Tag: archipelago

Categories
Sketch Watercolour

Sandhamn – sketch #1

Sandhamn sketch
Sandhamn sketch

I have a lovely project to illustrate a book. It is associated with Sandhamn, an island that is a meeting point out in the Stockholm archipelago. This is the first of many sketches I will be doing during this year. It’s a lovely place to visit but I try my best to avoid it during the short summer months – that’s when the flash trash arrive in their oversized pleasure cruisers.
The sketch is about A5 in size and painted in my Moleskin watercolour journal.

Click below if you would like to see image at full-size.

Sandhamn sketch
Sandhamn sketch
Categories
Watercolour

Autumn has arrived

Autumn archipelago by meldrum
Autumn archipelago by meldrum

This is a larger version of a painting I did the other week, click here to see that one. It is a challenge to paint larger formats, this watercolour is 70 x 50 cm and painted on Arches rough paper. I added a touch of autumn as the trees outside my window have wonderful colours right now. I am happy enough with the painting, I completed 70% of it and became scared, I think this is a common problem for watercolourists. It is so easy to screw the whole thing up. It’s a real challenge to stay loose and free to the end.

Click image below for full sized watercolour

Autumn archipelago by meldrum
Autumn archipelago by meldrum
Categories
Watercolour

Archipelago rain

Archipelago rain
Archipelago rain

A small composition test 34 x 24 cm on Fabriano fine grain. I plan to paint a large version today.

Click the image below for full size version.

Archipelago rain
Archipelago rain

 

 

Categories
Sketch Watercolour

Fantastic to be sailing again. 

I haven’t sailed all summer but now I am and it’s wonderful. The holiday season is over so the archipelago is quite empty of boats. No motor boats just a few sailing boats and most of them seem to be visiting from Europe. So it’s very peaceful. We have bought a new boat, not new exactly – it was built in 1975. So we are getting to know how everything works. Next week my wife returns to work but I intend to continue sailing as much of September I can. I want to sketch, paint and take reference photos. It’s going to be an experience.

This watercolour sketch was painted at our first stop on the trip, Gällnö is the name of the island, we stayed for a day then moved on. 

Click image below for full size image. 

Watercolour of Gällnö
Gällnö
Categories
Nacka Sketch Watercolour

After work

Another quick sketch while on my way home from work. I wish I had designed the clouds a bit better. It was just one long cloud in reality but it would have been better if I had broken it up. I am satisfied otherwise, actually I quite like it!

Click image below for larger picture.

Categories
Sketch Watercolour

Is anything better than nothing?

Sketch of Svartlöga
Sketch of Svartlöga

I am going through a period were my time for art is limited, I have to work as a webmaster for 6 weeks during July and August. I know that in order to be a good artist I have to practice everyday which is basically not easy.
So, is painting for the sake of painting a good idea? This sketch which took 2 hours over two days is a case in point. It’s not a masterpiece but I feel at least I have painted something; I have learned a little, a small step – …on the lonely road to mastering watercolour.

This sketch was painted in a Moleskin watercolour journal 29 x 21 cm, the paper is not cotton but I like the challenge of its inferior qualities.

Click the image below for larger view.

Sketch of Svartlöga
Sketch of Svartlöga

 

Categories
Watercolour

Wide format does not impress

Folkbåt regatta nr.3
Folkbåt regatta nr.3

This painting is pretty cool I think. In real life it has impact but when it is published on the web it looses its power due to the wide format. It become small and hard so see detail, a 4 by 3 format suits Facebook and Google + so much better.
Anyway, I like this watercolour, it’s not my normal style, I don’t wish to continue on this route either, I want to be more like Chein Chung-Wei when I grow up 😉

Please click the image below if you would like to see a larger image.

watercolour by david meldrum
watercolour by david meldrum

 

Categories
Watercolour

Summer in the archipelago 

Sailing in summer
Sailing in summer

Summer is coming soon, well I would at least like to think so. Looking forward to it when it does arrive. I am very happy with these wide scene formats I have been painting recently but they do present a problem, they look very small when I present them on Facebook or even here on my website. It’s a pity because they look real good framed and hanging on the wall. I am considering just showing a 4 by 3 version, cropping the watercolour to suit social media. Instagram is even worse, it is square!
Format: 37 x 12.5 cm

Click image below to see larger version.

Sailing in summer
Sailing in summer
Categories
watercolor Watercolour

Wide format

Folkbåt regatta nr.1
Folkbåt regatta nr.1

I have realised that painting in a wide format really suits my watercolours of life in the archipelago. It’s the big open horizon that we all find appealing when we are out in the great outdoors.
69 x 24 cm

The original reference photos were taken by Finish photographer, Erik Lähteenmäki. You can visit his website here.

Click image below to see larger version.

Folkbåt regatta nr.1
Folkbåt regatta nr.1