Claisebrook Cove, Perth

The Urban Sketchers Perth monthly meeting took place this morning at Claisebrook Cove in East Perth. We were scheduled to meet last weekend but due to awful winter weather we postponed a week, and this morning turned out to be beautiful….warm(ish) and sunning with a blue sky, worth waiting for. I decided to sit on the grassy knoll in the Victoria Gardens – a great view across the Swan River to the new almost completed sports stadium. My sketch isn’t quite accurate (I should have done some measuring first but was too keen to sketch) as I’ve made the stadium taller that it actually is. Overall I’m OK with my sketch, I moved some of the trees around to change the composition, I would make other changes if sketching again…..

This second sketch is of “Henry Lawson Walk” a view across the cove to the new townhouses that rise up on either side of the inlet….I didn’t have much time for this sketch so it’s mostly ink with just a dot of colour for a red front door and some planter boxes hanging onto the balcony….

Perth’s water main replacement….

I joined the Perth Plein Air Painters briefly this morning in Mount Hawthorne, most people were painting the street scene but I chose to paint the lovely bright yellow earth mover (Daniel Smith – Hansa Yellow Medium) and workmen who were busy replacing Perth’s 100 year old water mains. There is digging all around the city at the moment….huge new pipes being lifted up and then fed down a hole in the foreground….presumably to join up with another piece of the pipe puzzle.

#OneWeek100PeopleSymposium

Last week’s sketches for the #OneWeek100PeopleSymposium event (the world wide Urban Sketchers Symposium is happening right now in Chigaco). I sat in the Urban Orchard next to the Art Gallery of Western Australia and sketched a steady stream of people going to and from the Perth City train station towards Perth Cultural Centre. When you actually look closely at people walking you begin to notice the huge variety of body shapes, different clothing styles and range of walking gait that each person has. These are only quick gestural scribbles done over about an hour, no detail just body shapes. Lots of fun.

Rottnest Winter Break

A long weekend on Rottnest Island last week….winter break….some photos and some sketches….lots of cycling around the island….a truly beautiful place only half an hour’s ferry ride from Fremantle. Lots of Quokkas everywhere, very cute….

Sketch Kit July 2017

I’ve made some recent changes to my sketch kit and bought a new pen case – “Lihit Lab smart fit small double pen case” that holds all my sketch gear (except the little water bottle) in one compact unit….

It has 2 sections, one opens like a book with pockets and elastic to hold all my pens and brushes, the other side is a half zip pocket where I store my Altoids paint box and other bits and bobs…..The above pictures are a little misleading, the as the pen is resting on the floor it looks much smaller than the case….actual size see below with pen stored inside….

Below picture…. top row from top left are…

TWSBI Eco fountain pen with Extra Fine nib; Pentel pocket brush pen (cartridge refilled with DeAtramentis Document Black ink); Uniball gel pen with White pigment ink; Pentel broad waterbrush filled with tap water plus a few drops of Lamy black ink (makes a convenient grey ink wash); Zig BrushH20 “broad”waterbrush (this is actually a flat brush); Pentel round waterbrushes sizes fine and broad; Travel brushes (separated in the photo) – 6mm (1/4”) dagger brush synthetic hairs (no name on brush, bought from Malcolm Carver website) and Escoda Number 8 Sable brush; Bic Classic fine ball point; Pentel 0.7mm mechanical pencil with 2B leads; Cheap 6mm flat brush (for gouache); cheap synthetic rigger brush.

Other items above are: Altoids paint box (see next picture below for details); wrist sweat band for wiping brushes; Nalgene bottle of water 60mls / 2oz (this bottle doesn’t fit in the pen case): Nalgene bottle of white gouache 8mls / 1/4oz; Bulldog clip; Metal ruler

 

I’ve also changed a few colours recently… from top left…Winsor Lemon, Hansa Yellow Medium, Yellow Ochre, Buff Titanium, Quinacridone Violet, Permanent Rose, Winsor Red, Quinacridone Burnt Scarlet, Sepia, Perylene Green, Turquoise Green, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Indigo

Perylene Green is my newest interesting colour and the only ready-made green I carry, mixing other greens as needed from above……

I have to say that 95% of my watercolour sketching is done with waterbrushes….even though I have great “proper” watercolour brushes I still love the convenience of waterbrushes. They do take some getting used to ….hold them lightly and gently – don’t squeeze the barrel unless you want water.

It is possible (though a little tricky – needs practice) to get dry brush effects…. thoroughly wipe off excess water from the bristles and paint holding your paper and brush vertical (with the bristles pointing skyward) it feels a little strange – but gravity can’t pull the water down down out of the barrel!

Looking North from Cottesloe Groyne

Very quick sketch (no ink – only watercolour) this arvo sitting on the rocks of Cottesloe groyne, looking North (with my back to a cold Southerly wind) a good swell rolling in. A few surfers about in the choppy sea.