This month inside my Sketching Adventure Community on Patreon we are exploring the theme of monochrome. If you missed it here on the blog, some previous themes have been negative shapes, going to the edge, foreshortening  and limited palettes.

There is really something special about focusing on one theme for 4 weeks and this month has been no exception!

I started the monochrome theme thinking that I would explore the ink and graphite technique I enjoyed so much during my recent big trip to Europe especially in the second half of the trip (BTW more trip articles to come soon.)

I was also in the mood for using markers thanks to borrowing Suhita’s tombows when we were travelling through Poland together (once again more about that coming soon).

And although I have done some graphite and marker sketches this month I’ve ended up playing with some Aquarius paints that Roman Szmal gave to me in Poznan…

Graphite

November 2024

Greenish Indigo

Iron Chromite Black

I then decided to limit myself to the one ‘colour’ for an entire week and that turned out to be Iron Chromite!

I did a little abstraction as well!

Last Saturday I went to Cockatoo Island to do some prep for an upcoming  Sketching with Shapes workshop.

I ended up doing a number of  monochrome sketches as well!

I’ve also moved back to an A4 sketchbook and I’m enjoying working a little larger.

And now after a week of the one black watercolour paint I’m back exploring those other colours – especially the ones that granulate or create pigment parties. 

I am missing having  full colour work in my sketchbook but not as much as I expected!

Each of these monochrome sketches have been really satisfying to create and it’s been fun to focus on values and a single paint colour. I’ve always had a fairly good sense of value but there is no doubt that this monochrome month is really strengthening my skills.

Once again I just have to say how helpful these Patreon themes have been for developing my own work. There is no way I would have limited myself for 4 weeks to a single colour without the discipline of a monthly theme. So I  want to thank everyone who is part of our Sketching Adventure Community on Patreon for making it such an inspiring place to experiment and work on our own everyday sketching.