Month: December 2017

Looking forward to 2018

David Meldrum

Yes, I am looking forward to 2018. I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited about the start of a new calendar year. The 31st of December at the stroke of midnight I become a full time artist! I am a little nervous about it but it is nothing compared to the exhilaration I feel, the passion I have for my new career as an artist.

I came up with a 5-year plan exactly 5 years ago. The plan was simple as you can see on my amazing slick graph, my art career was to grow and my web designer career was to decline. To my surprise it has come true and was totally on schedule, amazing!

My plan for 2018 is to start a company and paint like crazy for the first 3 months. I will be developing “Meldrum Kroki” my life drawing sessions that I started back in October. I will also try my hand at producing weekly video vlogs plus painting tutorials or demonstrations. I think that’s enough to keep my self busy.

It’s going to be a fun year in 2018, really looking forward to it.

Happy New Year folks!

Tags 5, 5yearplan, akvarell, aquarelle, artist, career, davidmeldrum, meldrum, plan, watercolor, Watercolour, webdesign, webdesigner

Sketch Watercolour

New year celebrations

Donaghadee sketch final stage

I finished this sketch of Donaghadee harbour today. I actually started the sketch while in Ireland a couple of weeks back.
My last sketch of 2017. I am so looking forward to the new year. Tomorrow I will be a full-time artist!
I have included a few earlier version of the sketch, I know some of you are interested in seeing how I paint. Saunders watercolour paper 38 x 28 sketchbook.
Happy New Year everyone! 😀

Donaghadee sketch final stage

Donaghadee sketch 2nd stage

Donaghadee sketch 1st stage

Tags akvarell, aquarelle, davidmeldrum, Donaghadee, ireland, meldrum, ni, northernireland, uk, watercolor, Watercolour

Sketch Urban Sketchers urban sketching water coloring watercolor Watercolour

Donaghadee

Post author By meldrum
Post date 2017/12/16
No Comments on Donaghadee

I visited the quaint harbour town of Donaghadee during my stay in Northern Ireland. I went there twice in fact as I feel at ease there for some reason. It’s probably the open horizon that attracts me, I can feel a bit claustrophobic otherwise in Bangor where my mother lives, I spent 10 days with her while my sister who lives close by had a well deserved holiday.

Watercolour painted from the passenger seat of my mother’s car in a Saunders 38 x 28 sketchbook.

Tags akvarell, aquarelle, Donaghadee, harbour, northernireland, Sketch, watercolor, Watercolour

Watercolour

Sergels torg

Sergels torg by meldrum

I painted this watercolour of Sergels torg almost a month ago but I have just been too busy to publish it. There are a lot of positive things happening in my life these days and 2018 promises to be very exciting indeed. I feel very lucky, I really do.

I have included a A5 preparation-sketch of the same watercolour, I am showing this because there are certain elements in it that I have not achieved in the larger work. Saying this, there are certain things in the larger one that are better too. I do feel I will paint this scene again, I really enjoyed it.

The final watercolour is 50 x 70 cm
(Arches rough, Full imperial)

Click the thumbnail below for full sized image

Tags akvarell, aquarelle, fullimperial, sergelstorg, Stockholm, watercolor, Watercolour

Sketch Watercolour

Groomsport

Post author By meldrum
Post date 2017/12/12
No Comments on Groomsport

Groomsport, NI by David Meldrum

I am visiting my mother in Norther Ireland at the moment. The other day I borrowed her car and drove to Groomsport, a small town close to Bangor where I am staying. I sat in the passenger seat of the car and painted this sketch. I am fascinated by the sky here in Ireland, it changes so quickly and can be so dramatic.
I painted in my current favourite sketchbook which has Saunders paper and is 38 x 28 cm in size.

Click image below for full sized photo

Tags akvarell, aquarelle, bangor, groomsport, northernireland, pleinair, Sketch, skiss, urbansketchers, usk, watercolor, Watercolour

David Meldrum Watercolour

My first live demo

Towards Riddarholmen

meldrum demo

The other week I had my first watercolour demonstration. I was honoured to be asked by the ATG Art Society here in Stockholm. It was a small group that I painted for but for me it was a perfect start to something that might develop in the future.
I still see myself as a student so it is amusing when others ask me to show how I paint.

Tags akvarell, aquarelle, art, artsociety, atg, demo, demonstration, watercolor, Watercolour

figure drawing My Life Drawing Nudes Sketch

Life drawing at Mäster Olafsgården

Post author By meldrum
Post date 2017/12/07
No Comments on Life drawing at Mäster Olafsgården

meldrum life drawing

I enjoy having my own life drawing sessions but I don’t draw as much as I’d like to because of all the responsibilities – this is why I still go to life drawing whenever I can. Monday evening in the old town is a good place to be if you are suffering from life drawing abstinence.

meldrum life drawing

Tags charcoal, charcoaldust, croquis, female, femalemodel, femme, figuredrawing, kroki, lifedrawing, mästerolofsgården, model, modell, mog, nude, Sketch

figure drawing My Life Drawing Nudes Sketch

The last Life drawing session at home for this year.

Post author By meldrum
Post date 2017/12/07
2 Comments on The last Life drawing session at home for this year.

meldrum kroki

I had 9 life drawing sessions in my living room since October, it feels quite normal these days and I think it has been a fantastic success. The models have enjoyed the atmosphere. My life drawing friends are happy too, they had no problem taking the short bus ride to the Finnberget. The music was enjoyed and the coffee was just right, the lighting was a big plus – everyone appreciated that.

I have been so busy mentally with my work these last few weeks, it hasn’t been fun – breaking up is never easy. Next year there will be big changes and so I will have lots of time for art which makes me so incredibly happy. More about that later in the month.

Meldrum Kroki starts again on the 11th of January 2018 🙂

meldrum kroki

Tags artmodel, figuredrawing, finnberget, kroki, lifedrawing, malemodel, meldrum, meldrumkroki, model, modell

Sketch Uncategorized Watercolour

Urban Sunday

Post author By meldrum
Post date 2017/12/04
3 Comments on Urban Sunday

meldrum urban sketch

Urban Sketching is just so much fun. This month we visited Lilla Wien which I have walked past everyday going to work and never once thought, “Oh, I must visit that pub!”. Every Sunday it seems, elderly jazz fans gather to listen to live music and to dance. They really looked like they were enjoying themselves.

I sat down at the long table that was reserved for us sketchers, I wasn’t facing the band but instead I had a good view of the bar. I am reasonably happy with the watercolour sketch, it would have been nicer if I had fewer hard edges. The bottles behind the bartender should have been out of focus, also the light on his shoulders should have been soft too.

meldrum urban sketch

Tags akvarell, aquarelle, lillawien, sketch watercolour, urbansketchers, usk, watercolor