Category Archives: sketching outdoors

David Bellamy – Painting misty mountains in watercolour

Posted on by
6

Jenny and I have just returned from Austria where we took a group to paint Alpine scenery. It was a great trip, with many memorable scenes, despite rather a lot of cloud and mist. So we had rather a lot of practice in rendering misty mountains in watercolour!

Here I’m doing a watercolour demonstration way above the clouds, with marvellous views all round as the mountains rise out of the inversion. Alas, there were even more clouds above us, so we did get a little rain near the end of the demo, but not enough to spoil things. A cappuccino and an apple-strudel quickly restored morale.

Mist on mountains can, for the artist, sometimes be both magical and a misery. I love the way it can blot out unwanted features, but as we all know, it often blots out the very features we want to see!

There are a number of ways of creating mist in watercolour. In this scene above the Inn Valley in Austria I ran colour into wet areas to create soft edges to the clouds. I had to work quickly as I was painting on a cartridge book. With such a lot of cloud edges, inevitably some dry hard-edged before they can be corrected.

This is not usually a problem as they can later be softened with a damp brush when the paper is completely dry, though the odd hard edge here and there might well enhance the clouds.

Alternatively a soft sponge is an excellent tool for softening off, but take care if you use cartridge paper as it won’t stand too much surface friction. Enjoy your clouds!

David Bellamy – What on earth is that?

Posted on by
1

Do you ever look through your sketches and sometimes think ‘What on earth is that?’ You simply can’t remember what it was and thought at the time you had enough detail to work from. I sometimes deliberately make a sketch a little obscure, although more often I make certain parts of the sketch less definite, with perhaps hardly any detail, or maybe make it more abstract.

In this rough pencil sketch, which I did on my recent visit to the Scottish Highlands, my aim was to create a simple record of an interesting composition for some future painting. I could easily see many features on the distant hill and shore, and I could see so much more around the houses, but I was only interested in the basic composition, a few shapes and a couple of colours. This method makes it easier for me to impose my own atmosphere and colouring on the scene, and not painstakingly follow every scrap of detail and colour in the actual scene.

I’ve sketched hundreds of Highland scenes, so I’m familiar with many of the standard colours. When I come across prominent or new colours that have impact, such as the strips of dull pink pebbles and orangey yellow weed as in this scene, I make a note, as that’s the sort of thing that’s so easy to forget. There were a few small boats on the other side of the dark concrete pier, so I will probably add one or two of those in just below the buildings when I do the painting, and maybe add some figures and gulls for life, otherwise the composition is fine as it stands – the far hill will dissolve into a light mist or squall. This approach to sketching will help you simplify your paintings and impart more impact.

The Highlands were at their most beautiful, but sadly the onset of vast wind turbines, hundreds of them, is now encroaching into the classic Highland scenery itself, such industrialisation being completely alien to the natural environment, but making enormous profits for energy companies and landowners. As more turbines come on-stream the grid becomes less stable, and there is strong evidence that blackouts have already started because of this. For this to happen in one of the most beautiful countries in the world it is unforgiveable. The Scottish tourist organisation recognise this beauty and implore visitors to help keep it this way, yet this is at odds with their lack of protest against this industrialisation, and I take every opportunity to tell them so. If you want know more, visit Scotland Against Spin

Jenny Keal – Sketchbooks

Posted on by
7
sketchbooks 001

Here is just a fraction of David’s many sketchbooks

I recently had an email inquiring about which sketchbooks I recommend. I thought other artists would find this useful too, so I am sharing this information here.

