Sketches

Sunday, 30 October 2016

Schmallenberg (Dtsl)

We had a lovely extended weekend in the Hochsauerland, Germany. A very old town called Schmallenberg.
We visit Schmallenberg every few years, since at least 15 years or so. The Gasthof "Stoffels" has always been our starting point, good rooms, perfect food, very hospitable owners.
This is the early morning view from our hotelroom. The autumn colours are there in its full magnificent beauty.

Thursday, 27 October 2016

Glass eagle


My latest glass object.
Actually, I finished it months ago, but I never had time to make the pedestall.
The bird is about 35 cm high on its cherrywood plinth.
All made of sheet glass, tacked together in the oven.
The colours are of glass enemals, pressed in between the sheets.
The wings are made of tiny strips of glass, vertically positioned and fused with the backing glass sheet.

It was a real pleasure to make this piece.

Tuesday, 25 October 2016

Sketching architecture by Liz Steel

A new Urban sketching book came out: sketching architecture. By USK sketcher Liz Steel from Australia. Filled with good tips and tricks how to sketch buildings quickly.
The book treats themes like how to make "basic volumes', easy perspective, capture crowds, shade, how to treat light, colour etc. All ideas and observations related to make quick urban impressions.
If you want to do precise drawing and painting in a studio, this is not your book.
And as a bonus: the book contains 2 of my own drawings: one of a very quick roofdrawing in Liège, and the view over Hells Kitchen, New York.


This is still one of my favourite drawings, filled with fond memories of our trip to New York last year.

Sunday, 23 October 2016

Klimmen church

The things we do for art.

My wife sings in the church choir St. Caecilia in Hulsberg, and they sang the mass today in Klimmen, another small village near where I live.
When they prepared and rehearsed a little, I went out in the early morning chilly mist to draw the graveyard in front of the church.
There are some beautiful old graves there.
I detest the imported invention of Halloween (we have "all soul's day" later this week to honour the deceased in a serious way) but I admit this drawing is quite fitting for that occasion.

In the end I had quite stiff fingers of the chilly and wet cold.


Just before mass I made this quick sketch of the choir rehearsing the opening song.
Both drawing took between 10-15 minutes to make.

Saturday, 22 October 2016

Hands and portrait

 A study of a (live) portrait with the hands emphasised. Hands are very difficult to do.

Wednesday, 19 October 2016

Talbot #inktober 19

Talbot T26c, a racer from 1948. Made after a picture. Blue (and a little black) ink only.
As you may notce, I skipped a few days, too much other things to do.

Sunday, 16 October 2016

Glass flowers and vase


 I finally had time to finish my glass vase and glass flowers. I made the vase in spring, and the flowers just before the holidays. But I still had to make the stems (copper wire, soldered together and painted). Well, here it is. It looks better than expected.


I took the opportunity to make an ink drawing of the vase, for #inktober, day 15.
But after 15 drawings, I know now that I don't want to keep up the pace.
The quality is getting less, and I want time for other hobbies.
So I will do the #inktober posts less regularly.

Saturday, 15 October 2016

Fiber face #Ink day 14

Another experiment: I pasted a part of a thin sheet of fiber-tissue (I guess fiberglass) on a page in my large moleskine, and let it dry. Then I wetted parts, and painted with Indian Ink. The ink would flow quite uncontrollably, but hey, that would be the fun part wouldn't it?
It was difficult steering the linework where I wanted it to be.
Inktober day 14. 17 to go, I am not sure I can keep up that pace.

Friday, 14 October 2016

Elsloo, Pumpkins. #ink 12 and 13

Railroadcrossing in Elsloo. Made during lunchbreak, yesterday. The crossing was close to the office, and I needed something to take my mind of stressful work.
And another made at the dinnertable, a set of small pumpkins, made with ink and inktense pencils.

Wednesday, 12 October 2016

Yurt, day 10 and 11 Inktober

I finished the portrait on Monday, but decided to add another theme (the Yurt in the background) on Tuesday.

The inkdrawing was made with my falcon fountain pen and bullet black ink.
The colurful parts with coloured acrylic ink (Lukas).

I am not sure which one I like best. I probably prefer the B&W one.

Tuesday, 11 October 2016

Sumi-e, day 9 #Inktober

My feeble try at Sumi-e inkig technique. I lack the determinedness of making those confident brushstrokes, especially at the leaves. I know it comes from unending training to make these strokes (I once secretly observed a Chinese man in our Hotel in Hangzhou, making 5 training strokes on cheap paper next to him before turning to the proper sheet. It was genuine, he was alone, no audience). But hey, I'm western, I don't have that patience.

Sunday, 9 October 2016

Fès Morocco, day 8 #inktober

Not made on location, but a reworked picture that I took in Fès Morocco.
A garlic salesman. Made all in ink.

Saturday, 8 October 2016

Bernini in Rome, inktober day 7.

Another drawing, I am posting at high speed now, almost every day. This is my favourite statue of all time; the elephant of Bernini, in Rome next to the Pantheon. I even have a miniature replica of the version by Salvador Dali, from his painting: the temptation of Saint Anthony.
I tried the painting technique of Sunga Park. Check out her work!
But it almost went wrong: the Indian ink bled horribly, but I managed to use the bleeding in the image. I have to figure out what is wrong with the ink, it's supposed to be waterproof.

Friday, 7 October 2016

Furnace, day 6 #inktober

Drawing of a stonewool furnace, part of one of the factories that I designed and were built.
This one in Serbia.
I used ink in different colours. Yes it's still #inktober.

Thursday, 6 October 2016

Day 4 and 5 #inktober


Day 4 and 5 of Inktober.
Not the best of my drawings, but if you have to make a drawing evey day, you can't always have a winner.
I wouldn't have posted these here if it was not for trying to make the total 31 days.


Tuesday, 4 October 2016

#inktober day 3: landscape

This was another interesting experiment with ink. I used tracing paper (the thin translucent paper architects use for designing.

I added water to it, so it wrinkled. Then I used the backside of my Falcon fountain pen, and I got these random landscape effects. I had to stare a few minutes to see what I could do with it, and suddenly saw the roof of a 50s car under one of the inkspots.
The rest is just finishing what you see in your mind anyway.

Monday, 3 October 2016

#inktober day 2

Second day: I started with something me and my friends did in highschool. You make a random doodle, and have to draw something from that. This started the same way.
I used ink (bullet black Noodlers) and brown acrylic ink. I added black stains using a paper towel dipped in Chinese ink. The background is added digitally, something I found on the internet.

Sunday, 2 October 2016

#inktober: 1

This month is #inktober, you are supposed to make an inkdrawing every day.
I don't think I can keep up that production, but I can certainly try.
This drawing is based on a picture of an Italian hunter, made by Stefano Prigione.
I coloured it digitally afterwards.
To be honest, I had tried to draw/paint this using watercolour pencil, trying to give it the same hatched look in the background. But that was a total mistake. I was glad I had scanned the drawing before painting it, so I could use that version for digital reuse. Lessons learned.