Monthly challenges

WIP Bourne Mill in winter

There's a new challenge over on twitter led by Anthony Greentree (@antsgreentree) called #buildapril, which is is all about buildings and structures in any media.

Above is my 1st April sketch of my across-the-road neighbours drawn with a Super5 pen with DeAtramentis ink and painted with Winsor & Newton watercolours in A Daler Ebony A5 sketchbook. Whilst right is a work in progress started yesterday of Bourne Mill.

Last month's challenge was #animalmarch, and I started well with daily sketches of my assistant, but then life got in the way. Here are a selection of them:

1st March. Pencil sketch

4th March Digital sketch

8th March. Ink sketch

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50th WWSketchCrawl: Colchester

Yesterday afternoon, I arranged for the Colchester Sketchers to sketchcrawl at the bottom of the High Street. Tucked down a lane is the Coffee Cube café, which is where we arranged to meet. After a week that saw sleet and rain, we were amazed to have a blue sky and sunshine, so half of us sat outside to sketch the castle.

First sketch underway.

Being the organiser, I spent more time talking than sketching at the meeting point, but did manage to spend half an hour on my sketch of the castle. Luckily, as the sun disappeared behind the clouds, it was time to move on.

My first sketch

 Our second location was Hollytrees Museum, which is a museum of domestic life and childhood. Several of us were attracted by the Alice in Wonderland temporary exhibition.

The Queeen's croquet game.

  Our final location was the new Tiptree Tearoom at the Minories Gallery. I think we were all so interested in each others sketches and having some tea, that nobody sketched there. I plan to return another day as the choice of teas and cakes demand a proper "sketch" visit.

Colchester Sketchers (minus Johnny) show off their sketches.

  Where did you sketch?

Freshers' Week

View from Square 4 ©Sue Pownall 2015

Due to a cash flow issue, I am currently temping at the University of Essex. I only have 30 minutes for lunch but have managed to do a few sketches so far.

Tai chi demo in Square 4 ©Sue Pownall 2015

This one I did the week before...

Ivor Crewe lecture hall. ©Sue Pownall 2015

 

With a couple more weeks there, I wonder what I can do next.

Drawing on the street

It's a funny thing, being an urban sketcher I'm used to drawing in public, out on the streets, but yesterday I was due to give a demonstration of my pen & ink work in front of a local art suppliers and beforehand I was very, very nervous. Whilst I have taught pen and ink, I have never worked up a drawing in front of people, and was very worried about the ugly duckling stage that it would go through.

Luckily, everyone who stopped by was lovely. Some had come deliberately to see me, others by happenstance and we talked about my art, art in general, sketching, equipment, and Oman. Two people had been there, one for work and the other on holiday - small world.

There was only one character who stayed for ages and was being purposely provocative including saying "You could be a brilliant artist, but you won't be". He felt my work was too safe and not experiemental enough. Maybe it isn't very experimental, I may think on that, but as he has never shown his work nor would he give his name, I shall not worry. With the exception of him everyone was very complimentary.

Ready to start my demo day at Tindalls, Colchester.

 The worry about the ugly duckling stage was needless. I had put down the outline beforehand and expected to reach it at some point in the day. However, I spent so much time chatting to all the lovely people, that in six hours I only completed less than an hour's drawing. You can see the progress below (sorry about the green tinge, it's from the gazebo).

WIP stages.

Big Draw Colchester

From the morning's sketching of St Botolph's Priory. ©Sue Pownall 2015

Yesterday, CO3 Gallery in Colchester arranged a Big Draw event, which I attended. We were based near a sponsor, Tindalls Art Store in Trinity Street, but spread out through the town. I wanted to draw St Botolph's Priory as I hadn't drawn it since I was at college in the town. Once again, my colours have come out brighter than usual due to the sunlight, and yes this is England.

After heading back to base, I joined Colchester artist Colin David McAllister on a doorstep with a great view of an old Tudor building, which is now Tyndalls' café. The waitress was great and kindly served tea where we were rather than at a table. Afterwards, I went  into the rose garden, initially to paint roses, but instead captured the gable-end.

Photo by Angella Horner.

