Category Archives: brush pen

Daily Sketch-kit updated…

There are a few changes since the last update (pencils!), all explained on this page here. One of the key aspects of sketching is having a range of simple and familiar resources, always accessible. My daily carry is pocket-sized, but has … Continue reading

Posted in brush pen, coloured paper, inks, kit, Lexington grey, marker pen, pencil, sketching, technique, watercolour sketch, white pen | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ink brush sketching

Here’s another collection of people in town, this time a monochrome set,  done with a water-brush filled with dilute ink for speed. They were sketched one afternoon while sat outside a cafe in early Spring, hence the scarves and big coats. The last of the … Continue reading

Posted in Bath, body, brush pen, clothing, Feet, figures, inks, Lexington grey, monochrome, people, people watching, street scene, urban, urban sketching, waterbrush | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

68 feet

Commenting on my recent cafe sketches Chris said “How about a focus on feet and shoes for your next post? They drive me mad, and can make or break a quick sketch.” Be careful what you wish for… Here are all the … Continue reading

Posted in brush pen, cafe, coloured paper, Feet, from life, Lexington grey, line drawing, monochrome, objects, sculpture, sketching, urban | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

55 passers by

I’ve added a new page to the blog, sharing books that are currently inspiring my sketching; the first is Hokusai’s Manga (‘manga’ originally meant ‘light drawings or sketches’). After copying some of his very simple but individual faces (bottom of post) I sat … Continue reading

Posted in Bath, brush pen, figures, from life, inks, Lexington grey, monochrome, people, sketching, street scene, urban, waterbrush | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New year, new page

The most popular posts and pages on this blog are generally concerned with kit and resources, as are most of the questions that I’m asked through comments and emails. This is great as I set up the blog after realising … Continue reading

Posted in brush pen, coloured ink, coloured paper, inks, kit, technique, urban, waterbrush | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Him off the Teevee

TV is always a good source of faces to sketch, press pause and they’ll happily pose for as long as you need; I like the way the drawings tend towards caricature. There’s sometimes a bit of lens/screen distortion on archive clips, and I … Continue reading

Posted in brush pen, coloured paper, inks, Lexington grey, line drawing, monochrome, people, sketching, television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

On the beach #3

A final batch of monochromes from Tenby’s beaches. First the tractor that pulls a mobile  jetty up and down the beach in time with the tides (here’s a similar beach-tractor in Aberporth), with sight-seers returning from a boat trip to Caldey Island. … Continue reading

Posted in beach, boats, brush pen, clouds, coloured ink, coloured paper, from life, holiday, Lexington grey, line drawing, monochrome, sea, Tenby, vehicles, Wales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Remembrance

It’s the 11th day of the 11th month, so here’s a bas-relief memorial tablet in Salisbury Cathedral, placed in memory of Edward Tennant, a young officer and poet killed on the Somme in 1916. It includes touching testimonies to his life and times; “when things … Continue reading

Posted in brush pen, coloured ink, death, inks, line drawing, monochrome, monument, sculpture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tokyo commuters

I spent last week on a study trip to Japan,  a great opportunity generously supported by the Japan Foundation. The schedule was hectic and very full, but it helped to hone my speed-sketching skills, straight to ink using a simple fountain-pen and water-brush kit. So … Continue reading

Posted in brush pen, collections, coloured ink, from life, inks, Japan, kit, line drawing, monochrome, people, trains, travel, urban | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

One lump or two?

Pencil, fountain pen and water-brush with Lexington grey, wine stain, A6 – 20 minutes Water-brush with Lexington grey, A5 – 10 minutes A new favourite toy model animal, the familiar but strange Dromedary (the one-humped camel of Africa, Arabia etc). It has the strong curves … Continue reading

Posted in animal, brush pen, hatching, inks, monochrome, toys | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment