India, Orchha

Still playing with coloured inks. I like them a lot.
This drawing was based on a picture I once took in India, in Orchha.
I am using cut bamboo, dipped in ink and large flat brushes. All in order to get a more vivid, paintery drawing style.

Talbot racing car

Commissioned painting of a Talbot 26c Racing car.
The same as I posted some weeks ago, but that was a trial.
Here is the final version, size A4.
I understood that this birthday present for the owner of both the car and now this painting was very pleased.

Steinhuder Meer

Returned from a business trip to the Hannover area, Neustadt am Rüberberge. We slept in a hotel in an old fisher village next to a large lake "Steinhuder Meer". Now a tourist resort.
Sketching in winter is hard, as it's still dark when we get up in the morning, and pitchdark when return in the evening. I had to take my breakfast early, just to create some 15 minutes in the early morning light. Just before we would leave for the meetings.

 
I had to work quick, and it shows.

A new sketchbook (2)

Testing the other sketchbook, Hahnemühle watercolour A4.
Like with the Canson one, rather smooth paper as compared to Moleskine.
Works nice, much like the Canson.
This drawing was made with coloured acrylic inks. Next step will be testing with watercolour.

Cavarinha

An imaginary city, I called it Cavarinha. (not a Italo Calvino place, but it fits in his world.
I started drawing with that person in the centre, standing alone under the arc. And just kept adding things and bridges and widows and stuff without a real plan. Maybe that's not completely true, as I started I immediately had the firm idea that the place should be an underground city.
I added the dark background digitally afterwards.
Here two detailed parts.

A new sketchbook

For >10 years I use Moleskine A5 and A4 watercolour sketchbooks. But the A4 (Folio) are hard to get. After several promises and more than a month waiting I decided to try other brands.
I wanted to get a Stillmann Beta series, but they could only be ordered though Germany.
So I bought a Canson 230 grams book (60 pages). And tried it out with this quick sketch in coloured inks.
I also bought a Hahnemühle watercolour book, but haven't tried that one out yet.

I lost it

Here is an example how you can lose the painting that you want make, when you work too long at it.
Left you see the first stage, after about 3/4 of an hour. Size 50x60, all in acrylic.
It was pretty vivid. I should have redone the part under the nose, reworked the chin, and suggested the shoulders. And leave it at that.
But I kept on painting for another half hour, and totally spoiled it. It's not even very bad, but it lacks the vivid paintstrokes of the first one.
I wish I could say that I learned my lesson, but to be honest, it's difficult to find that good spot.
I know I have to pay attention constantly.

Election day

At the risk of offending all those who go with Trump for all the good reasons, I personally think its a bleak and grim day for the world. Not so much for his ideas (if there are any) but more for his unstable and virulent character.
I really hope that this day will not be one that you will read about in history books in a hundred years time.

Oldsmobile and more

Went to a vintage car meeting in Brunssumthis afternoon. It was pretty cold, and the rain threatened to spoil the meeting. The owners stayed inside with hot choco and drinks.
I could only made the drawing of this beauty, it was too moist and cold to paint: it would not dry.
Painted it at home.
The German owner told me it was an Oldsmobile 98 Holiday hardtop Coupe dating from 1954. 
I also made this ink drawing of some 4x4's, but this was a quick one, just before the rain set in.

Deserted

Lunchtime doodle. Nothing special.
I saw a painting by Peter Stauder hanging in a art gallery in Cologne last weekend, that inspired me to do this sketch.

More Schmallenberg

Another scene in the Sauerland (Germany). I saw the scene during a short stop while driving through the magnificent coloured hills. That evening I made this quick painting while waiting for our dinner to be served, from memory. Well, the scene is not really complicated, is it?