All too soon it was time for those left to gather for a group photo and to share their sketches. I'm not too sure why there are Spanish flags behind us - perhaps because we'd stolen their sunshine for the day.

Sketches from at Tymperleys ©Sue Pownall 2015

There was not any cider in my sketch kit this week. I used an A4 Monologue sketchbook with Staedtlar pigmentliners and Winsor & Newton watercolours. It was a lovely day sketching with new people and I look forward to sketching with them again.

Pushing Your Sketching Boundaries Workshop Part 1

1st drawing of workshop. ©Sue Pownall 2015

With Degas on the mend, I was able to attend the UrbanSketchers Coventry workshop this week. However, needing to leave her with the dogsitter for as short a period as possible, I arrived almost on time for the start of the first workshop, but missed the night before's drink and draw registration event. I also left before the end on Friday, partially due to Friday/end of Easter week traffic, but also as I wanted to see how she was. In between was a great event, arranged and tutored by Isabel Carmona, Swasky, and Simone Ridyard.

On the wall at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum.

With no time to settle, it was straight in with recording the old cathedral in Swasky's workshop on Bending the Floor. The result is above, and I have to confess it's my favourite of the three days. The workshop was ran alongside the Recording Britain exhibition, at the Herbert, and copies of our drawings are there until the end of the month.

The second exercise was more complex, and although I didn't do it correctly, I am also pleased with my representation of the Herbert and adjacent university buildings. (below)  

In the afternoon we drew lots of portraits of each other, which was fun, and Simone took this great photo of us (below).

Exhaused, we retired to the nearby pub for food, drinks, and, of course, more sketching.

Drinking and drawing

Cathedral in evening light. Sorry about the poor photo.

 Parts 2 and 3 will be posted on Tuesday and Thursday. I hope you come back to check them out. Please remember I love receiving your comments.

Manchester sketchcrawl

Sketching the River Irwell sat on Calatrava's Trinity Bridge

 Yesterday,  I joined the Manchester,  Yorkshire,  and Society of Architectural Illustrators (SAI) for a sketchcrawl in Manchester. It was a surprisingly blue skied sunny day, but with an icy wind, which made outdoor sketching a challenge. As you can see from my sketches below, I alternated between outside and inside locations.

River Irwell from Trinity bridge. Sketch 1

I accidently bought a scone when I went for a warm up cuppa. Sketch 2.

Piano practice in Manchester Central Library's music library. Sketch 3.

Shivering and sketching at the end of the day. Sketch 4.

It was lovely to meet so many sketchers from all over (40+ at the interim lunch meeting) and hope to get up to Manchester and sketch again... albeit in a warmer month.

Show and tell social at the end of the day. Photo by Hakym.

Brazil: o fim

Igreja Nossa Senhora do Remédios, Paraty.

The day after the symposium, the amazing Brazilian sketching group, Croquis Urbanos Curitiba, had a arranged a last sketch meet. I finished my concertina sketchbook at the meeting point then walked around the corner to sketch the largestest of Paraty's churches, Igreja Nossa Senhora do Remédios, which had been decked out in banners for its festival. Despite my wibbly perspective I'm pleased with the result.

 More goodbyes as the Croquis Urbanos Curitiba left to catch their flights, and I went to sketch more of Paraty. First up the church, Capela Nossa Senhora das Dores, which I didn't draw on Norberto's workshop.

Capela Nossa Senhora das Dores

Next, I made a study of the low tide.

Mud.

Finishing the day where I started, I drew the people gathering for mass in the church of Nossa Senhora do Remédios.

Mass in Igreja Nossa Senhora do Remédios.

 Sadly, I was leaving Paraty and Brazil the next day. I took a pre-breakfast walk, savouring the sunrise.

Adeus Paraty

After breakfast in the pousada, I finally got around to sketching their amazing entranceway full of plants as  my last Paraty sketch.

Pousada do Sono

However, I made a last, last sketch whilst waiting for the Rio bus.

That brings me to the end of my Brazilian adventure. 

Any thoughts or comments, please leave them below. Thank you.

