Quick sketch: Whataroa River

Overcast morning on the Whataroa River, near Franz Josef, NZ

Some quick watercolour sketches

I'm trying to decide whether to take my watercolours with me to the South Island, given that I'll only have very brief moments to sketch. I thought I'd try some quick miniature sketches for practice.

Piercy Island (practising colour mixing for a larger painting)

 Karamea Estuary in the fading afternoon light

 A thick early morning mist over the fields

Sunset in Blenheim: Watercolour pencils

Vineyard in Blenheim: Watercolour pencils

After applying water:

Before applying water:

Piercy Is. Watercolor pencil sketch

I haven't used my watercolour pencils for a while, but thought I would do another preparatory sketch for my watercolour painting I'm planning to do.

Below: Sketch before adding water to the watercolour pencil marks.

Biro sketch

I did this sketch a little while back, and have been working on developing backgrounds rather than just doing faces.

I'm not sure if I will develop this into a painting. But if I did I would call it Final Journey. I thought the woman in the drawing looked like she was saying goodbye. I drew a misty Cape Reinga behind her, with the lighthouse like a ghost image, as Cape Reinga is a place from where the Maori souls would leap towards the Underworld.

Before adding the background.

Gratuitous photo of a tree in Northland, New Zealand. Photo: Jonas

Value sketch drafts for Piercy Island painting

Simpler version - no clouds. 

 Clouds added.

Would need to redo, but more panoramic format than square. Prefer it to have more ocean showing at front.

Some pencil sketches over breakfast

Otaki Beach at sunset

Smokehouse sketch

The Smokehouse in Mapua

Some biro sketches

Some sketches with a plain old blue biro. Sugar paper. 
Above: before the background.
Below after the background. Funny how the paper photographed differently this time.

Some biro sketches before the background has been done.

Sketch: Castlerock

Sketch: Richmond Range

Then thought some more shading might look better. Not sure which I prefer...

Sketch: Dunedin coastline

0.05 Staedler pen. 7 x 11cm sketchbook.

Felt it might look better with the sea darkened.

Sketch: Lindis Pass etc

Lindis Pass

Dean's Cottage

Rakaia River

White Horse Hotel (abandoned)

Sketch, old bridge on the Clutha River

Photo of a different river - the Otaki, North Island, New Zealand

Mapua sketch 1

Ruru owl landing

An owl I am working on for my brother's birthday. Not quite finished yet. Might so something in the foreground, and darken the owl a bit.

Finished:

Staedler medium nib fountain pen (thanks Kerrie-ann for the pen). Noodlers black ink.  

Ruru and Little Owl

Above: Ruru (Morepork) Owl. Schaeffer Medium Nib pen (thanks Kerrie-ann!) with Noodler Black Ink and recycled paper.

Above: Little Owl Stationery (Envelope- front). Schaeffer Medium Nib pen (thanks Kerrie-ann!) with Noodler Black Ink and recycled paper.

 

Catlins Estuary. South Island, New Zealand. Photo:Jonas.

Tonal watercolour sketch

Another 5 min breakfast sketch. Practising tones in watercolour, and sketching straight with the brush (no initial pencil drawings).

Old conte sketch

Old conte sketch from the life drawing class.

Old pen and ink sketch

An old 20 minute pen and ink sketch from a life drawing class I did, maybe last year? A2 paper. Staedler fountain pen. I dripped the ink out of the body of the pen for the hair.

Mixed media: pastels and watercolour

 

Road to Lake Wairarapa, North Island, New Zealand

Karearea (New Zealand Falcon)

 A sketch over breakfast of the New Zealand Falcon. India ink in the Staedler medium nib pen which my amazing penpal Kerrie-ann sent me. Thanks Kerrie-ann! You´re the best!

The coastline around Sail Rock, Wairarapa, North Island, New Zealand.

Quick conte sketch

Quick sketch with Conte over dessert. I'm not sure sugar paper was the right choice for this as it makes the shading so coarse.