Gentle Rain Falling
Tag: water
Things That Attract My Eye – Part 21
This posts images come from a variety of places:
- Local walks
- A Car Wash
- An Urban Sketcher’s Wollongong Sketch-meet at Port Kembla
- My backyard
- Sydney CBD
Some of the subjects I photograph may end being reference photos for sketches, watercolour, line and wash or oil paintings.
Even though I don’t photograph a lot with DSLR camera’s these days, I like to ‘keep my eye in’ with my phone camera. At some point, I will purchase a mid to high range compact camera that can fit in a suit pocket that I can carry anywhere.
Till next time!
Written & photographed by David Johnson
22 February 2025
Things That Attract My Eye – Part 20
This article’s images come from a number of different outings:
- Local walks
- A trip into the City to see Penn & Teller at the Sydney Opera House
- Our garden
Hope you enjoy them. Some are natural, a few are man-made. Beauty is all around us. If only we would take some time to practice awareness. This exercise can bring a bit of peace to your day. 🙂
Till next time!
Written & Photographed by
David Johnson
28 January 2025
Watercolour Sketch a Day – 6 Years Straight!
Yesterday, I achieved another milestone with my daily art practice a, ‘Watercolour Sketch a Day.
As of yesterday, I have completed a Watercolour sketch daily for the past 6 years.
It’s a journey I started to:
- Obtain consistent practice
- Learn new skills – sketching, drawing, painting
- Create an escape of sorts from the day
I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey and have already completed the ‘6 years Day 1 of a Watercolour Sketch a Day’, today, so the journey will continue.
This ‘year’ I intend to attempt some different subjects over time and aim to include people in some of the images.
I am looking forward to where this journey takes me next!
Written, Sketched and Painted by
David Johnson
27 January 2025
“Serpent By The Sea”
Below is my latest effort using the Gansai Tambi Japanese Watercolours that I was blessed to receive at Christmas. I am really enjoying using them.
For this painting though, I have also used Sumikondo Japanese Watercolours, and Daniel Smith paints. The latter on a minor scale.
Other materials used were:
- Baohong The Master’s Choice 300gsm 100% Cotton Rough texture Block paper.
- Neef brushes
- Aquawash brushes
The ‘Serpent’ was painted with the Sumikondo watercolours. The sand, ocean, and most of the island in the distance were painted with the Gansai Tambi watercolours. Daniel Smith paints were used a little for shadows, mainly under the rock.
The idea for the painting came from one of my Watercolour Sketch a Day sketches. This week’s painting was quite a different image in terms of colour and texture than the sketch I did below. Different paint and paper were used for this one.
Till next time!
Written & Painted by David Johnson
3 January 2025
A Delightful Christmas Present!
As always, I am very grateful to receive gifts at any time, including Christmas, as we all should be.
This Christmas, I received a 36-set of Gansai Tambi Japanese Watercolours. I saw a fellow Macarthur Art Group member with these some months ago. Then, I did a bit of research on them.
I was asked a month before Christmas for some Christmas present hints. This set was one of four suggestions I gave out so the element of surprise was still there.
Here is my first attempt using them.
I love the colours’ richness. The paint’s texture is also impressive. According to the instructions, it can be used as a Gouache or as Watercolour.
I am looking forward to experimenting with these paints and getting to know them. Lots of fun on the horizon to be sure.
Till next time!
Written & sketched/painted by David Johnson
29 December 2024
A Great Combination!
Recently, I posted a Watercolour I painted using Baohong – The Master’s Choice Rough, Block Watercolour Paper. This time however, I decided to paint with Daniel Smith and Sumikondo Japanese Watercolour paint.
The materials used are as follows:
- Baohong The Master’s Choice Artist Rough texture, Block Watercolour Paper
- Daniel Smith, and Sumikondo Japanese Watercolour paint
- Neef brushes
- Size: 15 x 23cm (5.9 x 9 inches)
In the above image, the colours used were:
- Sky: Daniel Smith: Cerulean Blue
- Ocean: Daniel Smith: Cerulean Blue, Burnt Sienna
- Boulders/rocks: Sumikondo Blue-Black
- Sand: Daniel Smith: Yellow Ochre, Titanium White
In the above image, the colours used were:
- Sky: Daniel Smith: Cerulean Blue and Ultramarine Blue
- Ocean: Daniel Smith: Cerulean Blue, Burnt Sienna
- Boulders/rocks: Sumikondo Blue-Black, Purple-Black
- Sand: Daniel Smith: Yellow Ochre, Titanium White
The paints are such a great combination. Using them on the Baohong – The Master’s Choice Rough Block Watercolour paper is a real treat!
Till next time!
Written and painted by David Johnson
10 November 2024
Calming The Mind
Looking For A Sign
Water Soluble Graphite
Recently, as I was recovering from Covid (for the first time), I flicked on YouTube and came across a video on Faber Castell Water Soluble Graphite Pencils. I had heard of Watercolour and Inktense pencils before (and have some of each), but had never heard of the former.
I watched the video, then some other videos on the subject and became quite interested in them so I jumped onto Amazon and saw that a Faber Castell set of 5 pencils, HB, 2B, 4B, 6B, 8B and a Brush in a lockable tin was 32.00 AUD. Without the tin it cost $15.43 AUD. Once bought, I knew they would probably never go back in the tin so I purchased the set without it.
Below are my first two attempts with them.
I’m happy with the first two attempts though obviously have plenty to learn in terms of e.g., what are suitable subjects for these medium; how should I best use the pencils, and increasing my skill level. Looking forward to practicing with them to see what I can come up with. 🙂
Till next time!
Written by David Johnson
16 June 2024
Communicating Creatively 