one is just for fun.

These colourful fruits will be on my dining table on Christmas Day. Blueberries, strawberries. mandarins and blackberries.

These are the Faber Castell watercolour pencils I used. I had chosen them in advance and had them sharpened and ready to go at my side.

Happy sketching everyone.

This is an early/late weekly post. Over this week I have drawn my Christmas tree decorations. I started the week sketching my Christmas tree. It is the first live Christmas tree I have had. It is 4 feet high and very wide.

I then decided to draw a few of my Christmas decorations.

Each has its own history. They are all my own purchases or gifts to me. By drawing them it brought back some memories of when and where they came from.

They are, of course all drawn with my wonderful Faber Castell watercolour pencils.

All of my very best wishes to everyone over the festive season. happy sketching !

Melbourne Urban Sketchers in Geelong

On Saturday, Melbourne Urban Sketches met in Geelong for a full-day event. We had THE BEST weather, especially as we were sketching along the waterfront. There were about 30 of us.

I have been very busy adding to my ETSY online store.

As well as greeting cards (koala Christmas cards are the most popular this year), I also have ‘drawn in books’ available for purchase.

These are books that were about to be discarded. By drawing in the book, I am giving it a new life, introducing it to a new audience to appreciate. The drawing is an interpretation of the words on the page. I draw in watercolour pencil, and each book’s paper is different, some taking more colour or water than others. This means I can sometimes add more detail.

The book could be framed as a book, or the pages removed and framed.  The book could be displayed open on a shelf, or shelved for future reading with a surprise drawing for the reader to discover on one of its pages.

I created many for Clunes Book Town Festival in May 2022 and had not got around to putting them online. But Christmas has spurred me on.

I have also been accepted to have a stall for the 2023 Clunes Book Town Festival in March 2023. I have shelves of unwanted books ready to draw in. A weeks holiday at Christmas will keep me entertained

                                                                                       

People purchase a book because they have a connection with the actual book, or with the image that I have drawn on the page.

I think overseaas mail outside Australia is closing soon. I have even had notofcation delays for internal Australian delvery til mid – December. Get in early before the delays begin !

Enjoy !

I have been on holidays for a week in Queensland (two hours flight north).

In the past week, I have sketched with three Urban Sketching groups, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and then back home in Melbourne. Urban Sketchers is a global community of sketchers dedicated to the practice of on-location drawing. There are local chapters in over 60 Countries, in 374 Cities, with over 120,000 sketchers.

Not all of my sketches that you see in my blog, on instagram oiare urban sketches, many are objects, food, and people and I share these on other social media pages. The difference is:

This is the Urban Sketchers manifesto we follow:

• We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation.

• Our drawings tell the story of our surroundings, the places we live and where we travel.

• Our drawings are a record of time and place.

• We are truthful to the scenes we witness.

• We use any kind of media and cherish our individual styles.

• We show the world, one drawing at a time.

• We share our drawings online.

• We support each other and draw together.

The groups have Administrators who name a location and time to meet. The sketchers turn up and sketch in the area, either in groups, or on their own. They then usually have a meetup time (sometimes a lunchtime). In these groups there is a ‘throwdown’ where people display their sketchpage. This way you can see all of the different interpretations, mediums, and styles and what everyone has sketched. There is a group photo and some people continue to sketch.

My catchups were not organised events. I posted a message on their various Facebook groups and let them know I would be in town on certain dates. Whoever was available turned up. It was great !

see below

Gold Coast Urban Sketchers

Melbourne Urban Sketchers

Brisbane Urban Sketchers

It is great to know that when you travel you can contact a group and sketch with them.

I am on a week’s holiday interstate in Queensland, catching up with friends at the Gold Coast and Brisbane. I immediately started to sketch and relaxed straight away moved into holiday mode.

I always start with a sketch on the Skybus from Melbourne city to the airport and then at the airport, and on the plane. Each journey is different and offers different opportunities.

And then once on the ground, I journal my adventures.

Some were new and different, like a leisurely sketch over lunch while gin tasting… and then a quick sketch while being driven through the sugar cane fields in the Gold Coast hinterland.

On my first walk along the beach, I collected interesting fragments of shells on the beach. they are either interesting in colour, texture, or shape. I brought these back to where I am staying and started drawing them slowly. I will continue to add to the page over the next few days. I will return the shells to the beach and have this as my page of memories.

I hope that today’s blog brings a smile to your face, and inspires you to be creative and maybe put pencil to paper.

I enjoy many types of sketching on location, urban sketching, travel journaling, food sketching.

Last week I sketched at three different live events. Here is a summary of the known and unknown elements of each event.

Zoom life drawing online –

known – length of times poses. – there is a standard format. I control my surroundings – at home, so they are controlled, lighting. sound, food. drink.

unknown – poses

These are two of seven sketches from Top Secret Life Drawing online. Theme, the movie Leon: The Professional, a 1994 cult movie

Melbourne Zoo

known – been there before,

unknown – what animals I will see, how long they will stay still – see my zoo blog post

Victorian Historic car racing

Everything was unknown – as a first-time attendee to Victorian Historic Racing at Sandown Raceway in Melbourne.

At this race meeting you could walk (and sketch) just about anywhere

I walked around and got ‘the lay of the land.” I figured out very early that I could not sketch the cars racing on the track – they zoom by too fast! So I stood and watched and enjoyed that. However, I could sketch:

People

• standing, watching, chatting. But like all urban sketching, they will move,
• watching a race they will probably stay in the same place for a certain amount of time

Cars

There were lots of opportunities off the track.

• in the pits as they worked on their cars, before or after a race,
• cars clubs on display
• lining up to go on the track for the next race. – my favourite place to sketch them

I was there from 9:00am to 1:00pm, on a very warm day in Melbourne. After a few hours, I needed to seek shade to stand and sketch. There is a time to listen to your body. I then decided to leave at 1:00pm. The morning was practice laps for the different car types, The afternoon (and the next day) was the racing.

I completed nine pages of sketches and am still completing them now at home. I need to add notes about cars and the races they were in. I want to add colour to some of the pencil sketches. Some of the cars were some very strange paint colours that I could not make up on the day with my watercolour pencils.