sketching

The Daily Painting Challenge

OK.
So.
In a discussion with an artist friend, we decided it would be good for us to try and do a painting every day for a month (from 8th May to 8th June… yes, yes I know that was over a month ago now…).

After achieving my target, by dint of creatively redefining both ‘daily’ and ‘painting’1, I thought I’d better get round to posting them (in completely random order) before I forgot entirely2.

Several of the below were sketched while holidaying in Scotland, so many thanks to my hosts for generously lending their collection of shiny objects to the cause…

1

i.e. By dint of applying the following cheats:

  • Deciding completing a painting every *other* day would be more my style. Wouldn’t want to overdo it, would I?
  • Redefining ‘painting’ as ‘whatever I felt like’.
  • Adding on an extra day to my deadline, because I spent the entirity of two of them travelling between home and Scotland. Hm, really I should have added two on… missed a trick there.
  • And finally, counting the picture I *finished* on the day I started the challenge. Sadly, the Mouse did not in fact take only a day to complete.

2

As has apparently happened with the ‘Springtime Sketches’ posts.

Springtime Sketching (interlude)

… and what has the mouse to do with springtime?

Not a lot1. It just happened to be drawn in the spring, as part of a couple of postcard designs to go to Bricket Wood Art Club2).

Anyway, more seasonal pastel studies are below, with only minor photoshopping3, for your delectation and delight – or at least a distraction until I get organised enough to do a proper post4.

All spring sketches small

Alas, the glorious candyfloss blossoms are now mostly over – but at least I drew some of them this year…

1
Unless you count the tendency of rats to frequent our garden in pursuit of food put out for the young birds.

2
…which has recently suffered a very sad loss. I should probably not go into details here, but will ask whether a general announcement should go up on the website at some point.

3
Memo to self – download Gimp from Gimp.org. I like trusty Paint.net, but I could do with more functionality (and better auto-levelling algorithms >_<).

4
Best estimate: around midsummer at the current rate!