090430 Doctors Waitng Corridor

Back at my doctor again... as it is just chairs down a corridor it is a bit hard to sketch people - so I drew the woman on the front cover of the magazine in front of me.

Just when man next to me moved, I quickly started a general view but I was soon called - so added colour on the right page when I got home. I sketched the view the other direction here.

Ok... getting ready for the EDinMay challenge... now will I have enough courage to follow the example of some fellow urban sketchers and sketch while I get my haircut tomorrow?

090429 EDiM Title Page

Ok... getting the book ready to start on Friday... here is the title page.
Now, it might seem a soft option to start with the bear but in fact the big issues are raised by this sketch... getting the proportions right in order to achieve a likeness. Poor old Borromini's head is way too big and his little beady eyes aren't quite the right distance apart.
However I am sure that most of you have recognized him!!

090428 A commitment

I am a little 'scared' of making this commitment... but this years Everyday in May challenge is going to be drawing people!! Did I say a little scared... quite worried might be more realistic.... but no! I am just being silly!

A whole month dedicated commitment is what I need and this is the book I am going to try to fill (to fill it I would need to do 2 spreads a day.... that is probably too much even for me - I must at least pass half way by the beginning of June)

This book is the A6 version of my regular sketchbook covered with a lovely sheet of Japanese paper...

090428 Trying to keep my blog more up to date...

Really I have no excuse... it doesn't take that much longer to post to here as well as on flickr.


A change in Weather
A very quick sketch tonight and an example of how watercolour can sometimes get so out of hand and do its own thing! While most of you are enjoying warmer weather, here in Sydney we are about to go into winter and on the weekend the seasons seemed to have changed....

(To prove the point to myself, I have set my timer going while doing this blog - less than 2 minutes from start to post!!!... as I said no excuse!)

090424 A New Journal

A quick sketch to start my new journal - always good to break through the brand new book barrier.

The nice thing about the Daler Rowney sketchbook that I use is that the very first spread contains the same paper so I start sketching from the inside cover.
This is the state of my palette as I start a new book. I am really scraping the sides of my burnt sienna...

090425 Anzac Day

Anzac Day is Australia’s national war memorial day... One day I would like to get up for the dawn service..but it ain’t going happen if I stay up late sketching! So when I saw in our local paper what was planned at a park in my suburb(in Sydney), I decided on a little adventure after breakfast – only had an hour so quick sketches... But certainly a nice thing to do!


Here is a photo I took from my iphone of myself sketching this morning ­
sitting on my stool in the sun. I am somewhat amazed that holding my phone in the air above my shoulder actually produced a reasonable photo!



The rest of the day was spent at my brother’s place celebrating my nephew’s 2nd birthday with the immediate families. A lovely day, and I was able to sketch while we all sat around in the backyard on a warm sunny autumn afternoon. The birthday boy came up and when he saw my sketches, picked up is new present, the ‘boy doll’ and said “same!”.

090411 Sketchcrawl in The Blue Mountains

No response from anyone in the Blue Mountains for the International Sketchcrawl so I did it alone today!


I am normally part of the Sydney team but was away for 2.5 days in the Blue Mountains 1.5 ours out of Sydney. I have been sketching the whole time so my sketchcrawl has been a marathon since Thursday afternoon. As I was doing the tourist thing, I didn’t go on a sketching excursion today (weather wasn’t the best either) but I did sketch whenever I could and tried to record every event of my day. (I even drew in the guestbook of the B&B)
So here are my sketches from today... ( Use this link to see the rest of them http://www.flickr.com/photos/borrominibear/sets/72157616619426006/ ...will try to post them here in the next week )

090404 A busy Saturday...

This morning I went to a wedding service. I sketched in the church while waiting and then did the ‘outfits’ sketches when I got home from a photo (drew these more as a record of the outfits than as a portrait)



In the afternoon went shopping- which means I get a chane to visit my favourite tearoom. Had a lovely chat to a couple nearby – they were amazed to see someone sketching but as we continued to chat, the husband being a regular at this tearoom, about my love of earl grey tea, drinking tea in a cup and saucer and then my love of tea cosies, I think that they started to think that I certainly don’t fit the mould of the typical 30-something girl. The wife said twice “you are such an old fashioned girl”... I suppose that I am but I hope people don’t start calling me Polly! (Louisa May Alcott)


After drawing the usual stuff on my table I decided that it was time to attempt the view including people...only minimal pencil linework and working very quickly (my parking was running out fast!) so they are very blobby and sketchy but I am happy that I made the attempt! Ah! Sitting in cafes sketching is just the best!!!

090404 This Week

A fun page...

I am determined to do something about this drawing people fear of mine!
Part of my problem is that I have been drawing pea-headed blobs as people for YEARS at work in my architectural sketches.

Also, having a separate sketchbook for people has not really worked as it is admitting defeat...that they are not good enough to be part of my daily journal. I just have to start drawing people in my normal book and live with the 'mistakes'





Another 2 resolutions for this week...
2. no waterbrush (unless necessary ie. painting standing up)
3. have a break from complicated architectural subjects and have fun with some landscapes.

So, I have been revisiting places I love in Scotland and getting out my size 12 travel sable brush and had lots of fun!!! I haven't used a big brush for ages - and have forgotten that totally out of control feel I get about halfway through!



So here is my first people spread...very random in many ways!

I am still a bit overwhelmed at the idea of sketching people on location(and haven't really had the opportunity this week) but at least I am now drawing in my journal and drawing something ever day....so only one of these is from life.

I still don’t have a good grasp of the shape of the head and how it connects to neck and shoulders – being an architect I feel like need to really understand the form and structure....but working on it....