Drawing a 'Tommy Kane' teacup

May 10, 2014 | 3 Comments


Sorry for the double post this evening…but I thought I better take up Tommy Kane’s challenge this week on Sketchbook Skool to do a very slow sketch – how about 10 times slower than normal? Would that do?

I do find it hard to slow down so this was a lot of fun!!!


The one on the left is my normal pace – sketching fast and doing a free interpretation of the pattern on the cup. 9 minutes.


The one on the right was 10 times slower! 90 minutes. Though I will admit that part of this time included finding the right pencils and sitting around waiting for my washes to dry (something I never do)
A few thoughts

  • I know this isn’t quite a complex scene…. but I don’t have a spare 6 hours this weekend! And there is no way for me to sit comfortably in my kitchen for that length of time (careful at all times with my neck!) plus the temptation to eat would be too great!
  • I found it hard to go slow with the pen… but once I started painting (using a small brush) it was easier and I found myself naturally going a lot slower
  • I AM used to working carefully and accurately and getting the details right as an architect, but sketching is always about freedom for me, so sketching a complex building would have been a lot easier than a floral teacup.
  • I didn’t want to slow down too much and try to paint within the lines and loose the natural way that I apply colour (I might totally go to pieces if I did that!)
  • Found it a little harder to get a sense of my colour as I am used to working fast and getting a feel of the whole… I thought there was a danger of getting lost in a detail but then I realised I just could pause and review at each stage
  • Layering over the top was fun!
  • I took some liberties with the cup pattern (I always do) and made the colours stronger
  •  Really getting the hang of this… could just keep going and going but I do need some sleep its almost 11pm (at least feeling very chilled now!)

This is such a great lead into what I will be doing for my klass for kourse two……stay tuned!!!!!
I think I will have a break from teacup sketching for a few days now….

3 Comments

  • Liz, I love the 90 minute piece! The details are beautiful and the colors so fresh!!

  • Liz Steel says:

    thank you sherry!

  • JOAN says:

    This is a most interesting post, showing us how one artist tries to draw/paint in the style of another artist.
    As much as you've drawn/painted teacups or other complex shapes, I thought it was interesting that you were able to do this when you've trained your hand to eye/speed/execution in a completely different way. Since I haven't years of drawing/painting experience, there is nothing for me to "unlearn", it's all new to me. I appreciate your insight on this immensely.

Leave a Reply