Lunchtime dreamer

I paint whenever I get the chance, the autumn being a very busy period means those moments are few, So I squeeze watercolour painting into my lunch breaks, I heat up my food, eat in front of the computer and then spend half an hour practising. It's not a very social habit but what to do? Wish I had more time to paint, I dream of creating masterpieces...

Archipelago in a lunch break.

Sometimes it's hard to get into the groove

I struggled last Tuesday. I was still recovering from my illness so I felt tired. I discovered that I need to be really alert when figure drawing, the brain must make thousands of calculations every minute one is sketching. Still, I find it important to just keep going even if the mental hill is steep.

5 minute A3 Fabiano sketch paper

5 minute A3 Fabiano sketch paper

5 minute A3 Fabiano sketch paper

5 minute A3 Fabiano sketch paper

5 minute A3 Fabiano sketch paper

Practice, practice ...

I hadn't used it for a year, my Moleskin watercolour journal. I have several, this one is for practising my skin tones. I needed the practice, ...I always feel I need to practice.

Moleskin watercolour sketch, 13 x 20.5 cm

Lunchtime watercolour

I have been ill for a week and so I haven't been able to go to life drawing which I find tough on the soul, more painful than a sore throat even. But now I'm starting to feel better and so I can start painting and sketching again. :) Here is a watercolour I did last week just to get the wheels of art-production going again.

Lighthouse. Arches fine grain, 300g/m2 , 26 x 18 cm

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Lunchtime watercolours

Here are two watercolours that I did  during my lunch breaks earlier in the week. My daily routine is to eat my lunch (quickly) and then spend 40 minutes painting. I usually have two watercolours on the go at the same time so I don't have to hang around waiting for pigment to dry. I find it's a great way to learn, I have to be quick and so I don't fiddle around, I just apply the paint and see what happens. I'm having a 50/50 success rate at the moment. I really want to improve my technique so squeezing in some art-time during the working-day is uplifting, I find it so frustrating when I don't find space in my life for watercolour.

Archipelago sunset, 25 x 16 cm, Arches gf 300g/m2

Archipelago mist, 23 x 16 cm, Arches gf 300g/m2

The nude arrives

Here are the sketches of the nude from Tuesday's life drawing.

10 minute sketch

10 minute sketch

2 minute nude.

5 minutes

5 minutes

Waiting for the model

Tuesday's model went to the wrong address so the organiser of the life drawing, Sissel took her place. We sketched her for half an hour until the intended model turned up. I didn't care, to be honest I think these sketches are more interesting than the nude drawings I did shortly afterwards. Judge yourself.

5 minute  sketch.

5 minute sketch, The Murder Scene.

Two lunchtime watercolours

I painted these during my lunch breaks last week. I want to master capturing the affects of water and sky. I improve each time I make an attempt,  ... just gotta keep trying I guess!

Sailing in Stockholm

Sailing in the light

Smudging my lines

I bought two sticks of Derwent XL Charcoal ( Ochre 01 and Sanguine 02 ). They are small and chubby so I don't know why they call them, XL! But, this is not important - what is important is that I am having lots of fun smudging grated charcoal powder all over my pencil sketches. I used some grated red pastel and black charcoal also in the mix of things. All drawings are on Fabriano A4.

7 minute nude

5 minute nude

5 minute nude

10 minute nude

5 minute nude

5 minute nude

2 minute nude

2 minute nude