Recent sketches

The top small scribbles were attempted while watching
a television programme - the lower face from a static image

Pentel Brush Pen, Inktense pencils, white gel pen -
This started off as a pencil drawing, but was lost on the tan paper.
I need to experiment with a different set of tools in this sketchbook.

Pitt Artist pen - plein air sketch

Brooklyn Art Library Sketchbook

One of our Urban Sketchers group (Stephen McGrath) produced a short video of the sketchbook we completed for this project.

Click here Urban Sketchers Swindon
for a link to the video.

A simple pop-up book

Having seen an  image of a simple pop-up booklet by Paul Johnson,  made from one sheet of A4 paper, I decided to try my hand at making something similar.

I carefully did a trial run to ensure I knew which bits to fold and which to cut and in which order. Needless to say, the first cut I made on the original artwork was wrong!! - it should have been a fold. Luckily, I was able to tape it up without it looking too obvious.

The cover and closure band were made from a scrap of hand-printed and painted paper - finished size approx 3" x 5"

Inside -
Fine-liner ink drawings with Inktense and watercolour pencils

Recent gouache and ink resist painting

This painting has been languishing in my "unresolved" folder for over a month.  The original plein air sketch was done in November 2017, then earlier this year I followed it up with a postcard size sketch which prompted me to try an ink resist version.  I am still trying to decide if I want to take it any further.

Postcard size pen and wash sketch

Drawing and watercolour washes on Arches 140 lb paper

I forgot to take photos of the intermediate stages of applying the gouache and then covering the entire painting with Indian ink (this process is explained here).

The Indian ink and gouache have been washed off

Further watercolour washes have been applied
Approx. 10" x 7"

People practice

Getting a bit behind with posting my pencil sketches.

Swindon Urban Sketchers

A brilliant sunny day for today's meet at the play area, Cambrida Bridge Road.  Originally, this was the site of the canal through Swindon (now filled in with tarmac and providing a walkway towards the Town Centre).  The old canal bridge here was decorated with a canal scene in 1982 by local artist Ken White (renowned for his depiction of the Scarlet Lady emblem on Virgin Atlantic planes).  In need of restoration, it was replaced in 2015 with a more modern theme, including The Tardis (painted on a large concrete pillar) from the TV series Dr. Who.

Pen and Anilinky paints in Hahnemuhle Grey Book (A5)

Photo of The Tardis

The complete mural is about 4 times this length

More faces in April

All graphite on sketch paper - reference
television, internet, magazines
and imagination