Quick sketches and slow sketches

The page on the left are very quick sketches of a seagull which was constantly moving…wary of me but kept approaching hoping for food. Mostly drawn directly with ink (De Atramentis document black) as a blind contour, then the grey wash is painted on with a Pentel Aquash (Water Brush) filled with water and a few drops of black ink to produce a grey tone (can build up in layers of grey if needed as the ink dries). Beak and legs drawn with a red watercolour pencil (Faber Castell) the colour softened and blended with a water brush in places…creates rather “wonky” but dynamic sketch…

Right side of page is a slow sketch…trying to get the shape of the boat on the water, shadows, reflections, drape of the sail cover and rigging…creates a more precise but static sketch…

South Mole Fremantle

South Mole lighthouse Fremantle midday…a strong Southerly breeze (blowing up from Antarctica…a bit chilly) watching the big container ships being escorted out of the port into Gage Roads…

East Freo Sail Boat

Out painting with the Perth Plain Air Painters this morning on an overcast but bright morning, the river was quite calm and this little boat was moored up to the jetty. Fountain pen and watercolour wash.

Capt Chaos – Maylands Amateur Boatbuilding Yard

Oil painting this morning for a change….I haven’t painted in oils for about 5 years so this was something quite different from my usual pen and wash. Painted with  brushes and palette knife (I knocked over my tin of turps early on so palette knife was easier to clean) colours: white, lemon yellow, yellow ochre, cerulean, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, permanent rose, burnt sienna and black. This motor boat is “Capt Chaos – Fremantle” on land at Maylands Amateur Boatbuilding Yard, Maylands, Perth. Capt Chaos is propped up with metal poles with her keel resting on some old wooden sleepers, a couple of tarps draped over the bow, a yellow power cable dangling over the port side. A lovely couple of hours with the Perth Plein Air Painters.

Hillaries – Sorrento Quay

Urban Sketchers Perth meeting at Hillaries yesterday, the morning started very wet and windy so we sheltered in a cafe for a while. Later the wild weather blew away and the sun came out. Sketch sitting on the rocks looking across the marina at the boats for sale and the cafes and shops.

Maylands Amateur Boat Builders Yard

Maylands Amateur Boat Builders Yard this morning, on the banks of the Swan river in Maylands. This is a boat yard full of boats in various states of repair/disrepair….their owners working on them as time and money allow. Some boats look like they have been awaiting attention on dry land for a very long time. Above a wooden motor boat named “Pantomime” in need of some TLC.

On the right an un-named metal yacht with lovely rust stains dribbling down her hull. Access via a wonderful homemade set of rusty steel ladders made of various lengths of steel welded together. There was a “danger – no access” sign on the ladders….apparently her owner has not about much lately.