Sketchbook Update 106 (Patreon)

Hoooo this one is beefy, I did a lot of studies from films etc which meant I blasted through pages faster! Also it's autumn, the time I start panicking about not getting enough painting done outside while I still can, so there's a lot of plein air!

There were sheep under that tree when I started this painting, I swear. A cyclist came past and told me he was really impressed and asked if I had an instagram. I lied LOL. I don't have anywhere that doesn't also have suggestive gay priest art on it and tbh I don't post this stuff elsewhere much!

I was sad that I didn't capture the hill here, but looking back at the photo of the part I chose to paint, you can't even see the steepness, so I guess I gotta work on exaggeration!

Look at this fairytale mushroom.

Newtondale, we had a crazy hilly but beautiful walk, I was very very excited to see so many mushrooms. We also happened to be there during a steam train event, so we caught a few going by! Something so exciting about the sounds they make… I feel like a kid when I hear them haha. 

Aaand more trains, the trains that go through newtondale stop here!
I set a goal to go on a day trip somewhere on my own, I can't drive and live in a remote village so it's kind of difficult to get anywhere, so I kinda just don't. Anyway I got a lift to the bus station and travelled to Goathland. The bus journey over the moors was so beautiful!

There was a charming cafe garden with sheep in the pen beside it, and I ate both my meals out here lol. Here is...what's it called...cream tea (scone, cream, jam, tea)! And then I had a soup & sandwich later on :3.

 Made myself take the easel with me! I struggle a lot with gouache plein air, I think usually I pull it off by the end, but the ugly phase is so long, and I can never replicate the contrast I see in real life, which tbh is my favourite thing about landscapes! I gotta keep trying, I see other people doing it so it's gotta be possible!

I had some points to redeem on cult pens so I got a broad kaweco nib to replace my medium, and some robert oster dusky pink ink. I love it… it kinda reminds me of velvet ribbon. I've never quite managed to mix a pink that I like, I have a teeny sample of kobe strawberry choc that I looove but it's not legible enough (my criteria is being able to write in bed by the light of my screen lol) so this one works really well.

I Should say that I have enough inks but its my birthday/christmas coming up and there is absolutely ink on my wishlist LOL. Don't judge me.

Pulled out the artgraf again and it's just so nice for trees, you kinda have to push the heavy pigment around, and it's so full of movement.

I also have been seeing people use soft pastels so I found my whsmith ones- previously used only for doll faceups haha, and it was really nice! A very different way of working but quite forgiving.

Most of the mushrooms lately are done from my photos, but this one was from life :). I just realised I forgot to stick this in there at all Lol.

Wips of a piece I really wanted to like…and went as far as doing a digital colour study…which oops, I like better. Haha! Maybe I'll make it digitally after all, or with marker. The paper didn't take water very well, which didn't help.

A scrappy cliff charm I made, inspired by this persons! The finished one was actually the tester but I stiffened up on the real one and it looked bad (I think I mucked up my template too), so I neatened up the test instead! He's faded cause I used pens as a test...and hated how dark it was so I washed him hehe. Still, it's got heart :P.

Village spoils, very much love the trading/gifting mindset, its so nice and I never ever had that in the city, I didn't even know peoples names (we lived in a rougher bit tbf).

The cows having a great time on the public footpath, I can't wait for them to be gone so I can walk that way ;P.

I can be your angle or yuor devil

We're incredibly lucky to be able to see the northern lights during winter from the countryside. It's not like that visibly- the camera is what shows it, but you CAN see a tint of green and purple with the naked eye!

I hope you all have a good week <3.