I've realised my blog is missing a lot of my favourite sketches from the last year or so, so this week I'll post some of my favourites.
This one is from early last year, swimming at Pilot Bay, Mt Maunganui on a summers day with my niece visiting from Germany. Whether you are on the surf side or the harbour side the view is equality dynamic with the giant Mauao (a dormant volcano most people call 'The mount') rising abruptly 232 metres out of the Pacific Ocean.
I then squeezed in this sketch and I remember thinking – nothing beats a swimming AND sketching on the same day!
I was able to quickly break the composition down into two large shapes using a 1" flat brush. First the sky was painted – by considering the negative space around as 1 shape, then the water was added as a second shape.
Then it was just a matter of suggesting the foliage on Mauao, adding some loose yachts moored int eh bay and the Norfolk Pines that line th ebay on the right. Also a few people swimming – and – a few giant looking seagulls who came up close to check I wasn't hiding something interesting to eat.