Busy, busy week

Last week was really busy with two trips out and about, together with acquiring some more supplies.

I had already ordered a new Lamy fountain pen with EF nib, a Sailor pen and some De Atramentis document ink that is waterproof, but I couldn't resist some Daniel Smith watercolour paints. I made my own half pans with them, the Buff Titanium looks perfect (the colour is off because I've used it) the rest, not so much - its the middle row. It will take practise to get my filling technique right.

The first was a sketching trip with Mike and Adelina to the hidden gem that is Ordsall Hall. This is a tudor mansion in the heart of Salford, surrounded by new developments it is a museum and wedding venue. We had a morning of coffee and cake as well as sketching as it was far too cold to sit outside.

The Great Hall

cake was fab!

We all agreed that this would be a great sketching venue in warmer weather and hope to come back. Here is my sketch of my tea cup (a theme of mine) done with a Sailor pen and then I did a sketch of one of Adelina's liquid watercolour inks. I'm really pleased with these as there is no pencil underlaying it.The bay window in the Great Hall I'm less satisfied with, perhaps the colouring in the window; but it all comes back to practise - the more I do, the better I get.

My second little trip out was to visit my friends in the North East. As I didn't want to hit Leeds at rush hour on the way up, I left a little earlier and stopped off in Ripon (I had planned on drawing at the nearby Fountains Abbey but it is closed on Fridays in the winter). Bunny and I had a Costa of course before we set off in search of views to draw.

Ripon is a typical Yorkshire market town but in an effort to stay warm I ended up in Ripon Cathedral which has beautiful architecture. I decided to draw one of the stained glass windows and used a wet in wet technique to do the colour. I think I needed to use more pigment, but it came out ok. The little eagle is done in Daniel Smith's quindocrine gold - love it! The assistant at the Cathedral said she wondered what I had been doing all this time but was very impressed with the painting.

Bunny Sketch

Ripon Cathedral 

Then it was off to see friends for the weekend. The next sketching adventure will be in London... I've an urge to draw the Great Courtyard at the British Museum... and that means I NEED to do it...