Learning to sketch

It’s taken me a while to realise that there is a difference between sketching and drawing – my old sketch books are full of drawings! I’ve tried a number of different materials in the past – pastels, water soluble pencils, Indian ink, water colour, soluble graphite pencil and even oils. All have been purchased as the answer to my plein air sketching needs, assigned a suitable bag and taken out into the field. But none have helped me make a habit of it – perhaps the setting up and putting away overshadows my need to be spontaneous! But at last I think I’ve found a kit that works for me. Black and grey Pitt Artists Pens give me the effect of an Indian ink drawing without the inky fingers or threat of spillage! I now have two sketchbooks – an A4 reserved for indoors ( sketches of Henry and the puss cats ) and a neat little A6 moleskin for outside – the creamy coloured smooth paper is perfect and it fits in both pocket with no need for a dedicated bag.  I’m getting more confident about using it and perhaps a personal style of visual shorthand is starting to emerge. But can I read it back and turn my field sketches into paintings? Mm, we’ll have to test that one, but in the meantime I’m enjoying being able to capture an idea without any mess or pre-planning!

Assessing One's Boggy Bits

I had drafted a post about my sketchbook for today – but yesterday’s events were much more exciting, so I’ve decided to share this with you instead. I’ve mentioned that we have bought a building plot………well, yesterday saw the arrival of a big yellow digger and our very first guests. It’s in a coastal and remote location, and although fully accessible by road, our guests came by other means to examine some small holes dug by said digger! These stills give you an idea, but do watch the movies (it took me ages to work out how to get them edited and then on to this blog!). The ground is adequately solid below its boggy exterior, the rock is extremely hard and the house footprint fits nicely on the boggy bit without having to break up the hard bit – so all is well at this early stage in our big adventure!

Reasons for keeping a sketchbook

I plan to structure some time between commissions to develop my landscape painting and work on my individual style. Notes and drawings from my sketchbooks will provide the inspiration and information for future studio work. I have spent many years working on commissions, producing very detailed pictures over lengthy periods of time largely from photographs – sketching quickly from life to capture a fleeting moment of light or movement doesn’t come easy to me at all. This is probably why I have struggled to maintain a sketchbook – I try to capture every detail, a quick sketch being beyond me and finding enough time even more difficult !

I can take a decent picture with my camera, but it never quite captures what it is that I can see with my eyes. So if I’m not going to get down all the detail I need to capture just the essence of what I see. I’ve thought long and hard about what that is and why the camera doesn’t always see it – I think it’s simply pattern and tone, light & contrast attracts me first and colour is secondary. Some mornings this week I’ve sketched the view from the croft – trying different methods and trying to ignore the detail!