Recent local sketches with neocolors

May 1, 2023 | 6 Comments


It’s been a month since I last published an article of local sketches… so today I’ll just share a few of them.

I’m continuing to get a morning coffee and sketch locally but due to the approach of winter, there are less options if I want to sit in the sun. 

But I’ve finally started to sketch the rear of the shops that border the west side of the Village Green. I have been holding off on sketching these views so that I would have something to move onto when I’m feeling a need for change. And so I’m enjoying some new compositional opportunities.

I’ve been loving adding the neocolors under my watercolour washes and sometimes under marker work as well. I’m currently testing to see what impact the wax crayons mark has on the markers and whether this way that I’m currently working is lessening the life of my GoldFaber Aqua markers.

I’m loving the textures, layers and colours of these sketches despite the fact that I’m not really devoting a lot of mental energy to them (while I’m sketching my head is normally full of all the things I have to do for my upcoming  Teacups course). I’m not getting down to Lane Cove National Park these days – and so I’ve only had one visit in the past month.

Enough general comments… here are some of my recent sketches.


I really enjoyed mixing up lines and shapes and changing my tools while doing this open composition. I decided against watercolour…

 

   
… and also for this one. (BTW This sketch is just coloured pencil and marker- no Neocolor)

 
Playing with texture and adding both Neocolor I and II in this.


Another fun composition – really thinking about vertical vs horizontal lines and areas of dark blue.


Lots of lively colour in this version of the green door of St Albans.


My only visit to Lane Cove National Park recently – going crazy with rapid strokes.

And just to finish off with a few cafe sketches…


Visiting the cafe that is open on all public holidays


A purple-themed page (no Neocolour in this one)


And the last sketch for this article – a really quick Neocolor view of Goodfields.

I hope that you had a good month of sketching in April.

6 Comments

  • Alan Barbour says:

    Interesting; I have some Neocolor II crayons; will have to try them combined with ink and wash. They should make part of a very convenient field kit. Thanks, Liz.

  • Karess says:

    Hi Liz

    I’m inspired by your use of Neocolor II. I have a set but they seem to break really easily. I was wondering if you have the same issue and if so, how you use them when they break. Alternatively if you have any tips on how not to break them I would also be grateful.

    • Liz Steel says:

      Hi Karess – how/when are they breaking? I intentionally broke mine in Half so I’m carrying less but otherwise very sturdy for me.

  • Jay Sarkis Kelly says:

    Hi Liz, i would like to add NEOCOLOR to my art materials
    please let me know the most useful set or if not set the individual colors that i should purchase first . These colors
    are to be used in conjunction with the standard w/c set that you have selected in all your courses I sketch mostly landscape, architecture, food, and indoors cafe or restaurant sketches. BDW i am enrolled to all of your Sketching Now courses and i enjoy them all.

    • Liz Steel says:

      Hi Jay – I’m still very much in the experimental stage – exploring how to use them and working out what colours I want to use – so can’t really give a recommendation at this point. 🙂

  • Jamie C says:

    These are so colorful and the textures are very interesting. Are you going for more vivid color, or is that an effect of the Neocolor?

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