We have a mask mandate at the moment so I have put sketching people in crowded places on hold.
So more bike riding. During our last two bike rides we took a break when I found some people! A sketching break!
Finding People
Imaginary Landscapes
We just had a brief Covid-19 lockdown and now we have drenching rain. A good opportunity to experiment with different media and techniques.
These two landscapes are a combination of watercolor, ink, wax resist and some scraping.
Figures
I have always followed Steve Huston, the author of “Figure Drawing for Artists”. He recently set up a Facebook Group – Steve Huston Draws from Life: For Passionate Artists in which he offers a weekly livestream. It is also recorded for viewing. I am lucky as I can catch it 9 a.m. on Friday mornings. There are a lot of art groups on Facebook, but if you are interested in life drawing, portraiture or are in need of a pep talk on being an artist you will enjoy this group.
My figures are gradually improving from studying his book and listening to his livestreams. These drawing are in colored pencil. I will never be an expert on anatomy but I am gaining enough information to make my sketches of people,when out on location, more life like. I still need to work on hands and feet!
Netflix Sketching
Most people enjoy listening to music as they draw or sketch. I enjoy listening to shows on Netflix for background noise. It feels like you are with people and not alone in your art studio sketching.
I have been working on a series of late night portraits. The muses are from either Sktchy or Earthsword on Instagram. One of my favorite tools is the Sharpie pen. While the ink is permanent now it may fade over time. I have been using them on and off for the last eight years and have not noticed any fading yet!
I was listing to Black Sunday on Netflix when I sketched these portraits.
An Abstract World
Venturing in a new direction for me has always involved research. I know abstract is far more than throwing marks on a page. There is more to it and that is what has caught my interest.
The organic shapes in landscapes feature in some works. At the the moment I am moving from detailed sketches of trees to more abstract interpretations.
