Tag: pigment liners

Urban Sketchers Wollongong Field Trip – Innovation Campus, Wollongong

by communicatingcreatively, posted in Painting

Earlier today, I attended my first Urban Sketchers Wollongong Sketch-meet this year. I don’t actually live the Wollongong (Illawarra Region) in NSW however, we quite often visit the region as I am also a member of Red Point Artists, which is located on the coast to the South. The beaches of Wollongong are the closest beaches to where we live, some 66 kilometres away (41 miles). For us, that is a short drive.

Today’s outing was only 51km (32 miles) away and it was held at the University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus.

Only 7 Sketchers turned up today (it was very hot), and we met at the Campus Cafe, called ‘Piccolo Me’ cafe. We had a half-hour chat then ventured out to select our subject.

I found the unusually-designed building below…

I’ve lightened up the shadows considerably here to show te detail in the panelling.

After deciding to do this one, I have to decide how much of it to do. For some reason, I seem to gravitate towards subjects with lots of lines. Knowing I only had a relatively short time-frame, I decided not to do the whole scene.

I found doing this sketch quite challenging and would do it differently next time I think. I haven’t done a lot of en Plein air as yet. I really do enjoy it though.

After the sketching, we all had lunch and had a ‘throw-down.’ This is where all the sketches are put on the ground (this time it was a table) so that everyone can see what has been sketched and we can see all the different styles. Unfortunately, this time, I don’t have a photo of all the different sketches.

I really enjoyed the company and the ‘Arty’ conversation once again.

Looking forward to next month’s Sketch-meet!

If you are interested in finding out more about the Urban Sketchers, I shall put a link below. There are Urban Sketch Groups all over the world.

Till next time – Happy Sketching!”’

Written by David Johnson

4 February 2024

https://urbansketchers.org/

Urban Sketchers Sydney – September Sketch-meet!

by communicatingcreatively, posted in Painting

Yesterday, myself and approx. 50-60 other Urban Sketchers attended the September Sketch-meet. Our destination was the Sydney Opera House, which in a month’s time will have been open for 50 years.

I remember watching the opening in October 1973 on a Black & White TV set from our home approx. 13km/8 miles from the Sydney CBD. I still remember running up to the bridge over the railway line half-way between my suburb and the next so we could see a whole mass of balloons being sent into the sky from the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Of course we could not see the bridge itself, but we did see the the a mass of balloons rise in the distance.

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most uniquely designed structures in the world.

I must say I was very pleased to attend this Sketch-meet as this the first standalone Sydney Sketch-meet I have been able to attend this year.

Rather than try to sketch the whole building, I chose to do a section of it and am very happy with the result.

As you can see from the first photo, it was perfect weather and it was quite a relaxing experience. I find the whole experience of sketching/painting, meditative, particularly when I do minute details, like the tiles in the ‘Sails.’

One of the things that I really look forward to at the the Sketch-meets is the ‘Throwdown’ as seen in the photos below. It’s wonderful seeing all the different styles and mediums that people use to create their Art. So inspirational.

All-in-all it was a great morning of sketching. It is so great to get together with a group of creators.

The ‘Urban Sketchers’ are a world-wide movement which is in over 60 countries, 394 cities with over 120,000 members. For more information, check out their website https://urbansketchers.org/ so you can find a chapter near you.

Till next time – Happy Sketching!

Written by David Johnson

3 September 2023

Urban Sketching Inspiration

by communicatingcreatively, posted in Books

Earlier in the year I turned 60 and received two copies of the ‘Atomic Habits’ book. This past week I finally decided which book I was going to replace one copy with.

I have been doing research on and off for a fair while reviewing books on the subject of Urban Sketching and finally decided to purchase the book below, ‘Urban Sketching: the complete guide to techniques’ by Thomas Thorspecken.

The book only arrived yesterday morning and I have already been inspired by it to start sketching people. I haven’t really done a lot in terms of sketching people, and always seemed to ‘shy away’ from doing it as I had this belief that it was either too hard, or some had some other limiting belief around it.

Apart from that, I have only had a chance to have a quick flip through (as it has been quite a busy Long Weekend). Looking forward to sitting down with a cuppa tonight to explore the book more.

Till next time!

Written by David Johnson

12 June 2023

Experimenting With Card Stock

by communicatingcreatively, posted in Painting

Mostly when I do my Watercolour Sketch a day, I will use Watercolour paper (in a sketchbook), mixed media paper anywhere from 200 gsm to 300 gsm.

Occasionally, I’ll try a different type, and recently, I purchased some plain and some textured Card Stock. I intend to use it mainly for some junk journals I want to make however, today, I decided to use the Card stock in my Watercolour Sketch a day.

I quite like the way the paint moves around the paper. Below is Day 1,368.

