A look back at sketching in Rome

Ooops, apologies for the long gap since my last post.  With hindsight I often think, 'oh I could have blogged about that'.  The secret is obviously to post little and often.  Well, that's one New Year Resolution decided!

Sketching at the Trevi Fountain, Rome

At the end of October I had a fantastic 4-day break in Rome.  I had high hopes of all the sketchbook work I would get done - buildings, ruins, cafes, piazzas and fountains...  Well, that was rather ambitious in the end. Paul and I went with two friends and had a brilliant time, Rome certainly exceeded expectations, but there was very little time to pause and paint.  I amassed lots of photos which may come in useful at some point, but admit I am disappointed that I failed in my mission. However, here is my meagre offering...

On the aeroplane...

 

Ruins, but it was the Pino (Pine) tree that attracted my attention

Rapid sketch in Moleskine sketchbook with Edding pen 

We managed to see all the big sights - the Vatican and Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, the Roman Forum, the Coliseum, the stunning National Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, Trevi Fountain and much more.  Lots and lots of walking, but I have never been to a city with so much history in a relatively small area.  It is said that if you toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain it ensures you will return to Rome one day.  We all obliged, but I really would love a return to this amazing city (with a bit more time to actually slow down and get some sketchbook work done).

Tomorrow I will introduce a few more pieces of work done recently and between Christmas and New Year I shall review the Resolutions I made at the beginning of the year - it will be interesting to see how I've done.   

Holiday Sketchbook in France

Creating a watercolour sketch in Le Crotoy 

Bonjour!  I have returned from an amazing, relaxing holiday in France.  Just an hour from Calais, on the outskirts of a town named Rue, in an incredible Chateau for a whole week.  Bliss.  When will I realise how much easier it would be to post more frequently?  With hindsight I could have explored the possibility of using my mobile phone to upload images and text to this blog.  I have quite a few images to share with you of work done in 2 different sketchbooks.  One was a gift from friend in the West Norfolk Artists Association - by Derwent (17 x 12cms) it has useful pockets inside the soft suede-like hardback cover to store receipts or collected ephemera.  I discovered that pencil and pen glide beautifully over the paper surface but light washes of paint soaked in immediately.  This sketchbook became ideal for quick line drawings when time was short.  The other sketchbook is from Stillman & Birn in the Delta Series (14.5 x 22cms).  I had read a lot of favourable comments about this brand and wanted to try it myself.  It's a little larger than A5, black hardback, and I found it takes watercolour, water soluble pencil and Inktense pencils really well.  This sketchbook then is perfect when time is more flexible and I can settle down with some watermedia. Here's the art kit I took with me:



Art equipment fits into small (stylish) shopper bag

  

Large pocket on front of handbag perfect for sketchbook & small pencil case

 



I shall not bore you with lots of words and waffle this time but hope you enjoy the following photos of some of the sketches I made during my week in France.  Oh, starting with a few from Dover as we stopped there the night before taking the ferry...

Two views from sitting on a bench in Dover

A few captured lines from studying the ever moving seagulls and pigeons on beach

The harbour gets busy with people and the local sailing school

 

Evening stroll, stopped to watch cattle by Chateau entrance

Inktense pencils - attempt to cope with all those greens!

 

Guess where I am...

Monet's House and Garden, Giverny

Not brilliant but looking at it brings the experience back fully - the receipt
 was from early lunch and yes, I had small Prittstick in my pencil case! 

 

The famous bridge - painted on a wet afternoon in the Chateau from my photo
 (the only one not from life)

Water soluble graphite pencil to describe misty start to the day



 

A second sketch with soft diffused watercolour washes

Looking out across bay at Le Crotoy

Pencil sketch - view across site Battle of Crecy, 1346

Visit to museum at Azincourt.  Overheard young girl whisper to parent "I saw a lady drawing in her book"...

Observing cattle just up the lane from the Chateau

 



The cattle quickly lost interest in me, and I was left in no doubt

Nell the Chateau cat is very old - like most of the fixtures & fittings in the Chateau!

Lovely way to spend an hour on our last afternoon in France

I have a confession.  I did try one plein air painting with water mixable oils in the week.  I stood in the delightful Chateau grounds and attempted to paint the building itself, framed by trees.  I thoroughly enjoyed the process despite struggling to depict the façade of the building and all the windows without getting fiddly.  However, I confess to it being a total disaster.  The painting looked very flat and unconvincing.  Take heart - it happens to all of us!!!  Nothing for it but to keep on trying.  And I have a cunning plan to keep me motivated and to continue working from life - a self set project in the pipeline.  I shall reveal all in another post soon.

Rear view of Le Chateau du Broutel



Drawing at Speed

Perfect for putting in a handbag

So, Christmas is over for another year.  We had a lovely time with family to stay but it was cut a little short as my eldest daughter had to be back in Bristol and at work for 9.30 a.m. on Boxing Day.  My husband and I drove her to Bristol, leaving King's Lynn at 3.30 in the morning to ensure we arrived in good time!  We stayed overnight and headed back to Norfolk at a more respectable hour the following day.  As we bowled along the motorway I thought about my resolve to use my time more wisely and decided to challenge myself to do some quick sketches whilst we were travelling at speed.  The little plain paged book seen above I had bought in Bristol when I realised I had nothing in my bag suitable - the pages are slightly creamy, and a little on the thin side, but I do like the fact that it also contains some brown pages in the middle.  Possibilities for drawing with biro or fine liners...  However, I used the two mechanical pencils for this series of little quick sketches.

 

The easiest way to cope with this challenge was to focus on an upcoming hill-line.  Using the thicker Pilot Croquis B pencil I made the scribbled marks whilst my eyes travelled along the topography, only glancing at the page briefly.

 

Notes accompany the brief sketches as reminders of where we were travelling...

 

They also clarify elements - here the pale roof of a factory complex mostly hidden by raised ground.

 

Starting to warm up to this sketching activity whilst travelling at 70 miles an hour I looked to focusing closer to the motorway.  The fir tree was dramatic in its shape silhouetted against the drab grey rain-sodden sky.  The pale silver birch tree trunks caught my eye but flashed past before I could decide a shorthand method to describe them.  Fortunately another bank of them appeared along the opposite carriageway and I could quickly get the gist of them on paper. 

 

In need of a leg stretch and some stimulating coffee we stopped off at Corley Services.  I was determined to capture a figure study of some sort, even though it was fairly busy and the table we were fortunate to grab was a bit too central for my liking. I prefer to have my back to a wall and a bit of space to each side as I surrepticiously glance up and down to the page.  (This sketch was done with the Staedtler Mars micro 0.7 mm).

 

Whilst none of the drawings are of any particular future value (by this I mean as studies for developing into paintings) I really enjoyed the snatch of time to create them.  The eye and hand have to work together as more time is spent garnering the essentials than actually assessing what is happening on the page. 

 

I shall definitely keep that sketchbook and pencils handy in my bag as I go about my daily activities in 2013.  Why not try it for yourself?