Friday, December 05, 2008

Playing fast and loose again....


Watercolour & Ink - Canson sketchbook

Trapped inside most days lately by an unusually wet, grey autumn in Tuscany, I have been dreaming of Spring and the opportunity to get out sketching again. Of course I then have to admit I never get around to that much plein air sketching. It's because I am too slow. So the exercise I have set myself is to do some fast and loose sketches from the huge library of photographs I take (when I really should be sketching).

These are both from my computer screen using my Mont Blanc pen with Pelican Brillian Brown ink which I love because it's not in the least bit waterproof and bleeds happily all over the place when I add watercolour.


I took my sketching material on a trip to Perugia in Umbria yesterday. Didn't sketch a thing because we stumbled upon From Corot to Picasso - a magical exhibition from the vast Phillips Collection (Washington).

Vincent was there with House at Auvers; Modigliani with his beautiful Elena Povolozky; Cezanne Still Life with Ginger Jar, pears and Pomegranate; Picasso Woman with a Green Hat. Some days are absolutely perfect!

17 comments:

caseytoussaint said...

Robyn, these are an absolute delight - so loose and spontaneous, and yet really well drawn.
I sometimes draw from my computer screen as well - I find it's a nice compromise when you really don't want to get out in the weather. And as you point out - you can choose your season!

vivien said...

lovely fresh sketches that look as though they could have been plein air :>)

Anita said...

Beautiful sketches!
What a fantastic sounding exhibition and just to find it by accident must have been wonderful. I love Cezanne's Still life with Ginger Jar - wonderful still life, the man was a geniua.

Anonymous said...

Now that is something worth "stumbling upon."
You are making me re-think my grumbles when ink bleeds. This looks lovely;maybe it's the brown ink with the warm colours? I use black ink and it just looks horrid if I have a run!

Laura Frankstone said...

Beautiful, Robyn! I love it when you use that warm and glowy palette. I like using red ink and red orange ink, too---it adds depth and verve to sketches. I'm sorry you've had such a gray autumn, but you've certainly been productive. Your monoprints have been exquisite!

Lin said...

I LOVE these, Robyn!! Really wonderful color and looseness ... I took your advice about architecture fast -- mercy, I have so far to go ... sigh ... I so hope we can meet next year! I'd love to watch you paint!

Unknown said...

Robyn I love this kind of sketching. I have not used a pen like that in quite sometime. I may have to dig it out soon.
Your sketch is so lovely and don't feel bad I always sketch from my computer screen. thank goodness for digital photos and computers because getting out can be difficult due to work and weather.

mARTa said...

I agree, a perfect outing it was! I love the sketches as well and would have guessed plein air.

df said...

Nice sketches! The brown ink works perfect for the subject. I love the looseness and watery feel. Can't believe it's so grey and wet there now!
(Thanks for the very kind comment on my tuscan bldg) we will have to paint together next year.

Making A Mark said...

Great sketches - love them. I love your insouciant approach to what happens when you apply watercolour!

I've never heard of this ink before but will now be looking out for it.

Robyn Sinclair said...

Casey - Thank you. I wish I could have been a bit looser like this in your FP sketchbook. Maybe next time.

Vivien - Thank you :) - I usually end up without any perpendicular lines when I sketch outside as well. It works out okay for Venice because nothing much stands straight upright there.

Anita - TY. I wanted to rush home and paint peaches with blue outlines after seeing that Cezanne. The Van Gogh was extradordinary too with a vast green wheat field in the foreground. I can still see it if I close my eyes.

Diane - It was Queensland artist John Lovett who alerted me up to the beauty of bleeding brown ink in watercolour.

Laura - thank you. And I glad you like the monoprints. Now I'm thinking I should be calling them monotypes. I'll have to check.

Lin - I have never let anyone watch me paint. You may be the first! It's a bit like watching paint drying ;)

Toni - When you are sketching birds I guess that's the only way you can rely on them to sit still :) I took to drawing from the screen because I hate spending so much money on printer cartridges.

Marta - You of all people know how hard it is to get me sketching en plein air ;)

Dee - Thank you and anyone who hasn't seen df's latest beautiful watercolour of a Tuscan villa should check it out at once.

Katherine - I've always wanted to be insouciant :) Terribly difficult with my Capricorn character. By the way that's a regular Pelican fountain pen ink and much less expensive than specialist artist inks.

Joan Sandford-Cook said...

Oh you oh so lucky girl to just happen to stumble across such an exhibition. Like the title of this post - began to wonder what you meant first of all!!!!! beautiful colours and yes I agree bleeding ink into colour is delightful and the fast and loose sketches have turned out great.

Joan Sandford-Cook said...

Just sent you a comment and it has disappeared. Ah well - just to say how lucky you were to stumble across such a ravashing exhibition and your inky watercolour 'fast and loose' are a delight.

Anonymous said...

I love this play with bleeding ink and watercolour! I can feel for you, because we have that same grey and wet weather. You have brightenend it all with these paintings!
Ronell

Jennifer Lawson said...

These are so beautiful. The brown ink and color palette have such a wonderful warm feel.
I also will draw from my computer at times because I can be such a baby when it comes to weather conditions.

Joan said...

Robyn - These are both lovely!!! I like the washes with the ink. I like the bleed of the pen too. We were away last month and I happened to catch something on the internet about the weather and flooding in Venice. There were incredible photos of people wading through water alongside the canals. I hope you took more photos in Perugia!

Anonymous said...

These are wonderful. And as for your Pelikan Brilliant Brown ink - to me even the name sounds exciting to work with. Like just having it there would make you want to get on and sketch something.

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