Saturday, February 26, 2011

Pots, animals and smoke.

Pots. Pen & ink. A5 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011
Yesterday, with friends I went to visit a Qatari farm. Naturally, I had my sketch book with me and whilst people chatted around me I drew a couple of the pots.
Qatari farm with desert scenery behind.©Sue Pownall 2011
Look at me! I am so pretty. ©Sue Pownall 2011
My best profile. ©Sue Pownall 2011
Earlier in the week, I was early to meet friends at Kempinski's bar, so whilst I sat in an alcove I sketched a man sitting on a bar stool smoking. As you can see, he finished smoking before I finished drawing that arm and he didn't smoke another until after my friends arrived.
Smoking in Kempinski's. Pen & ink. A6 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011

Friday, February 25, 2011

FEATURED ARTIST!!!!!

www.art-is-fun.com
Artist Thaneeya McArdle created the website art is fun in order to share her enthusiasm for art, while spreading useful and valuable knowledge. I have had the privilege of being chosen by her to be a featured artist because of my pen and ink work. You can view the page by clicking this link:

Pen and Ink Artwork by Sue Pownall: Realistic Ink Drawings from Around the World


Please also check out Thaneeya's fabulous artwork on her site: www.thaneeya.com

Sunday, February 13, 2011

A struggle

A Saiq window. Pen & ink 260x 260 mm. ©Sue Pownall 2011
This piece, which I finally finished Saturday, was the piece I started at the beginning of the year and boy have I struggled with it. For such a simple subject matter it has given me a huge headache. I guess because I knew exactly how I wanted it to be.

I must give a BIG THANK YOU to Cathy Holtom of Down a dusty lane as she provided me with some fabulous reference photos for the rope. The little bit of rope tired to the window bar, such a little detail in the whole drawing, has been the reason the drawing stalled. After receiving the photos from Cathy I amalgamated two of them a drew in the rope in pencil, then got scared, and stopped work on it. It then remained tacked on the wall for a long time. Earlier this week, I inked it in and drawing resumed albeit slowly. On top of this mental drawing block, the paper, which is a little old, but has worked fine with the last few A3 drawings, has begun to degrade. This degradation has led to clogging nibs and ink spots. Good job the subject could take them.

Finally, a question: Does it count as urban decay if it has always looked like that?

Saturday, February 12, 2011

IF Sweater

Sweater II. W&N Calligraphy ink on drawing paper. 290 x 210mm. ©Sue Pownall 2011
After giving myself a headache with the joint concentration of finishing a pen and ink drawing and using new glasses, which are too strong, I thought I would have some fun. I have an idea for a drawing, which needs some blue ink, so after buying the blue I wanted plus some yellow, I sat down to draw my discarded jumper (UK for sweater). For the first version I drew directly on watercolour paper with an ink pen. Then I used a brush to slosh the coloured inks on mixing on the paper. I wasn't sure I liked how the paper soaked up the ink, so I did version 2 without any pre-drawing on smooth drawing paper.
Sweater I. W&N Calligraphy ink on watercolour paper. 290 x 210mm. ©Sue Pownall 2011
 In case you can't recognise it as a sweater, here is a photo.

I'm not sure which version I prefer, so I posted them both. What do you think?

Out of the handbag

Mariam in presentation. Pen &  ink A6 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011    
I keep an A6 sketchbook permanently in my handbag and pull it out at odd moments. As I am trying to reduce my internet time in order to gain some drawing time I have not been posting as each one is completed. Here are a selection of recent pictures from work:
Jamie moderating. Pen & ink, A6 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011
Boring presentation. Pen & ink. A6 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011
Khalid writing. Pen & ink. A6 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011
Hamad's presentation. Pen & ink. A6 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011

Saturday, February 5, 2011

18th Green

18th Green. Pen & watercolour incomplete sketch A5.©Sue Pownall 2011
Yesterday, I went to the Qatar Masters golf tournament. I am not really interested in golf, but it was a good opportunity to get outside and see some greenery; perfect weather at the moment around 25c.

This sketch was done quickly from the Al Jazeera hospitality suite and I added the watercolour at home later.