Old Barn

I really enjoy the tutorials by Peter Sheeler on You tube as I try to simplify !
The pen was an old Micron 08 that had dried up so I refilled it with India Ink. I like the scratchy lines it produces they seem fitting for this kind of work.


Alan

A day in the Countryside

After a sweltering week the weather cleared and we were treated to a wonderful day perfectly timed as I had planned a day in the countryside around Otterville with my 'sketchy friend' Karen...

Old abandoned houses, barns and derelict tobacco drying sheds were the order of the day.

This is obviously a working barn very well kept and the land around it was like a lawn ! I have to research the quilt like pattern on the wall I saw several places that had these.

Beside the barn was an old water tower that I couldn't resist ..

Further to the left were several tobacco drying houses so I continued my sweep of the area making a triptych of sorts with this rendition..

Back around to the front where my car was parked I decided to attempt an 'close up' of the old farmstead that is rapidly crumbling as Mother Nature takes back what is hers. I have drawn the whole frontal facade previously.

Then time for lunch , this series took about 2 hours.
Then we began the long, slow drive home on the back roads looking for possibilities and found this one.

It seemed like a fitting end to a great day

Enjoy
Alan

Laepple Organic Farm - a grand day out

Yesterday I joined the KW Urban Sketchers at Laepple Organic Farm.
Thankfully the weather men / women/ people were wrong (again) and we had clear skies all day!

Thanks to Linda for being such a gracious host! #USkWR #USK_WR www.laeppleorganic.ca

When I arrived I had to try my new Koi watercolour pocket field sketch box for this 4" x 6"
Unfortunately the paper buckled as soon as I sprayed it (I didn't realise it wasn't a block)
So there was a lot of waiting as things dried!

 Cows in the Meadow

So as I waited for that to dry I pulled out another new to me sketch pad .. Stonehenge Colours (lightly tinted paper) and Staedler Black Pencils to do this...

Hayliner 273

Around to the front of the barn to find some shade and draw the 'front' ...

The Barn

Some artistic license used here :-) 

Finally into the shade to work on the details ...
love the 'doorstop' 

Barn Door

Enjoy !

Alan

The houses of New Hamburg

It's not every day that you are offered a beer while sketching!
New Hamburg is a great town with dozens of sketching opportunities so once again the Urban Sketchers descended on this quiet, peaceful, little town as we prepare for a show on August 25, 5pm to 7pm at Bitte Schon Brauhaus.

It was rainy so I decided watercolours or fountain pen work was out so it was pencil and coloured pencil this day..


First up 190 Peel St and it's wonderful gingerbreading (always a challenge!)

Then with time left over I looked for something a little 'cleaner' OK make that 'easier' !

257 Peel St 

 Alan

Scots Pine Pen and Ink Study

Yesterday I decided to sit in the yard as the air was cooler and the bugs almost non existent.
Besides Winter loves to be outside with me.
I was looking at my old Scots Pine slowly coming back to life after the winter and thought it would be a good subject for a pen and ink rendering.

 Alan

Sketch Walk in the University of Guelph grounds

Today I decided, because of the heat, to get an early start and stay 'local' instead of going on an afternoon sketching trip to New Hamburg with my 'Sketchy Friends'.
So I wandered around the U of G for a while before the heat drove me back to the air conditioned comfort.
Yes I'm a wuss....

 

 My first stop ( I got out of the car pulled out my chair and sat down) was the "Portal" a rebuilt section of the original doorway that became the University..

Second stop in the shade .. Mills Hall 

Last stop, on the way back to the car, this old tree caught my attention

 Alan

Hemlock

No not the poisonous plant from the river bank the 'tastes good as tea' tree...
I picked up some fallen pieces during our Shinrin Yoku walk yesterday, with the intention of making tea.
Some made it to the pot 
Some made it to the drawing table..

Alan

Algonquin Thoughts...

This last weekend I was in Algonquin Park.
Winter still has a grip there, frozen lakes, snow in the shade hardly any 'Spring growth' to be seen.
As I stood at a favourite spot , looking across the frozen landscape to the old spruce across the way an image was forming in my head.
Later back in the warmth of my airbnb retreat in Whitney, a tea at hand, I put that thought down in my Stillman and Birn Nova series coloured paper sketchbook using a white charcoal pencil and my new Staetler black pencils...

Original size is 6x9

Alan

Staedtler Black Pencils

I thought it was time I tried out my new Staedtler Black pencils so I used my watercolour from a recent workshop as a subject.

I found them 'different' to use but boy they are nice so dark, so "black" !

Stillman & Birn sketchbook about 8x10

Winter Landscape Workshop

I recently attended a watercolour workshop conducted by Marion R. Anderson of Alder Creek Studio.
www.marionAnderson.ca 
 
The morning was spent learning how to mask area's with masking tape, something I had never done and applying salt to a wet wash, a technique that was popular 'back in the day' but I had never really tried.
You have ZERO control over what happens ! 

 It's a waiting game as to when you add the salt wait too long and you get nothing to early and it overpowers the field.
This was my first and only attempt I was quite happy with the result. 
Not so much with the tree's ! 
I'm going to go back in to add a few branches I think

Although the masking technique worked quite well next time I will try to avoid the straight line of the tape.


