Inky flowers

Hi all,
Every now and again I have an urge to try something different, so armed with my inks I did a couple of flowers.

I like them a bit, but not a lot. I'm beginning to realise that I need to have a fair chunk of realism in my work, if it is going to give me any sense of satisfaction.

With this in mind I did couple of anemones, again using my magic colour inks.

Okay, they are less colourful but more realistic. The big petal at the centre of the bottom flower is jarring my eye, but overall I like them.
 I would like to do more flowers in ink but I only have six colours. I know that I could mix some but I really dislike mixing colours. I either mix too much and waste paint or ink, or most often, I don't mix enough and can not reproduce the exact same colour. This results in a messy looking piece of work.
Anyway, I think I have the answer and I will tell you what it is in my next post.

Inks

Hi all,
After dallying with the watercolour markers for a bit I thought I'd try something different. I got out the inks that I use in my airbrush and painted a flower with them.

The result wasn't great but I like the vibrancy of the colours. The background is a bit naff, but the flower is ok. I shall do more.

Markers take 2

I've had another go with the watercolour markers.

This flower image came out reasonable. It was very easy to do with the markers and quite enjoyable. However, the quality of the painting is not up to the standard I'm aiming for.

Here is another one I did a few days later. It is of a ladybird on a bluebell and is a copy of a photo I took last spring.

I guess it is colourfull and competent, but the flower seems a bit flat. I'm looking for a medium with a bit more life in it, so I've decided to leave the markers for a bit and try acrylic inks. Please watch this space to see how I get on. It could be crap or just what I'm searching for.

Water colour markers

Hi all,
I've been having a go with the water colour markers and I'm quite impressed by the colour and how easy they are to use. Here is a painting of some California poppies that I did recently.

The colours are really bright and the whole thing was very easy because I did not have to bother mixing paint. I will do more and try to put them up frequently.

A Little Bird

Hi all,
I'm being quite successful at the moment doing sketches on a regular basis. I am find it quite therapeutic during these cold days. My wood turning workshop is as cold as an Eskimo's fridge, but at least while my wooden creations might be suffering, my art skills are getting a chance to improve.

I have decided to concentrate my efforts in certain areas. Flora and fauna and small birds are going to be my main focus. The former, just because they are beautiful, and the latter because they are not only beautiful but will also be the subject of some woodcarvings I hope to do in the spring.

I thought that sketching birds would help me to understand their shapes better.
Here my first attempt.

Sorry about the quality of the scan, but it gives you an idea about where I'm going. The sketch was done using pencils, graphite, brown pencils, plus pen and ink.

The next one I did was a goldfinch, which is a bit more colourful.

This one was done using the set of 12 winsor and Newton watercolour markers that my wife bought me for Christmas. I really like using these because they save me having to mix paints in the conventional way. I use them mostly in conjunction with a water brush and they work like magic. Highly recommended if you are thinking about giving them a go.

In my next post I'll show you how I'm getting on with the flora and fauna.

Take 2

Hi All,
It's been a long time since I've done a post on here. I spent most of the summer and autumn honing my wood turning skills, but now that winter is upon us I need a change. The reason for the change is that my workshop is as cold as an igloo so I've had to come indoors for some warmth.

So, I've gone all arty again. I have bought a couple of books and some more art supplies and I'm giving it another go. I am also trying to do one sketch or drawing per day; at the moment I'm doing about five a week but that's five more than I was doing a month ago.

Anyway, I purchased some watercolour markers and was inspired by a rose that was on the front of one of the books I purchased.

The book is by a brilliant botanical artist called Billy Showell, and it is just amazaing. I have only flicked through it but it looks great. I am hoping to try out some of the exercises soon and will show you how I got on. I am also trying to write/draw in a journal every day so I may share some of that with you too.

Regarding the wood turning, here's  a couple of items that I did before the winter froze my appendages off.

You will notice a theme with these two items and I'm going to make it a set of three if ever the weather warms up again.

Perch

Hi all,
In my last post I showed you a picture that I'd drawn of a fish called a perch. He's a miserable looking critter, but I don't suppose I'd be too pleased if my diet consisted mainly of worms.

 Anyway, I was quite pleased with my efforts, but they were soon over shadowed when my wife showed me the hare that she'd just painted.

This is an amazing painting and I guess the devil must have got into me when I challenged her to try painting a fish like my perch to see how she got on with that. "Hares are one thing," I said, "but painting a fish takes real skill."

A couple of days later she showed me this.

I might be biased but I think it's very good. The thing is, she could probably make some money from painting but she hasn't got that sort of motivation. She is happy to paint a bit, make a few things from polymer clay and enjoy a range of other crafts as the mood takes her. Oh what it must be like to be multi-talented.

By the way, I am giving away free downloads of one of my books, "Bun In The Oven" from the 9th of August until the 11th. Please grab a copy and enjoy. To get a copy just click on the BOOKS tab at the top of the page and then onto the book's cover.