I’m an Urban Sketcher…
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Author Archives: Ed Mostly
Stockholm hot rods
We were surprised and delighted to find a massive unofficial hot-rod rally taking place on Sveavägen, the main drag where we were staying in Stockholm. It was the annual city gathering of ‘raggare’, fans of old American cars and 50’s ‘greaser’ … Continue reading
Island life
Sketches from a recent trip to Grinda Island in the Stockholm archipelago; a couple of attempts to describe the ferry’s energetic wake; the view of nearby islands from our rocky peninsula with my daughter reading on a sunny ledge, drawn in bamboo … Continue reading
En Route
Two wide-angle train carriage views, one heading North to Manchester for the Symposium, and the other heading home. Both were done in a concertina sketchbook, and stretched across the table while I sketched. I asked the passengers if they were … Continue reading
Heading North…
All packed for four days of sketching indulgence at the USk Manchester Symposium, which starts tomorrow. I’ve done a few final brush-pen sketches about town (thumbnails of street-scenes and quick portraits of passers-by) in rehearsal for my demonstration, and have finished sourcing … Continue reading
Hospital visit
Apologies for the lack of recent posts, all was put on hold due to an unplanned trip to hospital. I’m out now, thoroughly resting and with enough time and energy to post the sketches I made during all the empty hours in hospital… … Continue reading
Posted in Bath, body, hospital, Manchester Symposium, pencil, urban sketching, watercolour sketch
Tagged hospital sketches, Paul Heaston, pencil and watercolour sketching, self-portrait in hospital, sketch of IV drip, sketching in hospital, Spiritualized, urban sketching, wide-angle sketching
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Concertina sketchbooks
I’ve tried using concertina/accordion-fold sketchbooks in the past, but found them very awkward to use when out and about. They’re usually spineless (like this Seawhite version and my homemade one below) with no hinge between the covers, so you can’t use a … Continue reading
Posted in concertina sketchbooks, kit, sketchbooks, technique, urban sketching
Tagged accordion fold sketchbooks, concertina sketchbook for urban sketching, making concertina sketchbooks, panoramic sketchbook, simple sketchbook instructions, sketchbook construction, urban sketchbook, urban sketching, urban sketching kit
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American artefacts
A couple of speedy sketches from the highly recommended American Museum in Bath, “The only museum of American decorative and folk art outside the United States”. First a small bronze version of the famous 1909 statue ‘Appeal to the Great Spirit’. Then … Continue reading
Posted in Bath, body, exhibitions, figures, museum, pencil, sculpture, statues, white pen
Tagged American Museum in Bath, Appeal to the Great Spirit, coloured pencil sketches, Mohawk figurehead, sketch of Appeal to the Great Spirit, sketch of figurehead, sketching in museums, Stereolab
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Apples and beets
More domestic than urban, some quick pencil and watercolour sketches from the late night kitchen, trying to break my over-reliance on dilute Lexington grey for tone/shadow! Although the grey ink wash is very fast and effective for quick shadows, it can make … Continue reading
And now for something…
…completely different. My last post was unexpectedly popular (a six-fold increase in visitors to the site!), and hopefully there are wooden sketchbooks now emerging from book-presses all over the world. Here’s a sketch from a small exhibition at the Victoria Art … Continue reading
Wood bound sketch-books
A practical post today, revealing the depths of tinkering and making that sketching has led me to. So please enjoy my ten-step recipe for making plywood covered sketchbooks that are perfect for urban sketching. The key to their suitability is the binding, … Continue reading
Posted in kit, sketchbooks, technique, urban, urban sketching
Tagged bespoke sketchbook, how to make a sketchbook with wooden covers, making an urban sketchbook, making sketchbooks, plywood cover sketchbook, sketchbook construction, urban sketchbook, urban sketching, urban sketching kit, wood bound sketchbook
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Mostly drawing 