Give us what you’ve got

Louis — student project — ink, watercolour and digital, 2011
Louis — student project — ink, watercolour and digital, 2011

“Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor.* It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.” Steven Pressfield

*actor, artist, photographer, designer, craftsperson, writer, architect, singer, dancer, jeweller, florist, chef, poet, potter, musician, storyteller…

Shoot it, Sketch it: Encore

Snowflakes, July 2014 — ink, watercolour and gouache study, 130 x 180 mm
Snowflakes, July 2014 — ink, watercolour and gouache study, 130 x 180 mm
Snowflakes (detail)
Snowflakes (detail)

The snowflakes are back. This is my second study of a photograph I took in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens last spring. It’s looser and more dramatic than the original sketch (below). I really went to town adding watercolour pencil over the top of an ink and watercolour sketch. Using the pencils wet (by dipping them in water) and then drawing on the wet sketch not only produced some wonderfully intense colours, it also added a rather nice texture. It’s a technique that definitely warrants further investigation… My thanks again to everyone who voted in the poll and asked me to draw this one again.

Original photograph and sketch #1
Original photograph and sketch #1

I have a question

Black bird, June 2014 — ink and watercolour, 240 x 180 mm, 2014
Black bird, June 2014 — ink and watercolour, 240 x 180 mm, 2014

I’m on a mission to add a few ink and watercolour drawings/paintings to my Etsy shop ― hence the reworking of old favourites such as this bird silhouette (which is now for sale). The original black bird appeared a couple of years ago (click here to see the post). He was my second Shoot it, Sketch it and he was also the subject of my first haiku.

And that brings me to my question. Which of the following would you like to see me draw again? Feel free to vote for more than one : )

Poll

Shoot it, Sketch it: Cathedral Junction

Cathedral Junction — ink and watercolour, 240 x 180 mm, 2014
Cathedral Junction — ink and watercolour, 240 x 180 mm, 2014. SOLD
Tram photograph and WIP
Tram photograph and WIP

I’ve been meaning to get around to this one for ages. The photograph originally featured in my In the Style of… Fougasse and became an ink sketch coloured in Photoshop. I’ve redrawn it and replaced the digital colour with watercolour. After a little bit of trial and error experimentation, I decided on the version you see here. I did try it with more colour but it just looked wrong. Overworked and wrong. I may paint it again and colour only the leaves… ‘Cathedral Junction’ is now my first watercolour for sale on Etsy.