Category Archives: sketching

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.

Sketching in remote places

Posted on by
1

I’ve just returned from a trip to South Greenland with my friend Torben Sorensen, hence the lack of blog posts over the past month. Our objective was to sketch and paint the spectacular mountains near Nanortalik, which is about 45 miles north-west of Cape Farewell, the southernmost tip of Greenland. To gain access to the area we hired an inflatable zodiac to go up Tasermiut fjord, a 50-mile stretch with stunning peaks on either side: a rather crazy idea as neither of us had ‘driven’ such a boat before, and perhaps when we found it had a hole in the bottom we should probably have abandoned the idea rapidly.

We carried on, and had to do quite a bit of baling out, as well as heaving the craft over rocks and beaches at anything but high tide. Sunny weather blessed us most of the time, but clouds and cloud streamers added greatly to the atmosphere. When you can see everything the view tends to lose its aura of mystery.

Watercolour, of course, is supreme in conveying a sense of atmosphere. This is a rough watercolour sketch of icebergs near Cape Farewell, done on cartridge paper, which generally dries rather quickly and so makes laying complicated watercolour washes quite difficult, as in this case where I’ve had to work the darker sky round the light foreground berg. Even wetting the paper first still leaves one prone to ugly brushmarks across the cartridge paper. However, as it’s just a sketch this doesn’t matter. The important thing was to capture the subtle colours in the ice, the slightly darker overall tones on the further skyscraper-like icebergs, and a general sense of the atmosphere. At the same time I wanted to suggest the coldness of the Arctic sea. These aspects are difficult to render with a pencil.

I regard sketches as working documents which will give me all the information I need to complete a full watercolour painting at home. Photographs help a lot, but often lose the subtleties of tone and colour that is needed to produce an authentic portrait of the scene. And naturally, being out in the natural wilderness sketching is a wonderful therapy, especially when you know that you really don’t have to exhibit the result!

Painting holiday in Canada

Posted on by
Reply

I’ve just returned from East Anglia, where I indulged in my passion for maritime scenes and collected a number of sketches of old sailing barges under way in Harwich Harbour. Despite the distractions of a giant ferry crashing into the quay and the subsequent charging around of lifeboats, harbour patrol launches, tugs and kitchen sinks, I managed to achieve some lively images which will be the subject of a future blog.

Canadian rockies

Canadian Rockies

We still have vacancies on our painting holiday to Canada on September 1st when Jenny and I take a group to the Rockies to paint some amazing scenery. I shall be demonstrating how to paint the sublime natural scenery.  It is easy to be overawed by such spectacular scenery, so I will be showing how to cope with the big landscape and produce an exciting composition, as well as many other aspects of painting, whether you like to work in watercolour, oils, pastels or whatever. There will be plenty of time to paint and sketch, and if anyone wants to do a little walking that would be great, but it is optional.

The holiday runs from 1st to 14th September, and is organised by Spencer Scott Travel in conjunction with The Artist and Leisure Painter magazines. For further information please email  info@spencerscott.co.uk or telephone +44 (0)1825 714310 or check the website www.spencerscotttravel.com

Finding time to blog and sketch

Posted on by
Reply

Trying to maintain a regular blog is pretty much impossible for me, especially at the moment with so much happening. There simply isn’t enough time to do all I want. Since the previous post Jenny and I have joined in a major protest in Mid Wales at the start of a public inquiry into five wind farms which, if given the go-ahead will industrialise vast swathes of beautiful landscape and trash the main economy based on tourism. Following that I demonstrated in a slightly different style at Patchings Art Festival in the St Cuthberts Mill and Search Press marquees, and without a break continued to Derbyshire to run a painting course at Derbyshire Arts.

Hardly back from Derbyshire and I had a rather significant birthday party, which unfortunately was interrupted by the local health and safety officials as pictured above. Nevertheless, much fun was had by all concerned, and nobody got too wet. This interlude was then followed by a spot of filming for another project, until at last! – yesterday I could disappear off into the hills and relax for the first time in a few weeks.

There’s been some marvellous weather for working out of doors lately, and long may it continue. I have a number of sketching kits, ranging from large expedition ones to pocket-sized pads with a pencil or two plus an aquash brush – it really is worth taking a few materials with you, plus a camera, to catch a fascinating composition while you are out. If you feel embarrassed sketching out of doors then hide your sketchbook in a copy of the Beano or other comic and pretend to be doing the crossword……enjoy the summer.