197. More Trees, More Park, Can't Help it!

Lamy Safari fountain pen 

in Stillman & Birn Epsilon Sketchbook, 8.5" x 5.5" (x2)

It's true! I can't help it - I love sketching the landscape, parks, trees, etc. I'm wondering whether to add some light colour to this so I've taken a photocopy of the sketchbook pages and will mess about with some coloured pencil; if it works, I'll colour in my sketchbook. Maybe see you later...

194. Peace Pagoda

Lamy Safari Medium Fountain Pen, Neocolour II wax pastels and a

smidgeon of Tombow brushpen in Stillman & Birn Alpha Sketchbook, 8.5" x 5.5"

I love drawing buildings and architecture but this structure in Battersea Park was so difficult for me that I can only put it down to the fact that it is not a typically western construction.

It was so cold yet we still had a fantastic day with the Urban Sketchers London group. One of the highlights on these 'sketchcrawl' days is comparing sketches over lunch and at the end of the day; we all had way too much fun at the Doodle Bar (a completely unique artistic space!) at the end of the day warming up with pots of tea and poring over the work in each and everyone's fabulous sketchbooks - artists are so very friendly and encouraging!

191. Trees Happen

Lamy Safari Medium Fountain Pen in 

Handbook Travelogue Journal, 5" x 5" (x2)

(writing done with Pentel G-Tec-C4 Brown pen

I did a favour for two friends and they very generously gave me a surprise 'gift'. I have been eyeing up the Lamy Safari for months and wondering… Marc Taro Holmes and many other urban sketchers swear by them.  Well, the 'gift' was enough for me to use some of it to purchase this beauuuuuutiful pen. Oh my goodness! I'd forgotten how lovely it is to use a proper fountain pen and it's also possible to vary the thickness of the lines... AND these Lamy pens are classed as "starter pens"! Thank you so much my dear friends!

Looking for inspiration, I referred back to some very recent photographs of the park. This is actually two separate views of it, tied together with the middle tree. Then, as usual, I became mesmerised shading it - LOL!

188. Collage for September 2015 '30 in 30' Challenge

Collage of Thirteen Sketches done in

Handbook Travelogue Journal, 5" x 5" and

Moleskine Squared Journal, 3.5" x 5"

Thank you Leslie Saeta for the '30 in 30 Challenges' and to everyone who has visited this blog and supported me! Have a great weekend. xx

187. Park Life

Pilot G-Tec-C4 and Unipin 0.5 Fine Liner pens

in Handbook Travelogue Journal, 5" x 5"

Hi Folks, I did the outline of this pen and ink drawing this afternoon in the park - it has the most fabulous trees - then I came back and got rather carried away shading it.  #inktober 

185. 'Just Draw Something' Challenge

Mitsubishi 0.5 Unipin Fine Line pen 

in Handbook Travelogue Journal, 5" x 5"

Just a very quick sketch before work of how the park looked last Friday. Tomorrow's the last day of Leslie Saeta's '30 in 30' challenge - wow! I'm just grateful I've been able to do something as it's been mercilessly busy.  Happy Tuesday everyone!

153. Post-Op Park

Faber Castell 0.7 HB pencil then Staedtler Pigment Liner 0.05 pen,
Tombow Brushpen (x2) and Caran d'Ache Neocolour II
in Handbook Travelogue Journal, 5" x 5" (x1.3)

Sometimes you just have to perform surgery on your artwork if it isn't right. You can see from the initial line drawing below how much I sliced off. I'm happier with it now.

Before surgery…

51. Hertfordshire Study - Not Stockwood!

 

Landscape, Digital Painting on iPad using the ArtRage app.

Did this digital painting as I had difficulty sleeping.  Mea culpa!  Looking again at my resource photograph, I realised it was a photograph of a walk in Hertfordshire so I've renamed the post (and the image).  It looks uncannily like the south side of Stockwood Park as you walk down from the main road.

I still love Stockwood Park!

35. St James's Park Workshop - Sketchbook

 

5B pencil, A5

Watercolour, A3

After lunch, we crossed the road to St James's Park and did quite a few sketches there.  The couple in the foreground appeared to enjoy being the focus of our attention.  They put on various poses and actually held them for a while!  The girl had either one or other foot in the air at any one time - they both looked very comfortable.

34. Green Park Workshop - Sketchbook

 

Watercolour, A3

 

 

 

I attended an excellent one-day workshop run by Paul Banning at the Mall Galleries.  I had met Paul before at an RI exhibition so was delighted to be able to attend his workshop.  He is an excellent draughtsman who agrees that you need to be able to draw to give your image a good structure, even if you paint loosely under or over it.

We walked down to Green Park and set up in front of Buckingham Palace.  I walked about a bit and found these sculptures at Canada Gate.  I had to get used to using watercolour again in its pure form but it's the medium I first learned with so it felt natural after a while.    (I painted in the building and foliage later on.)

4. Sunny Stockwood Park

 

Landscape, Digital Painting on iPad using the ArtStudio app and a stylus.