Sketching Sunday.

A dry Sunday and no plans except to go out and about locally and try once more to sketch in gouache.

The grasses were very bleached and the sky a pale yellowy grey with the sun a white orb. 

I added some pencil marks when the gouache had dried. I don't find it the easiest medium but prefer it to watercolour for sketching now. 

Postcard From My Walk Blog

A postcard I sent to Pat in California done in gouache on paper on one of the few dry days we've had this Autumn. I'm so glad it arrived safely as 2 went missing last year.

http://walk-postcard.blogspot.co.uk/

Musselburgh Harbour

Musselburgh Harbour

Gouache and HB Pencil

I love the work of Barbra Rae and was looking at her sketchbook online.

www.barbararae-sketchbooks.com/

Most of her sketches are done in gouache and I read that she usually works 2 pages at a time side by side to allow ease of drying. I thought I'd have a go with gouache on a recent trip to the east coast of Scotland to the harbour town of Musselburgh and  I found it easier than watercolour to sketch with. Maybe next time I'll have a go at the 2 page way.

Across to Holy Isle

Holy Isle, evening

Kingscross Point

Road to the Sea

The Witch Step and Goatfell

It's been a few days of sketching on Arran - so many places, so many choices. I wanted to use only pencil or pen but I always end up adding colour. 

Sketching on Arran.

Brodick Castle, Arran

I'm on the beautiful Island of Arran for a few days. The weather is changeable but the dampness brings out the midgies, especially today when I went to sketch at Brodick Castle. It wasn't a hard decision to go for a tour inside but I managed a few sketches later when the sun came out. 

A sketch from Skye

Pencil and gouache on cartridge paper

Bridget Hunter 2011 

I've been looking through my sketchbook from Skye for images as painting subjects. 

This drawing reminded me of the red corrugated tin roofs on some of the oder buildings.

A bit of slapdash !

Alloway Parish Church.

Watercolour in a Moleskin

Bridget Hunter 20012

I'm not sure what I think of Moleskin sketchbooks. I love the look of them but adding watercolour to a sketch can produce surprising results. There is of course the watercolour version but I'm not so keen on the format.

This was done very quickly as the weather was bitter and the paint was splashed on. But I like the effect of the finished wet paint on the slightly glossy paper. 

http://walk-postcard.blogspot.co.uk/

Acrylic on Paper

Bridget Hunter 2011

Across the road from the Parish Church is Alloway Auld Kirk, which features in Rabbie Burns poem "Tam O'Shanter" and was the subject used for my postcard to Liz in Austra;ia.

http://www.lizsteel.com/

Australia 2011

I spent 2 weeks in Australia recently in Adelaide and on Kangaroo Island. I'd taken hot weather clothes but  the weather decided to be more like a Scottish March - windy and a bit chilly. However, I got a lot of sketching done and had some close encounters with the wildlife which made everything worth while.

Autumn Trees

Watercolour in Sketchbook
Bridget Hunter 2010

A watercolour sketch of trees in the Lake District trying to show the wonderful siennas and burnt oranges of bracken and follage.

October Sun and Shade

2b pencil

Bridget Hunter 2010

It was one of those sunny October days today - jackets on but bright skies. Took a grandchild to Culzean Park and when she fell asleep in her carseat I took the chance to stop and sketch a lane with deep evergreen hedges. The shadows crossing the road were intriguing as was the bright field in the distance. I'm thinking of using this for a painting but making the darks darker and bending the lane more.

Garden at Les Marchelerie

Pencil and Watercolour

Bridget Hunter 2010

The garden at Les Marchelerie was full of trees, including fruit trees. It was wonderful to pick large, ripe cherries and eat whilst drawing! Nothing here is done in any great detail - just an overall impression hopefully.