Category Archives: from life

Distant urban texture

Posted on October 12, 2013 by Ed Mostly

Two sketches looking West towards the Suleymaniye Mosque from the terrace of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. Once I’d drawn the key buildings I added an approximation of the city’s texture all around them (roofs, domes, chimneys, walls etc) not having … Continue reading →

Posted in buildings, from life, Istanbul, Lexington grey, monochrome, sketching, urban | Tagged greebling, Suleymaniye Mosque, The Troggs, Topkapi Palace, urban texture | 6 Comments

Life and death #1

Posted on October 6, 2013 by Ed Mostly

Some sketches of famous finds from Pompeii, recently on show at the British Museum in London. The exhibition contrasted Roman art that celebrated life, with plaster casts that documented agonising deaths. The death-casts are very emotive objects, both expressionist and … Continue reading →

Posted in body, collections, death, exhibitions, from life, Lexington grey, monochrome, museum, pencil | Tagged body casts, boxer pose, British Museum, death-cast, dogs, Hercules, mosaic, plaster casts, Pompeii, Roman art, Simon and Garfunkel, the muleteer, urinating | Leave a comment

Fork handles

Posted on September 28, 2013 by Ed Mostly

I found these in a cupboard while on holiday. I’m afraid a link to this sketch is unavoidable; homophones abounding. Uni Posca markers, water-brush with Lexington grey ink, blue and red Pigma pens, A5

Posted in candles, collections, from life, marker pen, objects, white marker pen | Tagged four candles, plate, The Two Ronnies | Leave a comment

Wales, Waves

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Ed Mostly

Two sketches of waves, from a summer trip to Pembrokeshire, South Wales. The first is from the coastal path high above Manorbier beach looking down on the surfers in the incoming tide. The second is at the water’s edge at … Continue reading →

Posted in beach, from life, Lexington grey, marker pen, sea, Wales, waves, white marker pen | Tagged brown paper, coast path, Pembrokeshire, Steve Reich, surfers, tide, Uni Posca markers | 5 Comments

The bill, please

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Ed Mostly

The remains of another delicious meal at Yen Sushi in Bath. I’m learning how to get an even colour wash by using the water-brush to wet the area first; it’s tricky as you can’t see where you’ve already painted the water… Blue … Continue reading →

Posted in Bath, food, from life, Lexington grey, objects, urban | Tagged chopsticks, cups, kaiten sushi, meals, pigma pens, plates, restaurants, water brush, Yen Sushi | 1 Comment

Chester Zoo

Posted on September 15, 2013 by Ed Mostly

A busy afternoon sketching a tiny fraction of the 11,000 animals and 400 species on view at Chester zoo. The baby Asian elephants were charming, the flamingos were like animated brush stokes, and the giraffes were improbable wonders of balance and grace, … Continue reading →

Posted in animals, from life, Lexington grey, monochrome, sketching, zoo | Tagged Chester zoo, elephants, flamingos, giraffes, monkeys, nature, painting with tea, Simon and Garfunkle | Leave a comment

Tenby, Wales

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Ed Mostly

A crowded double-page spread from a day trip to Tenby, in South Wales. No time to settle to a finished sketch, so lots of details and impressions instead. I’m looking forward to a longer visit in the future… There’s the view … Continue reading →

Posted in buildings, from life, sketching, travel, urban, Wales | Tagged attic view, attic window, Augustus John, harbour, mermaid, Tenby, The Beatles, wine jug | Leave a comment

A little night music

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Ed Mostly

I was in Istanbul during Ramadan and every night the old city became a family friendly festival with food stalls, craft markets, groups of picnickers, and free open-air concerts, mostly showcasing traditional music. I started this sketch before the band … Continue reading →

Posted in from life, Istanbul, night, people, travel, urban | Tagged Air, coloured paper, concert, crowd, festival, Kelly watch the stars, open air concert, Ramadan | Leave a comment

Archeology Museum #1

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Ed Mostly

I spent a very hot afternoon sketching in the cool shade of the Istanbul Archeology Museum. It houses a wonderfully rich collection created during the Ottoman Empire, when Turkey ruled Egypt and the ancient lands of Mesopotamia, Assyria, etc. A large … Continue reading →

Posted in animals, collections, from life, Istanbul, museum, objects, sketching, white marker pen | Tagged Babylon, figure curves, Ishtar gate, Istanbul Archeology Museum, lion, Mesopotamia, small figurines, The Kinks | Leave a comment

“I scream, you scream…”

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Ed Mostly

An ice-cream van next to the Royal Crescent, a tourist hot-spot in Bath. The owners packed up and left before I could draw them leaning out of the window serving customers, reminding me to sketch the people in a scene … Continue reading →