Written by David Johnson

30 October 2022

Expression

by communicatingcreatively, posted in Poetry

My Creative Journey In Visual Art

by communicatingcreatively, posted in Poetry 
My creative journey
Began with a camera
This went on for many years
I was an enthusiastic amateur

Joining and starting camera clubs
Was so much fun
I made many friends
My creative life had begun

I entered competitions and exhibitions
Sometimes I won
All in all
It was just good fun

Along the way
I became a Photographic Judge
Which gave me a different perspective
It gave my photography a nudge

Briefly, in the Nineties
I started to sketch
Though photography remained King
I felt the itch

I took a basic drawing course
In two thousand and ten
Three years later 
My photography business opened

The business ran 
For a couple of years
Then I decided 
To do something else

In the meantime my love
For sketching and painting had grown
It was battling photography
For the Title and Crown

Oil painting at that time
Was my preferred expression
It became my ‘go to’
My new expression

Joining Art groups
Has helped me to foster
My desire to create Art
They helped my creativity to prosper

Then I returned
To the first painting medium I tried
The one that had captured me 
That reminded me of Slides

Line and Wash 
Then caught my attention
It became part of me
A lifelike extension

A Watercolour sketch-a-day
Would give me loads of practice
It continues to this day
Feeding my Inner Sanctum

Oils too
Remain a passion
For me, I think
They’ll always be in fashion

Photography still
Has a special place in my Heart
It started my creative journey
Of me, it will always be a part

Though at this time
Sketching and Painting are my direction
They will for a long time
Have my attention

Written by David Johnson

22 September 2022

© CommunicatingCreatively/David Johnson 2022

Seeking To Engage

by communicatingcreatively, posted in Poetry

First Time at Urban Sketchers Sydney!

by communicatingcreatively, posted in Painting

Last Saturday-week, I went on my first Urban Sketchers Sydney ‘Sketch-meet’. It was held in Surry Hills, literally 5 minutes walk from the southern reaches of the Sydney CBD.

I had joined their Facebook group late last year after it popped up courtesy of Facebook’s algorithm however, life came up in one form or another between then and this month which prevented me from attending the monthly outing.

Sydney turned on some beautiful Winter weather for the day with 19C/66F forecast and predominantly Blue skies. A warmer day than we can usually expect.

I arrived a bit earlier and met up with one of the sketchers, who had already started sketching. As time went by, more and more sketchers turned up until there were approximately 40 people in attendance.

One of the leaders of the day, Julie informed us where the important things were like local amenities, cafes and pointed out buildings and other places of interest that we might like to sketch.

We are then given 2 1/4 hours to sketch/paint and once finished, we all met as a group and enacted a ‘throw down’ as they call it. This is where everyone puts their creations in a group on the ground so that we can all see the different interpretations of the scenes being sketched/painted.

After that, a group photo is taken and posted on the Urban Sketchers Sydney Facebook page.

I chose a subject with too many windows I think and it was certainly a challenge perspective-wise. It certainly was relaxing, sitting there in the glorious sunshine. One of the attractions of sketching is that it is such a meditative experience.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable morning and I am looking forward to the next one!

Thank you Urban Sketchers Sydney for a great Sketch-meet!

Written by David Johnson

14 August 2022

The Journey Is Victory

by communicatingcreatively, posted in Painting, Poetry

Sketchbooks – 2 favourites so far

by communicatingcreatively, posted in Painting

It’s not so hard to imagine that there is no such thing as ‘the perfect Sketchbook’.

In my Watercolour/Line & Wash journey thus far I’ve tried a few different types and I would like to discuss two of my favourites.

Before I start though, I should mention what I use to do the line sketch as that alone can determine which type of sketchbook I use. I love using Dip Pens and also Pigment liners and as I’ve found, sometimes I have to use one or the other depending on which sketchbook I choose to use.

Moleskine: I’ve enjoyed using both A4 and the A5 versions. Currently, I’m using the A4 version as it will allow me to do 240 ‘Watercolour Sketch a Day’s’ in it. My daily sketches are mostly half A5 in size and the A4 sketchbook has 60 pages. The book is 25% Cotton and 200gsm which allows me to use both the Dip Pens and the Pigment Liners and it will take water, not a huge amount but some.

Winsor and Newton Visual Diary: I’ve only a couple of pages left in this one so I will soon be purchasing another. It is 100% Cotton and 200gsm in weight and so it takes substantially more water than the Moleskine, but interestingly, I cannot seem to use the Dip Pens in it so I use the Pigment Liners.

I’ve also tried the Strathmore Visual Journal in both A4 and A5 in both 90lb/200gsm and 140lb/300gsm and the latter copes with a lot more water but I found the paper doesn’t show the colours off as well as the two sketchbooks mentioned above, to me anyway.

Interestingly, when I use Art Spectrum waterproof ink in the Strathmore sketchbook, it takes longer to dry (up to half an hour) than if I use it in the Moleskine sketchbook.

I would be happy to hear people’s thoughts about any other sketchbooks that they would recommend that I try.

Written by David Johnson

16 December 2021