Still Sketching

Although I've been trying out a few new things on the drawing front, I'm still sketching out-of-doors, despite the dreadful weather we've been having. I think my recent drawing exercises are making me a little bolder, looking for different shapes as I sketch. I thought I would share some recent sketches.

Last week there was a blink of sun and I decided to head out to East Lothian, on the lookout for some interesting landscapes to draw. I first found a stubble field so I thought I'd have a go at it in pencil and watercolour. I felt that it was a bit of a challenge trying to capture the essence of the rough stubble and the vehicle tracks. But I had a go. Used a bit of pastel as well as the pencil.

East Lothian Stubble Field Sketch

Then I drove up into the Lammermuirs and had a go at sketching the raggedy moorland up there. It was getting a bit gloomier by this time and it started to rain. I think I may have been on the 'Herring Road'. I tried hard to capture the patterns using conte and pencil. But there was a light ochre colour I couldn't capture. I think this sketch looks quite cold, doesn't it?

Lammermuir Sketch

 On my way back down from the Lammermuirs, I found a place to stop for a sketch looking north over East Lothian. The rain was just holding off and the views of the three Laws and the Bass Rock were clear.  Again this sketch was in pencil and conte (too cold for watercolour on the spot). I think this is quite an interesting view and I'm now trying to paint it.

East Lothian Sketch

These were my best sketches of the day and I did them on a large watercolour pad. I'm thinking of continuing to work on these rather than re-draw them. I'd like to see if I can make them into pics that I'm satisfied with. Watch this space.

Nungate...Finally

Yesterday and today I've been back in the studio trying to finish off the Nungate picture. We have to hand in our pictures for Cockenzie House a week today, so today was the day I felt I needed to have all pictures for 3 Harbours finished.

In order to warm up a bit I did another big sketch of the same subject - started in charcoal and added pencil and white conte.  When I had finished, today, it looked like this.

Nungate Bridge - Drawing

 Then it was back to the painting. I find it so difficult when I'm trying to improve on a picture and not lose what I consider to be the good bits.  That's where my tendency to overwork a picture kicks in.  So this time I spent a bit of time looking at the picture and noted down that I wanted to tone down the sky, 'improve' the stonework on the bridge (really by toning it down a bit), and adding more interest to the stonework under the arches.  It was only at this point that I realised the picture is absolutely full of stonework of different types - coursed rubble in the bridge, random rubble of the river wall and a mixture of rubble in the house.  Anyway, by the time I had finished today, it looked like this.

Nungate Bridge - Painting - Finished?

A very interesting exercise.  Which is better - drawing or painting?  I suppose they are just different - not comparing like with like.  The question I must address now is whether or not I should get the picture framed ready for 3 Harbours. The composition is quite strong, but maybe my painterly treatment just not exciting enough...

Working on the Nungate Bridge

Today I continued work on my picture of the Nungate Bridge.  It is such a strong image and I had started the picture on good quality watercolour paper so I knew I should be able to continue.  I had decided (yesterday's blog) that I should go into the picture with some paler acrylic washes, so I made a start with two pale colours, one based on white acrylic mixed with a little rose madder and ochre and the other with cobalt blue. 

Nungate Bridge - emerging picture?

I then decided to use a little sky blue (mix of prussian and white) and also some red and blue inks (separately and mixed together).  This was a similar mix of paints and inks to those I had used for my Edinburgh Gables picture and this was the look I was aiming for.  Well, I worked at it for a while, painting and spraying it, then I got a graphite stick out, and then some extra oil crayon etc etc.  I wasn't all that happy and so I stopped when it looked like this.

Nungate Bridge - emerging picture?

It's looking more painterly now, but I think the blue sky makes it look a little too cheerful.  It is also perhaps a little too studied-looking - maybe I've worked too hard at it, too long.  I haven't brought it home yet, but I'll think about it over the weekend.  I may even go back in to work on it.  I'd quite like to finish it before the 3 Harbours.....but we'll see....

Focus in the Studio...

I thought I would carry on from Tuesday's sketches and focus on the Nungate Bridge.  Started by mapping out the composition out in charcoal.  I noticed in doing this that there are some good abstract values - the angles of the roofs matching the angles of the bridge and the repetitive verticals.  It's quite a strong composition.

After the first charcoal drawing I rubbed it out a bit then drew back into it, still working in charcoal. Improved the composition a little too.

Then I added a bit of oilbar followed by water and then some black ink.

Then I wanted to work on the texture of the stonework so used oil crayons in various colours and some red ink which I used on its own and also mixed with the black ink.  Also applied water spray.

 

I continued to work at the textures, including the water, also adding white acrylic, but then I was really not sure what to do next. So I stopped. 

 On reflection, I think I now need to go in with restrained washes to tie the picture together - aiming for a finish not unlike my Edinburgh Gables.  So we'll see what I can do tomorrow.

East Lothian Sunshine Sketches

Looked up at the sky this morning and decided it was a day for sketching (oh - such freedom!).
So off to East Lothian to try and capture some iconic images on the best day of the year....

Spent most of the day in Gifford.  I focused first on the church, which I discovered is actually Yester Parish Church .

Pencil sketch, Gifford

 I walked round the back and did another sketch from the back of the building

Charcoal sketch, Gifford

The sun was still shining, so I returned to the hall.

Another pencil sketch, Gifford

 Then I thought I needed a change of scene, so went off to Haddington.  Managed to do a couple of quick sketches of the Nungate Bridge.

Graphite sketch of Nungate Bridge

Another sketch of the Nungate Bridge (oil crayon on coloured ground)

I thought that was enough for the day. Must get back into the studio tomorrow, whatever the weather.

Getting down to it

Today was my first full day in the studio for a while. Was determined to start something new. Also thought I ought to focus on an East Lothian view (thinking about pictures for the 3 Harbours exhibition at the start of June). So I looked out this sketch that I did a couple of months ago.

Sketch of Bass Rock from Belhaven Beach.

I made a start to the picture by drawing with graphite and white conte then doing some rubbing out.

Emerging picture 1

I decided on a palette of prussian blue, ultramarine, allizarin crimson and white to start with.  Using the colours in a very restrained way it soon looked like this.

Emerging picture 2

Then added more of these colours along with some ochre (I had wanted to use naples yellow, but realised that I didn't have any in the studio...)

Emerging picture 3

Then more of the same, making up a little green

Emerging picture 4

But I wasn't happy with this (maybe it's just too colourful), so I decided to apply some white acrylic on the roller to knock it back.

Emerging picture 5

This was as far as I got - just left it like this in order to think what to do next....I think I'll need to re-think my approach.....Happy Days!

A Bit Too Busy Of Late

I appear to have been a bit busy over the last month - not enough time for blogging!  The exhibition that Rona MacLean and I put on took up quite a lot of time.  It went well, and I enjoyed meeting people, but nevertheless it has disrupted the flow of work.  Bit of a challenge getting back to painting.  And then I had my birthday yesterday.  Thanks to friends and family who came along for a bit of a celebration in the Fisherrow Yacht Club.  It was a bit of fun for a Sunday afternoon.

Getting back to normal today.  Didn't manage into the studio, but I did a couple of sketches on the bus and the weather was just good enough for me to sit at the harbour and do a more detailed sketch of the boats and the tenements.

Fisherrow Harbour Pencil Sketch

Well - maybe it's a start to my new East Lothian series...watch this space....