I’ve realised that its been a fair while since I did a post relating to my, ‘Daily Art Practice’ aka, ‘A Watercolour Sketch a Day.’
Today is Day 872 and I chose to revisit one of my favourite subjects, a Lighthouse, though in this case the Lighthouse isn’t the main subject, it merely makes up a small part of the scene.
Day 872 ‘On The Point’
Recently, I purchased a book from the Book Depository, ‘Rendering In Pen and Ink’ by Arthur L. Guptill, edited by Susan E. Meyer. The book was written some time ago and the techniques were written for Dip Pens and Quills, though they can be applied to modern drawing tools. The book is an inspiration and I’m so glad to have it as I use it on a daily basis, practicing different techniques it discusses.
I have grown to love using Dip Pens and Ink from sketching and prefer to use this combination rather than use Pigment Liners when at home. When I’m out and about, Pigment Liners are far more manageable, though in the future I would like to develop/find a way to use the Dip Pens/Ink combination when I’m away from home.
I cannot really explain why I like using Dip Pens over Pigment Liners except to say that, ‘it just feels good and right for me.’
Here is another selection of recent, ‘Watercolour Sketch a Day’ efforts.
Last month, I purchased the book, ‘Watercolor 365 Daily Tips, Tricks & Techniques’ by Leslie Redhead. Already, I have seen the benefits of having this book to refer to.
One of the tips within the book is to, ‘stop using a pencil and eraser to draw with and instead use a marker instead.’
I wouldn’t call myself ‘naturally talented’ in drawing or sketching. It is a skill I am endeavouring to get better at and so, I have been practicing with ‘a pencil accompanied by a trusty eraser,’ though probably not as often as ought to have been. The thought of drawing/sketching with a non-erasable marker was quite daunting.
Apparently, using a marker instead of the pencil/eraser combination will result in gaining skills in drawing/sketching quicker and these are skills I can build my paintings on.
I took up this challenge this week, grabbing an A5 110gsm sketchbook and started sketching away. It is quite a refreshing experience, I must say. If I put a mark/line in the wrong place, I have to be creative and work out ‘how to save’ the sketch.
When I did a basic drawing course 11 years ago, the instructor looked at my drawings and said that, ‘I was a line drawer, not a tonal drawer and that my lines were so straight they looked like an architectural drawing.’
This is not necessarily bad, though. I guess its a style. One of my goals has been to try to ‘loosen up’ and not draw so many straight lines. I quite enjoy looking at the style of many Artists and hobbyists who draw/sketch/paint in a relaxed style.
We’ve all probably heard the line, ‘practice makes perfect.’ I’m not trying to be perfect I just want to be me’…and I am having fun exploring exactly what that means in terms of drawing, sketching and painting.
I’m practicing my sketching/drawing now more than ever and I am endeavouring to let go of the thought that the lines need to perfect.
It will take time and patience, but I’ll get there.
Today, I visited my local Art and Craft shop, Eckersleys Art & Craft to spend a gift voucher I received for Christmas.
When I receive a gift voucher I always like to buy something memorable. It would be easy to spend it on more paints etc but those paints get used up and there’s nothing really left to show for spending the voucher.
Whilst surveying the shelves in the Art shop, I came across a book called, “Watercolor 365 – Daily Tips, Tricks & Techniques” by Leslie Redhead.
Buying any sort of ‘How To’ book can sometimes see us buying things we’ve already bought. They are so many books out there about Watercolour, when one buys a book, often the same material is conveyed, albeit sometimes in a different way.
Upon closer inspection I found that the ‘Tips, Tricks & Techniques’ contain:
52 Mini step-by-step instructions
52 Q & A’s
52 Troubleshooting tips
52 Bits of creative advice
52 General tips
52 Definitions
52 Exercises
I was impressed enough to buy the book. It looks very interesting and in viewing the book there are a quite a lot of things that I didn’t know (I’m not a full-time Artist). I believe I am going to enjoy using this book to help me in my Watercolour journey. Thank you, Leslie for producing this book. 🙂
Sometimes along a journey you wonder whether you are improving or not. I remember this happened with Toastmasters early on. I was going along to meetings, writing, rehearsing and giving speeches, taking on roles etc and after three months, I wondered it was having an effect?
A colleague I worked with at the time suddenly said one day, ‘David, you are appear to have greater confidence these days, what’s the secret?’ I knew then that going to Toastmasters had started to affect me in a positive way.
With my Watercolour sketches I have wondered the same thing, although it is easier in one way to gauge improvement as I have tangible evidence in the form of previous Watercolour sketches.
