Pen pushing

Just finished this today....

Grey Street, Newcastle.

A2 size.

Zig sketching pen

Heavy wieght cartridge sketch book.

My arm was killing me doing this, I didn`t  use a ruler, so there isn a  straight line in sight. Part of the reason why I didn`t use a ruler is because I wanted it quite loose and sketchy, and if I`d have used a ruler I would have tried to get everything perfect, which is almost impossible.

I put in about two hours work to complete this which is a miracle, I thought it was going to take days to do. It just shows how much quicker you work when you let yourself "go", and don`t try to be perfect.

I have wanted to sketch this scene for months now, but I kept putting it off. I`m so glad I did it now, and I`ll definately be doing more of this sort of thing in the future!!

My next painting is a picture of my youngest daughter Danielle, from when she was about 5 years old. We took her to Chester Zoo, and there was a huge picture of a lion licking his lips. Danielle looked for a while then with a cheeky grin, she tried copying it. I love the fact that she has her tongue on the wrong side, because she has copied the lion as she looked at it.

Danielle and the lion.

15x11"

Arches rough.

M.Grahams watercolours.

.........and finally for this week...........

King Edwards Bay Tynemouth.

12x9"

Tyneham Oil Sketching Pad.

I`ve never used paper to paint in oils before, so I painted this last night, just to test out my new pad....and I have to say, I love it.

The pad felt really strange to the touch, but I really enjoyed working on it. I will definately buy it again.

I dropped my painting off at Details art centre, in Newcastle yesterday. To be included in a charity art auction, in aid of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation..........so if you`ve got any spare cash and your in the Newcastle area on Thursday 19th April. 6-9pm and you fancy owning an original piece of art, then pop into Bar Loco, and see what`s on offer. You`ll be helping a good cause too.

Playing with gouache for the first time.

To create some life and interest in the foreground, I added 5 seagulls to this painting.

I`m fairly pleased with how they turned out. I must say though, yet again, my photography skills need working on........ This looks better in real life.

Last night I didn`t go to art group because I was unwell, so I did a very quick sketch, using gouache for the very first time.

The size is roughly 7x5"

Jumping by the waterfall, in Jesmond Dene.

Gouache.

On Arches rough watercolour paper.

It is painted on the back of an old painting that I cut up, to test colours on etc.

I did enjoy working with the gouache, it`s kind of like a cross between watercolours and acrylics. When the colour started to dry on the palette, it felt quite sticky, which was unusual. If you added more water to it it turned into a watercolour like glaze. Which was good for some areas but not when you wanted to paint light over dark, so the trick was, to either put small amounts of paint out, or paint quite quickly.

All in all I enjoyed the gouache, and with plenty of practice, I think it could be a great medium to work with. ........so I shall have to keep on practicing.

My week of paintings. March 2012.

Hydranger in crystal vase.

15 x 11"

Arches rough.

Watercolours.

I might go back and change the background from yellow to a dark navy blue, so the light "pops" even more. I haven`t decided yet though!

North Shields fish market.

15x11"

Arches rough.

Watercolours

Cullercoats RNLI.

Painted en plaine air.

Waterproof pen and watercolours.

Arches rough.

11x7"

(Approx, I cut up some old paintings to make this little sketch book)

You can see the view in the background, notice how I omitted some of the un-interesting buildings.

Life class drawings...

Both charcoal sketches,

 on lining paper,

 22x20"

This is the first time I`ve used charcoal like this, and I was quite pleased with how they turned out.

I rubbed over a base of charcoal then blended it in with a cloth, then I drew the darks, and lifted out the light areas with a putty rubber. I will have to practice this technique again..........it`s a pity life class is closed now for Easter.........it will have to wait:-(

same Fish Quay, different view.

22x9"

Arches Rough.

Watercolours.

I`m loving doing these panoramic paintings at the moment, so I`ve been taking lots of l-o-n-g reference photo`s.

My daughter took part in the sport relief mile in Gatehead/ Newcastle yesterday, so while we waited for her I got lots of reference photo`s of the various bridges over the River Tyne, so the chances are.....one will probably feature in next weeks paintings.

I also added a few seagulls to the oil panorama that I did last week, but I haven`t photographed it yet, I must try to remember to do that tomorrow.

Painting BIG

Last week, we were having a bit of a sort out at home, and I came across a 39x14"canvas, so at oil painting group this Saturday I painted this panorama of Tynemouth Priory and Longsands beach.

(It hasn`t got that shadow area in the middle IRL.)

It is painted in watermixable oils.

I am leaving it to stand for a few days until I decide what I want to do next. It`s difficult to see the details at this size, but there are a few in there. People on the beach for instance.

Old boats at Chambois beach.

15 x11"

M.Grahams watercolours.

Arches rough paper.

