I had more orange tubes in my stash than I thought!

I had no idea I had so many orange tubes in my stash. That's without counting colours that are already in palettes!

Back to basics

This is as important to my practise as the wild watercolour landscapes that seem to emerge out of nothing. Understanding the consistency of what's on (or rather, in) my brush.

Elemental

I'm painting again! I was starting to worry. I had so many ideas that I felt like a rabbit in the headlights. But  after spending some time in my studio book, looking back at notes from 3 years ago and painting from the last couple of years, I had a better idea of what I wanted. So, here is the first step! Lots of ideas emerging already from this set of 6 painted as one. Mostly watercolour, lots and lots of water. And a little watersoluble pencil.

Small thumbnails

It's a long time since I've done small thumbnails. I was checking out some colour combinations. Neither piece is completely satisfying, but the one with Grey of Grey and Bloodstone Genuine (and a Hansa Yellow Deep or Gamboge, not sure which_ does appeal to me the most. I'll park it for now, but will come back to the idea at some stage. 

Down the river

It's a long time since we had rain on a Sunday afternoon. We were not mentally prepared. The forecast only showed a 3% chance, but it happened. Not enough rain to green the grass. And I did find shelter and sketched some more. In my last sketch of the day, I actually included a little bit of the Jeanie Johnson. If you want to see better version of the boat, head to www.dublinsketchers.com!

Rough and Smooth

Can't decide what paper to use. I thought hot press would be best, but I'm getting better results with rough paper! I thought I wasn't going to pursue results. I'm just experimenting and playing, right?

More people sketching

A few more people inspired by the class by Jenny Jing Zhang on Vivify. 

Time for reflection, reset, trial and error

I haven't been painting much lately, busy with sketching and other distractions. It's really been a few months since I have painted anything I'm 100% happy with (apart from the big cloud over the beach, which I like a lot). Amazing how hard it is to get back to painting now.  

I'm taking it one step at a time, looking at my own works that I like, thinking about what I want to take from this reflection. Also refocusing on shift words and how they might express in design elements. Basically going back to process and play, rather than trying to paint a painting worthy of an exhibition. It will take a while!

No prizes for guessing which ones I'm happy with! I just have to listen to my inner voice and remember not to try so hard!!

Sketching people, silhouette first and limbs first

Practising drawing people using the 3 strategies taught by Jenny Jing Zhang on her Vivify class. Then I lost my Neocolor for flesh tones and had to use a Stabilo Woody - a bit chunky but good fun to use as it forces me to not be precious. I tested a few locations in town, and Trinity College is the best place, with lots of tourists who are too busy to notice me, as they are finding their way to the Book of Kells.

Drawing limbs first is not easy - one man ended up with 3 legs, as I realised that my original placement was not aligned with the body! And it's warm enough that people are wearing shorts and summer dresses. In a few weeks, the only bits of flesh we'll see will be heads and hands. Will try a different strategy then.

 

Sketch Hunt

We were inspired by Urban Sketchers Seattle, so we organised a sketch hunt of our own. We had 20 prompts and two hours to complete the hunt. And we even had prizes afterward! It was so much fun!

 

From Fear to Flow

Every so often, I feel the need for an online course, to explore a different approach to sketching or painting. The course I'm doing at the moment is From Fear to Flow, Drawing lively figures in the city, taught by Jenny Jing Zhang. I'm enjoying her approach and I look forward to practising more. 

Pencils4Tea 6 August 2026

It was weeks since I had logged in to the Pencils4Tea Zoom. I was a bit nervous. Yes, I have been drawing a lot, but portraits is a different matter. In my head anyway.