Brazil!!! Part 5 Friday in Paraty

Reflections. Super5 pen & watercolour in moleskin

 Friday had a different format this year, which I liked. A workshop in the morning then lots of activities or talks to choose from in the afternoon. I had chosen Matthew Brehm's workshop as I admire his watercolours and it was on Sketching Fundamentals. It started well, but I got off with the wrong attitude on the first exercise when we where sent to do something and I spied 2 boys up a tree... I quickly sketched them then tried to add in what I as supposed to do. (sorry can't get decent scan or photo)

We did a couple more exercises and then Matt gave a long demo. It was interesting, but I was itching to do more sketches and clock watched until the end of the workshop. I am pleased with my portrait of João drawn as he was listening.

Pencil in casa do artista sketchbook.

After a quick lunch break with the lovely Orling (drawingbythepound), I went to capture my own version of the King tide in the streets. (top) Next, it was back to the Casa do Cultura for talks by Simone Ridyard and then Gaby Campanario. I wish Gaby's talk had been longer as it was so informative - sketch reportage is something I want to get into - and he has a great story telling technique. Night fell quickly in Paraty, so then it was on to a demo by the brilliant Brazilian artist Ivonesyo Ramos. He is very charismatic and despite some drops of rain did an impressive nightime painting, which I bought in the silent auction.

Ivonesyo Ramos painting in the dark.

Finally, I went to a talk/demo by the sponsors PEN.UP where I did my first ever digital sketch on a tablet. it wasn't great, but I can see future experiments with this medium (when I buy a tablet).

All in all it wasn't the my most productive day on my part, but I got lots from it.

Next post is the final day of the symposium...

Brazil!! Pt.4 Thursday in Paraty

Trying wide-angle perspectives with Paul Heaston.

Having attended last year's symposium, I was not as nervous before my first workshop, but still at little bit. It was with Paul Heaston, whose work I really admire. Paul had almost finished his demo when the heavens opened. We took over a nearby café/restaurant and got out our new sketchbooks given by the Brazilian sponsor: casa do artista

 The workshop was on drawing wide-angle perspectives, and whilst I understood Paul's great handouts and explanations, unlike normal perspective I couldn't "see" it. Hence, among many errors my pad and and feet are too small in this first attempt.

1st attempt at wide angle perspective

With a break in the rain, I went outside for my 2nd drawing, and whilst I had to take cover twice from more showers, I am pleased with the result. (Top). I really enjoyed this workshop and (with cheat sheets in hand) shall try this method again. 

Surrounded by the tide!

After a too short lunch break, it was on to Liz Steel's workshop "Feeling the edges – a tactile approach to sketching architecture". Despite the freezing cold, the wind was icy cold, and being cut off by an amazing full-moon tide (I believe they are called King tides), which flood the streets of Paraty. It was very interesting and fun. We did lots of mark making and an exercise which involved careful measurement of proportions, before we could then take a more tactile approach.

How many windows???? An exercise in Liz's workshop

The last exercise. Photos by Liz

In the brief Liz said "Trusting your own personal response to a building is far more important when sketching architecture than achieving absolutely accurate proportions or perfect perspective", but I seem to have lost the point when working on my final drawing. I'll blame the cold.

At the end of the workshop.

 Looking at the sketch later in the Pousada, I added the sky, then colour in an attempt to get something nearer the aim of the workshop - should have left it alone, I think. Oh well, it's all about learning.

Heading back for more clothes prior to dinner, I heard drumming and went to investigate. There was a drum class in a building and I stood in the doorway and sketched - my own personal response :) I am starting to doubt using the urban sketcher title, as I do tend to draw people and objects without their setting. I guess that's something to think about as I always struggle with the situational part of people sketching.

Drum school

 By the time the drumming stopped, it was time to meet the others for dinner, but couldn't find them. Luckily I ran into Omar and joined him and Norberto at Quintal Verde. I started the sketch below, but a group of people came and sat blocking my view. Later, we were joined by Rita, which is one benefit of a smaller location in that you could normally find someone to eat or drink with.

 So that was all from the Thursday. Friday was another full day, which I will leave to my next post.

Please leave your comments below, as I love to hear your thoughts.