meldrum art
A late evening sketch from the boat on Nämdö, Skärvassa. I use my gas heat gun to dry the watercolour. It’s been a cool July so far. It means the archipelago isn’t as crowded as I thought it would be, that’s a plus. 13 x 17.5cm
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We are currently sailing along the east coast of Sweden, taking it easy as we always do – which means I have time to do some watercolour sketching. Here is a sketch from when we visited Grisselholmen on the 3rd of July. More watercolours to follow! Grisselholmen 13 x 17.5 cm
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I thought it’s time to show my watercolour sketches. Most are from 2020 and most are painted outdoors but not all. The format I use is roughly 13 x 17.5 cm. I basically divide a sheet of watercolour paper by four and then by four again. (Tip: I tear the paper using a ruler) Feedback is always welcome ?
I just published a video of me painting this view from Kvarnholmen, click here to see it. I simplified the watercolour composition a lot and I really like it. It takes a lot of experience to start seeing what is a good composition and what is not. Believe me, I have made a lot of bad compositions in the past to get to this stage in my development as an artist.
Click the thumbnail below to see the full sized image.
Hello! In this episode I stay local. I paint the scene using gradients and I have a wandering caterpillar to deal with.
I do all this while holding a camera above my head! I hope this video inspires you to sketch and paint outdoors. If you would like to support the making of these videos please visit my Patreon page, there you can follow my weekly vlog, see bonus material, and even receive original watercolours. www.patreon.com/meldrumart
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This week I am home and I tend to spend too much time in my studio. I therefore make sure I go for a walk or cycle each day. I always bring my sketch bag with me. The weather has been really amazing lately so I am doing a lot of light studies. Watercolour for me is about capturing the light, it’s amazing how hard it is to catch. I just practice and practice and hopefully one day I will master it.
The sketch “Södermalm” is 13 x 17.5 cm on 300g Saunders Waterford paper.
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I really enjoyed myself painting this little sketch in the early summer light of Sweden. If you would like to see me painting it please click here. https://youtu.be/vWcI0TE8NHw
There is a better description of the video in my previous post, click here to read that. https://www.meldrum.se/2020/06/14056/
If you would like to see a larger image of the watercolour, click the thumbnail below.
A few weeks ago I went on a short trip to Gålö which is 27 km south of Stockholm. It’s a nature reserve, and camping there is relatively easy. It always amazes me how close I actually am to nature even though I spend most of my time in an urban environment like Stockholm.
I wandered around the reserve for ages exploring and enjoying the sights and sounds of early summer. Eventually I found a scene that I wanted to sketch, I had my camera gear with me and so it has become my 18th YouTube episode. I hope you enjoy it. I explain my process as I go along, painting techniques and compositional thoughts etc. You can see a list of the watercolours I use in the description under the YouTube video.
If you would like to support the making of Meldrum Art videos please visit my Patreon page, there you can follow my weekly vlog, see bonus material, and even receive original watercolours. www.patreon.com/meldrumart
The weather has been so good recently, I made sure I got away from the studio and explored the countryside close to home. The countryside usually means water and islands that are crowned with Scots pine. At least I seem to be always drawn to the sea, I feel best there by the waters edge or better still, sailing in the archipelago.
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View from Boda, 17.5 x 13 cm