During lockdown last year I did 120 YouTube tutorials in a row and occasionally, I do more. One of the ways I am trying to gauge improvement is to go back to a tutorial but not actually ‘do the tutorial.’
Instead, what I do is sketch the image and do the painting without watching the tutorial. This way, I am trying to gauge what I can do without the step-by-step instruction to see how close I can get to the one I did when I did the tutorial.
Today’s Watercolour sketch (Day 727) is an example of that. I did the tutorial (Nil Rocha Art) back on Day 500. I have added a couple of shrubs and there are some other elements which I have changed but I am pretty happy with the result. I would love to reach the skill level of the tutorials. More practice required!
Day 727 of a Watercolour Sketch a Day – Without the tutorial
Day 500 of a Watercolour Sketch a Day – With the tutorial
I’m happy with my progress with Watercolour in general and with Line and Wash, however, I am looking forward to the time I can do a face-to-face Watercolour course with a professional. I was due to start a 10 week course like this when Covid hit.
I’ve been using Winsor & Newton Cotman Half-Pans for over two years now. I’m thinking that maybe it is time to jump to Artist quality paints and have purchased a set of Primaries.
Still have so much more to learn. Still having so much fun! 🙂
Back on 26 January 2019 when I started this ‘Daily Art Practice’ I could never have imagined that I would do it for 30 days straight, let alone 706…
I have no ‘lofty number goal’ in mind, I just aim to do ‘a sketch a day.’ Mostly, they are done upon rising, sometimes during the day and, less often at night these days. I believe it’s a great way to start a day.
From very early on it was like a form of meditation for me. I also wanted to learn the Watercolour and the Line and Wash mediums and was frustrated that I was only getting to do a sketch every 1-2 weeks because I thought, ‘that I didn’t have time…’.
We often think that, ‘we don’t have time’ for things. Often, when they become a priority, we do have the time.
I was asked a question recently in one of Art groups I’m on Facebook. ‘What is the one thing that you have learnt so far?’ My answer was that, ‘I have learnt that I have still so much to learn.’
Over the past few days, I’ve been thinking about this more and I feel that I could add some more answers to that question for the answer is more than, ‘just one thing’ so here goes…
It appears that I am in the process of developing a style or two
Favourite subjects to sketch and paint are starting to appear
From tutorials (especially) I am learning all sorts of wonderful colour combinations
Prior to embarking on this daily art practice, painting shadows were a weak point for me (still have a way to go with them but I’m improving)
The practice is encouraging me to ‘go outside my comfort zone’ in terms of subject matter and technique
On top of this it is building my confidence in sketching and painting. When I was a child I wasn’t very good at sketching, drawing or painting. I’ve dabbled over the years and my last real attempt (at sketching) before now was back in the early 90’s but as ‘Photography was King’ in my life it didn’t get much of a ‘look-in.’
Prior to lockdown I was about to do a 10 week Watercolour course which was, of course cancelled so during lockdown I did a YouTube tutorial for 120 days in a row. I’ve subscribed to two artists, Nil Rocha Art and Peter Sheeler. I would highly recommend both.
Recently, I started going back and re-doing some of the subject matter in the tutorials but without doing the actually tutorials as I want to see how much I’ve learnt and how I am applying it to the subjects.
Last Friday week I was given the opportunity to part of a function called, “Open For Business” which was run by ‘Good Morning Macarthur’ a local production in the Macarthur Region of NSW at Oz Funland.
It featured four business owners who made up a panel and they shared their knowledge to enhance the local business community.
Also featured was a Samoan dancer called, ‘Tito’ and a selection of my Art, consisting of both Oil and Watercolour.
As with any region, business functions are common, however, due to Covid-19, business functions had been online mostly this year and often they feature only business-related activities.
The team at Good Morning Macarthur decided to do something a little bit different and it worked well mixing in a bit of entertainment and art.
Thank you to the team at Good Morning Macarthur for allowing me to display my Art. This is the first time multiple examples of my Art have been on display. We had a wonderful night!
Since I started my Watercolour Sketch a Day aka daily Art practice on 26 January 2019, I haven’t used Oil paints. I love painting with them, it’s just that I’ve been so focused on Watercolour they seem to have disappeared from view.
That was, until last weekend.
I thought I’d start again and decided to paint two subjects that I had previously painted some time ago and see ‘how I would approach them now?’
The earlier paintings were painted with Student quality paints, the latter with Artist quality (Art Spectrum) paints.
The first one is of a Sand Dune:
2014 & 2020
In some ways I like the first version better (top shadow effect – dune) though I like the sky in the 2020 version better.
