Tag: Stockholm

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Video watercolour video youtube

I kept my mouth shut for this one

I visited Utö during the month of September to spend two days camping and painting. The island was so quiet, the evenings can be cool but if you are lucky you can still get a beautiful warm day.

This video has no dialog, instead I thought I’d let the sound of the lapping water and the beautiful view speak for themselves. The film is short, 7 minutes long.

I have included a description of the gear I used in the film down below. I hope you enjoy it, please do send me comments and let me know what you think – be it good or bad. You can support the making of these videos, visit my crowdfunding page, there you can follow my weekly vlogs, see bonus material, and even receive original watercolours as thanks. https://www.patreon.com/meldrumart

Here is a list of my most important watercolours that I use while sketching outdoors. In this watercolour I mostly used – Cobalt Blue, French Ultramarine, Verditer Blue, Jaune Brilliant No1, Yellow Ochre and Vandyke Brown. My easel is no longer for sale on Amazon unfortunately. My camping chair is a Swedish brand called Walkstool Comfort 45cm/18in. (www.walkstool.com). The hammock tent is by Hennessy 4 Season Expedition Zip. (https://eu.hennessyhammock.com/products/4season-expedition-zip)

While sketching I use a Winsor & Newton Field palette My watercolours (tube) :
– Holbein Titanium White
– Winsor & Newton Cadmium Yellow Pale
– Holbein Jaune Brilliant No1 .
-Winsor & Newton Naples Yellow
– Winsor & Newton Yellow Ochre
– Winsor & Newton Burnt Sienna
– Winsor & Newton Cadmium Orange
– Winsor & Newton Cadmium Red
– Daniel Smith Alizarin Crimson
– Winsor & Newton UltraMarine Violet
– Winsor & Newton Cobalt Blue
– Winsor & Newton French Ultra Marine
– Holbein Verditer Blue
– Winsor & Newton Cobalt Turquoise Light
– Holbien Vandyke Brown
– Winsor & Newton Neutral Tint.

The view from east Utö. September 2022
Categories
watercolor Watercolour

Painting plein air locally

Danvikshem

I try to be out in the Stockholm archipelago as much as possible. But sometimes the weather isn’t kind and I’m forced to stay home. This was the case last week when there was gale force wind with heavy rain. It wasn’t raining all the time though so I was able to nip out and paint a scene close to where I live.

The building I chose to paint is called Danvikshem, an Art Deco old folks home, it is a dominant feature on the local skyline. I sat myself down outside an apartment in Finnboda and had a go at capturing the scene.

Danvikshem
David’s easel
Danvikshem
David
Danvikshem
Danvikshem
Danvikshem

Categories
watercolor Watercolour

Painting in the wild

Calm in Nämdö

In the beginning of September I spent two days sketching on Nämdö which is an island in the Stockholm archipelago. I was with with an old friend. So nice to be to be in nature while most people are back in the office. The hunting season was in full swing though so we had to be careful in the woods not to be mistaken for deer. 😮

My sketches were 17.5 x 12.5 cm in size.

Camping on Nämdö
A quick sketch
Calm in Nämdö
Categories
akvarell watercolor Watercolour

The advantage of painting small

If you have been following this blog, or my Patreon page or even my Facebook page you’ll know that I suffer from seasonal depression (SAD). It has held me back enormously over the last three years. Thankfully, I am now getting the help that I need and therefore feel pretty positive.

This is where the small paintings come in.
It is way too much for me to paint a large watercolour right now. I’m a person in recovery and so my ability to focus is pretty shot. This is why I think small. 18 x 13 cm usually. If you know about painting on quarter – sheets then you’ll understand when I say, I paint on quarter – quarter – sheets. For the rest of you, it’s about A5 in size.

This little watercolour is from a reference photo I took a few years back when we visited Trosa in the southern Stockholm archipelago. I’ve painted it before, I like the composition. Yes, it’s 18 x 13cm in size.

Take care of yourselves.

Trosa
Categories
watercolor Watercolour

I don’t have artist block, I have something a lot worse

Ferry at Finnboda
Ferry at Finnboda

I have been suffering badly from depression (SAD) since September. I’m not going to go into detail but anyone who suffers from the same ball and chain affliction knows it isn’t easy to achieve anything of substance. So this little painting, although a bit grey, is a ray of light as I have been able to complete it. It makes me very feel good.

I am returning to the doctor this week, the current approach hasn’t worked. Hopefully a solution can be found soon. I so do want to enjoy life, smile and paint, paint, paint.

Click the thumbnail below if you want to see the full sized image

Ferry at Finnboda
Ferry at Finnboda
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demonstration

Painting watercolours where I live – New YouTube video

Painting a Tugboat and talking about composition

It’s here at last, Episode 29. I really enjoyed this watercolour. It took two days to film. I did a pencil sketch on the first day but then had to wait a day to paint the final watercolour because I ran out of daylight. I talk a lot about composition and my approach to simplifying the subject. I hope you find it interesting.

Categories
watercolor Watercolour

The seasons change and so does my neighbourhood

Kvärnholmen
Kvärnholmen

This is a final version of a sketch I did during the winter months. I live in an old industrial area quite close to central Stockholm, it’s under development. I go for walks most days and I try to find beauty in what I see. It’s my quest right now. I want to avoid the pretty picture trap, some call them chocolate box – watercolours. Yes, I want to avoid that. I’m buying lots of old Lars Lerin books from the 80’s and 90’s, I think he captures the scandinavian everyday so well.

Title: Kvarnholmen in winter. 37 x 27 cm

Click the thumbnail below if you would like to see the full-sized image.

Kvärnholmen
Kvärnholmen
Categories
Sketch watercolor Watercolour

I try to communicate what I see and feel

Björnö
Björnö

It’s been grey here in Stockholm for I don’t know how long. Boring, yes it is – but there is beauty out there in the greyness. I try to walk most days. I took some photos of the waterline at Björnö, not far from Stockholm. The reeds are all dead but beautiful anyway. This was a working sketch to see if I would do a large studio painting. I’ve decided not to and so I will move on the another watercolour challenge instead.

If you would like to see the full-sized image please click the thumbnail below

Björnö
Björnö

Categories
Sketch sketching urban sketching watercolor Watercolour

Sketching a little castle outdoors. Ep25

Kastellholmen
Kastellholmen

In this episode I take myself to a small island called Beckholmen where I sketch another little island called Kastellholmen, both are very close to the centre of Stockholm. It became a grey day and so it was a challenge to make the sketch interesting. Follow me step by step as I paint and hope for a watercolour that satisfies.