We
have just enjoyed a cruise to the Caribbean. Whenever I go on holiday
I
take a sketch book and a few pens, watercolour pencils and my small
travellers’
watercolour box. They make a light, easily packed painting gear
and
for every drawing I usually write the day’s journal. It helps my memory. I
tend
to use a pen, which is not permanent, one which will bleed when water
is
added. This helps with tones. I usually only get at the most 15 minutes to
get
down an impression and then paint later that day whilst it is fresh in my
memory,
aided by a photograph of the location. I suppose I should try
to use some of these sketches to make a larger completed painting
to use some of these sketches to make a larger completed painting
later
when at home.
I
have attached a look at my recent trip’s sketchbook,
when
we were on the island of Antigua. It’s a view of Nelson’s dockyard from Shirley
battery point. The bus driver had given us 15 minutes to look around. Nelson
commanded the Windward Islands from this base protected by artillery batteries
at this point, and others, all able to communicate about French ships
approaching, using signal flags.
The Naval dockyard is now an interesting museum
and docking for some very expensive yachts.
I use a Daler Rowney 150g/m2 acid free cartridge paper, A5 landscape sketch book, fully bound. It allows me to paint over two pages .I won’t buy one with a ring binding.
The Naval dockyard is now an interesting museum
and docking for some very expensive yachts. I use a Daler Rowney 150g/m2 acid free cartridge paper, A5 landscape sketch book, fully bound. It allows me to paint over two pages .I won’t buy one with a ring binding.
The painting on the left here is a watercolour painting on ‘proper’ paper that I did on the previous cruise to St Petersburg. June 2011. That was a different experience but a great one. At least
the paint didn't dry so quickly as in the Caribbean where it was a glorious 80
degrees every day we were there, away from the winter blues at home!
