I’m an Urban Sketcher…
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Author Archives: Ed Mostly
‘Fail better’ #2
Another repeated subject, with 4 versions of a familiar view where I regularly have to wait. The cars change, a notice is tied onto the lamp-post, a badly drawn traffic cone appears, and a bird flies over. But the basic … Continue reading
Posted in Bath, from life, Lexington grey, monochrome, sketching, urban
Tagged Fail better, lamp-post, pavement, The Kinks
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Castelo dos Mouros
Looking up at the ‘Castle of the Moors’ on the crest of the hill above Sintra in Portugal. The 8th century castle was restored in 1840, at the same time that the nearby Pena Palace was being built, and its … Continue reading
Posted in clouds, from life, gouache, Portugal, sketching, travel
Tagged Castle of the Moors, crest, horizon, Norman Greenbaum, picturesque scenery, Sintra
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Scarlet tiger moth
A silent visitor to our garden on a very hot afternoon, a Scarlet Tiger moth. There’s a tiny glimpse of the moth’s glorious scarlet inner wings just visible at the base of the centre line. Its Latin name, Callimorpha Dominula, could … Continue reading
Posted in from life, garden, insects, Lexington grey, seasonal, sketching
Tagged Captain Scarlet, moth, nature, scarlet, Scarlet Tiger moth, Summer
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Lisbon views
Fountain pen with Carbon ink, water-colour, A5 Marker pen with Carbon ink, watercolour, A5 Two views of Lisbon from the apartment we stayed in, with two different approaches to line. I loved looking across at a neighbouring roof-top and its eclectic collection … Continue reading
Posted in buildings, from life, marker pen, Portugal, sketching, urban, watercolour sketch
Tagged aerials, architecture, chimneys, Lisbon, marker pen, Nancy Sinatra, pipes, roof-top, street, tiles, trams, tv aerials
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Strangeness abounding
3 more sketches from the wonderful and mysterious gardens of the Quinta Da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal. Looking up from the bottom of the 27 metre deep “Initiation Well” or “Initiatic Well”. It has a secret entrance at the top and … Continue reading
Posted in animals, from life, garden, gouache, Lexington grey, Portugal, sketching, sky, travel
Tagged animal statues, gargoyles, grotto, Initiation well, looking up, Quinta Da Regaleira, The Monkees
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Car window thumb-nails
Quick thumb-nails sketched last weekend on the road back from North Devon. Spot the trailer-load of toilets being delivered to the Glastonbury Festival site, which is about 25 miles from Bath. All that wonderful music, just down the road from here. … Continue reading
Posted in brush pen, from life, journeys, Lexington grey, sketching, travel, waterbrush
Tagged Canned Heat, cars, coloured paper, Glastonbury, road, thumb nails, traffic
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Black tea isn’t…
…it’s golden brown. Breaking in a new sketch book with a familiar cuppa. Fountain pen and water-brushes with lexington grey ink, white Gelly Roll pen, watercolour, A5
Posted in from life, home, Lexington grey, objects, waterbrush
Tagged cuppa, gelly roll, golden brown, mug, tea, the stranglers
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TV thumbnails
Using the pause button to do lots of quick thumbnail sketches while watching late night television. Good for trying to catch the key lines and shapes. Not happy with the sketch? Do another one. Still not entirely happy? Do another. … Continue reading
Posted in Lexington grey, monochrome, people, sketching, thumbnails
Tagged In the morning, television, The Coral
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Father’s Day
My father painted last year by me. I went straight in with water-colour for a change, and the facial features are pleasingly soft/blurred as they were done ‘wet on wet’. Watercolour, A4 Below is a drawing of me by my daughter. … Continue reading
Posted in family, from life, parents, people, sketching, watercolour sketch
Tagged bald, Chicory Tip, father, father's day, Hester, mortal engines, Orbix Xaxis, parenthood
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Park life
A warm and sunny Saturday in the park, people reading, chatting and sunbathing, covering the lawn in front of the Royal Crescent. A great chance to do lots of fast and simple figure studies of people at rest. Fountain pen and water-brushes with … Continue reading
Posted in Bath, body, from life, Lexington grey, monochrome, people, sketching, urban, waterbrush
Tagged figure studies, leisure, park, royal crescent, saturday in the park, Small Faces, Summer
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Mostly drawing 