I really enjoyed painting the rust and peeling paint on this picture.

.....and finally for this week.....

Nectarines...

15 x 11"

M.Grahams watercolours.

Arches rough paper.

I have to say, this was my favourite to paint. I think it`s the bright juicy colours, and I`ve always loved painting Glass and crystal, so this was perfect for me to enjoy.

Other than these, I did a watercolour sketch and a pencil sketch in life class on Thursday, and yesterday my husband took Danielle rock pooling, whilst me a Stephanie sat in the car doing some sketching of Tynemouth Yachting Club.

I could have sat there all day long.......... never mind, it`s only down the road from us, so I can go again.

The one I forgot to post.

Suit of armour.

Watersoluable pencils.

On heavy weight cartridge paper

8x12" ( I think)

I don`t know how I forgot this picture, I worked on this longer than all my other paintings put together last week.

I was really pleased with how this turned out. I have painted it once before, but in my usual, old faithful watercolours, and with this being in pencil, I wasn`t sure how it would end up.

Like I said earlier I was really pleased with this. It took alot longer than the one in watercolours, even though the watercolour painting was 30x22" in size.

Here is a photo, of my previous painting that I did several years ago.

Comparing the two together, makes me realise I should have put a background in on my latest picture too.

New week new paintings.....

This was a Very Quick watercolour sketch that I did at the end of an art group. Painted in about 10-15 minutes from life.
I`d spent most of the session working on the oranges painting ( seen in my last post) while most of the rest of the group painted these flowers.

 I had a tiny bit of time left at the end, after finishing the oranges, so I did a quick sketch of the above. It`s definately not my usual style, and I couldn`t even begin to tell what brand of paper this is. I found it amongst my supplies, so I thought I`d give it a go, and I have to say, I really enjoyed working on it. I`d go so far as to say that I`d try this method of working again.

High Lights, North Shields.

Arches rough, M grahams paints.

11x7"

St Mary`s lighthouse, (yet again.)

15x 11"

I`ve painted this lighthouse many many times, and I`m certain I`ll paint it many more. It looks different every time you see it.......either the sea is rough or smooth, high or low tide etc, and the light varies so much from one minute to the next. I love it.

Tynemouth Priory.

15x11"

When I first painted this, I had a darker sky in than what you see here, but it was a bit too harsh, so I re-wet the whole of the sky area, and lifted some of the colour out, so give a softer background. It looks a little better now, but it could be even better, so I think I`ll be painting this again too.

I think I`ll stick with a cloudy summer type sky next time.

This week I also had a book printed of a selection of my paintings, and I was over the moon with it. My paintings actually looked quite professional.......... much to my amazement!!.

Now I need to do some painting to fill up my next book...........I`ve got the bug now..

What a wonderful week I`ve had.............

On Tuesday I went out with hubby for a few hours. He fished, and I sketched.

This is the first sketch that I did. ( He caught 3 fish)

Watercolour in my Moleskin sketch book....just a quickey, done in about 20-30 minutes.

Next is a pen sketch I did of some of the houses near where we were.

 

I might put a bit of a watercolour wash over it one day, but we had to leave to pick the girls up from school, so I didn`t have time to do anymore to this on location.

Doug has been preparing the vegetable beds ready for summer, and he dug out these onions, so I did a quick sketch in water soluable coloured pencils, before he cooked them in a spaghetti bolognese. Which was gorgeous.

This is the quick sketch that I did to plan for the following painting that I`ve been working on at my art groups.

......and here is the painting that I did afterwards...

Juicy oranges.

15x11"

Arches rough.

Evening Glimmer 7x11"

Arches rough

This photo is not doing justice to the painting. In real life the colours are brighter, and on the Millenium "Eye" Bridge and the water, I have used irredescent medium, which makes them sparkle and glimmer in the light. (Something which simply doesn`t show up on the photo)

Annie.

 Life class sketch done using graphitint pencil and water. A3 size pad

 

Annie pose 2

Same materials as before.

This was a 15 minute pose, and the first one was a 30 minute pose.

I know I`m mad, but I much prefer the quicker poses.

We also did another 15 minute pose, but for some reason, I haven`t photographed that one.

Finally for this week, here is a painting that I did in acrylics, using only palette knives to paint with.

This was done because we watched a man called Tony Montague, do a demonstration at our art society last week. It`s the very first time that I have ever painted with a palette knife like this, and it was alot of fun.

I`m dying to try out an inky painting that he did and splashed with methalated spirits, but I haven`t got the right inks or paper yet. I need to experiment more to find out which works best to get the results needed.

Anyway, appart from a few pencil sketches that`s all from me for this week. I`m loving painting and drawing. It`s so good to get back to it after such a long break. ( several years due to illness) I think I`m making up for lost time........well, when my hands work that is...lol.