David and I both have a large collections of sketchbooks, The UK ones are dedicated to certain counties, or regions such as Mid Wales, Lake District, Yorkshire etc. and the overseas ones are illustrated daily journals of the trip, with text and drawings and paintings.

egypt sb

A page from my Egypt sketchbook

We have used a number of different brands over the years, some of which are no longer available but the ones we currently use are Daler Rowney Ebony Hardback Sketchbooks  in either A5 or A4 sizes. Many of the UK ones and all of the overseas ones are in casebound hardback sketchbooks with cartridge paper, either A4 or A5. Casebound books are more durable than ring bound ones and have the advantage that you can write on the spine and then organise them on a bookshelf.

crete sb

A page from my Crete sketchbook

 The other advantage of a casebound book is that you can extend the sketch over a double page spread and with an A4 sketchbook that means you have an area A3 in size. The paper weight is also important if you intend to use watercolour in your sketches. I would say that 150 gsm cartridge paper is the minimum weight to look for. There are a number of casebound sketchbooks coming onto the market and not always in art shops, some stationery shops now seem to stock plain cartridge paper casebound books. but check the paper weight carefully before you buy.
David and I strongly believe that sketching out of doors is the best way to improve your artwork, and if you paint in watercolour then sketching in watercolour out of doors is a truly liberating and exciting experience and will almost certainly improve your studio watercolours.
I hope you can discover the pleasure of working out of doors in front of nature.

David Bellamy – Sketching a bridge through trees

Posted on by
5

I’ve just returned from a sketching trip to the English Lake District, having experienced a variety of weather conditions, making for some interesting and varied sketching outdoors. The best day was when I climbed to the summits of the Coniston peaks on a sunny day. I aimed initially for Swirl How, from which there are marvellous views all round, and at that level extensive snow made them even more impressive. I was perfectly happy sitting in the snow painting a watercolour sketch and sipping a coffee with hardly a breath of wind. When I moved further south along the ridge and looked back the southern aspects of the mountains were completely devoid of snow. Had I done the trip the other way round I’d have been really disappointed with the views northwards.

The sketch I’m showing, though, is one done in light rain, using a watersoluble pencil on a cartridge pad. As you can see it has quite a few notes and a slightly different view of the bridge itself from higher up, at the top of the page. From my position below the falls the bridge was mainly obscured by branches – in summer it would have been impossible to see, but by moving around a little I was able to piece together the main bridge structure, reducing the number of branches.

I then moved higher up, almost on a level with the bridge, and drew in the details as seen at the top of the page. This explained the structure of its rather unusual, but attractive shape, and was helpful even though the perspective was naturally quite different from the first drawing. I backed it up with photographs, but this is a case which clearly shows the advantage of a drawing, both for the main overall subject, and those little bits of detail that can lend an authentic feeling to your work.

You can find the lovely old bridge on the track up to the Coniston Coppermines Valley, where it levels out, but take care as there are steep and deep drops into Church Beck. I’m glad to say that I’ve now handed my book on painting winter landscapes over to my publisher, to be published in the autumn, but this one sketch gives you a good idea of the advantages of getting out there before all that dreaded greenery arrives!

David Bellamy – Hang on to your sketchbook!

Posted on by
2

For the past seven months we’ve had the inconvenience of Erwood Bridge being closed for repairs. It’s also badly affected the Erwood Station Craft Centre, a very popular stop for refreshments between north and south Wales, and of course, well renowned for its crafts. Apparently it will be re-opening very soon, and you will be able to get your mule and your goods across the Wye in one go!

The Wye is a bit of a pig to cross without the aid of the bridge. I did it once, but fell in fully clothed, slipping on a rock under water. Happily I clung on to my sketchbook, so it didn’t get wet. I keep an A5 one in a bum bag which I stick round my neck if I’m going into deep water, and thus can easily hold it high above my head if I get swept away. Don’t try that at home, please!

Anyway, we’re hoping it will be a great year for the centre, especially as they’ve put so much effort into making it the amazing place it is today. Yes, closing the bridge was necessary for the repairs, but why so long? It’s a lovely place in spring, and is the start of some superb walks, so why not pay them a visit? You can also see some of the paintings I’ve just delivered to them. They are situated on the east bank of the River Wye about half a mile north of Erwood and some 6 or 7 miles south of Builth Wells. Don’t forget, for a while yet the bridge will be closed so you need to come up the east side via Boughrood from the south, or down the A4567 from the north. Ring the Erwood Station Crafts Centre on 01982 560674 if you need directions. They will be delighted to welcome you.