Here is my first sketch of our holiday – as always done at the airport. Our flight was almost at midnight so we planned to have something to eat there (in the Philippines they recommend that you are the airport 4 hours before the flight!). Even though Kenny Roger’s Roasters has a plant based menu in the Philippines the franchisees at Terminal 3 chose not to include any of those in the international part of the terminal…more grumbling from me!
Thu-18-Jul-2024
I decided to celebrate a new sketchbook – which I made from Clairefontaine Aquapad 300gsm cold pressed paper – and a larger format, with a double page sketch of the kit I am bringing on our holiday in the UK and Spain. In addition to this I also have a couple of sketchbooks of course, plus a small ‘backup’ pouch with more ink, another small watercolour palette, my penknife and some brushes, for check-in baggage.
Tue-16-Jul-2024
These days, every time one of us gets flowers, I sketch them. These pink roses, carnations and daisies were given to my wife for her birthday, by our daughters. I sketched them using #Derwent watercolour pencils and a little bit of ink.
Tue-9-Jul-2024
I did these little sketches in the evenings, following one of our cats around the living room. It was his birthday the other day…so I thought it was time I sketched him again. Usually he hides under the table…but then moves around as soon as I start sketching him. I think he knows what I am doing, so doesn’t stay still for long – and as soon as I get up he steals my seat.
Thu-27 & Fri-28-Jun-2024
Here are a couple of little random sketches of things around the house. The first is of a lacquer box that was given to me when I finished working on a project in Cambodia. We keep tea bags in it. The second is of a pair of tin snippers – looking a bit rusty. I really need to clean the tools I have.
Tue-25 & Wed-26-Jun-2024
With these sketches I am on a to a new sketchbook – this one is number ninety! It was given to me a long time ago, is made by #PinkPig and has simple 150 gsm cartridge paper in it…which means it doesn’t take watercolour that well. It’s only A6 size (4.1×5.8 inches), but my idea was that as it’s small and is filled with cheap paper, it will encourage me to sketch more often and less carefully. These two sketches are of ‘tools’ around the house.
Fri-21-Jun-2024
I am fixing up some conduit in our apartment and bought this cheap and simple caulk gun to glue them at the top of the wall (what I call the “no more nails” approach). My DIY (do-it-yourself) efforts usually involve me cursing a lot and blaming my tools…this bit of home improvement was no exception.
Fri-14-Jun-2024
At our campsite on the way up to Mt. Daraitan the person we had arranged it with, let us use a little wooden house for two of us to sleep in and as a place to cook and have our meals. I sketched this one looking out of the house at the surrounding greenery.
Sat-8-Jun-2024
The other day I thought of paining a colour wheel or chart, to make a visual note of all tubes of paints I have (which are all a bit muddled up). Then I decided to paint the actual tubes as well. The ones on the right are where I have only got little blocks/pans of paint and some mystery pans from an ancient set I had. I’ve noted the colour for each and the brand – a mix of Daniel Smith (DS), Winsor & Newton (W+N), Cotman, Holbein Watercolours (HWC), Mission, Cass Art, and Shinhan This is painted in a concertina #Potentate sketchbook given to me by my friend @the_uban_sketcher.
Wed-5-Fri-7Jun-2024