Outside Ocean Terminal

Decided to brave the weather outside and draw some boats and cranes.

I wanted to get the line and the composition fixed, but really it was the colour that was so interesting....

Then I did some little ink drawings like this....

But after lunch I stayed inside and had a go at the view from the cinema over the open ground outside Ocean Terminal and the ponding on the blaes surface.  Nice feeling of desolation...

But this effort is not nearly as good as the sketches of this view done by others - I hope they post their sketches here too!

Ocean Terminal 19Oct12

Had a great day at Ocean Terminal. Started outside with the Royal Yacht.......

Then inside....lots of shops.....and finally, lunch, of course!

More Linlithgow Sketches

As it was a bit windy, I did this sketch standing inside the Burgh Halls. A pencil sketch that took some time.  Difficult angles.

Then it was down to the loch to look at the boats, but I couldn't finish this sketch, because it rained. But I quite liked the boats all together.

After lunch, I sat on the cemetery wall and sketched the small group of houses. Anther pencil sketch.

I like the higgledy-piggeldy-ness of these houses! Great place for sketching, Linlithgow.

Linlithgow sketches

Despite it being very windy, had a great day drawing lots of things including this fireplace in the Burgh Halls and St Michael's steeple.

Linlithgow Sept 2012

We met in Sooo Strawberry Caffe....(I think I've spelt it right).....so nice we went back for lunch.

Cramond Re-Visited

Sorry to be a bit tardy with this post, but better late than never.

I started out determined to do some colour sketching and I had brought my watercolours with this in mind.  Cramond Island looked so beautiful in the sunshine.  So that's what I sketched.

Cramond Island Sketch

I couldn't quite capture the foreground, I think. And it looks a bit pale now.  The foreground was something I wanted to work on, so my next sketch in pencil was this one of the gasometer - much more scenic, don't you think?

View towards Granton Sketch

I do love the filigree effect of the gasometer - not quite sure if I've captured this well enough.
Finally - here's a skech of a boat that I did.

Boat sketch

Actually - this is a cheat.  I did it in the studio and it's based on a boat I sketched at Port Seton Harbour.  So I put it in to encourage you others to POST YOUR SKETCHES!

It was a good day and I look forward to seeing you all at our next sketching session in September.

August 2012

This is us outside the Gallery Bistro at Cramond on Friday 10th August in beautiful sunshine having tea and scones before a hard morning's work sketching.

And a sketch, the ice cream van!

Even although I couldn't get to last Friday's sketching I was looking to see what those who could get there produced...............

Better Late than Never

Here is my drawing of a crow. It took to the air and landed on one of the allotment shed roofs after being chased by a dog. The textures in the sketch were much improved by the heavy rain.

Elspeth

Botanics and Inverleith Allotments May 11th (Rona's comments)

The weather wasn't on our side this time, but undeterred, Elspeth and I headed across the road to the allotments. I love the organised chaos of allotments - the colourful huts, the salvaged materials used to build all sorts of garden necessities and all the different planting. Despite the rain and cold I managed a few wee sketches and took some photos. Eventually though the warmth of the Hope Gateway and lunch beckoned!


Allotments at Inverleith with Fettes in the distance



Some Wonky Huts (with smudges!)







Botanic Gardens11th May 2012

Mhairi's efforts

The weather wasn't as good as the last time we were here......

.............So I stayed indoors and drew the 1607 Botanic's bell and copied a framed print from a wee exhibition in the Botanics.....Catch it if you can. This is one of a series of hand coloured linocuts of nests and eggs by Hugh Bryden

But as always lunch was good!

Rona's

Edinburgh worthies were out in force on Friday making the most of the warm sunshine although it did, at times, feel a bit like a Mother and Toddlers convention!

For once I managed not to wander around seeking out the perfect subject and location, but settled down to work on the terrace in front of Inverleith House. I did a number of quick sketches but these are the ones I was happiest with -

Trees - pencil and ink

Tree study - pencil on a watercolour background

Towards the castle from Inverleith House -

pencil, ink and Caran D'Ache Neocolour watersoluble crayons

An enjoyable day - looking forward to our next outing!



Glorious day at the Botanics - too good to be inside the glasshouses, so worked outside. Searched in vain for an exotic large leafed plant to draw (didn't fancy skunk cabbage or bergenias). Did a colour study of ducks on the pond in front of Inverleith House. They got somewhat lost against the multicoloured water I had painted but there is enough information to do another painting. In the end I did a pencil drawing of these swans preening themselves.

Mhairi's

As usual I worked in my wee A6 sketchbook and concentrated on the unusual.

This is a sculpture made of sticks in the pond at the John Hope Gateway and flowers in the sun against a rusty wall.

A warning sign and an electric van on charge

Lunch and plants for sale in the shop

 

                                                     Plant label, no plant, and a fritillaria

An oak leaf and my favourite, my toes as I sketched them!

Lovely morning at the Botanics, tucked in the corner nera the Alpine glasshouse. Enjoyed experimenting with mixed media, coloured pastels, inktense and ink.  First time I have used this method and so enjoyed working with colour, can see that this is definitely the way forward so much more interesting than line on its own.  Look forward to having another go with watercolour as well

Botanical Expedition

On Friday, the friends met up at the Botanics in Edinburgh for a sketching session.  We agreed over coffee to try and set up a blog for us to post and share our sketches.  So here we go!

Sadly I couldn't stay very long and it was such a lovely day for sketching.  My efforts were confined to an attempt in pastels at a view of the Edinburgh skyline from Inverleith House.

View from Inverleith House (Aileen Grant)

 

 

I also did a little charcoal sketch of a twisted tree before I had to go off to the station to collect my daughter.  Here it is.

Twisted tree (Aileen Grant)

So - now that I've made this start to our group blog, it's over to you guys.  I'm sure you'll have done much more interesting sketches than this!