Location: Konstnärshuset, Stockholm
A bit rusty, but I’m happy enough with my first figure sketches of 2014.
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| A4 nude 1 |
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| A4 nude 2 |
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| A4 nude 3 |
Author: meldrum
My name is David Meldrum. I am an Artist who loves watercolour.
After a couple of days sketching at the Central Train Station here in Stockholm I felt ready to do my first watercolour sketch for 2014. I’m happy enough with the result, I spent two hours on it over a two day period. I used too much gouache for highlighting but as it’s just a sketch I really don’t mind, I’d prefer to use less of course.
I am getting up one hour earlier this week so that I have an hour to sketch before going to work. It is not as hard as I thought it would be. Now, I’ve found an extra hour each day to sketch and paint which makes me happy.
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| Under the Departure Sign at Central Station Stockholm. Moleskin A4 watercolour notebook. |
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| The first day, 20140113 |
I’ve been drawing everyday at the Train Station since rediscovering it as an indoor sketching utopia. I had planed to watercolour today but I’m not confident enough with the environment. I am getting there though, it’s a mind-game. One has to believe that one can can do it.
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| A4, HB pencil sketch, Central Station, Stockholm |
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| A4, HB pencil sketch, Central Station, Stockholm |
Like most people I have a day job, it pays the bills and helps keep a roof over my head. I dream of being an artist but the reality is that I work 9-5 and spend hours each day commuting back and forth to the office. After discovering, The Great Indoors of Stockholm (see last post), I stopped on my way to work today at Central Station and did this quick sketch. So it’s possible for me to sketch on the way to work, at lunch time and then again on the way home. Suddenly, I have so much time for my art!
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| On the way to work. A4, HB pencil on Fabrino paper |
As far as Urban Sketching is concerned I’ve always felt sorry for myself living this far north. In Stockholm your fingers go numb after 30 minutes for at least half the year. I have dreamt often of holidays in the sun sketching for weeks on end in sun-drenched villages with happy tourists and buildings to draw.
My solution is to go indoors. The Central Station of Stockholm is a wonderful place to sketch, there is also the bus station and the underground. They are all warm places and there are lots people waiting there to be drawn, watercoloured even. Wintertime also brings darkness but not in the Stations of Stockholm, I look forward to many hours of urban sketching throughout the winter months in the great indoors of Stockholm.
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| A4, HB pencil sketch, Central Station, Stockholm |
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| A4, HB pencil sketch, Central Station, Stockholm |
My last watercolour for 2013. It’s been an interesting year. I’m excited about 2014 as I’ve promised myself to really start painting watercolours seriously.
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| Watercolour nude by David Meldrum 20131229 |
This is a great Christmas present! It seems I do not need to outline anymore. This is the second watercolour I have created without any initial pencil marks. I am happy enough with the result and I look forward now to 2014 and developing this new found skill. 🙂
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| Nude with no outlines. Saunders Waterford HP paper – 31 x 23 cm |
Do I need to use a pencil initially when painting a watercolour nude? I didn’t here and I like the result, I just started painting the nude directly onto paper. I will continue down this path and see what develops. Merry Christmas!
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| Pencil free nude. Saunders Waterford HP paper – 31 x 23 cm |
The final session at Basis, I look forward to next year already. Now I have to endure four weeks without any life drawing at all. Good job Christmas is coming to cheer me up. “Dear Santa, could I please have a beautiful studio with an endless supply of fantastic models for Christmas? Thank you!”.
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| 2 minute nude. A4 Fabriano paper, 21 x 29,7 cm. |
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| 2 minute nude. A4 Fabriano paper, 21 x 29,7 cm. |
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| 2 minute nude. A4 Fabriano paper, 21 x 29,7 cm. |
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| Longer than 2 minute nude. A3 Fabriano paper, 29.6 x 40.5cm |