The second one is of the ocean:
2012 & 2020
This one is ‘no-contest’ as far as I can see! I love everything about the 2020 and not much at all about my earlier version.
I shall continue with my Watercolour Sketch a Day practice but Oils will not be disappearing into the background again, in fact, I’ve just started another one, a shipwreck.
I love the freedom Sketching and Painting gives me.
One basically starts off with no image on canvas or paper. You might have an image in mind and then you set about creating it from your imagination or a memory, or indeed a combination of both.
If you are using a reference photo you already have a basic framework though, generally speaking and unless you are into Photo Realism, you will come up with an interpretation of the image at hand.
The Photographer has a scene before them. Certainly, (they can create an image in Photoshop from other images) but they don’t have to create shadows or the image when they are ‘live’ to a scene.’ Many scenes are already presented.
They choose the composition and begin shooting.
The Painter on the hand has to sketch/draw (mostly) the contents of the image, creating the effect of shadows, light, shape, texture and form with essentially 3 things, canvas, brush, pigment and a skilful hand.
Painting en Plein Air is the closest relation to Photography, I feel. Both the Painter and the Photographer have a scene in front of them and it is up to them what they distill from that scene, composition-wise to come up with an image.
The Photographer manipulates through camera, lens, lighting, angle, filter and later Photoshop or similar, using their imagination as well.
The Painter manipulates with their choice of canvas/paper, brush, pigment, line, angle, light and uses their imagination as well.
Back in the studio both can finish off their piece.
I’m not trying to say that Painting is better or is more creative than Photography though as each medium is irreplaceable. Painting cannot replace the immediacy of Photography. Photography can capture that ‘moment in time’ in less than a second, Painting cannot.
On a personal level, I have been photographing since the early 1980’s, although not as much these days. Sketching and Painting has certainly taken over, particularly in the last 2 years.
One of the things that I love about Sketching and Painting is the freedom it gives me and also the challenge of creating an image using basic tools.
In an article a while ago I wrote called, ’There Are No 36 Megapixel Brushes’ I wrote about how someone can take a photo with something as simple these days as a phone camera and, due to the technology available, come with a technically decent image. Composition/imagination is another story, however.
As a Sketcher/Painter, we cannot go out and buy a Brush and Pigment that will give us a technically brilliant sketch or painting.
Yes, there are electronic Sketching and Painting apps but you still have to have the technical and artistic skill to create the image.
I still love Photography but it takes up a different place in my life these days. Equipment-wise, I’m heading towards Mirror-less cameras and a high-end compact that I can take anywhere.
I’m thoroughly enjoying my journey in Sketching and Painting and I can see myself continuing this journey for many years to come.
A few weeks ago whilst browsing in a local bookstore, I came upon what I now know to be quite an impressive book titled, “The Story Of Painting – How Art Was Made.”
Almost every day since, I’ve picked up this book and have been instantly engaged by its contents. I find it to be fascinating, interesting, informative, inspirational and well-written.
To see a more detailed description and reviews by other readers, click on the following (shortened) link which will take you ‘Goodreads.’
As those who follow my blog would know, on 26 January 2019, I decided to aim to a ‘Watercolour Sketch a day and at the time of writing, I have not missed a day.
I started my ‘Daily Art Practice’ as I wanted to improve my Watercolour and Sketching skills at a faster rate. Prior to the sketch a day routine that I now have in my life, life seemed to ‘always get in the way’ and sometimes, the gap between my Watercolour sketches was a couple of weeks. I ended up being too busy, too tired or whatever.
My Creative Space!
I was hungry to learn and looking back, I am so glad I have prioritised my time to allow me to have this daily Art practice as part of my life.
It has not only benefitted me on the art-side of things but has also become a kind of ‘mental escape.’ It’s a time for me to ‘zone-out’ and disappear into another world, but back to the Art-side of things.
Sometimes, as we are travelling along, we wonder if we are getting anywhere? Last weekend I reviewed some of my earlier images and was pleasantly surprised at how far I’ve come. I still have a long way to go to where I want be, however, but am really enjoying the journey!
There are two images below. The first image (side of a Barn) was completed prior to me starting my daily Art practice. The second (of a similar subject) is Day 539.
Photo 1 – Prior to Daily Art practice / Photo 2 – Day 539
The next two images are from a Peter Sheeler tutorial I did twice. During lockdown I did over 120 tutorials by Peter Sheeler and Nil Rocha Art and had actually forgotten that I done this particular tutorial before.
Photo 1 – Day 432 / Photo 2 – Day 518
I’m pretty happy with the progress I have made so far and am looking to continue this wonderful journey!
Communicating Creatively 