Sketchbook #4

I do struggle to work in my sketchbook regularly.  I think this is because I can't capture what I see and my drawings don't look like I expect them to.

There was a link on our OCA Facebook page to a series of drawing lessons on the Derwent website and I had a look at these.  I have found them really useful.  I have done two of the exercises on the Derwent website and I think it has improved my drawings.  Shoo Rayner - who teaches drawing and writes and illustrates children's books - is a great teacher.  He makes it really simple and explains things in a very easy to understand way.  

The first exercise was Shading 3D Objects and I produced this sketch following his instruction.

I then used these ideas to create this poppy seed head

and my tack (from a photograph)

The second exercise was Understanding Perspective for which I did this sketch

and then used the same method to sketch this stapler. 

I have also done a series of drawings using a fineline black pen to do the initial drawing and then I added colour using block paints watered right down.  I really like this way of drawing and think it will work well to get down on paper the things that inspire me.  I also like creating the colour blocks which creates an instant colour scheme to work from.

Sketchbook #3

These are two quick sketches I did in my lunch break.  The first one is yoghurt pots, drawn with a biro on an old envelope.  It looked a bit weak so I went over it with oil pastels.

This is another biro drawing from a photograph of a marionette that I took whilst I was in Prague.  I like how this has turned out and especially the shading around the edge of the face.

Playing with machine stitching.  I used a very heavy fabric so that I didn't need a hoop.  Just tried to draw a kettle, then added some ink colouring.

Black pen and watered down block paint wash.  These were copied from some drawings, but I can't remember who they were by originally.

I had drawn some feathers with Indian ink, but I had used both sides of the paper.  These little snippets were what was left after I had cut out the better feather drawings.  I decided to stick them down in a collage, and added some colour with washable felt tip pens, which I then went over with water on a flat brush.  I like how these have turned out and am going to try the washable felt pens and water again.

Two more quick lunch break sketches inspired by the Astronomical Clock in Prague.  The first one is biro on an old envelope, the second one I tried sticking down different papers before I did the biro sketch.  I don't think either of these is very good, but will be trying the different papers idea again.

More playing around with the machine just to see what different ideas looked like.  Thick base fabric so that no hoop was needed.

Sketchbook #2

A few more pages from my sketchbook.

Quick sketch to see what different stitches could be used to re-create this gerbera.

Based on grasses growing  near the barn.

Close-up detail of the rhubarb drawing, I love these colours.

Little sketches using Inktense pencils based on one of my photographs.  I had chosen the plants initially because of the coral flowers against the green leaves and the dark leaves with the light coloured veins against the beautiful red and green leaves.

Pencil drawing of a tennis ball and golf ball.

On the left is a biro drawing I did in my lunch break, I then recreated it with gel pen and a pale wash.

This is my first ever attempt at drawing someone.  My son was sat on the sofa so I just used an advert that had fallen out of a magazine and a biro that was on the coffee table.  I was sorry afterwards that I hadn't found a blank sheet of paper, but I was only looking at his hood to start with, then just kept doing a bit more and a bit more .... until dinner was ready!

Sketchbook #1

The Sketchbook hasn't been going all that well. I am not good at drawing, but I am now trying to put all the mark making into practice, so the later additions are looking - not too bad! Trying not to worry too much about getting it right, just trying to get something on the page. I do believe that "hands on" is the only way to learn something - it's no good just reading the books.


This is my small (A5) sketchbook, that is for carrying around with me. 

Dried Orange Slices - graphite pencil and two coloured pencils. I like the top drawing on the right, I think this could be adapted to textiles.

Daffodils - I used the technique at the bottom for something else I was doing so did an extra one in my sketchbook, then tried looking at the daffodil heads closely. They looked a bit flat so I added some watery paint. I like the effect at the bottom of the page, this would translate very easily into stitch.

Sheep - I copied this idea from a book about wire sculpture. Sculpting in Wire by Cathy Miles.

Patterns & Feathers - Last week I went out into the garden and just drew patterns. I found two feathers so drew those as well, might try these in stitch. I think the little sketches are useful for inspiration as well - just not great drawings.

Bark & Rhubarb - Went a bit further afield, and draw some unusual bark, a felled tree and some forced rhubarb. All black gel pen and watercolours. Again not great drawings, but good source of inspiration.

Straight Stitch & Chain Stitch - After doing the first stitching exercise, I went round the garden looking for ideas for using straight stitch and chain stitch - found quite a few examples. Tried to draw them with the stitches in mind. They all look a bit thin, might need a bit of a colour wash?

Dried Poppy Skeleton - Found this poppy head skeleton in the garden, tried really hard to draw what I saw and not what I thought was there - not very good at fine detail though, prefer scribbling.

Dahlia - This was a left over from one of the exercises in project 1, but I like the image and I liked the effect of the pencil drawing, so saved them into my sketchbook.

Peppers - Snowed in today (an unexpected day off work!) so had a go at drawing a group of peppers. Decided to look at them as cuboid shapes and sketched those in first. This got the peppers in a better perspective, so will definitely be trying this again. This is a sketch just using biro.

Tried them again using the same kind technique, but used fineliner felt pens.

Tried the fineliner felt pens and went over the top with a biro. I liked this better before I went around the outside edge with the biro.

On a roll now, so did a big close-up with the block paints, then went over it with biro. I really like this drawing. A bit of success at last and good inspiration for stitching.

Mug - Liked the technique so much, decided to try it out on a drawing of my mug. It went a bit wonky at the top, but on the whole I quite like this.

Peppers - Couldn't quite stop drawing the pepper. Had another go with the biro and the block paints. Quite like this one as well.

Couldn't leave the peppers until I had had a go with my favourite technique - which is the scratchy pen, ink and coloured pencil. Again I am quite happy with this drawing, and again good inspiration. Finally I remembered I had wanted to try the coloured pencil in lines, so I just did a small portion of the pepper to try it out. I think this has worked well. I have really enjoyed this drawing session, lets hope the next ones goes as well.