So much character in old things

An old box with bottles of water at a cafe - for customers to help themselves. There is so much character in old things.

Some recent sketches

My duck (a sculpture), Kimmy

A streetscape with cranes – Bridge Road in Melbourne.

St Paul's Cathedral

A recent piece completed during an outdoor drawing afternoon in Melbourne.

Shoes sketches

A couple of sketches from my journal.

Hope you are having a nice weekend.

Do they go faster because they are red?

I like this red Jeep, and enjoyed drawing it.

But have I stuffed it up and made it look like a car from olden days? Does red make it look sexy?

Does the rider’s hands get tired from reaching up?

Sketches: food and more

I have been away for the long weekend sketching with friends. It’s been a fun and productive weekend. I have not drawn so much in my life, but what a joy to be drawing and splashing paint.

We ate and drank a lot; it was a holiday too.

We went to an interesting cafe which was also a homeware store. There were a lot of nice objects to draw.

We drew other things too (really, we did), and I will upload more drawings in the next posts. Here is one last spread from my DottedSquare.com sketchbook. It is also the last page, so I will need a new book.

Hope you are all having a good week.

 

Update on Deals at DottedSquare.com

DottedSquare.com is offering a 1 for 1 offer on notecards – perfect timing for those Christmas greetings that we need to write. The offer is only for this week.

Spring time in Australia

Spring time is a lovely time of the year – the lovely fresh green leaves on previously bare branches, lots of colours etc.  Paint Party Friday seems to come around too quickly when the week is busy, doesn’t it. But that means it’s weekend again – yay!

On another subject, I have been busy with DottedSquare.com lately and I wrote a little snippet on why we should doodle. Here is an interesting video:

 

Happy Weekend.

Drawing outdoors–a few tips

Plein air drawing is fun. Here are some recent discovery that I would love to share:

How many sketchbooks do you carry?

While I usually have one small sketchbook with me in my bag all the time, I have at least 2 when I go out to draw. That way, when the paint on one sketchbook is still wet, I can continue to draw or paint using my 2nd sketchbook, without having to wait for the paint to dry.

Too much information

When drawing outdoors, what is in front can be daunting at times when there is a lot of information. Look another way and there is more information. Know that you don’t have to draw everything. Start small, visually crop a section of the scene. And if you cannot really see the details, leave them out. For example, while drawing in the city, I sometimes select a building, then only draw a small section such as a dome or a window.

Remember that drawing is fun

Even if your drawing doesn’t turn out as you imagined, you are on the path to becoming a better artist. Enjoy the journey.

Happy Paint Party Friday.

 

A bit of news:

On a totally different topic, here is a bit of exciting news. I have been working on a range of journals, and I launched the website today. I am road testing one of them by doing lots of drawings and applying watercolour. I am very pleased (really!)– the paper stock is great and my supplier has done a good job putting the book together.

Oh, I also started a Facebook page, so if you visit and click the “LIKE” button, you will receive updates. If you do visit the links, please let me know what you think.

By the way, please meet my business partner at DottedSquare.com (below)

I wish you all a Happy Weekend.

Summer loving–drawing outdoors

Exercise your way to happiness. Exercise gets the brain to release the good stuff – endorphins – to make us feel better. And with summer just around the corner, there is no excuse.

Last week when I was drawing outdoors, I felt the urge to draw a bicycle, and then roller blades. It must be the warmer weather… I am going to be dusting off those cobwebs building up on my roller blades and bicycle, and putting them to use – perhaps to get to my next outdoor drawing session with friends this weekend.

What are you doing this weekend?

Paint Party Friday

Sketching outdoors - spectators–love them or hate them

Some of you know that I love to draw outdoors. Over time, I have come to enjoy interacting with people who are curious enough to stop, look, and have a chat. But sometimes, spectators (for example, children who place their heads between yours and your sketchbook!) can be annoying. Whether you love or hate them, they will always be around, so don’t let them come between you and your love for plein air drawing.
 
Here are a few things that I have come to realise:

1. Love them

If you are just starting to draw outdoors, having spectators can be a little uncomfortable, especially when your drawing isn’t going well. Some of us many not think highly of our own ability to draw, but remember that it is a special gift. Those who don’t draw are fascinated and think it is amazing that you can draw. When someone wants to have a peek at your drawing, consider it an honour. Smile, and it could be the beginning of a wonderful interaction. If you are travelling, it is a great way to get to know the locals.

2. A sure way to attract them…

Working with colours is a way to make sure others know you are drawing or painting. Open up your box of watercolours, and watch children and adults turn your way. Hide your colours; use a pen/pencil and chances are no one will even realise that you are drawing.

Love to draw on the iPad? That is another way of attracting spectators. I had a drawing project where I used the iPad to draw my characters. I often drew in a cafe and found that even men (who are often more reserved) became curious and wanted to know what app I used. 

3. How to avoid them 

My friend gave me these 2 tips if you want to be left alone. I have not put them to the test, but here they are:
- use headphones. People might still peek, but will not try to chat to you.
- wear sunglasses to draw portraits. If you are discreet, your models will not even know you are drawing them. A good tactic on the train - if you can draw with your sunglasses on.

Over time, you will learn to be thick skinned, and just enjoy yourself.

Please share your comments and other learning points – love to hear them.

What are you grateful for today?

Happy Hour

I attended a talk a few months ago on happiness. One of the exercises was to keep a gratitude diary, in which we record something that we are thankful for each day. It need not be big; for example, it could be a flower that we see or a smile from a neighbour.

I kept a diary going for a while. Each day, I drew something in my diary and I think it helped me keep things in perspective...

Grateful for a new beginning...

Today, after 4.5 years blogging, I have moved on to a new blog, and a new website, which I am excited about. I am grateful to be able to start all over again... so it's a reason to celebrate.

If you are here reading this, you have found my new site - be sure to leave a message so that I know you came.

What about you?  What are you grateful for today?