Occasionally Auckland Sketchbook escapes the city to somewhere interesting — and close. This time the sketchbook got a workout in The Bay of Islands . Only 3.5 hours by car and a world away from work. The sketch above was made in down-town Paihia, it doesn't look it, but it is literally behind the main street. The view is the back of an old homestead called Williams House . I was attracted by the orchard of very old fig trees on the left that had me imagining eating juicy ripe figs. Sadly they weren't in season but it must be a fun place at harvest time. Right over the other side of the bay you will find his falling down old house on Matauwhi Bay. For a while there the water had a turquoise glow until the sun went into hiding. This is Pompallier House and Clendon Cottage in Russell sketched with my back to the sea. I may have used a little too much artistic licence in moving them close enough together to fit on my page so don't look too closely. Anyway, I have sketched Po...
One of the unforeseen pitfalls I encountered sketching in Singapore last month was the humidity. It was really hot too, but it was that moister in the air that made my Fabriano sketch pad pages just soft and soggy enough to cause me problems.
The softer drawing surface meant my usual pencil drawing tool (a 30 year old Faber-Castell 2mm clutch pencil loaded with 6B lead) struggled to bite to the surface leaving my drawings a bit washed out looking!
I noticed that many of the Singapore sketchers, and others from the region too, draw in ink either via fountain pen, dip pen or even sharpened sticks (especially in Kiah Kiean's case!). I think it's a lot to do with the problem I found, of soggy damp paper?
These top 2 sketches were drawn in pencil onsite over the symposium days, and looked so washed out I've later decided to have a crack with the brush pen. I quite enjoyed it, so who knows you might see more in this style!
 |
| Market on Waterloo Street |
 |
| Orchard Road |
 |
| Return flight surrounded by sleeping students |
Comments