This was on Saunders Waterford 200lb Hot Press about 8x10



The afternoon was a 'practice what you learned' session which I got so carried away with I completely forgot the salt !

Oh well I was pretty happy with the resulting watercolour 

Half sheet (!) Arches 140lb cold press that is a big piece of paper for me!

This is the result:

 Again the tree's were masked with tape, cut a little more carefully this time.

The cottage and railings were a result of negative painting (something else I was trying) 

All-in-all a great day of learning with a bunch of like minded people, many of my sketchy friends attended.
Next workshop is about using 'Alcohol Inks' that should throw me way out of my comfort zone!

Alan

Inktober to now... getting caught up !

January 2018

So that brings us up to date 

Alan

Pencil Sketch - Scottish Highlands

No I wasn't there, well maybe in spirit but not in person.
This was drawn from a photograph on a watercolour tutorial by Grahame Booth.

I have been sketching, drawing and painting since 'Inktober' but have neglected this blog.
Time to catch up !

Stillman&Birn Beta 8x10 shetchbook
A couple of no name pencils HB and 2B, 
Generals Woodless Graphite 4B for the darks

Alan

Inktober 2017 Day 8 - Day 14 aka "BOOK TWO"

Onward we go, here is book two, where I see changes (for the good) I think.
Maybe there is hope for me yet !

Day 8
Still in Algonquin I found my subject sitting on the table just in case you don't recognize them, Green Pepper and a Tomato..

Someone mentioned using non waterproof ink so they could add shadows by washing the lines of ink.
So I did it too

Lamy Safari with Lamy Black Ink

Day 9

Ch-ch-ch changes..
well I think so, I see a definite shift in my line work here maybe I am improving :-)

Pilot Metropolitan Pen and Platinum Carbon Black Ink

Labrador Tea

There was a time when Grant and I would make a 3 hr journey (one way!) into the backwoods of Algonquin just so we could enjoy a cup of this tea!
We still enjoy it but we don't have to walk nearly as far :-)

Day 10

A subject way more complex but boy I enjoyed drawing this one..
Pine cones, a bunch was knocked off a tree in Mew Lake (Algonquin) so I brought it home as my subject.

Very old Parker rollerball pen, it's even older than the sketchbook and that started in 1994!

Day 11

OK well somehow the day got away from me and as I was eating an apple before I went to bed I realized I hadn't completed my Inktober tribute :-o

So the apple core was it ..

The same old Parker Rollerball

Day 12

Remember the walks with Winter?
Here is another 'found' subject from one of the walks it is also the beginning of "just how many different oaks live in my neighbourhood anyway"

Same old Parker rollerball

Day 13

This would be the second of the Oaks leaves

Jinhao 750 "Frankenpen" (I swapped out the nib for a flex nib)
Diamine 'Ochre' Ink

Getting to like my lines

Day 14

Another Oak, thats three if you are counting..
Jinhao 750 "Frankenpen"
Diamine 'Ochre' Ink

This is a great combination for Autumn sketching!

Here endeth "BOOK TWO"

I have to go find a subject for today to fill in the Day 15 spot that will be in Book three
Watch this space!

Alan

Inktober 2017 Day 1 - Day 7 aka "BOOK ONE"

I've been lurking ..
I wasn't sure about being able to complete this years "Inktober" challenge but I started and kept it to myself but the month is half over and I am still going!

So it's time ..
I thought aboyt the format ;
1 a day was  bit much
All of them in one post seemed worse
So I settled on this ..

Here is Day 1 through Day 7

Day 1

I was in Ottawa with the Urban Sketchers and found myself sitting in front of Maman by Lois Boubureous
https://g.co/kgs/ctg5zG

There are 5 of these scattered around, I know of one in the Distillery District in Toronto the rest are worldwide.

Unfortunately for me I put my sketch in my sketchbook not knowing if I would continue or not or how I would keep track of my progress.
So Day 1 is all alone in my Moleskine Sketchbook while all the others reside side by side in my very old (1994) sketchbook that I am trying to fill.

Without further ado ...
Day 1 Maman

I used my little used Brush Pen to get the thick black lines that make up the actual sculpture.
Little used as it rarely comes out into the light but I am pleased with this

Day 2

Dalek
What ? you don't know what a Dalek is ?
Sheesh
Better start watching Dr Who all 40 plus years of it to get caught up !
This was created with a ballpoint pen while I sat on hold on the phone.

Day 3

Still struggling to find my way with Inktober this is a pretty quick sketch of one of my painting bags.
it was there and I needed a subject ..
I think it was done with a Micron .05

Day 4

Acorns.

I picked these up one my walk with Winter ( little knowing this was going to start a trend..)

Micron .05 pen

Day 5

Fall Mum's
Sitting on the picnic table in Algonquin

Rotring 1.5mm Art Pen

Day 6

Maple leaves (unfortunately I didn't have coloured inks or my dip pens with me) in Algonquin.
Pilot Metropolitan with Platinum Carbon Black Ink (I think)

Day 7

Still in Algonquin.
Grant threw a piece of wire into a tree and started talking to the world ..
Ham radio

Sakura Microperm 01 well used and scratchy and I like it!

Well thats "BookOne" stay tuned for "Book 2"
Where things start to change ....

Alan