Timber

I was clearly feeling inspired at the weekend. Actually, I had a good bit of time on my hands, and I used it productively, for a change.

Animals - a daunting subject, particularly if you're trying to draw from life (see unfinished drawing to the left - he got up and didn't settle back the same way again. Now of course, if I was organised, I would have that sketchbook downstairs near his bed, and I would patiently wait for the opportunity to complete my work.). But I had been looking at an artist's drawings and paintings of her dog, and I thought I would have a go. So I picked up my pen, waited for our big boy to settle on his favourite seat, and I did a contour drawing. It wasn't so scary, now was it? Encouraged by my drawing, I mixed my watercolours and covered the broad areas, trying to avoid going into too much detail, as that paper doesn't take water too well. 

Talking about paper quality, I was looking for a watercolour sketchbook in town, but couldn't find what I wanted - went to two shops and neither had any sketchbooks with hot press paper. Normally I like rough watercolour paper, or cold press, as I prefer to work with the texture of the paper. But this time, I wanted smooth hot press paper for pen and watercolour work, for my pen to glide on the surface. Well, it will just have to wait for my next online order. I have plenty other art supplies to keep me amused in the meantime. And surely our big boy will go back to his bed and pose for me again!