Today was the last day the kids I teach could submit the paintings they had done for the Texaco Art Competition. This competition has been going for decades in Ireland: many Irish adults still bear the scars. When this year’s competition was announced back in January, a few people were talking about it on Twitter.…
I was in Porto, Portugal, last year when this year’s Urban Sketching Symposium location was announced. It would take place in Amsterdam. “You should consider staying in Haarlem,” said Anne Rose Oosterbaan, one of the many Dutch sketchers in Porto. “It’s very pretty, cheaper than Amsterdam – and only twenty minutes away by train.” That…
At Taekwon-Do last night, the instructor took us though kicking moves. He explained the stance we should be taking and the part of the foot we needed to deliver maximum impact. We are beginners, so he found fault with one or other aspect of our moves. “You’re focusing on the destination,” he said. “Focus instead…
PREMIUM. When it comes to bringing out the beauty of watercolour, good timing is of the essence. Five easy techniques, with practice will enable the best from this beautiful medium.
PREMIUM – Sometimes when you’re sketching you have to get it right first time. Here I share some of the tips I’ve picked up to make sure I don’t need a second chance.
PREMIUM: Drawing with confidence is one of the holy grails of sketching. In this article I share the first of three techniques that will get you well on the road to drawing fluently.
PREMIUM: Getting light and shade right in a sketch goes a very long way to making a sketch believable, to give a feeling of “being there”. Here’s how I approach it.
PREMIUM Lots of us would love to capture a few memories on holiday in a sketch, but what do we bring with us, and how do we keep everyone happy?
PREMIUM. I recently had a great week of sketching in a lovely little Irish town in West Cork, but in mid-February. Schull turned out to be a sleepy little town consisting of one steep, twisting street with shops and pubs on it…
PREMIUM A beautiful sky is the most effective way to add atmosphere to your sketch; all kinds of cloud conditions can be realistically depicted with the aid of a few simple techniques.