Sketching & Drawing

Autumn trees and yet more trees it’s all about observation!

Sun behind the trees - oil painting

Trees and yet more trees, it’s all about observation! I have spent many hours this year in parks and woodlands sketching and painting trees. I have been doing this for 25 years, and once I spent a whole year, just trying to understand them. Here are some recent  results. Above, walking in King George VI […]

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Ink pen and watercolour drawings, – How I do them!

Harbour Street, Broadstairs drawing

Pen and watercolour, Ink Pen and Wash Drawings, whatever you call them, this is how I do them! I start with the drawing using Indian Ink, from the bottle, and an old fashioned dip pen. These are available from your local art shop or drawing office suppliers. I have a few pen handles, and a

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Do you dream of being an Artist? How Much do you want this?

To be an Artist, is this what you dream of

To be an Artist! Are you happy to be a social or leisure painter? Do you enjoy a weekly art session, because of the people you meet and the conversations you have? in other words, because of its social and theraputic benefits? After all that is how and why many people choose to take up

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How to become a ‘Plein Air’ Painter – at least, this is how I did it!

about to start at Gillingham Quay

5 Painting in my gardenIn the late 1990’s, about 20 years ago, I was working in a major bank in the City of London dealing with management accounting of the treasury dealing operations. I also had experience in the finance of overseas trade, specifically with documentary letters of credit. How did I become a plein

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Learn to sketch 2 – Seeing like an artist! Shapes and Angles!

sketch of old boots

Did you see Learning to Sketch 1? Click here to go there first. It is important when you are learning to sketch to really see the shapes and angles, with your eyes, and not your brain. You need to learn how to forget what the object is, and instead, to study its form, comprising shapes

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Painting or sketching, out of doors! – 5 Benefits for you!

Sketching at Ramsgate

In 2017 I upped my game! Yes – I have been out and about, painting and sketching even more than previous years! So why do I prefer to go and work out of doors, in full view of the ‘public gaze’ and in nearly all weathers? Learning an art or a craft based skill is essentially

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Chasing The Light – It’s Exhibition time again at York Street, Ramsgate

Receeding Tide, Margate

Every 2 years I have my own Exhibition at the prestigious York Street Gallery in Ramsgate. This is my 3rd showing here and my work has really changed since the last time, so everything you see will be spanking new and fresh.  How exciting is that? So what’s changed I hear you ask? Well –

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Learn to Sketch 1 – Getting started – Acquiring the sketchbook habit

” A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”  (Laozi c 604 bc). What an inspired thought. It still applies for all journeys, especially for those people starting out on a journey to acquire valuable skills. Getting Started : Easy things first, you will need two pencils, (a 2b and 4b preferably)

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I wish I could Draw or Paint! How many times have I heard this?

Yes – I probably hear this more than anything else. The correct reply should be – If you really wanted to, you could learn to do it.  I mean that – I sincerely believe everyone can do it If they really want to. Forget the books and the Dvd’s, of the ‘Get Drawing and Sketching

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Who thought Still Life was dead? I thought it was “So Last Century”

For a long time, I did! I just thought it was old fashioned and not for me. How wrong could I have been? Ask yourself, What does a warm weather ‘plein air painter’ do in winter? When it is too cold to work out of doors, of course I retreat to the studio and work

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