sketchpad issues

I've only one brush for sketching, and it's cheap and fake, and I'm using it on a cheap and basic sketchpad. In a fit of fullofmyselfness, I decided I'd do so much better with some good quality  materials, so I  went off and treated myself to a Moleskin watercolour sketch pad. I hate it!!

 

The format is long and narrow, which is probably perfect for sweeping landscapes, but not so great for the shed in Dorset. But the main issue is that you can't at all seem to lift colour. Once it's on, it's on. I'd have liked to lighten/brighten the deck to the left of the shed, and pulled a bit of paint out of the shrubs, but it's ever so permanent.

I think it has made for a duller veg box as well, I'd have liked to lighten the asparagus:

 

 

 

 But on the up side, the study avoidance is going well:

 

 

I seem to have ferociously knobbly feet.

 

 

Lovely lovely weather,  I'm dawdling a bit too much time away on the patio.

 

 

 

Sketching the house etc

I've been trying to draw things that are a bit challenging, especially lines and perspective etc. for the practice. That makes it all sound like a boring  exercise, but I must say I'm loving the whole thing.

 

I sat out on the grass doing the next one, Max ran off with the tissues, licked the paint, and took to chewing my sandal , painting with a dog is gas crack.

 

I'm not the most innovative when it comes to subject matter. I wandered around looking for things and ended up sitting in front of the shed.

 

The next one  I didn't do for drawing practice, I wanted to try and quickly catch the late sun on the grass and the backlit viburnum. Minimum drawing and very quick painting.

 

 

And last weeks veg box.  Now that I think of it, I think that fennel bulb is still sitting in the fridge a week later, oops.