Out and about in Cambridge this month with my sketchbook and watercolours. Most of my observational sketches in the cold months are from window views or photographs I take. I prefer to sketch from life directly but not so much when being pelted with freezing rain!
I’m currently experimenting with Kuretake watercolour paints that were a gift for my 40th birthday!
My favourite thing about these paints is the seamless effect of the blended colours when the paint is dry. There is a quality to that blend that I haven’t achieved with other watercolour paints before.
Also they behave nicely on my 140 gsm paper sketchbook pages!
Street musician sketch
Watercolour sketches on location in Cambridge, UK
I’m so used to over-detailing drawings and paintings, so these sketches are a personal exercise in keeping it simple. Trying to avoid outlines and any details that aren’t completely necessary to communicate the subject.
School children at St John’s College
These school children were on an outing to St John’s College in Cambridge. I was visiting someone in the college and saw a gaggle of them striding across the green outside the window, clattering and chattering as children do, lots of skipping along and enthused chats! More of these soon..
Christmas window shopper yawning
Above depicts an evening window shopper yawning. This is what I refer to as too much detail. This is me trying to be restrained with detail but falling back into habits of outlining!
Figure sketches in the street in Cambridge
I’m not enthusiastic about this page, but like the way the man looks shifty, even though he wasn’t in real life.
My attempt at depicting his clothing made him look shady, and that side eye adds to it.
As it’s December and everyone seems to have forgotten their gloves, there have been lots of hands in pockets, which is a shame as I like drawing hands.
Don’t forget your gloves!