Author: Stuart

Keep It Small and Simple (KISS)

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Just back from figure drawing class. Using A6 sketchbooks and the A5 Moleskine concertina sketchbook.

Also accompanied by:

  • Winsor&Newton Colman watercolour travelers’ set
  • My waterbrushes (Pentel and Koi)
  • The Da Vinci RedSable/BlueSable/Squirrel/Synthetic brush size no. 6
  • Lamy fountain pen with Lamy Royal Ink cartridge
  • Copic Multiliner (black, 0.3)
  • F-C. Albrecht Dürer watercolour pencils

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Moleskin concertina (approx. A5) (everyone loves this, get one for yourself) with Lamy and waterbrush. 2 x 15 minutes.

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A6 sketch book, Copic + DaVinci and Colman paints. 15 minutes.

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A6 + Lamy and waterbrush. 10 minutes.

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Moleskin A6 journal (cahier). Copic + Albecht Dürer pencils and waterbrush. 3 x 5 minutes.

“Kontenklärung” at the “Deutsche Rentenversicherung”

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Waiting room and queues.
Copic 0.3 metal nib and later at home some watercolour pencils.

The people here seemed to be nervous, nobody standing still for more than 10 seconds, no mobiles in hand … when leaving I noticed there was a sign: no mobiles. But when has that stopped anyone? Were all present just too old for mobiles? That’s why we were here, wasn’t it? Because soon, we will be drawing(!) a pension. Me, I only have to wait another 24 years.
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Today, I had my appointment to help the fund managers clarify my pension fund account at one of Germany’s many pension fund service points (for me it is the “Deutsche Rentenversicherung” and clarifying the account is a “Kontenklärung”).

“Charging in” in Class

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Giving my Lamy Safari and the watercolours another chance tonight at my weekly, evening class.

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The “charging in” is a watercolour technique which means you continue an “activated”, washed area with a new colour.
E.g. you mix 3 washes on your palette (me, I mixed a green, a yellow/orange/ocker, and a greyish blue). You start washing an area and then switch the colours and let the new load of wash touch and mingle with the still active area.

Figure Drawing again

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20150804_figure_class_1Wow, … no easel today, no charcoal, no newsprint, just a 4B pencil and smooth drawing paper. Inbetween a stint at watercolours, which actually doesn’t look too bad for a noob like me.

Tutor wasn’t there tonight, so I took over the role of setting the timer, I also sat all night at a desk, which was probably quite hilarious for the other students.20150804_figure_class_2

We begin with three 5 minute poses, then <coffee break>,  then two 10 minute poses, then <small chat (break)> and a 15 minute pose, then <walk around and inspect “competition” break>, 20150804_figure_class_3then 20 minutes for the watercolour (started with 3B sketching, then an obviously non-water-resitant Japan-nib 0.5mm Derwent fineliner and finally the watercolours, that’s where the fineliner ink starts to show its non-water-resistance), then <yawn, stretch and take a break>,20150804_figure_class_4 in the End a 13 minute sketch for me (3B) … and clear up and go home to a glass of Prosecco.

New Model

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DSC03966A very interesting evening with a new model. And this evening I arrived with the idea to do some watercolouring. DSC03967As I am not very experienced with watercolours, I need to do more and more and make mistakes for the first year or so.

DSC03967_2So here goes, after a phase of warming up with charcoal on newsprint, DSC03968one watercolour was achieved during a 3 x 5 minutes spree and a 5 minute break.

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