On July 1, I started a new sketchbook just to record my purchases (excluding consumables like food and petrol/gas). I have to say that the self-imposed requirement to draw all my procurements has definitely put the reins on any impulse buys. I recommend the tactic if you’d like to pay more attention to your spending.
Look what arrived today! Thank you for your kindness Bethan.
I like to sketch my current palette on the first page of a new sketchbook (in the case, a Stillman and Birn Alpha 8 x 10). It was time to top up the pans, so I decided to make a few changes, adding in Lavender and Cobalt Turquoise Light for some fresh spring tones. My paints are nearly all Daniel Smith, with a couple of Schminckes. Some of the initials make me smile—FU (French Ultramarine), GAG (Green Apatite Genuine).
My daughter gifted me the four pan mineral suite from The Art of Soil. The pigments behave a little differently to regular watercolours, so I’m enjoying playing with them to learn their properties and how best to use them. They are very muted and grainy, which I love. They can be mixed with other brands to good effect. (The bright green above includes some Daniel Smith green gold.)
My rarely-used acrylic paints live in a fabulous large basket, gathering dust. One day I’ll get back to them …
I’ve done all of Liz Steel’s Sketching Now courses, some of them multiple times. But I get the most out of them when I do the group run-throughs. Liz is so generous with her time, and provides new content, examples, and reviews with each weekly Livestream. Her latest Watercolour group run-through started yesterday, and in its honour I assembled a new, reduced palette for working on the exercises.
Would it be completely big-headed and delusional of me to say the top half of this illustration reminds me of Quentin Blake’s work?
hashiworks 