Hampden Maryland

I am enjoing to make these quick ink sketches. They are after a picture, but fun to do anyway. What else to do when you are restricted to draw outside by Corona measures and bad weather.

This is made after a picture by Patrick Joust, a woman in Hampden, Maryland.
 

Torenstra

Quick inkdrawing (actually a lunchtime drawing, it was raining outside and I didn't feel like a lunchbreak stroll) of Waldemar Torenstra, a Dutch actor. After a picture made by Koos Breukel, a renowned Dutch photographer.

Nicky

Last Friday I went to a wood and heath not far from our house, on the Brunssemerheide. There is a small monument, on one of the paths that I regularly use while running. In 1998 a boy was found here, kidnapped, sexually abused and killed. Nicky Verstappen. Two years ago a man was arrested, a pedophile. The trial ended last Friday with a sentence of 12,5 years. This may not sound as much, but the problem was a lot of the needed evidence was gone or unclear. Like cause of death or whether it was murder or accidental death. But no sentence can ever bring the boy back. A little sketch to remember Nicky, and all other children who met this fate.

Apple tree "Red Sentinel"

Painting of the apple tree behind our house. This is not an ordinary tree but a "red sentinel". Little apples for decoration, they are bright orange and last all winter. Not to be eaten, at least I never tried.

Sketchday in Elsloo

 

We are not able to organize sketchmeetings like we're used to. Meetings of more than 2 persons are forbidden. So we organized a virtual sketchmeeting. On 60 locations all over the Netherlands sketchers would make drawings, and keep contact with each other through Zoom. I was in Elsloo, together with Roger Klaasen (present chairman) and Ruuud Otten (departing chairman). It was also a Thank-you meeting for all the work Ruud has done for the USk-NL group. I came up with a challenge: make your drawings in grey tones. Rudulf Rost of Windsor and Newton made a livestream to explain how to mix lively greytones. I tried it in the first drawing, but that was a failure. The second one is less grey, but better anyway. The center of Elsloo.

Fish

 Inspired by drawings of Eric Lacombe.

Terborgh

A beautiful autumn day, fresh, not too cold, with a beautiful clear sun. During my running round I came across this scene, I decided toreturn in the afternoon to make this drawing. Actually, this was the second version. The first, a watercolour with bright autumn colors, was a total failure. It happens.

While drawing, I chatted with some nice people and even an old collegue, Wim Vroemen. A lovely day.

Gouache

 

After a picture I made in Lonodon a few years ago. Always difficult, hands.

Study in ink

Portrait of a guy in Barclay, Maryland USA, after a picture by Patrick Joust, A study in inks.
 

Van Gogh

 Last page of my Moleskine. I make a drawing, which was a total failure. I decided to cover it with a thick layer of gouache (which took up the ink and pencil of the old drawing). And tried to make another one, just as training on the use of gouache. Doesn't look exactly like van Gogh, but I like the result anyway. To be jonest, I was in the van Gogh museum a year ago, and compared his own selfportraits in real life. They don't all resemble each other as well. 

Treehouse

 

This is a real and existing Treehouse. My wife and I had a nice long weekend on a holidaycamp, in the middle of forests and heath. Perfect weather, nice long walks, beautiful colours. We had a nice small luxury cottage, surrounded by trees and squirrels. But elsewhere on the terrain there was this beautiful wooden treehouse, for rent, but not in our league.

I forgot to take water for painting. But I still had a waterbrush, so I washed out the ink before it was dry.

Vreeland

On the easel. Diana Vreeland, a American journalist, excercise in shadowtones, based on a picture. Made in the atelier of Annemiek Jongen.  Acrylic 50x60cm, took me an hour to make.

Huis op de Jeker (2)

I had forgotten to post this one, the facade of the House on the Jeker (Maastricht), of some weeks ago. I had to stop a few times due to the rain, but it was fun to do a precise drawing.
 

Sunflowers

 Sunflowers in a field on the "Wintraak". You don't say IN the Wintraak, because it's on top of the hill, Actually it's the first steep hill that you will encounter if you come from the north, from Holland. 

And yes, it's windy up there. Anyway, there I was, in the middle of a muddy field enjoying the still warm autumn sun, making this drawing. Took me about 20 minutes to make.

Khadija Arib

 

Excercise in charcoal: a portrait made by erasing parts from a page that was blackened with Charcoal.

She is a well known politician, presiding our parlaiment.

House on the Jeker

 

Huis aan de Jeker (house on the stream "Jeker"). The Jeker is a small stream that runs through Maastricht. For large parts it's hidden behind and under buildings, but here is a small house that hangs over the stream. I wanted to draw it for a long time, I had the chance yesterday.

Jan Siebelink

  

Unfortunately, due to Corona, live model drawing is not possible anymore. I am doing a course with Annemiek Jongen again, on portrait drawing. These are the first excercises: charcoal drawings

Thumbnails

Some thumbnail sketches of plants and trees. Autumn will be there soon
 

Vogelzang in Puth

Vogelzang ("singing birds") in Puth, a small village near where I live. I went there to draw the old farmhouse, but by chance chatted with the lady of the house, Marietje van der Linden. She is an sculpture artist (or rather jewelry designer), but her house is full of works by her husband, son and daughter in law. I saw fantsatic works, big and small. And was allowed to draw the inner courtyard, feauturing some of her stuff.

Sleeping Sheep

 

I am not working a lot in our office nowadyas, so those days I have to go, I use the bicycle. It has been nice weather lately anyway. Last monday I saw this along the road, a few sheep dozing off under a flatbed. It took a few minutes to make this quick sketch.